Zac stared into C.J's eye's as she nodded.
"Hi Zac" She said softly. Zac just stared at her, his mouth slightly open and his eyes wide.
"But, how? you were...... what?" Zac couldn't quite get a full sentence out. C.J's big blue eye's looked up at him, tears starting to well up in them.
"It's a long story... but Zac, we found each other!" She cried and flung her arms around him. Zac wrapped his arm's around C.J, not quite believing that it really was C.J. C.J pulled away from Zac.
"What's going on?" Zac asked her. C.J led Zac to a nearby bench and then the both of them sat down.
"Well, I never really was dead Zac... I know that sounds really strange but it's true. I had been in some kind of strange coma... it makes me look dead but I'm not... I woke up on the way to the cemetery. The coffin lid was closed so I panicked and then started pounding on the lid. One of the hearse drivers heard me and then let me out. I had no idea who I was or where I was... I didn't know who my family were or anything. I've been in a hospital in Colorado for the past few years, trying to regain my memory" C.J said. Zac sat in a stunned silence, taking in everything C.J had just told him.
"You were never dead....." Zac said. C.J nodded, tears springing to her eyes. "C.J. I have missed you so much and then you tell me you were never dead? Why didn't someone tell me? Your Mom... your brothers... why didn't they tell me?" Zac cried.
"No one was sure I would ever regain my memory Zac. They didn't want to get your hopes up. Think about it, it would have hurt you so much for me to not know who you were when I looked at you. God Zac... think of what my parents went through. Think of what I went through. All these faces claiming to love me and I had no idea who they were. That tore me apart" C.J said, giving into her tears. Zac wrapped her in his arms and felt his own tears. He rocked C.J back and forth, holding onto her like he would never let go.
"I'm sorry C.J" He said.
"What for?"
"For leaving you in that classroom, for not coming back for you... I tried... I really tried to get to you. I should never have taken you up there" Zac said.
"Zac, it's ok.. I never blamed you for what happened. I locked the door. I didn't want anyone else to get into the classroom so I locked it... then I couldn't open it... I'm so sorry you had to live with that... it was never your fault" C.J said though her tears. Zac shook his head.
"But it was my fault! C.J, I left you there!and beacuse of my selfishness you nearly died! and for the longest time I thought you were dead! C.J, so much has happened while you've been away, so much has changed. When did you start remembering?" Zac asked. C.J thought for a moment then shrugged.
"About 6 months ago.. so, what exactly has changed? You don't seem to have changed all that much..". Zac looked down at his feet. He decided that she didn't need to know what he was now into.
"Well, for starters, there is no longer Hanson, the band broke up about a year after your... umm..well...death.. I ah, couldn't do it anymore... not without you. Umm.. Jaymi and Ike are still toghether and Jaymi's pregnant, Ike is living in his own place now, Jaymi lives with him on weekends until the baby is born, then shes moving in with him on a more permanent basis.. Tay is living in that caravan out the back of our house, Kayla is living with him, they're only in there till the can afford their own place. Mrs Bennet, or I should say Mrs Wilson, she got re-married to this guy named Doug.. he's cool. He has two kids of his own, but I dont know them that well. Carly and Ben I think.. I know Jess is friends with Carly though. Jaymi and Kayla love the guy so yeah..umm.. Oh, I'm pretty good friends with Amy now.. do you remember her?" Zac asked. C.J had been listening to every word he had been saying, her eyes wide with everything that had happened. She shook her head.
"I'm still remembering different things. Some parts of my life are still a blank. The docotors say I should gain full memory by the end of the year though." She explained. Zac nodded. He suddenly looked up at her, a smile on his face.
"Do you want to go see Kay? She works in Teen Angel Clothing now.." C.J's face lit up.
"Of course I would! lets go!" She cried and jumped up. She then grabbed Zac's hand and pulled him up. She noticed something fall out of his pocket. It was a pack of cigarettes. He quickly snatched them up and shoved them back into his pocket again. C.J pretened that she hadn't seen them. Still holding Zac's hand she led the way to the popular clothing store.
"Wait out here... I don't want Kayla fainting at the sight of you ok?... I'm just gonna let her know you're here" Zac said. C.J nodded and watched as Zac walked into the store and up to Kayla. C.J studied Kayla while waiting, her hair had grown and it was now down to her waist, she had grown taller and she wore more makeup than what C.J remembered. Suddenly Kayla looked over at her and she gave a happy squeal as she ran forward to greet her friend. C.J laughed as Kayla swept her up into a hug.
"Oh my lord! Zac told me everything! I'm so happy you're alive... wait till Jaymi finds out... she's gonna go ballistic... she'll be so happy.." Kayla said through happy tears. C.J soon found herself crying again as she hugged Kayla.
"When can I see her?" C.J asked.
"Right now if you want to.. I can call her" Kayla said. She went and called Jaymi, not telling her the reason why she wanted her to come into the store. About ten minutes later, Zac, C.J and Kayla saw Jaymi walk through the doors. Kayla walked up to her sister.
"Kayla hi! why did you want me to come in? I mean, I don't need all those maternity clothes just yet cause you know I'm not even three months pregnant yet... oh man, Ike has been so good to me during this pregnancy... I mean, you know what happened the last time... but I'm not gonna go into that-" Jaymi stopped herself when she looked past Kayla and saw C.J. Jaymi stood in silence as C.J stepped forward.
"Hi Jaymi" She said softly.
"C.J?". C.J nodded. "But how? you're dead!" Jaymi cried, taking C.J's hand as if to try and prove that she wasn't there.
"She never was dead" Kayla said. Jaymi tore her gaze away from C.J and looked at her sister, her mouth slightly open and her eyes brimming with tears of confusion. She then glanced at Zac and then looked at C.J again. Suddenly Jaymi burst into sobs and she pulled C.J close to hug her. C.J started to cry again as she hugged her most missed best friend. She knew she had done the right thing by coming back to Tulsa to try to find Zac and the others. She just wished that she didn't have to leave that night.