I heard my name being called as I sat by Missy in the gazebo at Station Hill Park. Not my name— Dylan— but another name that I didn’t recognize as belonging to me, but yet, somehow, I knew it was mine. I stood up looking around for who called me and there she was, the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. The thought quickly brought me guilt and I shot a look over to Missy, away from the girl running over to me wildly.

“Dain! Dain!” She shouted as she seemed to rise up the stairs without touching them. That is how fast yet gracefully she moved. She threw herself into me and I had no other option but to wrap my arms around her in an embrace. Missy’s eyes grew angry.

“What in the hell?” Missy shot to her feet and I let go of the slender body that felt like heaven in my arms with only a little hesitation. Instantly my body craved her near me again. I needed her body pressed against me once more and soon.

The girl looked into my eyes deeply seemingly to be searching for something. I didn’t know what. “Dain, it’s me Tara.” Her eyes pleaded with mine to show her something. I realized she wanted me to recognize her.

“Do you go to Talbot Prep?” Maybe she recognized me from school.

Her face fell with my words. “No.” She made a soft sound that was so heart wrenching that I wanted to lie to her. I wanted to tell her whatever she wanted to hear.

“Oh Dain, you don’t remember.” She looked down truly defeated.

I stepped towards her; my body with a will of its own. “You can help me remember.” I spoke softly to her trying to soothe her. My hand stroked her hair. It was as soft and smooth as silk the reddish brown hair glowing in the sun and it struck a familiar cord in the pit of my stomach. I smiled at her when she looked back up and her eyes meeting mine again. My heartbeat sped up as she let an impish smile form on her lips.

“Excuse me Dylan, how exactly can she do that.” Missy’s voice had the hard edge that let me know she was pissed and I was in huge trouble.

I forced my hand to pull away and abandon its repeated journey through the woman of my dreams’ hair. I took a step back.

“Missy, relax.” I forced my voice to sound normal when really my insides were churning. I felt like my life would never be the same again. “I was just trying to help Tara see that I am not who she thinks I am.”

“Well, do it without stroking her please.”

I looked back at her and grinned cockily. “Jealous?” I went to her side and she smiled in return.

“No, not at all. I know you realize what you have.” She snuggled into me like she had done since even before we had officially started dating in 8th grade. It no longer felt the same.

Tara looked up at us as something flickered behind her eyes. I wanted to pull away from Missy to erase that hurt look.

“I apologize; I must have the wrong person.” She took a step back.

She was moving away from me and someone inside me screamed ‘no!’ I took a breath. It didn’t work. I still wasn’t calm and I still didn’t know what to say to make her stay.

“Dylan let’s go. We better go get a start on homework.”

“Who did you think I was, Tara?” I interrupted Missy. I didn’t want to leave and I didn’t want Tara to leave. I only wanted Missy to. I realized that probably made me a super jerk. Missy was my best friend and my girlfriend and now just because some new girl enters the picture I was ready to kick her to the side all because Tara was shiny and new? Not to mention drop dead gorgeous, she most definitely was that too. You don’t do that D. You don’t push aside history for beauty; I was being such an asshole.

“I thought you were a long lost,” she considered her words quickly. “friend of mine.” The way she said friend made me think that he had been more. Oh so much more.

My heart, felt heavy in my chest. I wish I were this friend of hers. Then, I’d have every excuse to feel the way I was feeling. I would have every justification to allow her into my embrace. I would be expected to kiss her delicate face and promise to never leave her.

Missy pressed closer to my side. “Well he couldn’t be too good of a friend if you can’t remember what he looks like.”

Tara shrugged. “The resemblances are uncanny. But it has been awhile.” Although she was speaking to Missy her eyes never left my face. I wanted to say that I was him, the lucky bastard. It would feel right to say but maybe it was just her that felt right to me, so I would willingly be anyone she wanted me to be.

“You two should go.” Tara abruptly said. She turned her head away from me no longer meeting my eyes. Her voice had changed slightly but I noticed it and I recognized the sound somehow. Breaking away from Missy I stood in front of Tara.

“Will you be alright if we leave you alone?” I asked her softly ducking my head to look in her face. Just as I thought her eyes gleamed with unshed tears.

Her voice was soft as a whisper, “I miss you is all.”

That was it. My soul shattered. I wanted her. I don’t know why or how but I did. I wanted to know everything about her and make her forget about this Dain guy. I wanted her to love me.

I started to think about all the ways I could dump Missy— I froze. Dump Missy? I couldn’t. She was my best friend, the one who I actually knew everything about. We had spent so many nights in the tree house we had built together one summer. She would meet me up there when she heard my dad yelling and after he’d wailed on me. I would drag myself up those now ancient steps and there she would be, waiting.

I pulled back from Tara. “I am not him. I am sorry.” I went back to Missy’s side and took her hand and pulled her away from the girl who almost made me forget it all.

“Let’s go Missy.”

Missy had always been there for me and this new girl didn’t even call me by my damn name. She had probably been there for Dain but I was not him. As much as I craved her for her beauty that was not enough. I would be a shallow bastard if it were.

I made my choice. History would always win with me.