I was so horribly awkward. She was so amazingly wonderful. And of course she only noticed me after she discovered my YouTube channel.

I honestly didn't expect anyone from school to stumble upon my channel.  The account wasn't linked to any of the public accounts everyone knew. It was my little dark secret, and my silent cry for help.

Chloe was as graceful and beautiful as a rare butterfly, when she sashayed towards me in the parking lot after school.

I pulled the keys of my Honda Civic, ready to go home. I didn't expect Chloe to be coming for me personally, until she stood right in front of my face.

Chloe smiled and tilted her head, letting her long blonde hair flow below her waist. Her turquoise eyes gazed at my face and I heard a loud clang when the car keys slipped off my fingers to hit the concrete ground.

“Rey, right?” She sang.

I swallowed and nodded, bending over to get my keys, only to hit my head onto the side mirror.

Chloe giggled, touching her full lips with the tips of her fingers. “Sorry. You okay?”

Slowly standing up, I rubbed the top of my head. A small bump smarted under my touch. It didn't matter because it would heal in seconds, but my dignity was slightly dented.

“Fine,” I choked.

“Hi. I'm Chloe Sanders.” She gave me a small wave of her hand.

“I know.” I mumbled, looking down at my restless feet.

“Cool! So tell me, how'd you do it?” Chloe asked, raising a perfect eyebrow.

“Er! Do what?” I crossed my arms, leaning back on my car door.

“The tricks you do on YouTube.” Chloe shrugged, flipping her long hair to her back.

I stopped breathing, my body rigid. The muscles of my face twitched. “Oh! Um! W-What tricks?”

“Hey, It's OK.” She touched my shoulder lightly, scrunching her cute upturned nose. “I saw your videos on YouTube. It's pretty cool. I just couldn't figure out how you pulled off all the visual effects. Is it a hobby? ”

I swallowed, my mouth dry. Of all the people I didn't want to watch this, Chloe was on top of the list.

“Sort of.” I murmured, kicking the gravel with the tip of my sneaker. “I didn't expect anyone to watch it.”

“Well, it's awesome! The cuts and the blood. It looks so real!”

That's because it is real!

“Yeah… I guess.” I fidgeted, eyes darting around the empty parking lot. Chloe, my three-year crush, was talking to me for the first time, and I wanted to run away.

“Take me to your place,” Chloe demanded, showing me her pearly whites.

“What?!” My head snapped and I gaped at her.

“I just want to see your studio.” She shrugged, her eyes sparkling with masked excitement.

“But I… I don't have a studio. It's just,” I rubbed the curls on the back of my neck. “Just my room.”

“I don't mind.” Chloe beamed. ”So, well you invite me to your house and show me how you work?”

I drew a sharp breath, glancing at her smile, the eager gleam in her eyes, and the way she twirled her long locks of sunshine. It was a dream about to change into a nightmare, but I wanted to take the chance. It might not come again.

My head dropped for a moment, thinking.

But she'll think I'm a freak, my inner chicken said.

So what? Nothing new. She wouldn't tell people anything. Nobody would believe her. People wouldn't like me any less. Win-win situation.

“Alright.” I turned around, unlocked the car and hopped behind the wheel. “Get in.”

I leaned across the passenger seat to open the door for her. Chloe grinned and waltzed around the front, sitting herself next to me. “Thanks, Rey.”

I nodded staring at the road and sped off. My hands were shaking on the wheel. I was scared she might have to witness the live “visual effects” if my nerves slipped and the car hit a tree.

“Are your parents home?” Chloe asked sweetly after a long moment of awkward silence.

“No. They work late. I stay alone most of the time.” My voice came out low and husky. Nerves and Chloe's proximity. Her perfume filled the car. She smelled like roses and candy. I couldn't believe she was actually sitting next to me.

“Lucky you!” Chloe said. She lifted her legs comfortably up and hugged her knees.

Right! I wouldn't be able to experiment while my parents are around.

Fifteen minutes later, we walked up to my room, Chloe trailing behind me. I barged into my room first, picking up the usual mess scattered on the floor, and shoving it in my crammed closet.

“Sorry... I didn't expect visitors.” I scratched my head in embarrassment.

Chloe shrugged. “It's OK. My room isn't any better.” She walked casually, plopped down on the edge of my bed and slid her bag off her shoulder.

“Can I … get you something?” I shoved my hair back. The sweaty curls were stuck to my forehead.

“No, thank you.” She flashed her arched eyebrows. “Can we just get to work?”

I stood like an idiot, staring at her stunning beauty and feeling like I would pass out.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I asked. “What do you wanna know?”

Arms crossed, I tried to resist biting my nails, first, because it would gross her out, and second, because they'd grow instantly any way.

“Well,” Chloe put one leg over the other and clasped her hands around her knee.” What do you use to create the illusion?”

Straight to the point!

“Nothing.” I shuffled backward to slump on my beanbag next to my desk. “Just my camera.”

“Is it a special camera?” Chloe asked, forehead puckered.

“It's just a typical HD camcorder.” I motioned to the camera standing on a metallic tripod near my desk.

“What about the special effects make-up? It looks professional.”

Here comes the creepy part!

I raked my hair with stiff fingers and held my head in my hands. “No… No make-up,” I whispered, avoiding Chloe's eyes.

“Are you kidding?” Chloe's voice raised. “You slit your wrist, you stabbed your belly, you broke your finger, and then fixed them all on cam. How come there's no make-up?”

I licked my lips and glanced up slowly, cowering into my seat. “I don't know how.” I murmured.

“OK! Did you bring me here to make fun of me or something?” Chloe scowled and sprung up. She yanked her bag off my untidy bed and stomped her feet closer.

I got up to my feet, hands gripping my elbows. “You asked me to come here, remember?”

Chloe cheeks turned pink and she bit her lips. “Yeah. But I didn't ask you to lie to me.” Her tone lowered.

“I'm not lying. But I don't expect you to believe me.” I gazed directly into her eyes,  feeling a sudden surge of courage in my guts.

“Would you at least explain?” Chloe threw her arms in the air. She seemed frustrated.

With her angelic face inches from me, I just wanted to tell her everything. No. I needed to tell her. I needed to share this burden and at this moment, I believed she'd understand. I wanted to trust her.

I rubbed my face, and gestured toward my desk. I stepped to the right to draw the only chair for Chloe. “I'll just show you what happens first-hand.”

She sat down and cocked her head at me expectantly. I opened the drawer, grabbed a silver table knife, and handed it to her. She took the knife from me and examined it closely. Her eyes were shiny circles. I could almost see a hundred question marks swirling in her head.

“I just want you to make sure it's... real.” I took the knife back and rested my hand, palm up, on the desk. “Please, don't freak out, or scream, or--” I trailed off.

“What are you going to do?!” Chloe brought her hands to her mouth.

Squeezing my lips shut, I gritted my teeth. I lifted the knife up with my right hand and plunged it into the center of my palm. A groan escaped my throat.

Chloe flinched in her seat and squealed.

“Please, just look!” I panted.

There was a small gash in the middle of my hand and blood oozed for a second, then the bleeding stopped. I moved my hand closer to Chloe's view. She stared down at my hand with a weird expression on her face.  Shock?

“It won't take long.” I rubbed the bloody spot, feeling my inner heat spread across my hand. The wound was already closing.

Chloe didn't blink for a whole minute, until the wound reduced to nothing but a faded mark. She abruptly grabbed my hand in hers. I shuddered at her unexpected touch. Her hand was so soft and dainty.

She flipped my hand, stroking the spot on the back of it where the knife had cut through to the other side. Her eyebrows furrowed, her lips trembled, and she lifted her gaze to my face. There were tears in her eyes. “H-how?” She asked.

“I’m not sure how.” I shook my head and squatted in front of her. “Google says it's 'accelerated healing’ or, ‘cellular regeneration’ and both are only fictional.”

“You're like… like Wolverine?” Chloe breathed.

“More like Claire Bennett.” I chuckled wistfully. “ It's not that cool though.”

“When did this happen?” Chloe murmured softly, her hand soothing mine between her palms. It was weird how it seemed so natural. She didn't panic, or try to leave, or call me a freak. She was comforting me as if she really understood my crisis.

“Possibly, forever. I don't remember visiting the emergency room. Small cuts healed in seconds. Dentists thought my teeth were perfection. My hair grew faster than normal. Only when I was fourteen, I realized there was something wrong.”

“What happened?” Chloe asked. Her expression sympathetic as she squeezed my hand gently.

I fixed my eyes on her hands, enclosing mine. “I fell off the roof and hit my head on a stone planter.”

Chloe gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, her hands still grasping my previously injured palm.

“It's alright. I'm still alive.“ I couldn't help but to smile. “I could swear I heard my skull crack. I probably broke my neck too. Luckily, my parents weren't home.” I took a deep breath. “Half an hour later, I just got up, overheated and sweating and feeling like I could eat a horse.

“You never told anyone about this?” She asked in a whisper.

“I told my parents once. They laughed.” I curled my lips. “That's why I thought about YouTube. I was hoping an expert would come across the videos and realize they're not fake.”

“And then what?”

“And then, maybe someone would help me understand what I am.” I glanced at her now serene face. Something calm and comforting nestled in her deep turquoise eyes.

“I'm here, Rey,” Chloe crooned and ran her fingertips on the back of my hand. “I'll help you remember.”

Remember? What did I forget to remember?

Hypnotized, I stared at her delicate features. Her beauty was almost inhuman. Her gaze incessantly touched a memory hidden deep within my soul. As if I'd known her in another life. “Chloe, I… I don't see how you can help.”

Chloe laughed lightly. ”I'll try.” Her laugh made the stars fall from above, and twinkled in my room. “ Can you do this to other people?”

“Uh! What do you mean?” I dropped my knees, resting on the floor and lifted my eyes to follow hers.

“I mean heal other people.” Her smile filled her face. “I bet you can.”

“I've never thought about that.” I pulled my hand from hers to stroke my forehead. Something strange was visiting my mind. A peculiar deja vu moment. Can I?!

“ I'll volunteer.” Chloe straightened on the chair, holding a bright smile. She dropped my hand and brought her backpack on her lap. She unzipped a small section to extract a Swiss army knife.

My eyes popped out of their sockets. “Oh, no, no, no! Are you crazy? What if it doesn't work this way?”

“Just a little scratch. Trust me. It's OK.”

“Oh man! Are you serious? “

“Trust me, Reinhard.”

A chill ran through my spine and a jolt of energy rushed in my brain. “What did you call me?”

Chloe grinned, but didn't answer. She opened the small blade of her Swiss army and swiftly scraped her palm. Blood spurted from the wound, drawing a red line across her skin.

“Oh, crab!” I muttered and scrambled around, searching for something to bandage Chloe's hand.

“Just hold my hand, Reinhard. It'll be fine.”  She stood up, and pulled my arm. “Touch it.”

I gulped.

Slowly, I took a step closer. I reached out my hand, interlocked our fingers and pressed Chloe's little wounded hand in mine.

A heatwave flowed from my palm to hers. I gasped and closed my eyes. I felt the throbbing pain of her cut. I felt the blood pulsing out. Then, it all gradually cooled down and faded. I removed my hand and inspected her injury. It was gone. Only a smidgen of sticky blood remained, and a barely visible scar.

My confused eyes searched Chloe's exuberant expression. “How did you know?”

“Because I know you, Reinhard. I've always known you. You just forgot who you are. You needed time to remember.” Chloe raised a hand and caressed the messy hair off my forehead.

“And who am I?” I asked, my head swimming.

Chloe cupped my face gently and stroked my cheeks with her thumbs. “You're Reinhard, The healer. That's who you are.”

A burst of memories flickered in my mind like an old movie. Images from past lives. Different places. Different people. Only Chloe was present in every vision.

“And who are you?”

“Chloe. The reminder. And… your soulmate.”

All of a sudden, confusion was no more as her smile widened to fill every inch of my memory.

And I remembered…

Everything...

****

Hello again lovely ones

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This one shot was written for  (The Writer's Creation) held by The-Writers-Corner