It's strange, what your brain will keep hold of.
My birthday in year 11 was a school day. I had recently branched out to a new freinds group through 2 people that were once my best freinds, and who now hate me. In most high school related media, seniors tended to fall into categories; jocks, nerds, goths, stoners etc. The expectation was that senior year was a war zone, everyone sticking to their own and non-stop drama. But that wasn't the case at our school. By senior year everyone sort of just got along with each other. The 'cool' kids would sit seperate but everyone else just hung out wherever they wanted. No judgements or cliques that had to be upheld. I remember being surprised on that particular birthday by how many different 'groups' were acknowledging me wishing me a happy birthday. It was... nice.
In photography class, everyone went out to take some photos around the school. I stayed back to set up my camera and as I was heading out, one of the girls from class stopped me to say happy birthday. Then she hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. I had never really talked to this girl but I remember being surprised that she did that. I thanked her, and I think she saw that I was a bit confused and told me 'you're a nice guy. I hope you have a good day.'
I cant remember her name. I don't really remember her face. I do remember she was in the 'in-between' status of popular and nerdy, and I remember she was pretty quiet in class. I'd never actually noticed her before then, but that was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me, and it was completely unprovoked.
I don't think I ever spoke to her again in the next two years I spent at that place. I wonder now if that was a mistake.
I've met a lot of people in my life. And I've had a lot of experiences and memories. Sometimes people and situations will just pop into my head and saying it out loud will sound like a bad sitcom. Like that time that a coworker dragged me into the womens restroom and tried to convince me that our manager was part of the illumaniti, or the time I had a 'spiritual cleansing' and went on an amazing journey only later to discover I was drugged with hallucinagens, or the time I tried to console a friend after she and her boyfreind had a fight which led to me almost being arrested on abduction charges because she wouldn't tell the police I wasn't kidnapping her.
I remember all these things from time to time, not to mention the countless shitty and embarrassing things I've done through the years. I do it alot when I won't sleep.
With that memory in particular, when she wished me happy birthday, I remember wondering 'why did she do that?' We didn't really know each other, but she said something really kind and made me feel like I existed. It's too late to read anymore into that, if I ever saw again (if I could even recognize her, oh me of the goldfishes memory) maybe I could maybe ask her why, but I seriously doubt she'd even remember that.
Where I am now, I don't really question why she did that. I just hope that when her birthday came around, that I did the same for her. I hope I let her know that I appreciated her. Because she was a nice girl, and I hope she had a good day. She deserved a good birthday.
But I don't remember what happened. Or if I ever spoke to her again. Or even what she looked like. Not even her name.
It's funny what your brain will let go of.
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