Ken sprinted into the waves gracefully while I sat in the baked sun. He glided across the ocean, up and down, in and out. Monster waves carried him out, but he managed to come back in. I watched him for hours. He moved like he was part of the wave, not getting in the way. His wet, golden hair swept against his forehead. He flipped his hair back perfectly to one side. He waited patiently for the water to approach and started riding the waves. It carried him off near huge rocks. With panic stricken eyes, ken jumped off his surf board hitting his head against one of the boulders. My legs automatically sprinted to the ocean. I dog paddled to the green covered rock and tried to hold on to it. My head bounced up and down on the waves as I looked under the fierce sea for a knocked out surfer. I saw a tan covered blob with swim shorts on and dived down under to rescue it. I grabbed him in one arm and used the other arm to swim to shore. I dropped Ken in the white sand and started yelling for him to wake up. My head lay on his chest to check for breathing. He wasn’t. I knew what I had to do, give him the kiss of life. I put my lips on his lips, held his nose closed, and breathed oxygen into his cinnamon flavored mouth. I let go and waited a second. Ken started coughing.
Ken rose his body up and looked into my eyes, “What just happened?” This was just like a movie; the beautiful girl saves the cute boy. Maybe, if I’m lucky he’ll fall in love with me.
I was about to answer when someone interrupted me, “How could you?” I looked up. It was Barbie, Ken’s real girlfriend. I was just the tuba playing loser with imaginary dreams to be a girlfriend. Tears filled her blue eyes and started rolling down her soft cheeks, and I was about to say something, but she ran away too fast. Leaving us there, sitting in the soft sand.
“Who was that girl? Who are you?” Ken asked. This gave me a brilliant idea, but I had to perfect my lying skills.
“You mean, you can’t remember anything? Not me or anyone?” Looking worried, I secretly had an idea.
“No, not anything. Who am I? What happened?” He was now under my power. I could do anything I wanted with him.
“Ooh, well you were practicing for a surfing competition and the wave knocked you into a rock. I came to rescue you and saved your life. You could have died. Good thing you invited me to come,” I looked into his eyes seriously and continued, “Well, you are a great surfer and your name is Ken. You practice here every day after school. I am your girlfriend, Roberta. That girl that just yelled at you and started crying was your ex girlfriend. You guys broke up 3 weeks ago so you could date me. So you can’t remember anything? Anything at all?” I spoke as one might speak to an audience, loud with a lot of gestures.
“Nope, nothing. Okay, so if I am a huge surfer, I don’t want anyone to think I am bad and I crashed so easily, so don’t tell anyone. Okay?” Ken said sternly. He actually believed me! It was so easy. It looks like my luck is changing. Maybe I am the luckiest girl in the world.
“Okay. Let me take you home.” I said. I pulled Ken off the ground and pointed toward my 20 year-old station wagon, “Go get in my car, I will be right back.” Ken followed my instructions and started up the big hill that I fell down.
I walked over to Ken’s coach and explained all what happened. Ken’s coaches agreed and let us leave.

On the way home, I told Ken all about his life, our life together, school, Barbie, surfing, and everything he needed to know to pull off that he knew everything. Ken asked tons of questions and I answered him happily. Honestly, I was just glad that Ken Carson, the most popular guy in school, was actually in my car talking to a band geek like me.
I pulled into his driveway and sat there. A silent minute passed before I asked, “Do you remember this place? Any memories coming back?” I was actually making sure I wasn’t going to be caught lying to him.

“Nothing. Well, okay, I probably need to go. I will see you tomorrow.” He looked into my eyes for about 2 seconds and then dropped his eyes to the ground. “Bye,” he added in before leaving my car. Before I could say another word, the door slammed and I was alone in my car again.
The next day came and I was eager get to school. I had a boyfriend now. When I got there, Ken was waiting for me by his locker with a dozen of pink roses. Today he was wearing khaki pants and an orange collared shirt. His hair was messy and a little wet. I half smiled amazed that he still believed me, and I ran over to him.
“What is this for? You got me flowers?” I asked talking in a deep slow British accent trying to be funny. I was so surprised. Did he do this for Barbie before the accident? I hugged him and he rocked us back and forth. My face was pushed against his chest and he smelled like tulips.
“I got them as a thank you present. You like them?” Ken explained. He let go of me even though I was still hanging on. “I guess so. Hey, you know my ex., Barbie?” I let go of him and looked into his eyes with fear seeing my reflection in them. I nodded slowly and took a step back away from him. “Well, is she crazy or something?” I had a felling this was a trick question. “…Because she still thinks she and I are dating. I saw her this morning before I came to my locker, and she noticed me going around the corner. She yelled my name and I stopped. Then, she started screaming at me for being around you and I told her that we have been dating for 3 weeks already. Then we got in a huge fight, and she called me a cheater. And then she broke up with me. Barbie thinks I cheated on her with you. I really think she is crazy! I would never cheat on anyone! Would I?” Ken started breathing heavily and he looked at me with big puppy dog eyes.
“Of course not, you would never do anything like that. You are a great boyfriend, don’t worry,” I assured him thankful that he still had amnesia. His eyes went back to normal and he looked relieved. He started walking closer and closer to me, and his eyes closed, he puckered his lips, and touched them to mine. Ken’s soft pig pink lips were actually touching my chapped, dehydrated lips. He lifted his hand and relaxed it on my cheek. It was so amazing. It was the first time I had ever touched my lips to anybody else, besides the rescue kiss at the beach. Never had I imagined my first kiss to be with Ken Carson, the most popular and cute boy in the whole world. He backed away from me. I smiled showing my dimples and started falling back. Everything went black and the next thing I knew, Ken was pulling me off of the solid floor.
“Are you okay? You passed out,” Ken said confused and worried, “You need anything?”
“Ohh, I’m okay, I just didn’t eat breakfast this morning. Ha, haaaa, hee,” I laughed. I stood up strait to show him I was fine.
He stared at me with a questionable face. I giggled. Ken eyes looked at me and turned away. “I better go to class now,” Ken said trying to smile, “What is my first period?”
“Ooh that is social studies. Let me show you where to go.” I grabbed his hand, locked our fingers together, and we walked down the hall spreading the word that Ken and I were a couple. The social studies room was right around the corner, but I took the long way, walking around the school making sure everyone saw us. Everyone we passed stared. Some laughed, others pointed, a few made faces, but when we passed my best friend Erma, she gave me a high five and congratulated me. I could tell Ken was getting really confused about all of this so I hurried and dropped him off at his class before he could ask me any questions.
At the beach, I got out of my car on a hill and ran to the shore, my tie died crocs flopping in the dirt the whole way. Ken was in the middle of his competition, I was late. I sat down near the judges and watched Ken. Ken was looking off into the distance. I glanced over that way and saw the back of a beautiful girl. Ken was checking her out. She turned her body forward reveling that she was Barbie. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Her modeling contest was today. I ducked down behind the judges table so she couldn’t see me. Ken could see me though and he did. I waved my hand up to say hello and good job, but he waved his hand back. By that motion, Ken lost his balance and started flailing his arms everywhere. He smashed his body into the wave and was carried away. Ken was heading over toward the rock again, the same one that took away his memory, what if it gave it back? Slamming into the big rock was like a déjà vu. Except there was a team of experts swimming out to save him instead of me. They brought him to the shore, and I sprinted over to him along with Barbie. Barbie got there first.
Ken started speaking, “Ohh whoa, I remember everything!” I started backing away once he said that. “No, come back here Roberta!” I frowned and came to him. His face was serious and firm.
“Hi,” I said standing above him with a fake smile. I was just like I was Barbie standing above Ken and Barbie was me on the ground with him. The only thing different was there was a huge team of rescue people around us.
“You’re awful!” he yelled at me. He turned to Barbie and said pointing at me, “Roberta, that monster over there, told me we were dating. I lost my memory hitting a rock a few days ago. She told me that you and I broke up,” his face turned and looked at me again, “I hate you so much right now! You could have ruined my relationship with Barbie! You are the biggest loser in the whole world and nobody will ever love you! And you know what, band is stupid!” tears started forming in my eyes. Insulting my tuba class was too far. He moved his eye over to Barbie, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to ignore you. I just couldn’t remember anything and I believed whatever this freak told me. It was like I was a puppet and Roberta was my puppeteer. I couldn’t control myself. Can you ever forgive me?” Barbie got really close to Ken and puckered her lips, closed her eyes and they touched lips just like Ken and I had done Thursday. I was completely crushed. This was the worst moment of my entire life. I ran. I ran so they wouldn’t see me cry and so they wouldn’t see me talk in my deep crying voice. I got in my car and sped down the highway just wanting to go home. The whole weekend, I was depressed. I spent all my time eating junk food and watching soap operas. I probably gained 5 pounds.
I came to school Monday avoiding Ken and Barbie. My plan didn’t work so well. The minute I stepped a foot passed the door, they were both there waiting to crush me again. Ken first said, “What were you thinking, lying to us? I won’t ever love you. Even when I had amnesia I thought you were weird. You’re so desperate for someone to like you that you have to wait for them to lose their memory for them to have any interest in you.”
“You’re pathetic,” Barbie added. They both left and disappeared into the crowd around me. I was so stupid. I want to move away as far as I can possibly get. Maybe Australia would be good. I left down the hallway and into my band room that apparently is stupid to Ken. He has no right to say that. The second I walked in, I noticed a red headed kid. I hadn’t seen him around. Ernie was his name. Now was my chance to show Ken I could find love.
I strutted over to him like a model, lowered my voice and said slowly, “Hey there, I’m Roberta, what instrument do you play?” I looked into his sky blue eyes and smiled.
“Oh, hi there! I’m a tuba player, 2nd chair.” He answered proudly with a cocky look on his freckly face.
I flipped my hair in a circle and said, “I’m that girl, 1st chair. So, you have a girlfriend yet?” I gave him a big grin and lifted my eyebrows up a few times.
“Um, not yet,” Ernie said questioning my question. Who says I can’t find love. Band is sooo cool.