5 Books For Eveline

22

22

After trying almost every item of clothing within that one, large shop, well over an hour had passed and Purdy's hip had started to complain from sitting on the uncomfortable chair outside the changing cubicles. She needed to walk again, to take the stiffness from her injury and to find somewhere to have a drink with her painkillers.

Briar dragged Purdy around the streets of the city until she found her favourite fast food place and insisted upon paying for the food. Now, sat across from each other on seats less comfortable than the chair in the shop, Purdy watched as Briar built up her quarter pound hamburger into something monstrous, with fries and chicken nuggets added to the bun, and two sachets of tomato ketchup poured onto it all.

Purdy settled for onion rings and fries, dipping each into the glob of ketchup she had squirted onto the napkin at the side. Using both hands, Briar opened her mouth so wide, Purdy thought she had the ability to dislocate her jaw and then bit down into the huge hamburger, eyes rolling in joy. A dribble of ketchup trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"I was wondering, and if it's too early in this friendship thing, or too painful, or whatever, tell me to get stuffed, but, what do you remember?" Using a thumb to wipe the trail of ketchup from the side of her mouth, Briar chewed and then sucked the ketchup from her thumb. "You know, from before?"

An involuntary stiffen caused Purdy's finger and thumb to pinch an onion ring too tight, cracking the batter. She felt her back straighten and her eyes began to rove around, away from Briar, staring out of the full-length windows to the crowds outside. Briar had avoided these kind of questions, up to now, and Purdy appreciated that, but, inevitably, it had only proven a matter of time before the other woman raised the subject.

"Nothing." She bit into the onion ring, using her little finger to push an errant crumb of batter into her mouth. Resting her hand on the table, Purdy took a deep breath. "I remember people. Their faces and names, but that's it. I don't have any memory of experiences, relationships, feelings. Only names and faces."

"That must be disconcerting. Seeing people, knowing them, but not. It must be like seeing a celebrity. You know of them, but not really anything about them." Giving a little shrug, Briar took another bite of her hamburger and continued, talking with her mouth full. "Nothing about the accident, then? I thought riding in Chloe might have stirred bad memories. She's my beautiful car, but she's a little ... temperamental. I thought it might have bothered you."

Purdy found her appetite falling away. She dropped the half-eaten onion ring and picked up a spare napkin, wiping her mouth and fingers, before rolling it up and dropping it on the table. Using her tongue, she ran it along her teeth, dislodging anything caught there, and tried not to snap at Briar, or come across in any way aggressive.

"I don't remember the accident at all." Her fingers clenched into fists and she shifted in her seat, avoiding Briar's eyes. "I know I was driving, they told me that much, but I don't know what I did to make the car crash. I don't remember my family. Not my mum or dad, not my sister."

"I'm sorry." Putting her hamburger down, Briar reached over for Purdy's hand, only for Purdy to flinch away. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I can see it's upset you."

Briar picked up another napkin, passing it to Purdy and only then did Purdy realise she had tears in her eyes. She had never had this reaction before. Trying to think back to those times, to remember the accident and her life before had garnered nothing more than a sense of emptiness. She had never cried about any of those experiences. Other things had upset her, things that mattered now, that she had experienced since the accident. Nothing from before had triggered these kind of emotions.