Never Again

11

       She bit her lip again. Sighing, she stomped inside and closed the door. 

        "I like you," the dark haired four year old said. He smiled and raised up to me a bouquet of flowers. He had a pretty face, a long, straight nose, and a small mouth. His eyes had stars, that beckoned me to get lost in them. I had this feeling I knew him, but. . . 

         "I've never seen this boy", I thought. But to my infinite surprise, I smiled as well and accepted the flowers. Yellow petals. Sunflowers. They were pretty, that was for sure. I touched one of the petals. 

           And out came a bee. 

           "Xiao Kai," someone screamed hoarsely. I could've sworn I said that myself, but hey, there's no possible way I know his name. The boy-- Xiao Kai, was it?-- looked at me once, and tried to fan it away. Stupid boy. Doesn't he know the bee might sting him if he fans it like that? 

             I tried holding the flowers away from him, but he didn't seem to get the message. And, finally, he got stung. He started screaming. Oh the stupidity. If I was me, I would've just left the boy there and go like: "Your fault." 

             But no, it wasn't me. This me had the urge to run up to him and ask him if he's alright.  

             I was almost at his side. I was running as fast as I could. When I got there, what did he do to repay my kindness? He screamed in my ear. 

             "Arghh!" I yelled and discarded the covering that was so dark. . . and warm. . . and-- it was my blanket. I stopped to take in my surroundings. Bed. Lamp. Pink walls. Window with blinding sunlight. I sat up. So it was a dream. I hollered again, took fistfuls of hair and started pulling. That stupid, stupid boy. The level of brain cells I lost must be in the thousands. 

              "Everything alright up there? Fiona?" my mom asked. 

             "Fine!" I looked down. I must've slept with my clothes. I shrugged and walked downstairs. There was no hurry. When I reached the bottom, I saw her. There was an apron draped around her waist, and a pan in her hand. She turned around and smiled, putting the plate of scrambled eggs on the table. 

             I forced on a smile and sat down. All I really needed for breakfast was a granola bar. Granola bar-- what? What made me think of that? 

            I took up the fork. "Fiona," my mom said with the 'parent' voice. This was not going to be good. I could sense it. "Dear, when are you going to go back to school?" School? Psshhh. Who cares? But I was never going to say that to this kind woman. She went through a lot really, what with me losing my memory. I don't feel like this girl though, me. I feel like-- how could I explain this? -- someone else, someone else who everyone has mistaken for . . . her.

            "I don't know," I said slowly.

          "How about, how about tomorrow?" she blurted. Realizing what she did, she covered her mouth quickly, and. . . bit her lip. 

          I took a moment before nodding. "I guess, I guess I can."

          As soon as the words were uttered out of my lips, a big smile spread across her face. This moment, this was the first time she genuinely smiled. I realized she was pretty when she smiled. Really pretty, with those big eyes and long eyelashes. 

         She thanked me. "Fiona, I knew you could get back on track, I just knew it." 

         I smiled back, a no teeth smile.