Summertime

Chapter Eight-Somebody That I Used to Know

Once we got to the gas station, I leaned against a pole and began picking sand out of my nails. A particularly nasty cut on my forearm was stinging like hell, but I couldn’t do anything about it until we got back to the diner.

I glanced up and saw the boy we had rescued staggering around like he was drunk. He stopped and stared at me for a minute. I stared back, wondering what the hell he was doing.

“Terry!” he yelled and bolted towards me.

“FUCK!” I shrieked as he tackled me to the ground with a hug. My back scraped painfully against the concrete as he landed on top of me. Without any kind of warning, he kissed me on the mouth. Dazed and in pain, it took me a minute to get him off me.

“Kobra Kid!” I screamed once my lips were free.

Kobra was there within seconds, grabbing the boy by the scruff of his neck and tearing him off me. Kobra angrily threw the boy into the sand before helping me sit up.

“What happened?! Did he hurt you?! Are you alright?!” he panted. I cringed, feeling the raw skin on my back chafe against my shirt.

“He…he kissed me!” I cried as Kobra pulled me to my feet. I was more shocked than angry; obviously the boy had not meant to hurt me.

Kobra pulled out his red laser gun and aimed it at the boy, who was coughing and struggling to sit up.

“Why the hell did you just kiss my girlfriend?” Kobra demanded furiously. I blushed scarlet. The boy got to his feet, dusting himself off. His expression slowly changed from confused to angry.

“Girlfriend?! She’s my girlfriend!” he shouted.

“Are you fucking insane? I don’t even know you!” I said, clutching Kobra’s arm. The boy was silent for a whole minute, staring at me in utter disbelief.

“But…no…how could you not remember me?” he croaked, looking as though he would cry, “I’m Atomic Urgency. Sam. Your boyfriend. Oh, Terry, what happened to you?”

“That’s the second time you’ve called me Terry. Who’s Terry?” I yelled.

Then it hit me like a brick wall to the face. My lost memory. This guy—Atomic Urgency—claiming I was his girlfriend. He kept calling me Terry.

“I—I must have known you before I lost my memory,” I stammered.

“What? What are you talking about?” the boy snarled, close to tears.

“I lost my memory two years back. I didn’t know my name, or anything about my life. I…I must have known you before that happened,” I swallowed, “I’m so sorry, but I have absolutely no recollection of ever meeting you.”

“…It’s my fault,” the boy whispered. A single tear ran down his dust covered cheek.

“What…?” I said.

“We were at school when the Dracs attacked, trying to force us to take BLI pills. You and I found each other in the hallway when the school was set on fire. I remember you kissed me, and then…I let go of you and we got separated in the crowd. BLI must have caught you and removed your memory…I thought you were dead…but I think this is worse.”

He crumpled to the ground and fainted dead away. I blinked multiple times, trying to make sense of everything that was happening. I barely felt it when Kobra Kid kissed the top of my head and couldn’t hear it when he whispered in my ear.

Kobra picked up Urgency’s unconscious body and I felt another arm go around me. Party Poison.

“Ghost, it’s alright. Please don’t cry,” he said. Anger suddenly surged through me and I pushed him away.