the amnesiac

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Algebra continues on, and I could just feel the glares and smirks from behind me. The teacher calls on me a few times to answer questions, but admit to not having a clue about what's going on. As I rush out of class, he gives me a sad look, but I slip out before he can say anything.

My mom said that I had a free period as my second class since I've gotten such great grades and participated in "so many helpful fundraisers that have benefited the school," but I have no idea where I could go. I honestly wish school would go by quicker, because the only place I wanted to be was in my bedroom, doing who-knows-what. But then again, I don't even know much about what I like to do, or as I should say now: what I used to like to do. I don't even know where the second bathroom in my house is. I sigh as everyone else enters their classrooms and the hallways are finally clear. I lean my head against a locker and try my inhaling/exhaling thing that I do. Is that a new thing or have I been doing that since before my accident? I sigh at the frustrating question and start towards the end of the hallway.

I don't know where I'm going, but I sure don't want to end up lost. I glance at every room number, acting as if they are my bread crumbs in a forest.

I find a staircase and sit down at the second-lowest step. I put my head in my hands and:

Inhale. Shwoo.

Exhale. Whoo.

Inhale. Shwoo.

Exhale. Who-"Aaah!!"

I jump back, startled by the presence of another student in front of me. "Hannah?" I swear, if I hear one more person say my name, I'm gonna punch a wall. I look up to see who it is. The boy smiles, a flash of beautifully straight white teeth and a dimple on only one side of his cheek.

Holy shit.

"Aaron?" I ask sheepishly.

He smiles even wider- as if that was possible, and takes my hand to pull me off the staircase, swooping me up into a big hug. "Oh my God, I missed you!" he says brightly. I'm not so sure that I've missed him, but I say it back anyway. "Wow, I didn't know you were coming back today."

Wow. Such a caring boyfriend. He must watch out for me like a guardian angel. (Note sarcasm.)

He sits down on the step, still holding my hand, and it take a seat right next to him. He leans into me, our shoulders touching-too close for my liking. He chuckles. "It seems like forever since I last saw you." He shakes his head. I shrug, not knowing what I'm supposed to say.

"So, like, what happened?"

I look up at him, trying to see of he's serious or nah. He's serious. "You didn't know?"

He shakes his head. "Nobody told us."

I raise my eyebrow at him. "Did you ask?"

He laughs nervously, running his free hand through his messy hair. "Well, I, uh, no. I didn't. Heh heh. They just said that you had, like, and accident or something. And that you were fine, of course."

I stare at him in astonishment. Who the fuck did this friggin douchebag think he was? "That I was....fine?"

"Yeah." He looks at me, sees my expression, and scrunched his eyebrows in the most annoying way possible. "You were, weren't you?"

Inhale. Exhale.

"Um, no, actually. I wasn't," I snap.

He nods, trying to act understanding. "Well, what went wrong?"

"I fell off a damn tree, for one. Second of all, I have amnesia, you illiterate dumbass." If only I could say that, because I sure did want to. "I uh, have amnesia..."

He stares, open-mouthed. I swear if he doesn't close it I'll close it for him.

Inhale.

Exhale.

You can get through this, Hannah. Just keep breathing, I tell myself in my head.

A laugh interrupts my motivational speech. Sure enough, Aaron is laughing his head off. "That's, that's real good, Hannah. Oh God, I can't stop," he continues chuckling. I look down at our entertained hands and pull mine free. "I'm glad you find it funny," I tell him as I stand up and walk back towards the hallway. He stops laughing, jumps up, and tries to stop me. "Wait, Hannah. You're serious?"

I whip my head around. "Of course I'm serious, dumbass."

He steps back, as if I just threw a punch at him. Oh, I wish I did.

He finally recovers. "But, it went away, right? I mean, how else would you have recognized me?"

I stare at him, not even breaking as I say, loud and clear, "I didn't."

He stares at me wordlessly, then scoffs. "You knew my name."

"My mom told me it." He licks his lip, real frustrated now. "I was kind of wondering why you weren't wearing your cheer uniform."

I shake my head at him, appalled. "Is that all you people can think about?! I just came back from school after weeks of absence. And all you people can think about are the dumb cheer uniforms?!" I shake my head, pissed off at everything. I can't even begin to think about what I could have been like before the accident.

I recover myself and inhale. I take my hand and strike it right across Aaron's face before I exhale. "I hope you can find a better girlfriend, Aaron. Because I'm not going to be the one to deal with any shit."

I stalk back towards the hallway, not waiting to see his reaction.

I don't bother to inhale again.