Find Me a Cure

Chapter 31: Happy Reunion

My eyes fluttered open. It took me a considerable duration to grow aware of my whereabouts.

I was on a bed. Okay. The room I was in looked like a bedroom. Alright. There was a hand on my head, and glancing up I saw that it belonged to Amanda. It felt nice.

Wait.

Abruptly, I lifted my head up, only to drop it back down into the pillow, groaning in pure agony.

"Slowly, Em," Amanda – whom I had trouble believing was Amanda – spoke softly.

I only groaned more in response. I felt stabbing pain in my head as if some ruthless invisible force in my cranium was ripping the very nerves off of my scalp.

"How... what are you doing here, Amanda?" I grunted in barely english.

"Shh now, I think you're hungover," her voice responded.

"Hung— what? How—"

She shushed me again, and I complied, closing my eyes for a few seconds.

Then, lifting my head up slower than last time, I saw Everest sitting in a chair at the opposite wall, his legs propped up on my bed, arms crossed, face as monotone as ever.

"What happened? Where are we?" And most importantly: "Why don't I know this?"

"We're in an apartment hotel in Southern California."

Southern California. A blinking red light on a map flashed in my mind for a split second and disappeared just as fast as it came. Then, more images followed. Reynolds Corporation. Mark Hemisphere. Gemma's location. Arya. The frat house. And then... and then...

I frowned.

And then?

Everest got to his feet and was at the head of my bed in lightening speed.

"Tell me you remember what Gemma told you, yesterday," he demanded.

"Gemma?"

I came to learn that this was probably not the best answer to give him, when he turned away in a frustrated motion, running both of his hands through his hair.

What the hell did I miss?

"Emerald, do you remember anything from last night?" Amanda asked, gently.

I frowned further. "Last night. Last night? What happened last night?"

Suddenly, Everest stormed towards me. Something sharp flashed across his eyes. "This is why— this is precisely why you should listen to me!" he growled, getting all up in my face. "I told you to stay by my side. Why do you never listen?"

"Everest," Amanda placed a hand on his shoulder, which he rung off.

"She's acts a child! She can't follow simple instructions. She doesn't understand the seriousness of what's happening!"

I sat up feeling heat rise to up my neck, the furious kind.

"Everest, calm down," Amanda said.

"No! This whole thing is a joke to you, isn't it?" He glared at me with deadly cold eyes.

"Don't shout at me," I said, quietly, trying hard, and failing, to bottle up a sudden spasm of anger.