Page 9 of Crash into me

They trickle onto my bed as I remove the pillow from my face.

Kate throws her arms around me carefully; I try not to wince from the pain. “How are you?” she asks, her simple question not so simple.

“I’m okay.” A small laugh escapes me; we all know I’m nowhere near okay.

Brett pulls a latte from behind his back. “I brought you something.”

My eyes light up. “Thank you!” I take a long, sweet sip. “I haven't had one of these in days!” I shift uncomfortably. “I mean … weeks?” Everything still feels like a bad dream.

Kate pulls a bag onto the bed. “I brought your clothes from the … dorm?” she questions, trying to recall what I actually remember.

I tilt my head, feigning curiosity. “Thanks,” I reply, not elaborating further.

“How are …” I have to be careful. Don’t say Ryder. “Your parents?” I ask Kate.

“They’re good. We need to have a sleepover soon!”

I nod. “Yeah, once I’m able to do shit on my own.” I look at Brett. “Football?”

“Practicing for the season already. Do you think…”

They look between each other; Kate takes a deep breath. “What do you remember?” she finally asks.

The question I’ve been dreading.

“Umm.” I look away. “The last thing I can recall …” How can I make this sound reasonable? It has to be the pre-Foster era. “Picking you up on our first day of class.”

“Sky … that was months ago.”

I shrug, sounding hopeful. “The doctor said my memory may come back in waves.”

Brett continues his earlier question, “Do you think you’ll be returning to school with us? Junior year is coming quickly!”

I shrug. “I don’t know.” I really don’t; it wasn't brought up in Kent’s rules, but who knows?

My nerves are shot, wanting them to bring up Foster. I can’t do it, or they’ll know.

“So, what … happened during those months?”

“We started classes, and there was a guy in your biology class …” She looks hurt, explaining events that already happened to me. “He was the one at the hospital, Foster.”

I nod, keeping the lump in my throat from escaping. “And who is he?” I hate lying, but I need to hear about him. I need to know how he is.

“A shit.” Brett snorts, but he shakes his head. “No really. He’s a good guy. Cares about you a lot.” He tenses as he says this, but I don’t know why.

I wonder how Ryder is. “Did we all hang out together?”

They nod. “I was pretty busy with football, and me and Foster didn’t get along well. He got me arrested.”

I open my eyes wide. “He what?”

Kate cuts her glare to him. Brett laughs, but it’s quiet as he realizes why Foster called the cops on him. “He thought something, but he was wrong.”

None of us bring it any further. Me, because I already know it was when Foster thought Brett was hurting me. Them, because they don’t want to bring it up.

She tells me about Ryder and how I changed my major and learned how to ride motorcycles and all the wonderful, brilliant things that were happening in my life.

I try to act shocked with each elaborate story, but hearing all of this only brings a cloud of nostalgia over me. How quickly my life changed when I never thought I’d have to return.

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