Anamnesis {G.W. Sequel}

mu·ta·ble

/ˈmyo͞otəbəl/
adjective
liable or subject to change or alteration.

"I can't look at him without knowing that he doesn't love me back, Mark."

"But he does." Mark replied.

"No, he doesn't! He doesn't remember anything because of that stupid time traveler!" Tyler shrieked. His voice quieted immediately upon seeing how much he hurt Mark.

"I'm sorry, I'm just..."

"I know. It's understandable." Mark muttered. His shy, submissive side was showing again and he hated it. He hated feeling powerless over his confidence.

Minette had been working to help him with it, and they liked to think it was a success. Of course, there was a little bit of room for slip-ups when Mark felt a bit more like his old self.

"I just can't go to this stupid dinner. I'll be sitting there the whole time and he'll only be able to see me as the weepy weirdo."

Minette accidentally let slip a snort. When Mark and Tyler gave her a look, she waved her hand. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said with a dying smile. "Alliteration has always been funny to me."

"Anyway," Mark faced away from Minette next to him. "You need to do this, Tyler. There might be a way to get him to remember, and to do that, you have to spend a lot of time with him. This is a good place to start."

Tyler shook his head adamantly. "I can't. I can't do it!" He was repeating himself in hopes that it would make him not actually have to go through it.

"Tyler, come on!" Mark begged. "You love Josh, don't you?"

Tyler didn't have to nod for Mark to know the answer.

"If you love him, then you do this. You sit through every damn second of pain and you experience it, because if it means that he could come back to you, you do it."

Mark pointed his finger down to emphasize his words, eyebrows furrowed. He was determined.

"But-"

"But nothing!" Mark interrupted Tyler. "Josh did the same thing; he waited, he worked until you could see him. And then he went to Hell for you! He was whipped, torn apart, and fucked with mentally! So if he can do that and more, then you can sit through a two hour dinner and rehabilitate his mind!"

Mark's voice had never gotten that loud. Never. He had never yelled at Tyler. It really smacked some sense into the brunette, who stood there gawking.

Minette stood in awe as well, for two reasons. One: he was on his way to being confident and taking a stand, and two: it was kind of a turn-on seeing him like that.

Tyler was absolutely speechless. If it hadn't been for his mother beckoning for him from the house, he would have stared at Mark until his eyes went dry.

"Your mother's calling you." Mark huffed. "Go get ready for the dinner."

"Uh, y-yeah. Okay, I'll..." Tyler started walking away, still staring in disbelief. "I'll see you guys soon."

"And I'll be seeing you now," Minette said with a smirk, tugging on Mark's button up suggestively.

"Oh really?" He questioned, following her back to their house at the end of the street all moony-eyed.

Stalking up the pathway to the house, head down and full of thoughts, Tyler found his mother waiting for him.

"Who was that you were talking to?" She asked.