Behind The Glasses

13

    “I know” I mumbled. “I just… I couldn’t”.  After Ryker and I’s heart to heart we were thrown from the library, the oblivious librarian finally looking up from her laptop to find us snivelling in the corner. What a heartless woman – she didn’t even offer me a tissue!

   Ryker held his arms around my shoulders comfortingly as we made our way to our second class; a class we shared with Evan and many of the popular crew. It was going to be torture, but it was better to take it on the chin, grit your teeth and bare it; than to wait and let the suspense accumulate.

    As I swung the door open all eyes focussed upon me, even the teacher; he was frowning – I was never late for Spanish. I took my seat at the back, Ryker taking another empty seat; there was whispering, nervous glances; especially from Evan; but no one dared to ask me anything face to face.

   In fact it took an agonising thirty two minutes before someone talked to me, just my luck it was Brooklynn; yep, I couldn’t get enough of her. “You make me sick” she spat, literally, I had to wipe the spew off of my face; “With your twisted little mind games. Pretending to be someone you’re not, a dirt biker, really? As if. If you were going to live a lie you should’ve made it more believable.” 

   Behind her a crowd had formed, some had begun to shout “Fight, fight., fight” – Brooklynn had obviously been doing a bit of gobbing off as a warm up. “Believe what you want Brooklynn it doesn’t affect me” I sighed, completely fed up of today; I made my way past her, but at the last minute she grabbed my arm; spitting in my face.

    Bam. Brooklynn reeled backwards, clutching her crimson nose, I hoped it was broken. I’m not a violent person, but some people really just needed knocking down a couple of pegs. I hope Brooklynn gets the wakeup call.

   I could’ve stayed in school for the rest of the day, but I didn’t fancy the ridicule. By Friday it would be old news, fingers crossed I could go low profile until then; I doubt it. I headed home; slowly kicking the curb the whole way, by the time I got back I couldn’t feel my foot.

   Throwing on my track clothes I headed out, the ‘big competition’ everyone was talking about was in just under two weeks; I’d better start training hard. I hadn’t raced with others in a while, and if I wanted any chance of success I seriously needed to up my game; it had been a long time since I’d rang the others – but they were still on office speed dial.

   Half an hour Will and Liv were down on the track, a couple of years older than me they were both now in college, Will was training to be a mechanic, Liv a beautician; although you would never have guessed from a glance. They quickly hugged me, throwing me an ear splitting grin before dashing over to get their bikes out of the van they’d arrived in.

   I got my own bike out, oiled and polished to perfection; I was in track clothes, but seeing the others were nearly ready I put on my leathers and helmet. Ten minutes later we were on the track; our bikes roaring to life beneath us.

    I ran my hairbrush through my freshly washed hair, today had been a long day; a horribly long day. Still no sign of Hunter; not that I cared. All I cared about was… well that was the problem, I’ve just stopped caring. Bikes lend me freedom, I can race forward, flip, fly through the air, spin; rip up the dusk. The power and speed beneath me; being in control of it all – I can’t describe the buzz. 

   Padding downstairs in my pyjamas I made myself some tea; there were a couple of voice-mails, the first was from Hunter – Michael had been unwired this morning by the doctors; he’d slunk away this morning. I sighed – we’d just found him again, this was how he repaid me – running away, no thank you; no goodbye. He then continued about staying over at Derek’s house tonight; I quickly deleted the voicemail. Tired; craving sleep.

“Who are you and where is my sister?” Michael pleaded urgently, shaking me vigorously from my sleep. He sits me upright so I can speak.

“Michael, I am your sister, it’s me – Harper”.

“No, no. Harper isn’t a teenager yet, where are my parents? Why are they never at home?”

“They work in the forces remember, you were looking after me whilst they were away, remember?” I try, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Michael’s brow creased towards the centre. “No, I don’t remember” he grumbles. “Now tell me everything”.

“Go downstairs Michael, make us a pot of tea; you’re not going to like what I have to say”.

“You were in a biking accident a couple of years ago; the bike, there was a problem with the engine, you were trying to do a flip whilst going over the mounds.”

“No. I don’t believe you” Michael argued, his tea shaking in his hands; I motion for him to put the cup down but he doesn’t.

“I didn’t say you had to believe me. You asked me to tell you the truth, and this is it. After the accident, you were in IUC for a while; well, a long while; you were in a coma, they doubted you would ever wake up”.

“You expect me to believe I was in a coma for years? What kind of idiot do you take me for? Now, tell me where I am. Where are my family?” he cried, getting angrier now; I could see a nerve coming up on his temple.

“I’m trying to explain!” I cut in, equally as angry. “It wasn’t easy, you know. I was a child, with no parents at home and my brother in a coma! No one came to help me, for months I was completely alone! But then you woke up…”

“But I don’t remember…”

“You wouldn’t” I sigh, putting my head in my hands. “After your accident, there was a problem with your brain. You had become three people – Michael, Chase -  a person you could have been, if you hadn’t recovered, and had been wheelchair bound for the rest of your life. Chase potters around the house, cooks, gardens, plays the guitar” I smile.

“Hunter is more aggressive, he is who you could have been if you had healed but not been able to race again; he is bitter and a bully. I race for him now” I conclude.

“You say all three of us are the same person, but I don’t remember. Why don’t you call Hunter and Chase Michael? We are all the same person after all” Michael smiles smugly.

I let out another sigh. Couldn’t he see how hard this was for me to explain? “You don’t remember because you are these other two; Michael, this is the first time I have talked to the real you for years! Please don’t make this harder for me than it already is.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Michael screamed, smashing the cups in front of him. I scoot back. He throws a fist forwards in anguish. But this time I am ready for him – Hunter taught me to always be on my guard, he was still sleepy from his meds too; I could take him.

I blocked his first three punches before striking myself, hitting him square in the gut. With an ooof  he doubles over. Tears are streaming down my face. Why was everything so difficult? Some people just seemed to have everything handed to them on a platter; but no, not me. I had to fight for everything, every single day.

“Harper?” Michael asked after a long while of silence. I nod. “You’ve changed” he concludes. Well done captain obvious. Michael straightens up, starting to clear up the cups, I turn to leave him. “Will I remember this is the morning?” – I shrug, I honestly have no idea; he could wake up as any three of his personalities, or he could be back in the coma.

I only slept a couple of hours before I had to get up again. After a shower and some cereal I headed downstairs, unknowing of whom I might face today.  

  “You’re late, get down to the track” Hunter hissed from behind the fridge, he looks rough; his hair is all roughed from a restless night’s sleep. He was extra cranky this morning. I mumble my agreement before stumbling out of the back door. The walk to the track isn’t long, Gary holding the door open for me as I enter. I am too tired today even to greet him; Gary notices the slump of my shoulders and the drag in my step.

“There was a call for you this morning Miss Harper” he smiles politely; I thank him heading straight to the office. Hunter arrives soon after, flitting through the paperwork, signing here and there, highlighting patches of the contract that he didn’t necessarily agree on. I became absorbed in my work, but at the first chance I got I went to the voicemail.

After three dials I get onto the system.

“Harper, I remember”.