Photographic Memories

Chapter 1

"Derek!"

I marched into Coffee Bean Cafe with my eyes set on a boy who I was not sure would live after I put my hands on him.

I assumed that he felt the same way, when I skipped to the front of the line and he was nowhere to be found.

A bored blonde greeted me with a scowl. "Where is your brother?" I demanded.

"In the back."

"Mia!" I heard a voice whine from a door behind her. "I told you not to tell her where I am!"

Mia shrugged as I walked behind the counter and opened the door. Lo and behold, a timid looking Derek stared back at me.

Grabbing him from the collar of his shirt, I asked brusquely, "Where is it?"

"I didn't mean to take it, I swear. Jesus, Dawn. It's just a medical journal--"

"It is not just a medical journal," I spat, pulling him closer to me. Derek's eyes were frantically searching the room, perhaps to escape the iron grasp that I had on his shirt. "That is my favorite piece of work, ever, and you took it."

"I'm sorry! It was a dare!"

"Where is it?" I growled.

"They made me drop it in the river--"

I let go of Derek's collar, and he fell to the floor. Wincing, he made an effort to smooth his shirt.

"YOU WHAT--"

The sound of my phone began to go off. The familiar ringtone meant that it was the person most important to me: my mother.

"I will deal with this later."

"I'll buy you a new one, I promise."

Ignoring him, I walked out of the employee's room and answered my phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey," my mother breathed. "Dawn."

"Yes?"

"Can you come over tonight for dinner? Today is your day off isn't it?"

"Yeah... why though?"

I heard my mom shuffle. "I just miss you."

"Is that really it?"

"Yeah. Will you come see your mama?"

I sighed. "Yeah, of course. I miss you too. But if I'm driving two hours, I'm going to need gas money compensation."

I could practically hear the smile appearing on my mother's face. "Perfect! I'll make your favorite. See you!" And with that, she was gone.

I guessed I would just have to deal with Derek and my book later.

How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker was my all time favorite book. The piece of work made efforts to explain, well, how the mind works. Despite the book being obsolete due to new neurological discoveries, it was a book that meant a lot to me, and always had.

At New Haven Hospital, Derek and I were residents practicing psychiatry. While I did intensely study the brain in all of its glory, I still failed to understand Derek Greene.

Derek was friends with Yale undergraduates, who were half-witted imbeciles that challenged him to do stupid things, such as stealing my favorite book and throwing it in a river.

I sighed and ran a frantic hand through my hair as I walked to my car. I had to stop myself from whining like a little girl. That was my favorite book, and I'd had it since I was thirteen.