Forgotten

Chapter 5

I turned a guy around his twenties grabbed my shoulders. He had the terrible smell of cigarettes, cheap cologne, and urine. A dark hoodie hid his face.

For once Johanna was silent and I could see the mess of emotions in her eyes. The waiter came with her arms full of Johanna’s football player sized meal. The man could already sense the suspicion and pulled me by the sleeve of my shirt. “Boss isn’t happy with the whole hero stunt-“

“Oi, tough guy! What the hell are you doing?” screamed Johanna.

So munch for being silent.

“Let’s take this outside.” he growled. He pushed me through the many table booths. I let the man lead me to door as a series of curious stares followed us outside.

As soon as we were outside, instinct took over. I twisted the man’s arm so that I faced him. A couple screams were heard and I think someone suggested calling 911 but I kept going. I expertly kneed him in the stomach, and then ducked a punch that would’ve broken my nose. I quickly threw a punch, followed by an elbow to his face.  The man groaned in pain and finally the man fell.

Both of us panted from exhaustion. The man’s hood fell and I could see the blood and scars on his face.

He stood up and spat blood from his mouth. Then covered his bloody nose and backed away slowly-- his face towards me. “This isn’t over yet.” He spoke with a strange accent. “The boss isn’t exactly patient especially after waiting for your recovery. You have three weeks to come up with the money or penalties will be made.” He spat blood towards me and then ran. I was about to follow him when someone shouted, “What the fuck is going?”

I turned and there stood a pale Johanna at the front of the diner.

“What exactly are you not telling me.’

I couldn’t answer that either. “Just get in the car.”

“Not until-“

“Just get in the car!” I growled.

“Not until you tell me what’s going on!” she shouted back.

I sighed and ranked my hand through my hair. “ I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

Damn it! I was losing patience with this chick. “I lost my memory, ok. Now get your ass in the car before something else happens.”

Johanna finally got in and I followed. I looked at the car’s view mirror and slowly backed out of the parking lot.

“For how long?”

I quickly glanced at her then back on the road. “What?”

“How long was your memory gone?”

“Since the sixth.” I replied after stopping at a red light.

She stood silent, calculating the days and putting the pieces together.

“Do you remember anything? Do you know why that guy is after you?”

“No. I don’t know anything but my foster mom says that there is an old friend of mine who could tell me everything.”

She was silent again. The school building came to view and I was about to make a right when she shouted, “What are you doing?”

“Getting us back to school.”

“We’re not going back there after what happened and he had to start tracking you from somewhere. Go forward I know a place.”

I followed her commands and tried to smile to ease the tension. “Is that it or are you trying to cut class.”

 She chuckled “Well that too.”

For a while things eased after the whole drama session. We would laugh as she screamed at me about the directions and I would yell back.  I then made a couple sharp illegal U-turns that caused her to laugh and hit head to bang on the window.

I made another U-turn and Johanna laughed. “Will you stop or I’ll-“ She tried to keep her face angry and then laughed again.

I laughed and then realized how long it’s been since I had a good time with anybody.

I stopped the car at an old playground. I raised an eyebrow.

“This is your secret hide-out?”

She rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand. “Come on.”

I smiled but it soon faded when I realized the real reason why I was here. Just what kind of mess was I really in?

Johanna turned and I could the change of emotion in her face. I could tell she was thinking the same thing.