Forgotten Love

3. Questions Upon Questions

"What do you think made you jump?" The psychologist asked me after weeks of therapy.

But he was going nowhere with this, because my mind was blank.

He raised the coffee mug to his lips and took a sip, his eyes patiently gazing back at me.

"Again," I answered with less patience. "I do not remember."

He turned his head sideways, facing the man in the suit who would always stand there during my therapy sessions.

He looked like something out of Men in Black.

"Note that down, will ya?" He mumbled quickly, wiggling his finger at the man.

I glared at the man as he scribbled something down.

Seemed like I was some kind of experiment to these guys. I had only agreed to all of this for the sake of my parents, Ethan and Dakota.

But nobody would tell me what this whole thing was all about.

"What is he even writing down exactly?" I wondered in irritation. "He cannot recall 40.000 times or something?"

They looked swamped.

My therapist Mr. White sighed, putting his leg over the other.

"It's not right for this dude to be here during therapy sessions," I told them. "It's supposed to be confidential."

"Mr. Parks, these are particular circumstances. However I'm still here to help you."

"Help me with what exactly?" I wanted to know. "I'm feeling fine."

Taking off his glasses, Mr. White said, "You are an immense help to science right now. It might not make sense to you right now, but you will soon understand."

"When?"

"I think that's enough for today," He replied.

**

I was at this diner with Dakota and Ethan not too far away from campus.

"I'm serious," I told them with a sigh. "Everyone is treating me like an alien of some sort. It's fucking tiring."

They didn't say anything, just kept on eating their pancakes. Their faces spoke volumes though.

They were obviously keeping something from me.

I leaned over my full plate, "Do they know that you brought me back to life with that serum?" I inquired further.

"No!" Ethan answered immediately, his eyes coming out their sockets. "The public can't know under any circumstances, man."

"Don't pay them any mind, Cory," Dakota said, giving me a light smile. "You're here that's all that matters."

I was sceptical.

"This will blow over in no time," She assured me, before drinking some of her freshly pressed orange juice.

"So what are these people trying to get out of me exactly by asking me all those questions?" I asked.

"The serum makes you forget about your cause of death, but you're gonna remember eventually," Ethan explained. "Those scientists are trying to understand more about the serum, resurrection and the thin line between life and death. It's revolutionary!"

I raised an eyebrow, not really feeling this at all.

"It was the only way to get you back after months of improving the serum," He told me. "How else was I supposed to explain to anyone that you came back to life? And with their help, I'll be able to help you."

"Help me with what though?" I asked impatiently.

He took a bite of his pancakes. "Can't tell you yet, dude."

Then it hit me.

"Wait a second," I drew my eyebrows together. "How would you know that the serum causes you to forget the reason for your death?"

Suddenly Ethan got a lot paler as he struggled to gulp down his food.

"And what do you mean by improving it?" I continued. "On whom else have you used that stuff?"

"On his plant," Dakota replied nervously.

I gave her a weird look. "That makes no sense, Dakota. Plants can't forge–"

"Where's your stepsister, Parks?"

I turned around to Seth, who was walking up to our table with a sneer on his stupid face.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked this buffoon.

It seemed like everyone was going crazy. Not that Seth was ever sane.

"I'm talking about your sister," He said, standing at our table now. "The one you been fucking."

I was starting to get angry real quick and I glared back at this shit-talking dumbass.

"Did you hit your head or something?" I asked slowly, ready to sock him right in his smug looking face.

"Get lost, Seth!" Dakota ordered angrily.

"Nah, but you sure did when you jumped off that bridge," He retorted, smirking now. "Did us all a favor." Seth continued in a sing-song manner.

I stood up, getting right in his face.

Dakota sprung up from her seat, trying to squeeze her way between us. "That's enough!"

"Dakota, move!" I told her, looking right at Seth.

He needed some sense knocked into him once more. It was the only language he understood.

"Hey, Seth," Ethan said from where he was sitting. "You wouldn't want the principle to know that you sell drugs on campus, would you now?"

Seth seemed unimpressed as he gazed back at my best friend.

"Look-y here," Ethan told him, wiggling his iPhone which clearly showed a video of Seth selling drugs to some dude.

There was a split second of defeat in his eyes before he turned back to me with his usual sneer.

"This ain't over, zombie," He mumbled angrily. "First you bring that bitch back to life, then she disappears, you die and now you got revived. How stupid do you think I fucking am?"

I stood there, completely lost for words.

Looking me up from head to toe, he then turned around and walked out.

And I did something that even surprised me.

"Seth, wait!"

I sprinted out the diner, ignoring Ethan's and Dakota's calls for me.