(DISPLAY COPY) I Miss Us

Chapter Two

Chapter 2: Retellings and Slaps to the Face

It was lunch, and we, guys and girls except Xander, were all seated together on the girls’ usual spot. Xander was being his lazy self again. Alex said that he was hanging out near the mall and just walking around aimlessly.

Us guys usually ate at the cafeteria, but we come here on Mondays, Fridays, and the day classes resume after a long weekend or school break. We were catching up and sharing stories from our summer vacations.

Lily tripped west to Malibu with her family. I don’t understand why they could’ve just gone to one of the Great Lakes like how the twins spent theirs. She insisted that it was ‘the best way to spend summer’. She also got tanned, but thankfully not an orange tan. It was a nice change to her look; better than her ghost pale complexion.

Serena was able to visit the Big Apple, which wasn’t really interesting to me since I’ve been there several times. Nevertheless, I still listened in case she mentioned some new café or restaurant that I, or more precisely my sisters haven’t eaten at yet.

Tin was able to complete her fanfic which she was very happy about. She was happy with the reads, feedback, the story’s outcome, everything. She also planned to write another one. She also insisted that she owed me, but I didn’t need anything in return. I personally enjoyed editing her story. She also said she was going to try and write her next one on her own with limited help from me.

Dan and I both did pretty much nothing for the summer. I mean, we both attended badminton training, slept late at each other’s houses, and ran a few errands our parents would ask us to do together. Oh, right, I pretty much mourned the loss of my virginity for a solid week, too.

But unlike Dan, I actually had something else to share.

When it was my turn to tell a tale, I told them about the girl I met this morning. You know, Kim Watts, who apparently can’t recognize or remember me anymore.

“Are you sure it was Kim?” Dan questioned from across the picnic table, pointing his tuna sandwich at me. “What if it was just another brunette with her last name?”

I gulped down a bite of my bacon-cream cheese sandwich before replying. “Okay, first of all: Kim’s not just another brunette. Second: I don’t think a lot of people have the same name as Kimberly Jenna Watts no matter how many girls there are in the world with possibly that name. Third: I’m pretty sure it was Kim. I know her eyes when I see them.”

Dan stared at me as if analyzing my face when he was just trying to process something in his mind. He finally spoke up and asked “Why doesn’t she remember your face then?” As stupid as it came out, it seemed like a pretty logical question to ask.

I threw my free hand that wasn’t holding my food with up frustration. “I don’t know, and I wouldn’t know. But I wish I knew.” The thought of Kim being in some sort of accident or experiencing intense head trauma was just nipping at my mind the whole morning.  “And that’s why I’m gonna have to talk to Mrs. Palmer later. And maybe her, too.”

“Why Mrs. Palmer?” he asked dully.

“Counselor? Psychology major? Amnesia? Memories? Human mind? Durr?” Wasn’t it obvious?

The other four at the table were all silent for the duration of our argument. I wasn’t sure whether they should feel out of place or Dan and I should. Technically, both parties were.

After clearing her throat, Tin spoke, “Who’s this Kim we’re talking about? ‘Cause there was this brunette in my Spanish class named Kimberly Watts.”