Memory Loss

Chapter Six

Katie

When I woke up a week later I could tell we were in for a very hot day, I was already hot and sticky, and the sun was just pouring in through my window. I hadn't seen Chris yet, and I was hoping he would turn up to work someday soon, Brett had told us he wasnt coming back to school and I was getting worried. I got up and checked the temperature app on my phone; it read 15 degrees. I looked at my clock and saw it was only just after 8am. I jumped in the shower and then after drying myself I put on some suncream, I tied my hair in a ponytail and then put on my work t-shirt and some denim shorts.

Downstairs I quickly grabbed some breakfast and then headed off to work. It was already roasting outside, I could see families making their way to the park, and the nearby lake, I could see parents loading up cars with items for beach trips and I even saw a few dads out cutting the grass already.

Two hours later and work was still dead, we had a fair stream of people coming in for drinks and ice creams, but no one wanted our burgers and chips and no one was staying and having a game of bowling or a go on the roller skate rink. 

"I thought this place would be packed," my manager called from the back room.

"You did?" I asked.

"Yes, what with the air con and all," he replied walking into the kitchen where I was cleaning down the sides.

"Oh you know us english, any sniff of the sun and we don't want to waste it inside, air con or not." I replied.

He nodded in reply and went out to the front counter to see if anyone needed anything. Ten minutes later he was back.

"Its still empty, do you want to go for lunch?" he asked.

I checked the time and saw it was just after midday.

"Yeah, I'll just make myself a burger and chips and then i'll take my lunch break."

He assured me that was ok and then went into the back room again.

Moments later I was walking through the lobby with my burger and chips and looking forward to an hour in the sun. I opened the door and stepped into the sun and felt like I was being hit with a wall of heat.

"Wow." I said to myself.

I headed to the patch of grass off to the side of the carpark, in direct sunlight it was just what I needed. I was just enjoying the sun and my burger when I heard a car pull up. I reconised the car right away; it was Chris's. I saw him get out and realised his mum was driving, they chatted for a bit and then he seemed to get annyoyed and closed the door, she drove away moments later calling out the window to him to be careful.

I couldn't help but watch Chris as he walked across the car park, but then he notice me and headed in my direction so I looked away. I wasn't sure I was ready to see him, but realised I now had no choice.

"Are you OK?" he called over.

"Yes im fine," I replied a little unsure, god he really was gorgeous. 

"It's just you're out here all alone."

"Oh, i'm just having my lunch." I told him.

"Do you always eat alone?" he questioned.

I smiled up at him unsure of what I was meant to say, beacuse truth be told he normally ate with me. I deiced to stick by my earlier decisions and just be normal, whatever normal was.

"Well....." I began.

"I used to eat with you didn't I?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I guess you heard about my accident then," he said sitting down on the grass next to me.

"Yeah I did, it sucks sorry."

"I know right?! Mum is worried about me and it's kind of driving me nuts, she doesn't want me back at work." he told me helping himself to my chips.

"Isn't it mean't to be better for your memory if you go back to doing things you did before?" I asked already knowing I was right; I'd done my research.

"That's what the doctor said, but too much information at once can also cause problems."

I nodded this wasnt news to me.

"So..... how long have we know each other?" he asked smiling apologectially.

"Oh well you would have seen me around school when we started year 12, thats when I joined, but we became friends last summer when I started here." I told him, waving my hand towards the building.

"Do you think I will get to keep my job?" Chris asked me stealing more of my chips.

"Definitly, you're the best member of staff Tony ever had," I laughed.

"Really?" Chris seemed shocked.

I started to relax, talking to Chris was easy and I was going to be his friend if thats what he needed right now, even if it killed me.

"Yeah you started the summer after you turned 15 and it was just you and him, and you were doing so well that he didn't want to hire anyone else, but then a week into your second summer Tony had a mini stroke and he deiced that maybe you were right and he hired me."

"Is Tony OK?" Chris asked shocked.

"Oh yeah he is fine, you can't even tell he's had a stroke, he was very lucky" I told him touch by his worry for a man he didn't even remember ever knowing.

"So what exactly do we have to do?" Chris asked eyeing up my burger.

"Do you want it?" I asked ingoring his earlier question and referring to the burger.

"Can I? I'm straving." He took it and tucked in.

"It's not as good as yours but then I'm better at making the chips than you." I told him.

Chris nodded totally distracted by the food he had in his mouth.

"In answer to your earlier question we cook the food, hand out drinks, and shoes for bowling or skates for the roller rink. Then we clean and tidy up during the day and at the end."

"Thats alot of stuff."

"We eat for free, and have a fair usage of the falities for free and we get paid well, we do alright trust me." I told him moving my chips away from him before he could steal anymore.

"I'll teach you how to make them and you can have your own." I said laughing, he was always stealing my chips, it was good to see somethings didn't change. 

"Really? Lets go." Chris jumped up and smiling I followed him back into work.