The "Forget You" Brew

III.

If Kyle had his doubts earlier, now he was convinced he got drugged at the bonfire. 

That, or his bunny-eared companion had somehow secretly cast some kind of spell on him, making him talk so freely about Allison and how their relationship had been like all these years. 

And how he valued their friendship more than his being able to free himself from the clutches of his truth. 

They had already arrived at Kaipuhan Kafe and were standing a few feet from the entrance when Likha turned to him and asked, "Do you know what happens to stories that never get told?" 

". . . By stories, do you mean bunnies?" 

"They fade away, Kyle." It was so sudden, the way her eyes glistened with tears as she spoke, that the sight put a painful lump in his throat. "They're forgotten, and then they fade away." 

The signage atop Kaipuhan's roof lit up, diverting Kyle's attention for a moment. It was a coffee cup that bore the café name and insignia, while the words "Brewed just the way you need it" lined the bottom of the cup. The momentary distraction allowed Likha to grab Kyle by the wrist and drag him to the entrance. 

They were welcomed by a man who acknowledged Likha's presence first. "Just the lady I wanted to see!" he said, the grin on his face a mixture of joy and relief. Kyle noted the lack of bunny ears on him too. 

"The feeling is mutual," Likha replied with the enthusiasm she seemed to have lost a few minutes ago. She let go of Kyle's wrist and put her arm over his shoulders instead. "I need a drink for him."

. . . . .

Meanwhile, Allison sat on a pavement in front of an antique shop called Finders Keepers, contemplating whether or not she wanted to finish her cup of afforgeto. For some reason, the more of the drink she had, the more she recalled things about Kyle. 

Things like: the color of his favorite shirt and why it was his favorite, the way the lines on his face look adorable when he smiles or frowns, or how his voice sounds over the phone at ten in the evening when they're both about to fall asleep. 

Maybe that's how this thing works. You remember, and then you forget, she decided, kicking herself for not asking the nice barista more questions. Part of her wanted to walk back to the café and ask away, but the day's happenings have begun catching up with her, and she was exhausted. 

That's funny, Allison thought. To be exhausted in a dream. 

So long as I don't wake up exhausted, I guess. 

. . . . .

The drink in front of him was called Expresso Macchiato. 

"Should be espresso, right?" Kyle asked, eyeing the drink suspiciously. He wasn't thirsty or anything, and he definitely wasn't in the right mind-set to have a leisurely cup of coffee, but the drink's aroma was too enticing. 

"No, that's not a typo," Likha quickly answered,nudging the cup closer to him. "Drink up. It'll be the best thing you've ever tasted." 

"I still don't understand how this is supposed to help." 

There was a confident grin on Tim's face when he spoke up. "My menu's magic. It tells you what you sorely need in your life right now." 

"Your menu only had one thing on it!" 

"Because that's what you need." 

"But I don't need—" Kyle paused, and his gaze traveled from Tim's face to Likha's. "Wait, you're not trying to get me to tell Allie . . ." 

"About your feelings! Yes!" Likha's bunny ears perked up when she squealed. "Kyle, tell her! She has to know." 

He shook his head vigorously and pushed the cup away."I'd rather not." Ready to leave, he then placed the bunny carrier on one of the stools in front of the counter. "Thanks anyway, I have to g—" 

"Oh! Right!" Tim snapped his finger as soon as he laid eyes on the bunny carrier. "I've got a stray bunny. I was going to bring it to Mama Kata's later, but seeing as you're now here—" 

None of what Tim had been saying registered with Kyle because something suddenly caught his eye, and his brain just went. Mesmerized, he reached for the tip jar on Tim's counter and lifted it for a clearer view of its contents. His jaw slackened at the sight of a familiar item deposited in it. 

It was a six-month-old Polaroid photo, the first to ever be taken with the camera Kyle gifted Allison with on her twentieth birthday. She'd insisted on taking a photo with him, and he ended up with a weird-looking smile.Thankfully, Allison's pretty face was on the foreground,obscuring half of his. 

On the space below the photo was Allison's handwriting: Best birthday ever! ♡ 

"Excuse me," Kyle said, tapping impatiently against the counter. Tim had just handed a tiny white bunny to Likha,who carefully took it with both hands. "The person who left this here . . ." He raised the jar for the barista to see the photo in it, and then pointed to Allison's face. "Was it her?" 

"Yes, that's her all right." 

"Where did she go?" 

"She left several minutes before you two came in." 

Kyle quickly emptied the tip jar onto the counter,mumbling apologies to Tim as he did so. He took the photo and replaced the jar's contents before turning to leave.Several minutes, he said. Allison couldn't have gotten that far. 

"Kyle, wait . . ." 

It was Likha who spoke. She'd been examining the white bunny's eyes for a little while and realized this creature was closely connected to Kyle's."

. . . Look, Allison is just out there." 

"Tim, the girl who left this bunny—did she order anything off your menu?" 

"Yeah. An afforgeto." 

"And you just gave it to her?" 

"Uh, yeah? It's like . . . my job?" 

The sudden shift in Likha's disposition worried Kyle."How many times have I told you not to give the afforgeto to just anyone! Did she drink everything?" 

"No . . . I mean, not yet, maybe," Tim replied, the uncertainty palpable in his tone. "She had it to-go." 

Quickly, Likha put the white bunny into the carrier they brought in. Chestnut seemed to perk up at the sight of acompanion. 

"Uh, guys? What's going on?" 

The words Likha uttered next were urgent. "Let's go.We have to find Allison and stop her from drinking every single drop of her afforgeto, or she'll erase every single memory she has of you."