That Four Letter Word

T E N

[Chapter Ten: What Is Your Secret?]

Song: Oui | Jeremih | Acoustic Cover [The Theorist]

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《 Adam 》

"New flavour of the week. And I wonder what she's called." I tensed at Harper's comment. To be perfectly honest, it didn't even make any sense. I haven't brought a girl here before. I'm not a player. "Wait. Bro, what's her name? She looks familiar."

"Harper, you have partial memory loss. Everything looks familiar to you." I chuckle back. He glares at me and I jokingly return the look. Everything is playful with him even though we both know how serious his situation is.

"I'm serious though. I think I know the girl. Like I went to school with her or something." I lock eyes with him and we both break the stare with a laugh.

"Okay whatever you say. So, you've physio on Tuesday and Friday and then it alternates. You've got an appointment with Dr Garner next week. And your parents are coming to visit this weekend." I recalled the reminders for this week to him. This was apparently important for his memory. Or build-up of it.

"Dude I get that choose to do this every day. But I'm fine. I remember things fine." I glared at him. "Okay, it's not fine per se but it's a lot better than last month. It's not as painful trying to think of things that aren't there. All I wanna know is who this girl was and what this... thing, whatever it is, meant to her." He held up the broken locket in front of his face.

He's been trying to look for answers from a stupid symbol on the locket and the name of the girl. The girl he was with during the accident. The girl who died.

He keeps two things from that day. A necklace with a locket and a phone. He always says that he's supposed to do something with the phone or something on the phone, but they weren't his. He was holding them when he was found. They offered to give it to the family, but he didn't want them taken away. He was the only survivor of the crash. So, he kept them. He wanted answers. And I was going to help him. Somehow. I promised him that.

"Dude, it could mean nothing." I turned my attention to the game on the screen.

"Or it could help me or someone else." He paused the game and turned to me. "I'm paralyzed from the waist down for God knows how long. I was in that car. But I wasn't drunk. So, there's something. All I remember was a chick's name and that I'm supposed to do something with this phone and this thing."

"It's called a necklace," I said emphasising the last word.

"I knew that asshole," he chuckled, overlooking my sarcastic tone. I looked at him, picking out what he called me, but I just shrugged it off. "I just want answers. And who this girl is. Here. I wanna know."

I gestured him to throw the necklace, so I could take another look. I opened the locket to look at the picture inside. Half of it was burnt off but the other half was clear as day. It showed a girl, with brown hair and the bluest eyes I've ever seen. It looked like she had her arms around the other person, who's face, as I said, was burnt off. I closed the locket and re-examined the symbol, moving my fingers through the dents in between. I flipped it over to look at the back once more. And there, engraved in the silver, was her name.

Ana.