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Blair when she was 11.
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- School just ended for today and I began to put my books in my locker and saw Amy smiling as she talks with some of the other girls.
She's the popular girl in our school so obviously everyone would like to have her as her friend. Me too.
It's the last two weeks of this semester as for winter holidays, good thing my birthday is in 17th which means on Saturday and I have to celebrate it home.
When we started our sixth grade many new kids came in our class, we got separated from the ones we had in fifth grade. Our principal wanted so.
According to him, we should make new friends and associate with more people not just the ones we knew since first grade.
According to us, our class was a little bit nosy and troublemakers so thats why they separated most of us and put us to different classes.
I had a friend named Jules, she had red curly hair, her eyes were upturned-shape and light blue. She had freckles around her nose and her cheeks with American-doll teeth and small lips. Her accent was Aussie. I loved each time she greeted me the "Howdy neighbor" talk.
But now that we changed classes she doesn't talk to me as much as she did before. I don't know why, maybe she's just busy with homeworks since she is much of a school nerd or perhaps she doesn't want to be friends with me no more.
Either way she hasn't talked to me since the beginning of sixth grade. Well we did greet each other with "hi" "bye", stuff like that but nothing more.
I noticed her talking to the popular kids, one of them is Amy. Interesting.
Amy is my neighbor as well, our houses are literally across each other and our mothers are friends but Amy never talks to me. It's like she doesn't like me for some reasons I don't know.
"Hey there, eagle girl."
I flinch and turn to see one of the most popular boy in our school. He's in eighth grade.
I turn to see who is he talking to as I point to myself in a "you talking to me" way.
"Duh? Are there any Albanian kids in this school that I don't know of? Who else would I be calling "eagle girl"?" He shakes his head in disbelief and grins a little.
His name is Connor Raven, he's tall for his age. His hair is short brown and curly, his eyes are honey brown that match his hair along with his smooth brown-tanned skin.
"Well, I don't know. I've heard that apparently eagles have been selected as the emblem of the nation due to it's fierce beauty and independence which this bird symbolizes the strength and freedom of America." I say while looking at him and his eye-twitched in annoyance that I talked this much.
I'm not a nerd but sometimes I can be.
"Okay that's for the bald eagle FYI, what I meant is that eagles are considered to symbolize Albanian nation you silly. There is literally an eagle with two heads in your hometown flag." He says as his tone sounds slightly irritated. "What the fuck are we talking about?"
I raise an eyebrow. "Well that is true." I clear my throat. Although my dad is half Albanian which makes me half Albanian as well or half of the half? Anyways I don't know much stuff about my hometown.
We came here when I was just about three years old. But I'm learning.
I want to learn more about my ancestors language and traditions.
"But I just-"
"Okay stop. You made me a nerd as well with all this talk that I forgot what I wanted to say." He rolls his eyes and looks away.
"A nerd?"
"Well you can be much of a nerd sometimes, that I know. A nerd you know, a person that is all about books? A teacher's pet? An uncool person? A person that no one should stay with?" He shrugs.
"Wait wait wait, since when is it uncool to be smart?" I scoff in disbelief. "And why should you stay away from nerds huh?"
"To not catch anything from them. Any disease." He says like it's funny and chuckles.
"You mean intelligence?" I smirk a little and roll my eyes. "No worries you won't catch such thing from "nerds". I lock my locker and walk away from him leaving him with a slight irritation and in defeat.
This man can be very much of a grump and no wonder I never talked to him.
"Just so you know, I wanted you to tell your brother to come to the game tonight!" He shouts at me and I raise my hand up waving him away without facing him.
I get out of the school as I walk down the street.
"Wrenlee?" I turn my head to see who shouted my name and see Amy approach me. Shit I forgot she has a crush on Connor, she might threaten me or something now.
"Uhm yes? Can I help you?" She gets in front of me and I'm just confused now.
Two most popular kids talking to me today.
Did I drink the potion of "How to attract the brats towards me" or something?
"You must be Eric's sister?" I nod. "Listen I don't care that you have a hot brother who's friends with Connor, do me a favor and don't talk to Connor again!"
"Uhm I don't look forward to do so anyway?" I raise an eyebrow as I chuckle a little in disbelief. I saw this coming.
"He took a bet into talking with you so that he could see how easy you are. And you're as young as I am so do me a favor and stay away from him."
"Wait what?"
"Yes, idiot. I don't want a girl to be heartbroken because of a stupid kid. I mean I can be a little cold hearted but hey I would never want a girl to be embarrassed like that, even the nerds." She shrugs her arms and sighs.
I'm so confused now. I thought she would burst her anger on me for talking to her crush but she is warning me?
Maybe some of these popular kids aren't brats after all.
I smile at her as I extend my hand. "I'm Blair and thank you for warning me."
"Amy. And you're welcome bee." She shakes my hand with a smile as well.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
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Present day.
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- I ate the sushi that was in front of me slowly enjoying the food since these people were feeding me with God knows what that was. It looked some sort of stray food, and the moment I'd touch it, it would burn me.
It was hot as hell. I had to wait three whole minutes for it to cool down so that I could eat it. And it tasted like nothing. Apart from disgusting.
I felt like a stray animal.
And also as much as I love food, I'm a picky eater. Like really really picky. If I don't like my food I'd simply starve myself and I had no problem doing that.
Usually if I didn't eat on my "Food Time" I'd forget to eat and basically have an empty stomach for the rest of the day unless someone asked me.
But obviously the only people who would ask me "Did you eat?" were my brother, Amy and Lucas.
Oh my brother.
Amy.
Lucas.
I wish I could see you again. I wish I knew where you were.
I wish I knew where I am.
Everything around me looks oddly familiar, the names. The faces of these people. Everything and everyone, it feels like I know them but I don't.
There is something wrong with my head. These memories of mine, I feel like they're only half but why can't I remember them right? They just don't feel like they're my memories, like they are mine but something in there misses.
Each bite of the food I take I start thinking of this. I feel like I'm not entirely me.
I keep eating and eating but in a slow "elegant" way. Damn this food is delicious. If you put Blair and food together they become one.
You can't trust me with your secrets, bring food in front of me and I'm snitching on you. Accidentally.
Because my mind doesn't work well when I'm eating and I speak with my mouth not my mind. But there is something that I like about me, just how food makes me forget where I am it also helps me to concentrate more.
Suddenly I hear a bang on the table and I see him having an irritated look on his face. "You really have problems of your own don't you love?" Warner says as if he is making fun of me pointing his finger at me. He shakes his head and takes a bite of the meat with his fork but eats it in a way that's trying to make me annoyed.
It's working.
I sigh as I drink water now and put the glass a little loud on the table. "What's that supposed to mean? I am perfectly fine."
He wipes his mouth with a napkin and as he leans back, his abs go visible. That shirt must be tight.
Oh no, he noticed me staring, now he has a smirk. "Yes, yes I can see that. Especially right now." He looks me up and down and I realized what he's saying so I look away rolling my eyes a little.
He makes me uncomfortable and I know he knows that.
He takes a deep breath before saying "But let's be honest. You are not fine. " He touches his head with his index finger. "In here."
This disgusting hot monster.
Is he calling me dumb?
"My mind is–" Before I could finish my word he leans forward to the table clasping his hands and tilts his head.
"Oh is it now?" I nod and he clenches his jaw but not in an angry way. "Alright then, tell me one thing, just one thing that I said as you ate the entire sushi."
The entire sushi? I didn't eat the-
I look at my plate and the sushi was gone. Poof. Damn, I did it again. Fuck.
What if during the time I ate he asked me stuff and I forgot where I was?
And told him stuff I shouldn't?
I try to think of the things he may have asked me and nothing. "Uhm well you...uh...okay fine I wasn't listening."
He releases his hands from clasping in a "see?" way. "You weren't paying attention to my words. And you weren't even talking to me. "
I wasn't talking? Well that's better then spilling tea.
He sighs as he looks at me with curiosity. "You know what kind of food are on this table—"
"Do I look completely dumb to you?" I cut him off and his jaw clenches.
"Not entirely, but how is it possible you know what a sushi is when civilians haven't seen such food in a very long time?" He asks as he waits for an answer.
I chuckle. "You gotta be kidding me? Sushi has always been served, well obviously there are poor people who unfortunately can't afford it but sushi exists."
"It does exist but not in this time." He adds making me confused. "Remember, amnesia girl, this isn't 2023 no more."
"You're bluffing. It's impossible—"
He suddenly snaps his fingers and a person comes. I remember him. He always seems to stay close to Warner. And for some reasons he happen to have the same eye color as this Blondie. Weird.
Warner points to him with his arm. "Blair, meet Delalieu. My lieutenant. He is one of my most loyal man in my sector—"
"And what do you want me to do with that information?" I ask as I shake my head in a "what?" way.
He seems surprised by my words and that annoying smirk vanishes. Thank God.
Warner sighs loudly in an angry way and continues his words not paying attention to mine."Like I said he is my lieutenant. I just wanted to introduce him to you since the soldier that was signed to you, Kishimoto, will give every single detail of your actions to my lieutenant." Oh crap.
I swallow my spit and try to look innocent like I won't be doing any other mistakes.
Warner seems pleased to see me in fear. He turns to his lieutenant. "Bring some more food Delalieu. Someone here seems hungry." He looks at me.
"Obviously I am since I have been treated here like a stray animal with disgusting food given to me." I say in my head as I look at my food and when I look at the lieutenant near the table his eyes are wide.
Fuck, I said that loud didn't I?
Oh well, as long as he gets annoyed by me he might as well let me go on his own.
"Blair!" He says in a slightly angry tone but speak slowly as he tries to look away from me. He's getting mad at me. How lovely. "Can you do me favor and stop talking things that cross your mind all the time? You are just proving my point."
"What point—?"
"You're sick!" He grabs his gun all of a sudden from his holster and shoots towards me as I close my eyes while I flinch at the gunshot.
God, not again.
"Open your eyes, dove." He says and puts his gun back on his holster with an angry look on his face.
I open my eyes and look at my arm to see if he shot me, again. He didn't shoot me. "Dreqin." I say under my breath.
I take a glance around while trembling, to see what he shot. It was a vase. A beautiful vase near the door. "Look at that, a bullet wasted and a vase gone for nothing." I say.
This man needs to learn how to deal with his anger issues and I should learn to shut up so I won't make things worse.
I swallow nervously and look at him now with a slight frown. "Since when is it bad to talk your mind? It's not my fault you got some sort of anger issues of your own." I don't break eye contact trying to look unfazed but I'm scared.
"It's not bad to communicate with certain people who keep you company and to be honest with them, what's bad is that you say the most random things ever in places and times you shouldn't." He takes a deep breath to calm down. "And I don't have anger issues. Well until you."
Clearly he never dealt with someone like me. Or perhaps he is like me but doesn't want to show it in front of other people...
In front of other people.
Delalieu.
Soldiers.
There are two soldiers in here, they are cleaning the mess from the vase.
So he might have some side of him that he doesn't want to show it in front of other people.
"Please only talk when I ask you questions. Can you at least try to do that? You do know I could kill you by any chance right?" I nod as I look at my food. "Good."
I begin to eat and now I'm in my own world. "Are you two related by any chance?" I say pointing to him and his lieutenant with mouth full. As Delalieu was walking he stopped and looked over his shoulder at me and then at Warner nervously.
Warner is taken back by my words, again, but now he seems curious to why I asked him this. He kept his serious posture on. "Why do you ask?"
I finish eating the food that was on my mouth. "You have the same eye color." My eyes are on the food. "I just took a guess."
"Well then don't. I ask the questions here, Blair. Not you." He says and I can sense a bit of anger on his tone. Or a lot of anger. "God what am I dealing with."
I swear under my breath as I lean back on the chair now feeling more irritated. I take a glance to this dining room as the room goes silent. The room seems to be very fancy and huge. The color theme is mostly dark. But dark red or dark blue just any color but in dark.
I like it. "How many rooms are in this place?" I say as soon as the lieutenant leaves. I don't look at Warner.
"Many. Many of them. Why do you wanna know?" He asks me immediately and damn he knew I was asking because I wanted to escape. I hope he doesn't know.
"I was...curios." I say as I clear my throat. The more I act innocent the more suspicious I look.
Focus Blair. Focus.
"Well stop being curious. Blair, what part of "only talk when being asked" don't you understand?" He stopped eating, his focus is on me.
Think of something good Blair. But if I don't ask questions how will I get out of here?
I wipe my mouth with a napkin feeling no hunger now. "I've lost my memories didn't I? And you said you'd "help" me get them back, so I am asking you so I can know more about this so-called-future."
He sighs silently and I can tell he seems to be more calmed now. Great, that'll do it.
"Yes, I will help you get your memories back so I can learn what kind of a person you are. Clearly I can see what kind of a person you are but..." He's calling me annoying indirectly. "...yes, I'll help you. And that is only to see what you were doing near my sector. If you're a threat, well this time it won't be the vase I'll shoot...or your arm."
I swallow nervously and I'm kinda scared now because if I really lost my memory and me here was some "threat"...then no more sushi or cinnamon rolls for me.
I stand up. "I wanna go back to my room—"
"Sit down." He isn't looking at me and I scoff a little like I'm challenging him.
This isn't the time to be brave Blair.
"Sit. Down." He looks at me now with an intimidating look but I don't sit. Well not right away, until I saw the cinnamon rolls and...oh God...baklava?
I sit immediately happy to see the food and I'm smiling.
"You happen to like baklava, love?" He smirks as some maids I guess serve us the dessert.
I take my plate with baklava and begin to eat. God it tastes so sweet, this baklava melts in my mouth and it has walnut inside.
My eyes shift to him only to see him amused. Why am I giving him what he wants?
I blame baklava.
"Where are you from?" He is looking at me like he figured my secret out but I'm in my own world now to realize that.
"I live in a small town in New York City."
I am not hearing my words.
"Do you live alone?"
"I live with my parents. Mehmet and Margaret." I take another bite, my focus is on my food.
"Good. Do you have any siblings?"
"Just one."
"What's his name love?"
"Eric. Eric William." I drink water now to busy to know he's asking me.
"Nga ke mësuar shqip?"
I didn't even hear him talk in Albanian, in my head he sounded like he was talking English.
"My dad is half Albanian."
"That makes sense. Do you have any friends. Boyfriend or perhaps girlfriend?"
"I have one best friend, her name is Amy. And no I don't have a boyfriend." I say again making it clear I was straight but I'm sure he understood that.
God why is this baklava so good?
It reminds me of my grandmother back home.
"Good, that's good to hear. Mehmet. Margaret. Eric and Amy. Anyone else important in your life sweet dove?"
"Just Lucas." I'm still eating.
"Who's Lucas?"
"Oh he's Amy's brother." I say and he takes a sip from his glass of water. "And my crush." He chokes after my word. "Are you okay?"
He coughs once again and raises his eyebrow looking at me in disbelief.
He seems fine.
I begin to eat again.
"Y-Your crush?" I nod as I eat. "Tell me then what's Lucas's last name?"
I say with mouth full. "Loc-" before i could finish my word I almost choked. I drink a little water and look at him. "What was I saying?"
I look at him to see what he is talking, I want to concentrate to his words now and he shakes his head. "Nothing, please don't let your dessert go wasted."
He's right. This tastes delicious so I begin to eat.
He goes silent for some minutes and then continues. "If you and Eric are siblings, why do you have different last names?"
"Oh they're our middle names, but since we have family problems we decided to keep our middle names as last names." I'm still eating and they're bringing more. Hope I don't catch some sickness but oh well we're all gonna die one day anyways.
"What's the last thing you remember before coming here?"
"I was reading a book and I can't remember the name...strange." I say as I take a pause and shake my head. "Anyways as I was reading it I fell asleep and the next thing I know, I'm in this strange place."
"Right, the same old story." He says under his breath disappointed. "What family problems to you have?"
And then it clicked.
I look at the food and slowly my gaze goes to the maids, I look at Warner and then at the table.
He's asking me questions. Very personal questions.
This motherf-
I clench my fist and begin to wipe my lips and look at him with a more serious face. "Just normal family problems." I shrug and he sighs as if he knew I figured him out.
"Normal doesn't seem to fit with you my sweet dove, don't you think so? You are not normal. Well not entirely." He says as he looks at the maids and it takes one look, just one look for the maids to know what Warner meant.
They began to take the plates away.
"You should be scared of me and yes I can tell you are but at the same time it looks like you're challenging me. Don't." He points at me with his usual intimidating look. "It never ended good for anyone who tried to challenge me."
"Is that a threat?" I scoff a little.
"No Blair, consider it...a warning." He smirks a little and now I'm so pissed off at him so I stand up from the table without turning to look at him.
He doesn't stop me either.
I'm walking towards the door and suddenly-
"Blair."
I freeze in place as I hear this voice. I look around the room and no one called me.
This voice is in my head.
And it's a very familiar voice.
"Blair, are you okay love?" Warner says as he walks towards me confused. I don't look at him.
I'm breathing faster and panicking.
This voice is in my head.
And it's someone I know.
Amy.
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(Published on December 15 2023)