Callin
“Have you remembered anything else since our last appointment?” Matt asks.
“No, sorry” I reply.
“No need to be sorry” he says. “Tell me about the last memory you had.”
I already told him.
But I tell him again.
-
“I haven't remembered anything new in days” I tell Annalise. She looks sympathetic, but she's probably tired of listening to my complaining.
“That must be frustrating” she says.
“Hows your therapy going?” I ask her, trying my best to change the subject.
She shrugs.
“I'm trying to do better” she says, her eyes meeting mine. “They're not so bad, I guess. I just want to get back to living.”
“Maybe we'll get out together” I say.
“We will” she replies. “I know we will. You're kind of my only friend, Callin, I don't want to lose you.”
-
Jack seems to have the same schedule as me.
He sits with us at meals and often at free time, too.
I really like him.
But even though he's handsome, I can't see myself dating him.
It doesn't feel right.
“Gryffindor” he says now, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Have you read this one yet?” He brandishes a book in my direction.
It's Looking For Alaska, by John Green.
“Yep” I say, grinning.
He swears, placing the book in the growing pile next to his chair.
I told him I had read all of the books here, and he's determined to prove me wrong. He won't, but he's determined anyway.
Annalise finds the two of us hilarious.
“Okay, this one.”
Jack holds up Divergent.
“Yep” I reply.
He groans.
Annalise laughs.
“How do you even read this much?” Jack says.
“I get bored easily” I tell him.
“So you're saying you've read all of these books since you've gotten here?” Annalise says. “It's only been like two weeks.”
“I read fast” I reply. “And there are only nineteen books in the teen section and seven of them are Harry Potter.”
“Well I have eight more chances” Jack says.
“You aren't gonna win” Annalise tells him.
I look at her, and she grins suggestively at me.
I roll my eyes.
I turn to Jack.
He's holding the next book.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
-
A boy walks into the room.
A boy called Louis Tomlinson.
I recognise him, of course I do, I . . . can't remember.
“Hi” he says.
“Hi” I say. “Can you hand me my backpack?” I point at a beat-up bag sitting in a corner of the room.
“Sure” he replies. He hands it to me. I immediately unzip it and start pulling things out. Clothes. A faded green blanket. A book. I look closer, and it's the Chronicles of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It's been well-loved, I've read it so often and it's obvious.
I pull one more thing out of the backpack, and then I can relax. Delaney's giraffe. I hug it tightly to my chest, and I know I let a tear leak out from one eye.
“Thanks” I whisper.
-
“Callin. Callin!”
I open my eyes.
I'm on the floor.
Jack is kneeling next to me.
He relaxes when my eyes meet his.
“What was that?” asks Annalise.
I sit up.
She's standing by her chair, looking worried.
“What happened?” I ask softly.
My head hurt, but it doesn't anymore.
“You saw the book and then you just . . . fell” Jack says.
The book.
“I remembered” I say softly.
“Anything important?” Annalise asks.
“Louis again” I say. “And the book. I was in the hospital, he was visiting me. We were just meeting. Why was Louis Tomlinson visiting me in the hospital?”
“Louis Tomlinson?” Jack asks. “Like the Louis Tomlinson my sister's obsessed with? In the boyband?”
“Yeah” says Annalise. “She's friends with the entire band. Liam visits her every visitation day.”
My head is throbbing now.
Pounding.
Pulsing.
“Why?” asks Jack.
“She doesn't remember” Annalise says.
“Callin?” asks Jack.
-
“You really don't mind?” Liam asks me. “I mean, you hardly know me.”
“It's no problem” I tell him. “You seem like a nice person.” He's silent until we get to his bedroom.
“Bed on the left” he says, and he turns like he's going to leave.
“Liam?” I ask.
“Yeah?”
“What's going on with you and Louis? Why are you mad at him?” Liam sighs, and turns to face me.
“It's a long story” he says. “But . . . he scared us all really badly for awhile.”
-
“Callin!” shouts Jack.
I'm on the floor again.
Now Annalise is kneeling next to me as well.
“More memories?” she asks.
I nod.
“Sorry” I mumble.
My head doesn't hurt anymore.
“What did you remember?” she asks.
“Liam” I reply. “I was talking to him. Telling him to forgive Louis.”
“What did Louis do?” Annalise asks.
“Liam wouldn't tell me” I reply.
When the pain returns, I scream.
-
The door opens, and Louis and Liam walk in, in the middle of a discussion.
“Toy Story tells you that friendship is everything and you can do anything you set your mind to” Liam says. “And what does Grease tell you? Oh yeah, being popular is important.”
“Grease tells you that love can conquer all!” Louis says. “All Toy Story taught me was that I can't fly because I'm a toy.”
Zayn and I share a look, and then start laughing silently at the two of them.
“But they've mastered nonviolent protesting!” Liam objects. “They managed to scare Sid without doing anything to him!”
“I'd be scared too, if my teddy started shouting at me” Louis says. “That's not skill.”
“But you'd be scared!” Liam says. “The movie includes truth!”
“So does Grease!” Louis says. Liam rolls his eyes at the older boy.
“Lads, we all know that Freedom Writers is the best film in the universe” Zayn interjects, and then all three of them start talking at once.
Whatever.
They know the Chronicles of Narnia is the best; they're just in denial.
-
“We should get a doctor” Jack is saying when I open my eyes.
“No” Annalise and I say at the same time.
Jack jumps and looks at me.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“I'm remembering things” I say. “Don't make it stop.”
“I won't” Jack says, sounding confused. If they tell a doctor, they might do something, and anything they do to me could make the memories stop, and I don't want that to happen.
“What was it this time?” Annalise asks.
“Zayn was in the hospital” I say.
Jack gasps.
“What?” Annalise asks him.
“I know why” he replies. “I only just remembered. My sister was talking about it.”
“Don't tell her” Annalise says, at the same time as I say, “Tell me.”
Jack looks between us, and then at the floor.
“I shouldn't tell you” he tells his shoes, but I know he's talking to me.
“I deserve to know” I say.
“Then remember it” Annalise says.
“I can't just remember whatever I want” I hiss.
“I know” she says. “But we can't tell you.”
“You know, too” I realise, my eyes wide. “You knew the whole time!”
“As soon as I recognised Liam” she says. “Everyone in the bloody country knows what happened. My nurse told me not to tell you.”
I can't help it.
I burst into tears.
Annalise looks . . . taken aback for a moment.
Jack puts an arm around my shoulders, and I bury my head in his chest.
“Just go, Annalise” I hear him say. “I'll stay with her.”
I feel the couch shift as she stands.
“I'm sorry, Callin” she says.
I don't reply.
-
Eventually, I manage to stop crying.
Jack lets me go and I sit back on the couch.
“She was just trying to do what's best for you” he says.
“I know” I reply. “I'm not really angry. Well, she shouldn't have lied.”
“Would you have wanted her to tell you she knew something and then not be able to tell you what?” he asks.
“She's been lying to me this whole time” I say softly.
“It was for the best” he replies. “Her nurse told her to. It was the best for you.”
“I know” I say softly.
I don't have a better answer.
I know that it was in my best interest, but I also know that I feel betrayed.
-
I see Annalise again at dinner.
“Forgive me?” she asks, as I sit down at our usual table.
“Of course” I reply.
Jack joins us, and it's like nothing ever happened.
-
After dinner, we're back in the lounge, which is considerably more crowded than it was earlier.
Jack suggests a board game, and we start a game of Monopoly.
We're maybe halfway through when my head starts to hurt.
-
“This will never work, Delaney” I whisper. She shushes me, and pulls on my hand. I speed up, keeping pace with her. When we get to the door, she unlocks it with her pilfered key. I can't believe we're actually doing this. We're actually running away from Allison's.
Delaney locks the door behind us. And we're actually out, on the streets of our London suburb, at three in the morning.
Delaney turns to me, her face lit up with excitement. “We're free” she whispers. She pulls me along, faster and faster, until we're sprinting through the streets. Her happiness is catching.
We keep running until there's nothing around us but fields. I don't know where we are, and I don't care. We slow down to a walk, along the side of the road, towards the moon. Delaney finally lets go of my hand.
“We're free!” she shouts. “We're FREE!” She spins around, her smile wide. I don't even notice how she drifts towards the center of the road.
I don't notice the car.
But I notice when it hits her and keeps going, not knowing or caring.
I notice how her broken body hits the street. Dead on impact.
I notice the shocked tears streaming down my face.
I notice the feeling of my heart, breaking in two.
-
I am crying when the memory ends.
I am still sitting on the couch.
“What happened?” Annalise asks.
“It's your turn” I say softly.
She looks concerned, but she takes her turn.
This memory is mine.
I won't be telling anyone.
-
After Jack wins Monopoly, we all head off to bed.
But I can't sleep.
I don't want to sleep.
I'm afraid I'll see Delaney in my dreams.
Now that the memory's back, I can't believe I ever forgot it.
And all those times I wanted to remember what happened to her.
I wish I could forget all over again.
My head hurts.
-
“Well, there goes our date” Louis grumbles, squinting through the rain for me.
“So our date was outside” I say from behind him.
I snake my arms around his waist.
He turns around to see me, completely drenched and grinning.
“Well, we can't go anyway” he say, fighting to make himself heard over the rain. “It's pouring!”
“Where were we going to go?” I ask.
“The park” he says.
I grin, and grab his hand.
“Come on” I say, and then we're running through the apartment complex.
It has four buildings, one for each of the boys with Harry and Louis sharing, and a green area with a fountain and a stone bench.
I drag him straight for the fountain.
“We are not going swimming!” he shouts.
But I stop short, and sit on the soaked grass instead.
He sits next to me.
“I've always wanted a kiss in the rain” I muse.
He turns to me, to see me staring at him.
“I love you” he says. “But you knew that.”
“Kiss me” I say.
And he does.
-
I am on my bed.
Staring at the ceiling.
Wondering how my life changed so drastically in two years.
How I met One Direction.
Why I am dating Louis Tomlinson.
---
A/N: Hello
So. Guess who doesn't have to apologize this time (for being late) (it's me) i'm on time guys how exciting is this. the next chapter is not written yet but i'm working on it okay. i want to update next friday as well yay isn't this awesome.
how do you feel about this chapter like things are happening big things huge things this is great go callin get them memories u go girl
dedication to another fantastic reader that i see comment on like every chapter u also go girl/boy/person
um so i just saw tfios again and cried again oops. did anyone else notice (probably not bc i'm a dork) that in the part where isaac is upset and singing really loudly and off-key he is singing the song rules by nat and alex wolff. the funny part is that isaac is played by nat wolff oops.
hmm last things story poll has had a total of one entry so never mind. i'll just do what i want. tumblr is asilverskyaboveme.tumblr.com
please vote because i have low self esteem and u have the power to help
love you <3
~brook