Fake Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,4

Falls High.

I put the hoodie on and instantly felt more comfortable.

I messed with my hair a little bit.

There was makeup in the bag too.

I just went with some lip balm so my lips wouldn’t look like a dirty, old, dried sponge.

Then it was time to see my friends.

Dad told me to just press the button for the nurse because Leslie was working.

I was alone for about two seconds before I heard the click-click of shoes on the floor.

In came two girls who looked at me and both burst into tears.

They hugged each other and cried so hard while I sat there, wondering what to do.

Then they set their sights on me.

“Ohmyfuckinggod,” one yelled as she hugged me.

“You crazy bitch, I love you,” the other said as she hugged me too.

I wanted to feel something.

I wanted to know something.

But nothing came to me.

Nothing at all.

“Do you remember us?” one asked.

“This is fucking crazy,” the other said. “I’m Evie.”

“I’m Darcy.”

“Evie and Darcy,” I said.

“Winter, I’ve known you since first grade,” Evie said. “You were my best bitch then, and still are now. What the hell is going on here?”

Evie had bright blue eyes and bright blonde hair. She almost looked like a doll. Her face. The makeup. The clothes.

Darcy was kind of the opposite. She had brown eyes, darker hair that was pulled back in some kind of fancy looking ponytail.

“This is impossible,” Evie said.

Darcy was a little calmer. She touched my hand. “Listen, Winter, we’re your best friends. We’ve been around for everything. When you got your first period, we were there. Evie walked you out of class, while that jackass Brendan made a comment that you sat on a ketchup packet. I made him eat a tampon.”

“What?” I asked.

“You really don’t remember that?” Evie asked. “Even now… when Brendan gets drunk and passes out at a party, someone will put a tampon on him.”

“Or they put a string hanging from his mouth,” Darcy said.

I shook my head. “I don’t remember. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Evie said. “We’re just happy you’re alive. I mean, this is weird though. Like you don’t remember us at all.”

“But we know all the stories,” Darcy said. “So we can fill you in as needed. It’s not all that bad.”

“Right,” I nodded. “Do I have a boyfriend or anything?”

“No,” Evie said. “You were kind of dating Chester. But that was on again, off again.”

“She did go to the movies with him two weeks ago,” Darcy said as she looked at Evie.

“But that wasn’t real,” Evie said. “She told us they pulled over and…” Evie looked at me. “This is really weird. Talking about your sex life to you because you can’t remember.”

“Sex life?” I asked.

“Hey, think of it this way,” Darcy said with a smile. “It’s like you’re a virgin again.”

“Oh, can I get in on that?” Evie asked. “I’ve got a few on my list I wish weren’t there.”

“Please,” Darcy said. “You open your legs near anyone and they need an antibiotic.”

I snorted. “Wow…”

“She’s a slut,” Darcy said.

“No, I’m not!” Evie yelled. She slapped Darcy’s arm. “Ohmygod. I’m not bad at all.”

“Oh, you’re bad,” Darcy said.

“Wait a second,” I said. “This Chester guy. What did I do with him…”

“Nothing,” Darcy said.

“That night was nothing,” Evie said. “You told us he was all handsy and stoned. So you told him you had your period.”

“Then he told you he wanted to surf the red river,” Darcy said.

“Ew,” I said.

“Right,” Darcy said. “But that was it. You stopped talking to him after that.”

“You kind of stopped talking to us too,” Evie said with a frown. “I mean, we were all busy and stuff.”

I looked away and tried to think.

I ran the names through my head over and over.

Darcy. Evie. Chester. Darcy. Evie. Chester.

Nothing came to me.

I lowered my head.

“I hate this,” I whispered.

“I can’t even imagine,” Darcy said. “This is all so messed up. But you’re alive. You’re okay. I heard the doctor say that you might remember stuff. So maybe we can help. There’s a few Bumps out there waiting to see you.”

“Huh?” I asked. “Bumps…?”

“She’s not going to remember what a Bump is,” Evie said.

“So tell me,” I said.

Darcy rolled her eyes. “I hate the names. But… you know… the Bumps. The Trocs. That whole thing.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know what it means.”

“Told you she won’t remember it,” Evie said. “We have to treat her like a newborn baby or something.”

“I’m not a baby,” I said. “I was in a fucking car accident.”

“Shit, right,”