My voice was full of guilt and sincerity. “I saw the chat logs. The old me was nothing like they described.”
Rhea frowned slightly, opening her mouth as if to say something, but then fell silent.
“So I used to bully Derek a lot?” I asked her worriedly. “You stayed at my house often, you must know, right?”
Rhea felt me tugging on her arm. She seemed unaccustomed to the touch but didn’t pull away.
She just paused, then said casually, “Yeah. Derek was your number one lackey.”
“Whatever you wanted, he’d get it for you. If you wanted the stars from the sky, he’d probably contact NASA.”
“He spoiled you rotten. But if he ever failed a task you gave him, you’d either hit him or yell at him.”
I swallowed unconsciously, my nose tingling, my voice trembling. “I… I would hit him?”
My palms started to ache. I thought of Derek’s doting smile from that morning and wanted to punch myself.
Rhea glanced at me, her expression complex. “What are you thinking? It wasn’t that kind of hitting…”
I was bewildered. “Huh? Then what kind was it?”
Rhea waved a dismissive hand, her voice awkward. “It’s not convenient to say. Just think of it as a reward for him.”
“He seemed to like it, anyway.”
The car stopped at the school gate.
Rhea headed straight for the academic building, then turned back halfway.
“Class is at ten. You want to go?”
I rubbed my tired head and asked guiltily, “Can I skip?”
Rhea let out a scornful laugh. “Of course. Some people, even with amnesia, still have a hatred for class etched into their DNA.”
I wanted to argue but had nothing to say. She was an expert on human nature.
“I’ll sign you in. If you’re not feeling well, go back to the dorm and rest,”
Rhea gave me a lazy wave.
“Go on.”
I quickly thanked her. I hadn’t expected Rhea to be so nice. She wasn’t as unapproachable as she seemed. I had no idea why we’d had problems before. I kind of wanted to be her friend.
Chapter 2
As
I lay in
ther
my dorm
puppet on a
string,
I couldn’t sleep.
Without reali
Oarely audibles
you
it, I
Sn’t as
Merkeapaign from behind me.
bad
as
you
”
a while EMCHANA NA HANAHA PS
of
I closed
control.
at
up
eyes, all I saw wNG LOT
09.11 0
were bizarre, fragmented images. Disconnected memories flickered through my mind. I felt like a
campus.
[Thanks for
care
of
to
OF
My phone was
big
for two
Then it erupted in
a
series
of
Before I could even look, someone
“Flora.”
vibrating
Callo
name.
F
I thought for-
a
moment and added:
Christian was standing
Lin
front
of
- me. He had changed
into
a
t–shirt and looked fresh and clean.
“Going to the library?” Christian asked softly, his voice gentle and clear.
I hesitated. “Yeah. I figured since I fell at the library, maybe revisiting the scene will jog
Christian understood. He nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
The library was quiet, with only a few people scattered about.
I ran my hand along the staircase railing, and a faint image
