Rockstar Lost

After finishing with the laundry, I checked on my exam results and was relieved to find I had passed them all. Break, here I come! As I walked back to my car, I dialed Corey to see if he and Jennifer felt like going out tonight. I knew they were generally the party type and were the closest thing to friends I had. I knew they’d say yes the moment I called but you never knew. Michael and his wife had agreed to join us as well.

I usually didn’t celebrate many things, but this achievement was a way to have a professional career in archeology. Passing ensured that I was doing what I set out to do when I left home. I wasn’t much of a drinker but tonight I wanted to have a few. I stopped by the bank and withdrawed some cash that I could spare.

I had thought of a perfect little red dress that I hadn’t worn in quite some time for lack of reason. As I was thinking of what I was going to wear, I realized I totally forgot about JD. Shit. How could I forget that he was in the picture?

Of course he could go with us but I didn’t know if he wanted to. If he didn’t then I would feel guilty for leaving him behind and not thinking about him. I had been on my own basically for two years now and my co-workers were the only friends I had. It was stupid to feel guilty but somewhere along the line, I became a mother hen and felt the urge to help and protect him. I knew he could take care of himself in the physical aspect but really, how is a guy who doesn’t remember who he is going to survive out there? It was the same reason I didn’t feel right just tossing him back onto the street.

*!@@!*

As I entered the apartment, I saw JD in the kitchen apparently cooking. I set my keys down on the small kitchen table and placed the bags on the floor.

“Oh, you’re back. I hope you don’t mind, but I thought I’d cook for us this evening. I found the stuff for stir fry in here,” he said, occasionally glancing down at the pan.

“No, no, I don’t mind. Thanks actually. So what prompted you to cook?” I asked, getting hungry from the smell emitting from the stove.

“I thought I could show you some appreciation for everything you’ve done for me. Taking me in, cleaning me up, letting me stay with you,…”

“Buy you spare clothes…” I said, grinning and putting the Wal-Mart bag on the table.

“You bought me clothes?” he asked, putting a glass lid on the stir fry and letting it simmer. He walked over to the table and I held up the pair of pants I bought him.

He took them and unfolded them, not forgetting to check the size. “How did you know?” he asked.

“I checked your other pants today when I washed them. Go ahead and look through the bag,, it’s all yours now yours.”

“Thank you. Although I’m not complaining, I only asked for some sunglasses; the rest wasn’t necessary.”

“I know but I also know you can’t survive with just the clothes I found you in.”

“Thanks, I mean it. Now let’s eat. It should be done by now.” Matt went back to the stove and set up the finished the food.

I went to the cabinet and pulled out two plates. I grabbed some napkins and set them on the table.

Matt brought the pan of stir fry over and put some on both plates, doing the same with the white rice.

“There’s some soy sauce in the fridge if you prefer it,” I said before he sat down.

“No, I’m good thanks.” He sat down and began to eat.

I did the same and I had to say, he was a great cook.

“Maybe you were a chef?” I suggested.

“No, I just watched my mom a lot when I was little,” he said and stuffed another bite in his mouth.

“Wait, you remember your mother?” I asked, trying not to get my hopes up for this man.

He paused and thought about it. “Yeah, I do, but I can’t picture her face. I just see clips and pieces of being in the kitchen. Oh my God, I didn’t even realize I remembered that. I think it’s coming back,” he said with a grin approaching his face.

“Well, don’t stress yourself. Trying to hard can push things further back in my opinion,” I answered. “I think it’s great that at least small things are coming to rather than nothing at all.”

“I know… I’m starting to believe that. Today I just sat here and chilled with Silas and now look, I have at least one memory.”

I chewed on the pork and wondered how long it would take for him to gain his full memory back or if he even would at all. I truly hoped all of it would come back, for his sake. Besides, I had my own life and had disowned the thought of even dating again.

“Well, rather you know or not, you’re more than welcome to stay here until things start piecing together.” What the hell was I saying? Become my roommate just because I’m attracted to you and let me take advantage of that? Sometimes I thought I had split personalities but quickly pushed that thought aside. I’m sure if he knew I’d grown attached to him being here then he’d surely leave.

“Actually, that’s something I was going to talk to you about. Look, like I said earlier, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but I can’t stay here forever. You have your own life and if I stay, then I’ll just be the guy you found in an alley that don’t know who he is. I need to figure out who I am.”

I was quiet. I didn’t know what to say. My mind was saying yes, that’s a good idea but my feelings were saying no, you can’t do that; my mouth as well. “But how?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet.”

I quickly tried to put it out of my mind but the gears were spinning. “Well, I have a proposition for you. I want to go out and celebrate my test results. Some of my friends are coming and if you go, then we can talk about this later. I can’t make you stay but I feel like I’m part of this now and I still want to help you figure things out. If you still want to leave, then I won’t stop you. Deal?”

He thought for a moment and I sure he was going to turn me down but he agreed.

“Deal. Now, what about passing your test?”

“Oh, I forgot but I had checked on my exams from college today while I was out and I passed them all. I decided I wanted to celebrate,” I said, picking up my now empty plate and putting it in the sink, grabbing a spare cheesy breadstick from the stove.

“Congrats,” he said getting up as well and doing the same.

“Well, we’re supposed to meet them around 7pm so I’m going to go primp myself. We have about an hour and a half.”

I stepped into the bedroom and closed the door, going to the closet and sliding the dress forward.

“You my friend, aren’t going to a thrift store after all,” I said and laid it on the bed. Time to party.