Here We Go Again

After school that same day, I got a call from Erin on my cellphone.

"Hello?" I answered as I walked to my room from the elevator.

"Hey!" she replied happily. "What are you doing right now?"

"Just gonna do my homework. Why? What's up?" I asked as I opened my room and entered. I dropped my bag on my bed before I walked to my wardrobe. Travis wasn't in the room yet, so I took off my blazer and started unbuttoning my school shirt.

"So I met this guy at school," Erin started. I rolled my eyes as I let out a laugh.

"Yes, and?" I asked before I put her on speaker phone so I could change.

"And I'm going out with him and his friends tonight for a few drinks. He said I could invite some friends if I wanted to."

"And you're inviting me?" I changed into a pair of pajama bottoms and plain t-shirt before I took her off speaker phone and brought my phone back up to my ear.

"Well, duh! I'm inviting my best friend!" she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "So can you come out? I know things haven't been too great with you and all, so I figured a couple of drinks with good company would do you some good." I bit my lip as I thought about it. It did sound appealing and I couldn't remember the last time I really went out with Erin or had a few drinks for that matter. Right as I was about to say sure, Travis walked into the room. I smiled at him before I replied to her. "Can I bring someone?" I asked.

"Uh, sure? Who?" she asked in confusion.

"My roommate, Travis," I replied. I watched as Travis looked up at me at the mention of his name.

"Oh okay. If he wants to go, yeah, sure. He can come," Erin said. I nodded to myself. "I'll text you the details."

"Alright. I'll see you tonight."

"Okay, bye." I hung up the phone before I turned to Travis.

"You said my name," he stated.

"I did," I replied. "What are you doing tonight?" I asked him. He looked at me in confusion before he replied.

"Nothing too important. Why?"

"Well, Erin invited me for a few drinks with this guy she met and his friends. And I asked if I could invite you and she said sure. So would you like to go with us?" I asked him. He looked surprised as if asking him to go out for a few drinks was weird. "You don't have to if you don't want to," I said quickly.

"Yeah, I'll go," he said.

"Really?" He nodded at me. "Alright, cool," I said right before I got a text message from Erin. I read it before I spoke up again. "It's tonight at eight at The Crown pub. I've been there a few times. You know the place?"

"I've been there once," he replied with a shrug. "So how are we planning to get there?"

"I don't have a car, and I'm gonna be drinking, so..." I trailed off.

"Well, I have a car," he cut in. I looked at him in surprise.

"You do?" I asked and he nodded at me. For some reason, I didn't think that Travis would have a car.

"And I don't think I'm going to be drinking tonight, so I can drive."

"Oh okay, cool," I said with a nod.

We had a few hours to kill, so I did my homework and ate some food before I got dressed to leave.

I changed into a pair of light blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt with a black jacket and black boots. As Travis left the bathroom did I realize that this was only the second time I had ever seen him out of his uniform. I remembered seeing him once before when I first came back here before our senior year started, but I didn't really remember too much of that because of my recent memory problems, let alone what he was wearing. So I took a once over at him from the corner of my eye.

He was wearing a pair of dark straight legged jeans with a short-sleeved gray button up shirt. He was wearing black leather loafers with a black pea coat. To finish off his outfit, he was wore a teal scarf. I looked him over and he looked pretty good.

"Ready to go?" Travis asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm good," I replied.

We left the dorm building and I followed Travis out to the parking structure to where his car was at. As he drove to The Crown, I texted Erin letting her know we were on our way there and if she needed a ride there. She texted me back a minute later telling me that the guy she met at school already picked her up.

When we got there, I found Erin, three guys, and another girl near the back at a big booth. She waved me over and Travis and I walked over to where she was.

"Nicole!" she exclaimed as she stood up from the booth and pulled me into a hug. She pulled away and looked behind me. "And this must be Travis," she said. "Hi, I'm Erin," she said as she held out her hand to him.

"Travis," he said as she shook her hand. After she let go of his hand, she turned back to the group of people at the booth.

"Guys, this is my best friend, Nicole and her roommate, Travis," she introduced us. They all greeted us and introduced themselves to us. I didn't really bother to learn their names seeing as how I was probably going to forget them anyway. After introductions were made, Erin slid back into the booth and I followed her lead as Travis grabbed a spare chair, because there wasn't much room left for him in the booth.

"So," a dark-haired boy in front of me started. "you lot go to Kingston Academy, right?" I nodded at him.

"Yeah, we do," I replied.

"I hear that's a good school," he said.

"It is," I said with a smile. "I've had a great experience there." After I said that, I felt a twinge of guilt in my stomach as if I just told a lie. I glanced at Erin and she gave me an uneasy look.

"Anyway," Erin cut in. "Let's get a round, yeah? We were waiting for you guys to arrive before we drank anything."

"I'll get the first round," the same dark-haired guy said. He sent a smile towards Erin and I assumed he was the guy that asked her out.

"I'll help," Travis offered as he stood up and followed the dark-haired guy to the bar. We made small talk while Travis and the other guy got our drinks.

Was his name John?

I thought to myself as I tried to recall his name when he introduced himself. I didn't think more of it though as a beer was placed in front of me. I thanked whoever had handed it to me before I took a sip at the cold beer. I glanced over at Travis and he had gotten himself a glass of water.

After I had finished my first beer, I was starting to loosen up and enjoy myself. It felt really good being out with new people and just having fun. Even Travis seemed to enjoy himself, though he was still quiet most of the time. About an hour into hanging out, Erin nudged my arm.

"Nicole," she said as she leaned over to whisper to me.

"Hm?" I hummed as I turned towards her.

"Isn't that Will?" she asked me as she gestured towards the front of the bar. I looked at her before I turned my confused expression to where she was looking at. And she was right. I watched as Will entered the pub and sat on a stool at the bar. He ordered himself a beer and I noticed he was alone.

"Yeah, that's him," I replied. "Should we invite him to join us?" I suggested. Erin quickly shook her head as she waved her hand around.

"Leave him be," she said. I had told Erin about how I forgot Will so to spare my feelings, she tried not mention too much of what happened between him and I. It was as if everyone around me seemed be doing that; tiptoeing around the subject of Will and trying not mention too much of him. Sometimes just avoiding the whole topic of him altogether. "Plus, he looks like he wants to be alone." I glanced back at him and she was right again. He seemed like he just wanted to have a drink and not have anyone bother him.

"Oh, okay," I said as I turned back to the group to get my attention back onto them.

My eyes glanced over to Will though. He looked so depressed that I kind of wanted to go over there and talk to him. I wouldn't even know what to say though so I stayed where I sat.

I tried to pay attention to what everyone was saying, but my eyes would drift back over to Will every few minutes. I watched as he drank and I noticed he was drinking a lot. He was on his fourth drink, going on his fifth, while I just started on my third and final beer for the night.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I tried to pay attention to what the dark-haired guy in front of me was saying.

Maybe his name was Jerry?

I thought as I still tried to figure out his name.





I sighed as I walked off campus and hailed a cab to the nearest pub. I was starting to become a regular there. As soon as I had a lager in front of me did I really think about what had been happening recently.

Nicole still couldn't remember me. After everything we've been through, she couldn't fucking remember me?!

I thought angrily. I wasn't necessarily angry at her, but at myself. I never even knew she had been having memory problems and that it was so bad that she could forget me. At first, I thought she was faking it or joking, but the serious look in her eyes told me otherwise. She had honestly forgotten me.

I groaned as I quickly finished off my lager and ordered another one which was definitely not going to be my last one for the night.





After another hour or two, I glanced at the time. It was getting pretty late and we all had school in the morning. I glanced over at Travis and I gestured towards the door.

"Want to head out now?" I asked him and he nodded. I turned to Erin. "It's getting pretty late, so Travis and I are gonna head out," I said.

"Oh, okay," she replied. "Well, we're gonna head out soon too anyway." I stood up from the booth and Travis stood up shortly after. Erin got up from the booth as I said my goodbyes to everyone and how it was nice to meet all of them. Erin walked Travis and I outside and I noticed that Will wasn't at his spot at the bar. I assumed he hadn't left yet and was in the bathroom, because he still had half a beer left. And from what I saw tonight, he wasn't the type to leave his cup anywhere close to full. "I'll see you this weekend, yeah?" Erin said as I brought my attention back to her. "We're gonna do something for your birthday, right?" I nodded at her.

"Of course," I replied.

"Alright, well, drive safe. It was nice meeting you, Travis," she said as she shook his hand again. He smiled and nodded at her before he replied.

"It was nice meeting you as well," he said.

"Okay, see you later, best friend," she said as she gave me a quick hug. When she pulled away, she rubbed her bare arms before she muttered under her breath how cold it was and went back inside to the warmth of the bar.

"Jeez, Erin was right. It's freezing," I said as I breathed hot air onto my now cold hands. I thought the alcohol would have at least warmed me up a bit, but I was still cold.

"Here," Travis said as he unwrapped his scarf from around his neck and held it out for me.

"No, it's fine," I said as I pushed it back towards him.

"Please, I insist. Take it." I sighed, a small smile on my face.

"Okay, thanks," I replied. Before I could take it out of his hands, he was already set on wrapping it loosely around my neck for me.

"Better?" he asked and I nodded at him. "Let's head out now?" I nodded again and I followed him to his car. He was scarf was still warm from when he was wearing it and it smelled faintly like him. It was comforting, to say the least.





I stumbled out of The Crown pub and inhaled the cold night air. It felt nice on my hot skin. I took a few deep breaths before I looked around me. I squinted my eyes as I saw a flash of blue. I squinted my eyes further as I realized who was standing a few feet away from the pub. It was Nicole. And Travis.

What are they doing here?

I thought as I watched them. They were talking, but I couldn't hear what of from where I was standing. I continued to watch as Travis took off his scarf and handed it to Nicole. At first, she didn't accept it. After a few seconds though, he just wrapped the scarf around her neck. I furrowed my eyebrows in anger.

What the fuck do you think you're doing?! Who the fuck do you think you are?!

It was probably all the alcohol in my system, but I was pissed. And not even for a good reason either. Travis had only given his scarf to Nicole, because she was cold, but I was angry at him for doing such a thing.

I watched as a smile crossed her face before they both turned away and started walking down the street to the car park.

What the fuck was that?!

Not only was I angry, but I was jealous of him. I couldn't remember the last time I had made Nicole smile and he made her smile so easily with just a bloody scarf. Lately, she had been looking so bloody happy without me, without remembering who the fuck I was, and it only made me feel even worse.

I angrily punched the brick wall behind me. I couldn't even feel the pain. My anger had completely numbed it for me. I glanced down at my fist and it was bleeding. I ignored it and tried to steady my breathing.

I need another fucking drink.

I thought before I stormed back into the pub.





As I sat in my bed thinking about tonight, I thought of Will. I glanced at the time and it was almost midnight. I wondered if he was still drinking.

I shook my head and rolled over onto my side to get some sleep. Right as I shut my eyes and was about to finally drift off, my eyes shot open and I sat up in my bed.

"Marc! That's his name!" I exclaimed as I finally remembered the dark-haired guy's name.

"What?" Travis mumbled sleepily as I startled him awake. Whoops...

"Sorry, it's nothing. Go back to sleep," I apologized.

Marc wasn't even close to John or Jerry...

I thought as I shook my head and laid back in my bed to sleep.