Mateo

18

I got into the car with. . . what was her name again? I glanced at the name tag she wore. Adriana, that was it.

"So. . . you said that Mateo was some. . . some random who liked to cling to me at grocery stores; correct?" I buckled up before shaking as the car roared to life.

I decided I should give her one last chance to tell me the truth that I already knew. If she lied, then. . . well, I haven't thought that far into the plan.

"Correct." Adriana shifted the gear to drive.

"When did we start lying to each other?"

"Lying? I'm not lying."

"Really?" I threw my arms up in disbelief. "Dr. What's-his-face told me how Mateo and I really knew each other."

Adriana's grip tightened around the wheel. "I was just trying to protect you!"

"From what?!"

"Getting your heartbroken!" She took a deep breath. "When Mateo was taken from you, you don't know how heartbroken you were. I just didn't want you to find out then go through that same shit, but here we are."

"How do I know if you're being truthful or not? You could be lying straight to my face once again."

"I'm sorry, okay?! How many times must I say it?!"

"Um. . . maybe my memory is fucking up or something, but you only said it once." I sighed when she didn't reply. "Y'know what? I'm not sure if I could. . . if I could trust someone like you anymore."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She turned into our driveway.

"I fucking lost bits and pieces of my memory, and when I try to get things straight, I figure out you're tampering with my past-"

"Cleo, I-"

"My past is my motherfucking past." I continued talking. "Nothing that you do could change what happened. All I wanted was for you to tell me the truth about the things that I didn't understand so I could comprehend things a-and remember people. . . the correct way." I unlocked the door and got out of the car before she could see the hot tears running down my cheeks.

I always hated to get mad because when I got mad, I would start crying. People would think that I was crying because of what they did or because I was disappointed in them when in reality, I just couldn't control it.

I still couldn't quite wrap my head around why Adriana would do something like that. What would make her want to do something like that? I was supposed to be her friend, but she's out here trying to ruin my life. I may have forgotten some things, but the definition of true friendship, I have not.

Before I knew what I was doing I was grabbing everything out of my closet and dropping it into a pink suitcase that I found. I didn't need Adriana to survive; I didn't need Adriana to help me reconnect with Mateo; I didn't need Adriana to do anything.

If I wanted to move on with my life, I was going to have to start now.

•

Would've been nice if I thought this plan through.

I dropped my suitcases outside of some store and pulled my phone out. I had a couple of missed calls from Adriana, but I couldn't care less. After standing there for a while, I decided to walk into the store; I merely borrowed some money from Adriana so I had enough to buy some snacks.

I hid my suitcases in a bush and walked inside. The cool air hit me in the face along with bright lights; I had to squint my eyes so I could see clearly. I sighed as I began walking through the—I looked up at the signs—aisles.

Aisles. Aisles. Aisles. Remember that, stupid brain.

I was too busy staring at the loads of food stacked up on the. . . shelves that I didn't watch where I was going and accidentally ran into someone, causing them to drop all the  food they carried in their hands.

"Oh, my!" The woman shook her wet arms. "Look at what you did!" Her emerald green eyes bore into mine angrily.

"I-I'm sorry, Ma'am." I bent down to help clean up the stuff.

"No! Get your filthy hands off of my things!"

"Honey, you're making a scene." A tall man with tanned skin joined the scene. "I'm sorry." He glanced at me apologetically.

Those people looked oddly familiar. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

The woman's eyes connected with mine once again—this time they were as big as an owl's. "You're Cleo. Cleo Brown."

"I want some ice cream," a high-pitched voice called from behind the woman.

That voice sounds familiar as well.

Flashback :)

"Cleo," Mateo called. "I'm hungwy."

"You just ate, Honey Bun." I grinned at Rainy.

"I know, I want some ice cweam." Mateo batted his cute little grey eyes at me.

Flashback Done :)

I gulped, my heart beating faster than normal. I knew exactly who that voice belonged to.

It was my son.

—