My Lovely Life - The Story of Ethan Bennett

Chapter ten - Easygoing Chatter

May's pov

I only get to meet his eyes for a second, before I'm rushed out of there.

It continued on like that for who knows how long until the people whom I've come to call my friends enter the hallway with concerned looks on their faces.

"What were they talking about?" I practically beg Diana to tell me. The thoughts were spinning furiously in my mind and the idea of it all being true made me want to vomit. I thought it was normal for Sophie to wear a scowl on her face but considering everything, maybe it is all because of me. A lump begins to grow in the back of my throat as I think back to her glaring eyes, pierced at me. I just couldn't believe it to be true. We pace up the hallway as I try not to jump to conclusions but I can't help myself. The thought of him and her... What were they talking about? She was standing so close to my Ethan. Well, I guess he wasn't mine like that. But he is so much more than just a friend to me.

"Tell me." I inquire.

Josh scratches the back of his neck and looks uncomfortably onto the ground. He caught up with us the second we left the library.

"They're together?" Even though I try my best to mask it, the fear is evident in my voice.

"Look, it's complicated..." He finally says and Diana places a soothing hand on my shoulder.

I stop walking and turn to them. "You know I like him, but I would never even think of doing anything if he's involved with another girl. I really appreciate you, trying to cover for your friend. And I know that he's a wonderful person. He trusts you, and I know that means you're wonderful too. But I need you to tell me the truth."

"There was an accident maybe six months ago. Ethan was in it." Josh says heavily as if the words put a big weight on his shoulders, and saying them out loud only makes it worse. "He wound up in a coma for about two weeks, then he woke up and recovered really quickly. We thought everything was going back to normal."

Diana looks at me with her big brown eyes, I can see how they hold back the tears. "But then one day, soon after he got home... He was just gone." Josh rubs her shoulders and she continues. "We were out looking for him for hours before the cops got a hold of him. When he came home that night... "

"He- Uh, he didn't remember. Anything."

The thoughts are spinning around like a hurricane in my head and it dawns on me that the happy exterior they'd shown me during these last few weeks was more of a facade than anything else. At least that was what I was afraid of.

"The first few months were brutal. He hated it, not remembering anything..." Josh continues. "During the process of recovering all the memories he has today, he got pretty aggressive."

Diana opens her mouth to protest but he gives her a look as if saying 'come on'.

"He was angry almost all of the time but eventually as the pieces fell into place, he got better. All of a sudden he remembered his mother and then his sisters. Eventually, he could tell us details of stuff we'd done together that even we didn't remember." Josh says.

"That period... We rarely talk about it anymore." Diana says quietly while staring intently at the ground. "He and Sophie used to go out, but, uhm... "

"He can't remember her," Josh says. "And he doesn't want to be together with her until he does."

Diana glances over at him for a short second before meeting my eyes. "We didn't mean to hide it from you. He's just been going through a lot and I think he enjoyed getting to know you without having to explain all of this."

Sophie huffs impatiently out of nowhere and walks over to us.

Diana glances at her before explaining further. "The doctors said it is normal for patients suffering from memory loss to try and make new connections, to kind of forget about everything. But he will regain those memories again. And then they will continue where they left off."