Forgotten

by Jessica Carbine

  “I’m sure it will be great!” I say enthusiastically.

  “How long has Halle been feeling sick?” He asks with a small smile. While I’m sure he knows she’s faking it, I hope he hasn’t figured out that she’s doing it for me. I’m very nervous that he will. I try to lie convincingly, so it seems that I’m not in on it.

  “Sometime after lunch. Maybe it was something she ate.”

  He smiled wider, “Maybe.”

  It seems so obvious. He must know. Feeling wretched with disappointment combined with embarrassment, I answer, giving him an escape. “If you’d rather not go out without her, we can go back. I’ll just get room service.”

  “No! Of course not! I don’t mind. That is,” He stumbles, and unaccountably, his cheeks burn, “I’m sure you and I will have fun.”

  “I’m sure we will.” I feel better already. “So where were you all day?”

  “Oh nowhere really. I just went to the Library here in Paris. It’s magnificent.”

  “That’s neat. Halle and I just walked around this morning. Had lunch at a café.” I pause, I’m normally not nervous around boys, but Kyler is different. While he was unfriendly, I didn’t have a problem being confident. But now… his behavior wasn’t predictable. Most of the time he’d be nice, but not always. It left me with the feeling of walking on something not quite tangible. I decide to try to find out about him, since he seems so friendly….

  “So, tell me about yourself. I hardly know you.”

  “What do you want to know?” He asks warily.

  “Not much. Just a little bit about you. I can’t even place your age.”

  “I’m twenty one.” This was typical, he answered as little as he could, when he answered at all.

  “Okay... tell me one thing about your childhood,” I ask, smiling at him. Despite the fact that he visibly hated talking about himself, I have to know.

  “It was... short.” He answered, equally short.

  “Why is that? What do you mean?”

  He looks at me for a moment, then shrugs, as if it doesn’t matter. “My parents died when we were younger. Halle’s childhood was even shorter. I’ve been trying to look after her ever since.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry.” This makes a few things click. He’s trying to protect her from me, though I still have no idea why.

  He shrugs again.

  Encouraged by his lengthy response, I continue. “Tell me something else. How about… about your education?” Halle and I left school together for the summer, but I didn’t know where he’d been going.

  “Also, short.”

  “Short again... why?”

  “I never finished high school. I joined the military instead.”

  I look him over again. “Really?” I can’t hide my surprise.

  “Yes, really. Does that change your opinion of me?” He asks offhandedly, as though it doesn’t really matter to him either way.

  “No, it’s just you just don’t really seem the military type. Sorry,” I add hastily, afraid to offend.

  “No, you’re right. I wasn’t suited for it. I left as soon as I could.” He smiled bitterly.

  “And then you finished your schooling,” I say, nodding.

  “No.” Now he was surprised. “I haven’t had time. Why would you think that?”

  “Well, you just seem well educated. You’re very smart, and you know a lot.” Confused, I try to explain myself.

  “Thank you!” He says brightly, with sincerity. “I’ve tried to teach myself as much as I can since then. I read a lot of books.”

  He was so rarely in a good mood; I decide to continue with one of my favorite questions. “That explains it. What is most valuable to you?”

  “Relaxation. Freedom. Security.” He looks startled, like he hadn’t meant to say that. “But enough about me, we’re here.” He parks a short distance away, and escorts me to the restaurant. The food must be good, there are crowds of people milling around the front door, and more in the lobby.

  Kyler walks to the hostess confidently. She glances up at him with a harassed expression. “Everything’s full right now, and the wait is about three hours.”

  Ignoring that, Kyler says, “We have a reservation. Two for Kyler.”

  “We don’t have any reservations for 7:30.” She glanced down at her list. “Oh. Sorry Mr. Kyler, my mistake. Right this way.”

  My eyes narrowed at his reservation for two. Maybe I’m not the only one in on Halle’s plans. The hostess leads us through the main dining area, and then to a door. It leads to a small, spiral staircase. Walking up it, we arrive in a round room. It’s small for a restaurant, with three tables tucked into alcoves by large windows. Looking out one of the windows, I discover where we are. This must be one of the two gables in the building.

  A tall, good-looking waiter pulls my chair out for me. Once we’re seated, Kyler says something to him in French, too soft for me to even try to figure it out. He nods and disappears.

  The room is beautiful, with soft, muted chandeliers, and the soft curtains in front of the window allow us to see out, without others being able to see in. I guess I assumed Kyler would be looking around too, because when I looked at him and he was looking right at me, it made me jump.

  He laughs softly. “So you tell me, what is most valuable to you?”

  I laugh too. “Well normally I say food. But your answer makes me feel like I have to answer you with more gravity. So I guess… knowledge.” I stop, watching the waiter fill our glasses with champagne. I expect Kyler to answer, but he’s still looking at me curiously. “I mean, there’s not a lot about yourself that you can change. You’re born looking a certain way, and with a certain amount of talent. But you can learn whatever you want. You can learn languages, read books, learn all about anything. Everything. I guess there’s just a part of me that wants to be extraordinary, and the only way to really do that is to know a lot. Since I’m not particularly talented,” I add, chuckling ruefully.

  The waiter comes up again, allowing me to stop. He offers us menus and some delicious-looking bread. Conversation stopped momentarily as we choose our appetizer and entrées. As soon as the waiter is gone, Kyler turns back to me. I sip my champagne, but Kyler hasn’t touched his.

  “Don’t you want any of your champagne?”

  “No. I never drink.”

  “Really? Why not?”

  “It dulls your senses. You never know when you’ll need to be able to focus. What have you learned?” He asks. He seems strangely fascinated.

  “Well, you know, whatever I can. A lot of different science stuff. I read classic books, and I’ve tried to learn about different cultures. I kind of just want to know a moderate amount about everything. For instance, this trip is to learn about Paris and France. I took French last semester, and I was going to spend this summer learning French and about art.”

  “You were going to? Why aren’t you?” He asks, puzzled.

  Uh oh. I’ve talked myself into a corner. I can’t answer him without letting him see how obsessed I’ve become with him and his sister. But I have to say something, so I just evade. “I don’t really know. Halle and I have just been doing different things. There’s so much to see. And Halle is just so much fun, I don’t want to work when she’s around!” I say, which is totally true.

  “That’s true,” He says thoughtfully. “There is a lot to do in Paris.”

  The waiter delivers our appetizer. It’s delicious, and as we eat it, I decide to change the subject. “Anyway, Halle said she isn’t coming back to school in the fall. She’s going with you, isn’t she?”

  He doesn’t answer, just looks at me.

  “Where are you going?” I insist, eating more.

  “Why do you care?” He asks quietly, looking at me intently. He hasn’t eaten since I brought up Halle.

  I tell the truth, at least part of it. “Halle is the best friend I’ve ever had. I don’t want her to just disappear.”

  “No, you wouldn’t,” He says, stil
l watching me too closely.

  I blush under his gaze, so I turn to look out the window. But I’m still feeling confident. He may possibly know how I feel, but the reservation being for two seems a good sign.

  I turn back. “So? Where are you going?”

  “Why do you want to know?” He repeats coldly. His eyes seem to be penetrating through me.

  I hesitate, “I just told you….” Did he expect me to confess that I like him? I really don’t understand him.

  “Who would you tell?” He asks, looking furious.

  “What?” I falter with food halfway to my mouth; something strange is going on here. “What do you mean, tell?”

  “So you just want to know for yourself?” He asks, persistent.

  “I don’t understand. Is there someone you don’t want me to tell?” I can’t help but feel nervous. He hadn’t acted this way with me for at least a week, but his return to it startles me.

  “What do you think?” He asked, still glaring.

  “I don’t know.” The ruder he gets, the more defiant I feel. There is no excuse for his being rude to me, so it gives me a strange sense of confidence. “You obviously think I am hiding something. But I’m not. I don’t understand why half the time you treat me like an enemy. Halle and I are just friends. I only came to Paris with her at her insistence. At first you acted like I had intruded, but believe me, if she hadn’t been so convincing I wouldn’t be here now.”

  He looks away from me, out the window. “I guess we’ll see about that,” He says quietly.

  “Look, Kyler.” I wait until he’s looking at me. This is hard for me to say, but it would be worse to stay when he clearly doesn’t want me. “I don’t know what your problem is. I don’t know if it’s just that you don’t want to share Halle, or if there’s something more serious going on. But I don’t care. If you want me to leave, I’ll leave. I’ll go to a separate hotel from you guys, and I’ll do what I came to Paris to do.”

  I look at him, expecting a response. I expect him to tell me that it’s not necessary but he doesn’t. No answer comes at all. I’m at a loss. What should I do? The waiter arrives with our dinners.

  “No, thank you,” I say to him, standing up. “Well, goodbye then, Kyler. I’ll spend one more night at the hotel with Halle, and then I’ll be gone. If I don’t see you again, good luck with everything.”

  And not knowing what else to do, I walk out of the room, down the stairs and through the overcrowded restaurant. A little dramatic maybe, but he doesn’t stop me. Fortunately I brought my purse with me. I have the hostess call a taxi for me.

  I tell the driver the address of my hotel. As I sit back, I could swear that I see Kyler quietly leaning against the restaurant wall.

  At first I was too furious to cry, but as the cab pulls up to my hotel, I feel it starting. Horrified by public displays, I throw too much money at the driver and hurry up to my room. Fortunately Halle isn’t here.

  I’m sitting on my bed thinking about the suddenness of what happened when I lose the battle. Tears bubble over and stream down my face. Despite his obvious dislike of me, I can’t help it. I really like him. And lately it seemed that he had started to like me, too. My tears were as much in self-disgust as anything else. I had thought I was winning him over.

  “I’m such an idiot!” I say aloud.

  I hear a soft click. Jumping up and wiping my eyes I look to the door for Halle. There’s no one there. How strange, I distinctly heard…. I walk over and look out, there’s no one in sight.

  Realizing that she could in fact be back any second, I try to calm down. I don’t want her to feel bad; none of this is her fault. Still, I need to figure out where else to go.

  Breathing deeply, I talk quietly to myself, testing my voice.

  “The best thing to do is find a place near the university. I can probably still sign up for that class.”

  I walk to the small table that’s been doubling as my desk, after retrieving my planner from my suitcase. The French class I’d come for starts again in “One week.” I finish aloud. That left way too much time for thinking. I’d need to start working sooner and get a head start.

  “And there’s my excuse for Halle,” I murmur. I jump again, turning around quickly to look behind me. Nothing. I feel stupid, but still uncomfortable, so walking around, I do a quick survey of the room. No one. But I had distinctly felt someone behind me.

  I guess I’m just feeling jumpy. It’s not like me to talk out loud, why was I doing that? I go downstairs to the front desk to see if the concierge can recommend a good place to stay near the university. He seems offended at the request, but gives me three different names.

  “Thank you. I’ll be checking out tomorrow morning,” I inform him. Then I head back up to my room to pack and call around.

  When the door opens to the elevator there’s a strange older man in it. He’s dressed in a plain blue suit with a boring tie. What’s strange about him is the way he’s looking at me. He makes me uncomfortable, so being overly paranoid, I hit the floor above mine, noting that until I do, no buttons are lit up. What is he doing hanging out in the elevator?

  He looks at my choice, and then looks at me blankly.

  The elevator stops and I hurriedly get out. I’m not altogether surprised when he follows me. Not sure what else to do, I head down the door-lined hall toward the staircase. “He’ll go in his door and I’ll go downstairs,” I think.

  The stairs are at the opposite end, so he will have to pass every available door or hall. I still hear him behind me and I’m moving quickly to the door. Not wanting to end up on the stairs all alone with this creepy guy, I turn to face him.

  “Well?” He asks expectantly.

  “Excuse me?’ I ask, astonished.

  “Oh come on. Now tell me, when can we move in?” He asks, apparently serious.

  “I’m sorry, do I know you?” Panicky, I sift through memories, trying to remember him to make this make sense. But I’m confidant we’ve never spoken before.

  “I have no time for games. Or protocol, or passwords. We don’t want to lose them,” He says impatiently.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say rather rudely. “And I’d appreciate it if you’d let me pass.”

  “You may not know me, but I know you. I’m the General you work for. I couldn’t wait for someone you’d recognize. We heard Halle and Kyler are moving tonight. Now when can we move?” He repeats.

  “Let me through,” I demand, he looks surprised and moves to one side.

  I rush past him and frantically hit the button on the elevator. Something in my head just clicked. Halle and Kyler were avoiding something or someone. And Kyler suspected I was involved. This man, by some miracle, also thought I was involved and had actually warned me! Hopefully in time to warn them, too.

  Nervous again, I take two floors down and climb the stairs back up to our room.

  “Halle! Hal?” I call out, praying she’s home. She is, and she looks up at me from her bed in surprise.

  “Yeah? What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know, maybe nothing.” I sit down in front of her. “This old man approached me. He called himself a General.” I pause as her face goes white. I knew it! They are running from him. I continue as if I hadn’t noticed, “I don’t know if he was crazy or what, but he thought I was working for him.”

  Her eyes narrow.

  “He asked me when ‘we could move.’ I would have just written him off as insane, but… he knew your names,” I say uncertainly.

  Unexpectedly, she’s furious. Her eyes blazing she beckons for me to continue.

  Nervous now, I finish hesitantly. “I think he’s after you and Kyler.”

  “What did you say to him?” She asks, low and angry.

  “Nothing. I just ran away. I’m sorry,” I add, not understanding her anger.

  “Don’t be, it’s not your fault.” She flashes a fake smile at me. “So dinner didn’t end well?”

  For a moment
I’m stunned. What does that matter? Shouldn’t they leave, now? And how did she know?

  “It wasn’t great, actually. You guys can leave as soon as you need to. I’m leaving tomorrow morning. I can pay for your rooms tomorrow if you want to leave quietly tonight.”

  “What! And what?” She exclaims, thrown off-guard. “Where are you going? And why would we leave?”

  “I don’t know... I just assumed that you wouldn’t want to see this general. It didn’t seem like you were very friendly with each other.” I ignore the first question.

  “I don’t, however I doubt we need to worry about him. But is that why you’re leaving? What did he say to you!?” The furious light is back in her eyes.

  “He didn’t really say anything else,” I admit reluctantly, but confused. Where is she going with her this?

  “Oh no. He said it at dinner, as himself,” She says, looking anxious.

  I grimace; I didn’t really want to discuss this with her.

  “What happened? You have to tell me what Kyler said!”

  “I don’t know how it happened. One second things were going great, and then the next he was livid. Accusing me of things.” I force a laugh. “I think he and this general of yours are both crazy, and they seem to agree with each other about one thing: me.”

  Halle opens her mouth in surprise, and then bursts into laughter. “Yes, they do, Cass.”

  Feeling a little offended by her continued giggling, I turn to my suitcase and start to pack.

  “No, Cassie! Please don’t do that yet,” She pleads, all mirth subsiding.

  “I have to, Halle. I promised him I’d leave tomorrow. And frankly, if he wants me to leave that badly, I don’t even want to stay.” I’m still a bit depressed. I had been so convinced he liked me. Almost every guy I’ve ever been interested in has liked me back, and I’ve gotten arrogant, I guess.

  It wouldn’t be that hard if he weren’t such an interesting guy. Very different from the guys back at school. More mature, but also fun, at least when he wasn’t antagonizing me. In fact, that had seemed out of character for him. Like he’d been stressed and not himself.

  But it was silly to think I knew him that well. I’d known him for several weeks, but he’d barely even glanced at me except to scowl until two weeks ago.