“Mmm, I think I need to put you down now Cassie.” Eric said between gasps. On the open streets, the two couldn’t continue their “games” the same way. Instead, the Woodsman is carrying Red to safety. Unfortunately, this Woodsman isn’t used to carrying anything other than his backpack, so he doesn’t get very far before he starts panting.
“Guess I was asking too much of you. Sorry.” Cassie slides off Eric’s back and lets him catch his breath. She weighs what you’d expect a fourteen, nearly fifteen, year old would weigh. But Eric’s muscles, they both discovered, were mostly for show. He had yet to start using them.
“Maybe I should start taking P.E more seriously,” he said once he was able to stand upright again.
“Hey we got this far before you started to turn purple. That’s an A- in my book.” Cassie patted Eric’s back, which proved to be a bad idea since Eric started coughing.
“Sorry.” Cassie said yet again.
“No, it’s okay. I should probably spend less time indoors, and more time doing something active. Can’t let myself go now that I’ve got someone as beautiful on my arm.” Eric pulled Cassie closer.
“Thank you. And you’re perfect the way you are. But if you really want to get some more exercise, other than our nightly wrestling matches, you could always join me when I go running.”
“You run?”
“Not conventional running, but running. Usually before I go to bed. It helps me sleep.” Cassie said.
“Really? I’d think it’d do the opposite.” Eric always felt more alive than ever after he and Cassie finished their nightly activities. But maybe other physical activities were different, since they didn’t require one to be incredibly hard to do them (no pun intended).
Cassie quickly explained how she’d started her before-bed exercise routine after her dad died. She’d spend nights lying awake in bed, unable to sleep. And she needed something to do, so she’d run.
“Wish I’d tried that.” Eric thought. One those nights when he couldn’t sleep, he’d just drown his sorrows in school work. He did every bit of extra credit work, and every long term project in less than a month since he wasn’t sleeping.
Shortly after their conversation, Eric and Cassie came around the bend and saw Cassie’s house. The living room lights were on, signaling her mom was either waiting up for her, or Anna had fallen asleep in front of the TV like she so often did.
“See you tomorrow.” Eric kissed Cassie on the lips, wishing he never had to pull away. But he did after a good minute or two. Cassie smiled and walked through the front door of her house. Eric sighed as her figure disappeared from his sight.
As he walked back, he wondered how Julie was going. He hadn’t heard a thing about her all day (aside from the rumors). Which meant that either nothing was wrong, or something was VERY WRONG. Eric checked his watch, and decided it wasn’t too late to visit the Twists and see if anything had developed he didn’t know about.
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At the Twists…
Martha was busy recounting her afternoon and “Date” with Katherine Johnson. Samantha and Frances knew little about her, other than that she was a weretiger, worked as a P.E teacher, and enjoyed male and female company (the latter more so according to what Martha was told).
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” Frances said when Martha was finished. She really meant that. After weeks of grief counseling, it was nice to see Martha in such a good mood.
“I surprised myself, I didn’t think I’d have that good a time. It’s been so long since I went on a date. I forgot how nerve wracking they can be.” Martha had only ever seriously dated three men through high school and then college. And she ended up marrying the third so she didn’t have that much experience in dating. Nevermind dating women.
“So, are you two going to see each other again?” Samantha asked.
“Not until I get transferred somewhere else. Keeping work and personal affairs separate for the time being.” Martha said.
“Is that what you want?” Frances had to ask. As a concerned friend, and as a therapist.
“Yes. It’s slow, baby-steps you know, but I’m comfortable with the way things are working out. I don’t know if anything will come out of the relationship, anything serious that is. But for now I’m happy with keeping things casual. Although I was hoping to get some advice on a certain topic.” Martha said.
“Well, we’ll try our best. What’s on your mind?” Frances asked.
“I, uh, could use a few pointers on dating women.” she said. Samantha and Frances looked at each other and smiled. They were experts on that subject.
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Frances and Samantha gave Martha so much information she thought she should start taking notes. Martha found that, despite her initial judgements, dating was dating. No matter the age or gender. She still had about a million questions, but didn’t get a chance to ask any.
There was a sudden knocking at the Twist’s front door that interrupted their conversation. The three women got up and walked to the door, all surprised when they opened it to find Eric standing there.
“Eric, is something wrong?” Martha asked. Cassie wasn’t with him, so he’d already dropped her off.
“No. I just wanted to ask, is Julie alright?” he looked pointedly at Frances. They all did. Which made Frances’ predicament rather awkward. She hadn’t told anyone the recent, and shocking developments with Julie. The fact that her mind had all but erased Eric from her memories was…
“Frances?” Samantha looked at her wife, who seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Or any words.
“Sorry, just thinking. Julie came out of surgery alright. Right now it’s just a matter of waiting and see how time heals her wounds.”
“That’s a relief. Has she been asking about me again at all?” Eric asked nervously. He still remembered the desperate look Julie had on her face when he had last been to see her (which was two nights ago). And since then Julie hadn’t only gotten over their “breakup”, she’d completely forgotten who Eric Anderson was.
“Um, no. At least not to my knowledge.” Frances lied. Samantha sensed something was up, but didn’t press the issue in front of Eric, because he looked very relieved.
“Come on you, let’s get home.” Martha said. She thanked the Twists for listening, and then she and Eric departed.
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Once the Andersons had gone, Samantha turned on her wife for some answers.
“What was that about? Did something happen at the hospital?” she asked.
“Yes and no. I’m not sure how, but when Julie came to they were asking her a series of questions. The usual things, name, birthday, and such. But Julie wasn’t asking for Eric. She was asking for Arthur. And what’s more, when Dr. Curry did bring up Eric, Julie didn’t know who she was talking about. She doesn’t have any memory of him even existing.”
“She… let me get this straight, Julie doesn’t remember Eric? Anything about him?” Samantha asked in disbelief. After all the trouble and headaches they’d gone through, that Eric had gone through, in the past three days, this was the end result? Julie survives, but has an even more severe case of amnesia.
“She doesn’t remember anything that’s happened in recent months. At least the parts about Eric and the rest of his family. It’s like her mind has reverted to the state it was in before the Andersons moved to town. And she also seems to have developed an attraction to Arthur.” Frances went on.
“I’m not sure if this is her way to dealing with the pain, or a genuine medical problem. They’re going to run some more tests on her tomorrow.”
“Have Martin and Melissa been informed yet?”
“About what? That their daughter doesn’t remember a thing about the boy who broke her heart? Or that Julie’s fallen for another weremer?” Frances asked sarcastically.
“You can’t keep them in the dark forever.” Samantha pointed out.
“No, but there’s no reason to tell them just yet. Not until we figure out if there’s some underlying problem, or if this is all psychological.”
“Mmm. Well, changing the subject to something lighter, where’s Ben?”
“I think his text said he was going out, but he’d be home before his curfew.”
“I wonder where he is. Not the Ramseys, they’re having dinner with Nate.” Samantha wondered. Ben had other friends, but none as close as Alex and Nate. It was highly plausible he was out with a female friend. With everyone else joyfully enjoying their romantic relationships, Samantha wondered if Ben had anyone that special in his life yet. He hadn’t had any luck with the she-wolves in town (aside from his brief relationship with Cassie), would he be willing to go outside the species?