A Day in The Life of Hazel Kamalachi; Chapter 8, 'Refreshing' Memories||Part 2

A/N: SO sorry it took so long.

Hazel blinked. It was one thing for a stranger to come up and randomly say something, but another to claim all these things about life. And who WAS this person who claimed to be her mom?

"Sorry, 'mom', but I think you have the wrong person," said Hazel curiously. Hazel's mom sighed, reaching a fragile hand to Hazel's soft cheek.

Her eyes glowed solemnly, and she kissed Hazel on top of her head.

"Hazel, dear, you have to trust me," she said.

Hazel frowned, staring at the ceiling and glowering at her mom. She thought it was an odd color--turquoise. The whole room was almost aquatic. An elaborate fish tank was in the corner, resting on a dusty end table. Inside were five tiny gold fish swimming contently in circles around the fake coral.

The paintings on the wall were of ships, and of sunsets on the beach and ocean, made strictly with watercolors. The doctor, instead of being dressed in a white cloak like all doctors usually do, was wearing a navy blue leather coat.

Her 'mom'-if it really even was, Hazel thought-had an aligator skin purse and belt, and her shirt said "Swim through you veins like a fish in the sea."

Hazel flickered her eyes curiously to her own clothes, hoping she wouldn't find fishes on them.

"Listen, mer--I mean mom, take me home, then, if I'm your daughter. We'll test everyone else to it."

Her mother agreed, and they were in the car, bumping silently along the gravel. Soon they arrived at their own house, and Hazel trotted inside carefully, and after an hour, finally admitted that maybe this was her family.

"Want some dinner, Haze?"

Hazel shook her head, staring at the ceiling again.
"How come my friends haven't done anything?"

* * *

The sun was rising, twilight glow upon the falling snow. Hazel turned in her sleep, and when she finally jostled awake, heard her mom.

"Come on, Hazel, wake up! It's Christmas!"

"CHRISTMAS? Already?!?" Hazel yelled. She hopped from her bed and down the stairs, tearing open her stocking.

* * *

It was January 4th. Hazel had recovered, and they were all back at school. She stood by her locker, and shutting it, went into class and sat next to Jake.

"Hey," he said with a warm glow in his voice and eyes. Hazel nodded.

"Jake, do you know why you pushed me?"

Jake frowned. "Because. Huge car crash. My mom luckily sued the guy for recking our house. And I saved your life."

Hazel smiled softly, and hugged him, though it only lasted about one second. "And also caused me to lose my memory for two weeks."

Jake laughed. "Ha. Go me. Guess I learned it from all those video games."

Hazel shrugged, and continued to read. She was reading a book about this girl, Isabella Black, and her sister Heather. Their brother, Cameron, was out of the picture. It was in the 1800's.

Actually, Hazel found it quite boring, and suddenly she was in a daze...didn't know how much time had passed until Cady walked up to her, shoving her on the ground.

"Oops! Heh! You missed lunch. Sorry," she sneered. "Not," she added, steering Zoey, Fiona and Taylor away from her, snickering loudly.

Hazel glared at them, rubbing her now rug-burned knee. Now that she thought about it, her stomach did seem very hungry and rumbling. After getting up, she went out to recess angrily, bundling up in her jacket.

"Jake, they get on my nerves SO much! They're like, minature cliques. So prissy, snobbish, full of themselves, and just plain rude," she ranted.

Jake nodded. "And dumb. Don't forget dumb," he laughed.

Hazel kicked the soccer ball that went flying at her into the goal, ignoring the fact that she missed completely. She loved soccer, but wasn't entirely good at it.

A large gust of wind blew in her face. She scowled, side-kicking the ball again and passing it to someone.

"I just don't get them!" she muttered shrilly. Jake sighed.

"Haze, they're not gonna be all nicey-nicey as long as I'm around. They hate me. Even my own best friends are kind of edging their way slowly out of my life since I've been hanging out so much with you. People here are just to dumb to accept the fact that boys can be friends with girls," he replied in his best matter-of-fact voice.

She shrugged. "Then why are you still friends with me?"

Jake stopped short. "I like you."

Realizing what he just said, he covered his mouth quickly. "Er..as a friend. 'Cause you are my friend, right, yeah."

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "I like you too."

But Hazel and Jake have way different definitions of liking somebody....