Exchanging Words
Tara didn't seem as surprised to hear about the intruder at our house as I thought she would be. It was almost fake shock, holding her hand up to her mouth to cover a gasp like they did in those old black and white movies Mum watches. Tara's reaction annoys me somehow. It gives me the ammunition to ask:
'So what's going on between you and Damien then?'
Tara sips her frappe, her eyes avoiding mine looking down at the table.
'We're friends. I remember him so he's easy to be around.'
'Are you together? I saw you holding hands the other day?'
'The other day when you were coming out of Dean's house?'
'Yeah. We were studying together.'
'Are you and Dean together? Damien told me he thought you were.'
'Damien's got it wrong and he needs to mind his own business. What else is Damien saying about us behind our backs?' I growl angrily.
'Nothing. He isn't gossiping about you guys. We were just talking. It's nice to talk to someone you remember from your past. I can't explain it; It's not frustrating; it's relaxing being with Damien and not having this weird feeling hanging over me all of the time.'
I soften listening to her, but snare all of my anger for Damien ready to release when I planned to phone him later on and grill him about what he'd been saying about me and Dean behind our backs.
'So what kind of things do you talk about, you and Damien, besides me and Dean obviously? What do you remember about him?' Tara's face lights up.
'All sorts of things, school. What plans he has when school is over. I remember hanging out at his house a lot before, you know...' I snort.
'You never hung out at his house when I wasn't there.' I pause. ' Did you?'
Tara looks uncomfortable.
'I don't know? I mean I have memories of being at his house just watching T.V. and talking to him, maybe you were there but I just don't remember?' She's getting anxious and I can tell she's losing herself inside of her head wondering, thinking, questioning if what she remembers is true? I stop with the third degree. It didn't matter now. What mattered was mine and Tara's friendship. But did it though? I thought to myself. If she'd rather be with Damien because it was easier to be his friend because she remembered him, then did our friendship really matter now? Now she couldn't remember it or me at all?
