Drake opened his eyes. He looked around himself. He noticed, strangely, that he was sat on the floor, slumped against the wall. A quick glance up at his blood-red alarm clock told him it was 7:30. Normally, he would never get up that early.
Rising out of bed, he looked for his clothes. Couldn't find them. He stood in the middle of his room, frowning in confusion. He couldn't remember where he had put them.
Shaking his head, he walked to his closet and pulled out a pair of black skinny-jeans and a blood-red T-shirt saying, 'When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars, hear my whispers in the dark'.
While he got dressed, he tried to remember what happened last night. Again, he found he couldn't. It was like there was a veil over his eyes. 'Jesus, what did I do last night?' he thought, bemused. The first stirrings of panic crept over him slowly.
Diana must have put something in my drink, he reasoned. The witch. I'll have to get her.
And with that, he went off to find Diana.
As he walked into the corridor, he got the feeling his surroundings were new to him; he didn't recognise any of it. He ignored it and carried on with his mission to find Diana. But, after a while, he stopped. 'Where am I going?' he thought uncertainly. His search for Diana was so far proving unsuccessful.
"Drake, why are you going down to the janitor's closet?" a voice muttered behind him. It took him a while to place the voice. Diana.
"There you are," he breathed, turning slowly to face her.
"Um, what?"
With that, he stormed at her, and pushed her up against the wall by her silk turquoise collar.
"Listen to me, witch. I don't know what you did to me last night, but you'd better pray I kill you quickly."
Diana blinked in surprise, before smirking. "You won't kill me."
"Wanna bet?"
A pause. "And what do you mean, 'what I did to you'?"
Drake snarled like a wild animal. "You know very well what I mean."
Diana shook her head, and Drake could see she really meant it. He let go of her slowly. She fiddled with her collar, before saying, "Drake, what's going on?"
Drake didn't reply, only stared in confusion.
Diana frowned at him, bemused, for a moment, before shrugging abruptly. "Whatever. Caine wants you."
"Why?"
Diana blinked in surprise at the question. "You're joking - right?" Drake shook his head.
"Caine. Soren. Fearless Leader. You're his hound dog."
Once again, Diana was met with a blank look.
"Are you saying you've lost your memory?" Diana looked genuinely curious.
Drake nodded in reply. "Well, not all of it. I remember who you are. But everything beyond that..." He moved his hands in a 'poofing' motion.
Drake couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a hint of a smirk cross her lips.
"You can't remember anything past that?"
Drake grew irritated. "Nothing, alright!" His voice quietened as a new realisation hit him. "I can't even remember who I am."
He kicked a wall in frustration. Then he raised an eyebrow at Diana. "Can you maybe... you know... refresh my memory?"
Diana grinned. "Sure I can." She motioned to him. "Come. Walk with me. I'll tell you as we walk."
She walked ahead. Drake thought about that for a moment, before jogging to catch up with her.
"So, what do you want to know?" Diana asked in a voice that sounded almost sincere.
"Well, knowing who I am would help."
Diana hesitated for a moment, thinking, before giving her answer. "Well, you're, uh, not exactly normal, let's say." Then she paused as a new thought struck her.
"Your name is Drake Merwin, and... do you really want to know all that crap?"
Drake shrugged. He did want to know, actually, but he didn't say anything, for fear that she would leave him clueless.
"I remember I hate you," he murmured thoughtfully. "I just can't remember why."
Diana signed theatrically. "I'll tell you why. Drake, not too long ago we were going out - we'd been going out for quite a while - but you caught me making out with Caine. So we fought. And..." She gulped, as if upset. "And you hit me. So I told you I hate you, and preferred Caine to you. He turned me down anyway - my own stupid fault, really."
She sighed again. Drake almost felt sorry for her, but as he took in her words he realised he shouldn't. She was right. It was her own fault.
"You were kind to people. You joined charities and funded them whenever possible. You loved animals - your favourite was a dog, because they're so loyal."
Drake listened intently, immersed.
"You were... helpful. Whenever Caine needed something, you'd always be there. That is, until you caught me and him making out. But he must have had some sort of talk with you, because you became his faithful servant again. That's why I said you're his hound dog - because you'd follow him round, be there by his side."
"Oh. Um, why did I do that?"
Diana smirked. "Because he's got power."
Drake found that slightly confusing, and he wanted to ask about it, but he didn't dare. Not yet.
Ending on that note, they entered the library.
A handsome teenage boy with sleek, black hair and a potentially charming smile was sat on an arm chair.
"Caine." Diana called the boy - Caine - over. "A word?"
Caine nodded, bemused.
Drake watched as Diana talked to Caine, the boy nodding occasionally to show he was listening. Drake couldn't tell what they were saying, but he guessed they were talking about him.
Oblivious to Drake, where he couldn't hear them, the conversation went on.
"...so, what, he can't remember anything?" Caine was saying.
"Nope."
"Tell me we don't have to fill in the gaps for him," Caine moaned.
"Don't worry," Diana smirked slyly. "I've told him a load already."
The pair, having finished talking, sat down on the sofa. Drake noted mentally how Caine chose to sit close to Diana. Too close for comfort.
He recalled Diana's words, about what happened between them, and anger flared up inside him. But he said nothing.
Caine turned to Drake. "So I have a plan," he told the muddled boy. "You, er, do remember about Sam Temple, right?"
Drake said nothing, only glanced at the floor. Caine smiled.
"No worries. Uh..." He blew air out of his cheeks. "Where to start? Um... right. Sam Temple my brother, who I've been fighting. He hates all of our guts, and for good reason."
"Why?" Drake was genuinely confused now. "I mean, I funded charities and stuff. Why would he hate me?"
Caine raised an eyebrow at Diana. 'What the hell did you tell him?' he mouthed across. Diana just winked suggestively.
"Okay, uh, listen Drake," Caine began, but Diana cut him off.
"Hey, Drake, why don't we take another walk?"
Drake, surprised, obeyed.
"I'm not going to let you ruin my fun," she hissed to Caine. And, with that, she and Drake left the library.
Diana was enjoying this. She hadn't had this much fun since before Drake first came to Coates.
'He's really buying it all,' she thought, smirking. 'He really believes it. The poor, clueless idiot.'
No sooner were they out of the library, Drake kissed her. It was all she could do not to smile. His kiss; so warm, so luscious...
No, she told herself. This was wrong. She couldn't do this.
She pushed away.
"What are you doing?" she cried.
"Making up with you," he answered, a boyish smile playing at his features.
She blinked in surprise. After a moment's hesitation, she thought, 'what the hell. I'm going to hell anyway'.
She kissed him back. But, after a few seconds, she heard her inner voice nagging at her again.
"Right," she snapped, pulling away. "You wanted the truth. I'll tell you the truth. You were never nice. Never what I said. You hated me, and I hated you. You're a psychopath who likes killing things. You liked to frighten people. And we never went out."
Drake stared at her for a moment. Then he slapped her.
"I don't believe you!" he yelled. "I depended on you, believed every word, and what do you go and do?"
He shook his head, before turning and preparing to stomp down the hallway in a huff. But he had taken no more than three steps before he went flying into the wall. Diana looked up and saw Caine, fury filling his eyes.
"I told you before, you NEVER hit Diana, you stupid bloody thug!" he roared. Drake slumped on the floor, unconcious. Diana just held her cheek where he hit her, still in shock. She hadn't expected that.
Diana looked up at Caine, but he'd left as quickly as he came.
After a while, Drake stirred. Diana walked over to him and stood above him, watching him silently. This was exactly what had happened last time. Drake had hit Diana, and Caine had thrown him into a wall. He would have been unconscious for a while, she guessed. And when he awoke, he wouldn't have remembered anything. Not for the first time, Diana wondered just how powerful Caine really was.
"Mnmm ft me," he muttered unintelligebly.
"What?" Diana asked.
"I said 'get off me'." He sat up. "What's that on your cheek?"
She sighed. Here we go again.
"Oh, yeah, that's right, I hit you. And about time, too." He sat up. "What's up with you, witch?"
She smirked, relieved. She's never been so glad to see him. Then again, she'd never been glad to see him.
"You're back."
He frowned. "Why? Where have I been?"
She shook her head, laughing. She was just glad it was over.
