Book of Lost Memories
Chapter 4: Sickened By Truth

He took the longer way, trying to cool off. All he had told his mother was that he was leaving. Thinking back, he should have said more, but didn't want to be held up by his father or Joshua. Main Street was quiet, and he saw Dr. Fitch and Scarlet leaving his office. Alex casually waved, earning himself a happy wave and smile from the girl, and a casual wave in return from her father. Pressing forward, he came to the intersection and turned to the left. Heading on Riverview road, Alex saw Elle sitting out on her porch swing, reading a book. She looked up as he came into view.

"Alex? What in the world are you doing up this early?" She then saw the look on his face, before he had heard her. Quickly, she got up, heading down to meet him. "You and your dad got into it again, didn't you?"

"We didn't just get into it. I think I blew it, Elle… I told him off."

"Oh man… Did he kick you out?" There was concern now. Alex shook his head. "Then what happened?"

"I left." He leaned against the fence that separated her home from the neighbors', and rubbed his aching temples with his thumbs. "I've really screwed up this time."

"How bad?"

"Murder bad..."

"Oh boy…" Elle stood beside him, seeing the miserable look on his face. "Something else?"

"Yeah. Last night, Mom and I talked… We actually talked, and now I've messed it all up. I'll be lucky if she ever wants to see me again."

"What did you two talk about?"

"I told her how I felt like I was drowning in all the stuff that Dad was putting on me. I accidentally asked if she loved Josh more than me."

"You what?"

"Yeah." He paused, looking at the sun as it outlined the trees in gold, coming up. "She said that she would always love me more… because I was her first born. Can you believe that?"

They hadn't noticed Judge Holloway exiting the house to go to work. Her words startled them both. "I think that goes through the minds of all parents. No matter how they try to convince themselves, the mother will generally love the first born more."

The two looked up, Elle giving her mother a surprised look. Margaret laughed it off.

"It's only natural for a woman who has children to view the first born with a little more favoritism." She headed to her car for work, and the two teens waved. Once she had left, Elle looked at Alex.

"I'm surprised she told me that."

"Yeah… It looks like she treats you two evenly. Wish I could say the same."

"Hey, you know that your mom loves you, whether she shows it that well or not. Anyway, your dad can just go."

"Yeah, I told him so. The last thing I said to him was to go fuck off."

"Wow…"

They quietly went into the house, Alex tossing his stuff in the guest bedroom, between Nora's and the master, and they went back downstairs.

"Never mind meeting at Town Hall…" Alex lightly joked. Elle smiled, looking at her notes from the day before. She went through them while Alex went through his. Once done, they headed out to the street and went to the small high school at the far end of Riverview Rd. It was down past the cemetery.

All through the day, the events of the previous weighed on Alex' mind. He remembered feeling warm and carefree for about half an hour, and then it ended with the argument between him and Josh. After the mid-term, Alex quickly left the classroom, feeling rather sick. The room had no air stirring at all, and all he could hear were the words he had said yesterday and this morning. The way he had left his mother was making him feel horrible, and a fear of something bad coming from this was making it worse. He made it to the bathroom, leaning over one of the sinks, he saw his reflection. He was pale, tired, and almost feverish. His hands shook as he brought cold water to his face, and it wasn't helping. The feel of the water made him feel, if at all possible, worse. Dizziness was quick to come, but he closed his eyes, trying to avoid the inevitable. He felt the vomit rise in his throat, but it never came out. Instead, it settled, causing him to feel even more uneasy.

Elle had just finished her mid-term, and was coming out of the classroom, when she heard an instructor calling for help. Moving down the hall quickly, she saw that one of them was leaning over someone. Stepping closer, she saw it was Alex.

"What happened? Sorry, I'm his best friend." Elle got down to look at him. His eyes were shut tight, and his fists were clenched.

"I was just headed to see why it smelled like cigarette smoke in the men's' room, and found him sliding down the wall." The man, who Elle recognized as Literature instructor, said this. He turned to Elle. "Is there anyone we can call? Family?"

"Yes…" Elle took a few minutes to think. She knew that the last person he'd want to see was his father. "His mom and mine. He and his dad don't get along."

"Alright. Go get in touch with them. If you have another class, don't worry about it."

"Okay. Thanks!" She headed to a window where she could get better reception, and dialed Alex' home number. It rang twice, before Lillian answered.

"Lillian Shepherd speaking."

"Ms. Shepherd, Alex just collapsed after his mid-term. I'm here with him now."

"Call your mother. I'll be there in a few minutes. Thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome." Snapping her phone shut, Elle checked the time and then flipped it back open. She dialed her mother's office phone.

"Good afternoon, Margaret Holloway speaking."

"Mom…. Something happened. Alex collapsed after his mid-term."

"Did you call his mother?"

"Yeah. She's on her way now."

"I'll be there in about five minutes."

"Okay."

She headed back to where Alex was still lying. Some students had gathered, looking down on the scene. A few of them were joking around, saying he got scared by his own reflection. Elle frowned and knelt back down. "They're on their way."

"Good. We'll need to move him-"

"I wouldn't." Another instructor leaned over him. "He looks like he was about to vomit. That wouldn't do well, if it happened while he was being moved."

"Nice catch, Will. We'll just have to wait here. Clear off, all of you!"

The other students scattered, each to their respective classes. Elle stayed there, knowing that the one called Will was her instructor for her next class. He adjusted Alex' head, so that he wasn't lying flat. Sitting him up, didn't do much, but it would stop him from aspirating on his vomit.

When Lillian entered the building, Elle spotted her and lead her to where Alex was. He still hadn't moved or done anything, but the school's nurse was on her way.

"What happened?"

"Really, we don't know. I found him sliding down the wall over there in the men's' room when I went to see who was smoking. He hasn't said anything or woken up. Has he been under any stress?"

Elle nearly laughed. Stress wasn't the word to describe what had been going on with him. Lillian explained that they had been going through family issues the past few days, and that it had hit its peak last night and this morning. They all looked up, seeing Judge Holloway and the nurse coming down the corridor. The crowd moved back, letting the nurse examine him. The Holloways and Lillian stood, all watching with bated breath, and released a collective breath when the nurse backed off. Alex had started coughing.

"Anybody got a bucket? This kid's going to vomit."

Elle's instructor darted into the restroom and came out in time to have Alex grip the trash bin. He vomited a few times, shaking afterwards. As he fell back to the floor he saw just who all were crowded around him. Not daring to speak for fear of being sick again, he simply blinked, letting them know that he was awake and alert. Lillian was the first to get to him, slowly getting him to sit up. His look clearly said: 'I can't live like this…' She and Margaret got him to his feet.

"We'll get him home."

"Mom, I'll see you later, then."

"Alright. Don't worry about him."

"Try my best." She said this with a little sarcasm. Something told Elle that this was not the first of these attacks, and it wouldn't be the last.