"Are you ready?"

I had just shot a text to Ashley, Britt, Quinn, and Danielle telling them not to mention anything that happened in the last two days, that I was getting my memory erased. Of course, I got no instant reply because those lucky asses are curled up in their body-heated blankets in dreamland. I glanced at the clock: 5:11. The sky was dull with dawn, and I already heard the rush of cars on the highway, adults rushing to work. I couldn't help thinking of Scott and Mike, which made me want to vomit. So all I thought instead was: You won't remember them. You won't remember the truth.

"Yes," I replied, nodding, "Sunshine, you have no idea how grateful I am. I owe you big time."

Colin looked up from the vial he was holding that was full of golden liquid...the potion that would restore my dignity, my reputation. It bubbled against the glass and the liquid reminded me of high peaks of noon at Swords and Dust, when my friends and I sat outside to eat lunch. I can't wait for more days like that now.

"Well I just want you to be happy," he replied, "and no, you don't owe me. This potion really is pretty easy to make."

"What's in it?" I asked.

"Apollo 808," Colin explained, "which is a sun substance that pretty much forms the potion itself. Parapsychology Buds, which will help with the memory-erasing, and of course, water. Extrasensorians are floating around in here as well-" Colin examined the vial, "-which is the second half of the memory erasing. There's also some other shit in here as well but I'm a dumbass, so I can't remember what the names to them are."

I was truly impressed with his potion, and not a speck of nervousness dared to come within a thousand miles of me. This time, I am prepared. This time, nothing can stop me.

"If you're a dumbass," I said, "then you wouldn't have been able to make this potion. You wouldn't have been able to help me."

"Thanks," Colin chuckled, and he held the vial out to me, the top still open, "Now don't drop it."

Every ounce of care in my body went to taking this fragile vial, which weighed if anything, 15 fluid ounces. The vial was hot, like fire burning hot, but I had braced myself for that, too. Nothing can make me drop this remedy.

Nothing.

"Drink up," Colin coaxed, "But I warn you, there is no guarantee this will taste good."

"I'm not expecting it to," I quickly replied before bringing the vial up to my lips and felt the heat from the liquid like you feel steam from hot chocolate against flesh. With that, I squeezed my eyes shut before tossing my head back and tipping the vial into my mouth, its contents burning my tongue.

Every pore on my face popped and every sweat gland burst into action. If I could, I would have cried out, but the potion made my throat feel cold, which probably means the substance is so hot that my nerves can't take it. I couldn't even taste anything. My taste buds have probably been shut down temporarily. Again, in the words of Britt...I am in no mood to give a damn.

Hot tears streamed down my face and my fingers burned against the vial, leaving steam fingerprints on the strong clear glass. When all the potion was slithering down my throat, peristalsis making the flaming sensation worse, I handed the vial back to Colin and gasped for air.

"You ok?" Colin asked.

To my shock, he seemed hella calm. Of course though, I'm sure he expected this.

I nodded, just before my legs all of a sudden felt like jelly, and my knees buckled.

"C-Colin?" I managed, though it hurt my vocal chords like hell.

"Don't worry," he latched his arms under mine to catch me, and I gladly laid back, "That's a side effect. That means its working."

The room spun and I only heard Colin's heartbeat pulsing in my ears, calming me. My balance was gone, but I embraced it. I laced my fingers with Colin's (he probably doesn't mind my sweating palms at the moment), and he kissed my forehead, holding his lips there as he spoke: "You won't remember anything, starting...now."

Those were the last words I heard before a final image of Vincent worked its way out of my brain, along with the other hellish graphics I couldn't bare to see again. But they're gone...gone. I'm going to be renewed. I'm going to be the normal and dark Eris Liberty Striker again, the warlike enchantress of Magical Disasters, and that's who I want to be.

That's who I am.

Now who are these people?

I was awaken by brightness forcing its way through my eyelids. I opened my eyes and for once, felt steadily awake. I can't exactly remember how I got here, neatly positioned on my back and my black comforter just below my breasts. In fact, I can't remember anything that happened in the last two days at all. Wait a minute…why the hell am I here?

"Shit!" I exclaimed, throwing the covers off of me and eyeing the clock: 9:10.

"Goddamnit," I cursed again, rushing over to my closet and pulling it open, revealing my entire black wardrobe, well, just the shirts and jackets section.

I hurriedly breezed through them, quickly deciding that shirts felt overrated today, and I closed the sliding door to that section and opened the one next to it. I ripped my favorite skeleton day dress off of its hanger. The overall color was purple, with some black splatters among the graveyard mood of it.

"Shouldn't I be at school?" I thought.

After grabbing the rest of the shit I need for an outfit, I rushed toward the door and pulled it open. To my surprise, Colin stood there, looking down at me and leaning on the door frame, his legs and arms crossed.

"Colin!" I exclaimed, "Uh, why am I here?"

"It's summer," Colin replied, "Remember?"

I knit my eyebrows, and slid over a few steps to my left to take a look at the calendar, which of course, read June 8.

"Well what the hell?" I demanded, throwing my dress on my bed and quickly making it, "Not funny, Colin."

"It wasn't a joke!" Colin protested, "Now come on. I made fresh coffee just the way you like it...vanilla creamer and whipped cream!"

I laughed and rolled my eyes, "You're too damn kind, Sunshine."

Then, my song notebook on my desk caught my eye, and I was shocked to see a few pages lined with words. I picked it up and read through them, my eyes watering up. This is describing a real event, but how in the name of God did I get this information? This poor person who went through this...I wouldn't EVER be able to handle this. Funny, the antagonist in these lyrics sounds like my father... It's obvious I had written it, but when? I don't even remember being released from school on June 6. But my calendar read June 8, and it's for sure accurate.

As I made my way to the kitchen in the natural morning light, not bothering with my messy hair, I heard Colin triumphantly whisper, "It worked!" I saw him pump his fist out of the corner of my eye.

Whatever the hell that was about.