Some People Are Meant to Be Forgotten

I sustain brain damage from a car crash and end up with a memory akin to a goldfish. However, I remember my feelings for Caleb Warner for seven whole years.

Things change when he abandons me on a mountain top after losing a bet with someone. He sneers and says, "Write this in your journal, Sadie. Consider it a lesson learned."

It's wintertime, and it's freezing on top of the mountain. I almost die there.

I later destroy everything that has to do with Caleb and allow my memories of him to disappear from my mind.

…

One night, someone by the name of Caleb Warner calls me. My boyfriend jealously pulls me close and asks, "Who's this?"

I shake my head dazedly. "I don't know."

The person on the other end of the line loses it when he hears my answer.

After getting Caleb Warner's call, I rushed to the mountaintop where he raced. The mountain road was slippery in the winter, and I ended up being more than ten minutes late.

Just as I approached the campsite, I overheard his friends complaining.

"What's with Sadie? She's late. I bet my entire month's allowance on this."

Another man chimed in, "Caleb, could it be that Sadie found out you used her for the bet and showed up late on purpose?"

Just as I was about to walk over, I stopped in my tracks. What did they mean by "the bet?"

Caleb was sitting on the hood of his race car, chuckling like it was no big deal.

"So what if she knows? She'd still come running like a little puppy."

One of his friends frowned and asked, "Is there actually someone that dumb? Hiking up a mountain in freezing weather for three hours just because someone told her to?"

Another guy clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, don't be surprised. Sadie's always been kind of slow. She hit her head in a car crash when she was 16."

"For real? And Caleb's been letting a girl like that chase after him for years? Isn't that kinda gross?"

Caleb lit a cigarette.

He exhaled slowly and asked, "If an idiot chased you for years, wouldn't you find it gross?"

"Ugh, even thinking about it gives me the creeps."

Everyone laughed at his dramatic shudder.

I gripped my phone tightly. On the screen was a message Caleb had sent me three hours ago.

"I'm hurt. Mount Crescent peak. Get here in three hours."

Because of that one message, I dragged myself out of a hospital bed, ignored my period cramps, and hiked up the mountain for three hours.

I didn't expect I would stumble right into what he really thought of me.

All my worries vanished in an instant. The pain in my lower abdomen didn't even compare to the pain in my chest.

Just then, someone noticed me.

Caleb looked up, raising a brow. He walked toward me without the slightest hint of panic.

His first words were, "Sadie Hartman, you're late."

Hands in his pockets, he didn't even notice how much pain I was in.

I clutched my stomach, trying to ease the cramps. But my voice still trembled as I said, "So what?"

"So, you're walking back down on your own."

He tapped on my forehead, again and again. "Sadie, write this in your diary. Make sure you learn your lesson."

With that, he waved to the others to get in their cars.

One after another, the race cars roared past me, leaving nothing but clouds of dust.

The sun dipped below the horizon, and the temperature plummeted.

Freezing wind cut through me from every direction.

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through my abdomen. I started shaking uncontrollably. A cold sweat broke out on my back, and specks of black clouded my vision.

I knew what that meant. I was about to pass out.

If I lost consciousness here, I'd freeze to death on this mountain.

Panicked, I pulled out my phone and called Caleb. He didn't answer.

A low battery warning flashed across the screen. I started to panic, fumbling to send him voice messages.

"Caleb, please. I don't feel well. Please come back and get me. I swear I'm not lying. I really can't take it anymore. There's no way to call a ride up here. My phone's about to die too…"

I kept refreshing the chat, but not a single reply came through.

Suddenly, the same helplessness I'd felt at 16 years old after the car crash came rushing back.

A wave of fear washed over me.

Just then, I saw a flash of red ahead. I used every last bit of strength to stumble toward it.

The moment I collapsed, someone caught me. I fell into a warm embrace that smelled faintly of mint. Right by my ear came a startled voice.

"Holy crap!"