Some People Are Meant to Be Forgotten

Elijah brought me to a massive venue. The moment we stepped in, the deafening roar of cheers hit me. The air was buzzing with excitement.

In the center of the venue, race cars sped past each other in a blur of motion on the circular racetrack.

Because Caleb liked racing, I'd learned a bit about it too.

Perhaps it was the energy of the crowd, but I found myself clapping and cheering along when the first car crossed the finish line.

As I laughed, I felt a burning gaze on me.

I turned and saw Elijah leaning against the railing. He propped his head up with one hand as he watched me, grinning from ear to ear.

I quickly lowered my hands, feeling a little awkward.

"Feeling better now?" he asked.

I was caught off guard. I didn't expect he had brought me here because of that.

"Why do you even care how I'm feeling? After all, we just met…"

He straightened, his expression turning a bit strange. "Who says—"

Before he could finish, someone cut in.

"Sadie? What are you doing here?"

I turned around. It was Caleb and his group of friends. I never liked them. They always mocked me, calling me an idiot.

They thought I didn't remember, but I had written every word down in my diary. I really couldn't stand them.

I instinctively took a few steps back.

Elijah seemed to notice that I didn't like them. He immediately stepped forward and shielded me behind him.

"None of your business," he shot back.

I clung to him like a shield, muttering behind his back, "Yeah, what's it to you?"

Caleb's tone turned sour. "Sadie. Get over here. I'm counting from three. Three—"

"Three-two-one, one-two-three, one-two-three-four-five-six-seven." Elijah fired off without missing a beat.

"I'll teach you if you don't know how to count."

Seeing that I stayed right where I was, Caleb laughed out of sheer anger. This was the first time I hadn't done as he said.

He looked at Elijah with a flicker of inexplicable hostility in his eyes, glancing back and forth between the two of us.

Suddenly, he sneered. "Do you know she's sick?"

I looked up at Caleb in disbelief.

The next words out of his mouth were cold and cutting.

"She got in a car accident a few years ago and has some problems with her brain. To put it plainly, she's just an idiot."

As soon as he said it, his friends behind him burst into laughter.

Elijah turned to look at me.

I couldn't lift my head. I was terrified of seeing that mocking, pitiful gaze I'd grown so used to. For some reason, I couldn't bear the thought of seeing it in his eyes.

My fingers slowly let go of Elijah's shirt. I turned and fled, without looking back.