"Part of the transformation," Jordan chimed in.
"Yeah." Bliss finished packing. Her cell phone buzzed. Mimi was downstairs with the car, waiting. Jordan was still standing there, an odd expression on her face. She looked as if she were wrestling with a decision. "What's up?" Bliss asked.
"Nothing." Jordan shook her head. "Have fun visiting your friend."
Bliss hadn't hung out with Mimi for months, and at first she thought it would be uncomfortable between them, but she had forgotten how self-absorbed Mimi Force could be. Mimi chatted easily during the entire drive, talking about everything from her new cast of human familiars, which included the hottest boys from Collegiate and Horace Mann, along with a college kid or two, as well as her plans for the summer: an intensive Chinese-immersion program in Beijing, since she wanted to display language fluency for her Stanford application next year.
"Isn't that funny? Chinese is the only language that isn't in my memories. Huh. I'm staying with Wah and Min, you know those Chinese twins we met at the Four Hundred Ball?" Mimi giggled.
When they arrived at Transitions, Dylan was alone in his room, watching television. "Hey...Bliss...right?" he asked, turning off the tube. "And you are?"
"Mimi." She looked at him sharply. "You seriously don't remember us?"
"I remember her," Dylan said a little shyly. "She's come to see me a few times."
"I brought you a couple of things," Bliss said, holding up the fat bag of treats.
"Cool," Dylan said, digging into the bag. "What's this for?" he asked, holding up the black leather jacket.
Bliss felt embarrassed. "I ... um...you used to have one..."
"No, it's...God, it's great." Dylan put it on. He looked just as handsome in it as the old one. He smiled at her, and her heart skipped a beat. He rooted in the bag again and removed an iPhone box.
"I thought you might want one," Bliss said. "I hope you don't mind. I already programmed my number into it."
"Bliss," Mimi asked. "Could you leave us alone for a bit? I'd like to ask Dylan some questions."
"Sure."
Bliss left the room. A few minutes later, Mimi opened the door. She looked at Bliss with a mixture of pity and contempt. "Well?" Bliss asked.
"It looks like he really has no memory," Mimi said.
"I told you."
"It's amazing. It's like he's a total blank slate."
"You say that like it's a good thing." Bliss glared at Mimi and went back inside the room.
"What did she want to know?" she asked Dylan.
Dylan shrugged. "Not much...just a few weird things - and something about jeans or something. I didn't really get what she was after. I told her I didn't even know my name when I woke up."
"You really have no idea who I am?" Bliss asked, sitting next to Dylan on the bed.
He looked down at the comic book he was leafing through and put it away. Then he reached over and held her hand in his. She was surprised and looked at him fearfully...hopefully...
Dylan frowned and then finally spoke. "I don't know who you are. But I do know that every time I see you, I feel better."
Bliss squeezed his hand and he squeezed hers back. They sat holding hands for a very long time. Until Mimi knocked on the door to let Bliss know Dylan's doctor was ready to see them.
As they walked to the main building, Mimi took off her sunglasses and squinted at a figure walking toward Dylan's cottage. "Hey, isn't that Oliver Hazard-Whatever?"
"Yeah," Bliss said. Oliver had told her he might be visiting Dylan after school. Apparently he came up a lot to keep Dylan company. The two of them played chess. Dylan might have lost his memory, but he hadn't lost his ability to slaughter Oliver at the game, Oliver had told her.
"Hold on. I want to talk to him for a bit," Mimi said, heading in his direction.
Bliss wondered what on earth Mimi would want to talk to Oliver about. The two of them despised each other. But they were too far away for her to overhear them.