Who's this?

1-1

It’s New Year’s! Mason walks around the party with his bubbling apple cider in hand. The music is blaring through the speakers. Couples are dancing. Mason gets roped into a group of his friends. They try to impress some girls on the day of a fresh new year, but Mason’s brain blurs. Soon, the room is spinning, all the guests are upside down and Mason is walking on the ceiling. After a few seconds, his brain settles. Something seems incomplete, though. Mason and his friends resume their conversation about the girls. There is one name that sounds unfamiliar. 

“Hey guys, who’s Alicia?” Mason asks, creasing his dark eyebrows.

All of Mason’s friends look aghast. Mason still looks at them blankly until someone speaks up. 

“Alicia is the girl we have been talking about for the last 10 minutes. The one John wants to ask out,” Alex explains. Still confused, Mason nods. The party continues with no further discussions. 

There is still an unfamiliar girl at the party. 

1-2

The next morning, all of Mason’s friends stuff coffee down their throats before their parents arrive. Some of them still lay on the couch motionless. Mason didn’t feel like drinking yesterday after the Alicia situation. He gathered his books as everyone had to attend class the following day. 

As the guys were getting ready, some had to leave in order to meet their parents. Mason left with Alex and some of his other friends.

They met their parents at the Sunny Cafe. There, groups of parents were waiting with flowers and pastries. Everyone started to greet each other and many parents congratulated Mason and his friends on the ending of their first semester. Just half a year left. A strange lady started to hug Mason. Mason went blank as he did with Alicia. 

“Hello Mason, how are you?” The lady asks. 

“Um, I’m fine, but who are you?” The lady must see the blank expression on Mason’s face, because she suddenly retreats back a few steps, startled.

“I’m Alex’s mom. Jane from the next block. Mason, are you okay?” Alex’s mom has a worried expression on her face. Mason tries to play it cool. 

“No, no. I’m fine. Must have lost myself.” Mason chuckles awkwardly, still not recognizing this strange lady.

1-3

At this point, Mason thinks he’s losing his memory. But he’s only forgotten 2 people in 2 days. Mason’s sitting at his desk, trying to study for his quiz tomorrow, hoping not to forget all the answers. 

The rest of the boys are just fooling around. Mason shifts his focus back to the textbook when one of the boys tumbles into his room. He turns around seeing an unknown figure under his bed. Mason’s brows crease again, but before Mason gets to ask who he is, the boy tumbles back out. Mason goes to the tiny kitchen where he finds Alex making a cup of coffee. 

“Dude, who was that guy who is just rolling around the carpets?” Mason asks. This time, it’s Alex’s brows that furrow. 

“You mean John?” Alex asks incredulously.  

“I guess.” Mason shrugs and makes himself a cup of coffee too. Alex just stands there, worried.

1-4

Mason wakes to the sound of “John” tumbling under his bed. He gets up and ready for his ‘flight or fight’ quiz. 

By the time Mason reaches his class, everyone is settling into their desks and waiting for the teacher. There is a strange man in the front of the class. Mason waits for the teacher, as he needs to ask the teacher a few questions about his grades as well. 

The strange man gives the quiz to everybody. Mason is done with his quiz a few seconds before it needs to be finished. Mason raises his hand. 

“Sir, I need to ask the teacher a few questions about my grade. When will he be coming?” Mason asks as the class erupts into laughter. 

“Mason, are you not feeling well? I am the teacher.” The strange man says. 

1-5

After the whole class laughed at Mason, he was actually not feeling well. He went back to his dorm for the day. Mason finds this new boy sitting on the couch, watching TV.

“Uh, how did you get in?” Mason asked, genuinely confused. 

“Through the door.” the boy said. 

“How did you get the key?”

“The same way you got yours.” Mason looked down at his rusty key, trying to remember how he got it. 

Finally, he said, “Look, I don’t know who you are, and you are clearly in the wrong dorm. I suggest you leave before I call the cops.”

The boy turns off the TV, and looks at Mason seriously. 

“You really don’t know who I am?” The boy asks, with genuine concern spread across his face. 

“No, now please leave.” Mason gestures to the door. 

“Dude, it’s me, Alex. Ring a bell. Best friends since middle school.”

“Look, I really don’t know who you are. I’m sorry, but you need to leave.”

1-6

As Mason was getting ready for his classes today, his phone rang. The caller ID said ‘Mom’. Mason attended the call. 

“Hey. How are you?” this unusual voice said. 

“Um, who is this?” 

“Uh, sweetie, it’s me, Mom,” the voice said again. 

“Sorry, wrong number.” Mason disconnected the call. 

1-7

The next day, Mason waited for the strange man to begin class. Today, they were reviewing fight or flight with the quiz. Much of the information about fight or flight by the strange man felt very fuzzy to Mason. They were halfway through the lesson when the teacher wanted a demonstration for the class. He collected volunteers from around the room. 

“Now lets see. Can we have John, Alex, and Mason as our volunteers?”

John and Alex made their way to the front of the class.

“Mason, can you come up here please?” 

Mason looked around him, as the teacher looked at him straight in the eye. 

“Who’s Mason?” Mason finally said.