While she signed me out in the office, the secretary glanced at Kyle. She scrutinized his features intensely. "Who's he? Her brother?"

Somehow, Mom knew to tread this conversation with caution. "No, he's the one who helped her get to the nurse's office." She turned to Kyle, who was fidgetting in the chair. He did that when he was anxious, I now knew. "What's your name again?"

He turned to me with wide eyes, but I was just as distraught as he was. How was I supposed to explain why a nonexistent student was roaming the school? My mind raced to find a reasonable excuse when he spoke up.

"I'm Kyle, remember?" he directed his question to the secretary. My heart squeezed at the crack in his voice. It rang unsure, still in denial over what we'd just done.

"No. Am I supposed to?" The lady pushed her glasses up to inspect him more. "You don't look familiar..."

That was wrong. He volunteered to help file papers in the office whenever he could. Everyone knew him here, the secretary in particular. She always teased him for being short. Or at least, she used to.

Her not remembering him, in addition to me actually knowing this despite him never mentioning it, was more than enough proof. I straightened my posture and looked at the pale yellow wall. "I'm sorry," I muttered.

He didn't respond. Of course, why would he? Nothing else needed to be said.

To break the tense silence, Mom chuckled. "He's just joking. Don't mind him; Kyle likes to play mind-tricks. Anyways, I'll take them home. Have a nice evening."

She then ushered us out in silent urgency. The moment we left school and entered her car, I sighed. "That was close."

"Yeah. But you have some explaining to do, Ziva." Mom's fingers drummed on the steering wheel. "Put your seatbelts on first, though."

In the backseats, we hurried to buckle up. She drove off once the car heated up. Silence filled the air, along with static from the broken radio.

"Mom?" I started when we reached a stop light.

Her eyes glanced to the rear view mirror at me. "Hm?"

Tears from my eyes again. My hands shivered in each others' grip at the grim truth. "I... I messed up. I should've noticed something was wrong after I ate the equations for the first time. Now Kyle can't..." I couldn't dare complete the sentence, even if we all knew the result.

"From what you're saying, it sounds like you didn't mean to do it. Besides," she glared at Kyle, "you didn't eat his name on purpose."

He averted his gaze to his shoes, biting his lip.

"B-But no one'll remember him now!" I took out the tissue he gave me and wiped snot from my nose. "Every word I eat disappears from your minds. That's why you and Dad don't remember your anniversary flower and why no one knows what anything else I eat is."

Her face softened as the light turned green. "Still, Ziv... you didn't know. You can't blame yourself for that."

I shook my head. "No, this world will never be same because of me. I don't know how to make up for that. It's all my fault."

Kyle's hand brushed my own. "I'm sorry Ms. Kritikos... I didn't know she had other words. But with all due respect, she was severely ill. It's not like I have the capability to see what she does."

"I guess you're right." She turned down the radio. "Where do you live anyways?"

I squeezed my legs. What was the point in taking him home if no one remembered him?

Kyle was hesitant to speak. "I tried calling my parents to tell them where I was, but they wouldn't answer. I left my keys at home too, so would you mind if I stayed at your house?"

They must've thought he was a stranger. Their own son... I took him away from them. Crying wouldn't solve anything, though―so I wiped my tears and leaned on her chair. "Please, Mom. No matter how it happened, he's temporarily homeless because of me. I need to take responsibility."

She released a sigh. "But we don't know that. His parents might be looking for him."

That didn't sound convincing. Especially after seeing his memories in my sleep. "Wouldn't they answer the phone if their son was calling, then?"

She frowned at my question, then sighed. "I'm still going to check, just in case."

When he told my mom his address, we were shocked to learn he lived near us. He was about a ten minute drive from our house, actually. How come I hadn't noticed?

Dread sunk into my body when we arrived. As a pessimist, it was natural for me to fear the worst possibilities. This was as bad as it could get. Each step echoed in my head. We were getting closer. What if they weren't home? What if they really didn't remember him?

Mom knocked three times before ringing their doorbell. The sound was calming, even if I was experiencing internal chaos.

The wind embraced us openly, stealing away any warmth attached to our bodies from the car. We waited for around three minutes when the door finally opened. A man stepped out, wearing a disheveled pair of jeans, leather boots and a few layers of cotton sweatters. "Hello?" he inquired once he got a good look at us. Not a hint of recognition was given when he looked at Kyle. "What can I help you with?"

Unsure, I leaned over to Kyle and whispered, "Are you sure this is the right house?" It was red and brown with spots of white. The house was victorian; I could tell by the stained glass windows peeking from the sides.

No answer was given. He was too preoccupied with staring at the man in front of us. Their hair shared the same hue, only Kyle's had specs of blonde in it. They both had the same almond-colored eyes that seemed annoyed even when they weren't. Guess that was a family trait. He took a staggering step back. "D-Dad," was the only word he uttered before dashing back to the car.

"Wait, Kyle!" I called out, turning back to him. Yet my feet held me in place. I didn't deserve to comfort him, and I definitely didn't deserve whatever feelings he had for me. My arm dropped to my side when he closed the door.

Mom patted my shoulder, gently facing me forward. "Is your son missing, by any chance?"

Kyle's dad scratched his tilted head, humming in thought. "I think you've got the wrong family. We only have a daughter, Francesca."

That was Kyle's sister's name. "F... Francesca Valentine Buckingham?" I remembered their family name from when I found Kyle's sketchbook.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Why do you know her full name?"

I know a lot of things. Most of which I'd rather not be aware of.

Before I could reply, Mom took over. She clamped my mouth shut then smiled at Kyle's father. "Sorry for the inconvenience. We'll be leaving now."

After he wished us luck finding the boy's parents, Kyle's dad shut the door, taking what little amount of hope I had left with him.

I squeezed Mom's hand as tight as I could until we got back inside her blue van. None of us dared to move. The car stayed parked by the sidewalk while we composed ourselves. Kyle was overwhelmed with grief; he'd just witnessed the severity of my curse. He kept his face covered by his hands, sometimes letting out a muffled sob.

I only hurt people, it seems.

At that moment, I remembered something while skimming through his memories. "What about Hikaru?"

Kyle only shook his head. "He said he didn't know me either."

I was about to say something when Mom clapped her hands. "All right! Given the situation, you're going to be a part of our family until we can sort things out. It's just as Ziva said; you're our responsibility. I'll explain this to David when he gets back from work, don't worry. He already knows about her whole eating-words hoopla."

Kyle nodded, then we left.

The rest of the ride back was spent with Mom attempting to cheer Kyle up through cheesy jokes.

"Hey Kyle," she would begin, "what does the woodcutter say to his kid on Christmas Eve?"

As much as he tried to hide it, I could still see the hint of a smile on his face. "I... I don't know."

"Be careful what you axe for!"

No matter how many times I heard her reference to the Goosebumps show in my lifespan, I could never get tired of them. I snorted in response.

When our house was coming into view, she asked, "What did the lawyer wear to court?"

We couldn't speak; our laughs for the oncoming pun echoed in the van. So she stuttered the answer instead. "La-Lawsuits...!"

By now we were all giggling like maniacs just as she turned the van off. I stumbled out on Kyle's side so that we'd get out on the sidewalk once the door unlocked, still clutching my stomach for dear life.

With my worries gone for the meantime, I grabbed Kyle's arm and followed Mom up our steps.

After she opened the door, we huddled inside. "Papa, you home?" she yelled, getting no answer in return. "Guess not. You two wait in the living room. I'll make dinner."

I nodded, then dragged him to the couches. "Sit anywhere you'd like," I said after letting his arm go and plopping into my favorite chair. "Except here."

He looked around. The abstract paintings and furniture they won from auctions was always a feast to my eyes. However, I was full at the moment; thanks to him. His memories and sensationed sated my stomach, but at what cost? I brought my knees to my chest. "I'm sorry, Kyle. I took away your accomplishments, your mistakes, your family... everything you held dear to you." Wait, if that's what happens when I eat his name then...

He shrugged his shoulders as he sighed. "No, I did that without your permission. I should've listened. You were trying to warn me, but I did something unnecessary."

I gestured for him to come near me when he almost sat down on the opposite side.

He obliged, putting a bit of distance between us. "What is it?"

"I...I was thinking―"

"Food's done!" The sound of Mom's voice made Kyle bolt away in a split second. She came out the kitchen with three grilled sandwiches on a wooden plate. "I didn't know what you liked so I made something simple." She set it down the moment Kyle settled in his chair.

At the sight of the gooey substance oozing out, I grimaced without meaning to. I was still full from Kyle's name; I didn't need to see a nything related to food for the rest of the night.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ziv! It's a force of habit." She took the sandwich facing me and slowly slid it towards them as if I would destroy it otherwise.

I stood, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "It's fine, I'll eat in my room. I'm not really comfortable 'eating' in front of others anyways." Eating something they couldn't see made me look like a fish desperate for water.

"I see..." she took a bite of her sandwich, "Well, tell me if you need anything. I mean it, Ziva."

If my theory was right, then all I needed was to write two words. Ziva Kritikos. My grip on the strap tightened when I forced a smile. "Of course."

When I went in my room, I trembled. This was where 'I' was going to 'die'. But before that, farewells were a must, right?

I dug in my bag for my phone, grateful for my lack of updated technology. Once my nail scraped the plastic, I grabbed what I recognized as my flip phone. Sophie and Abigail were the only numbers I had who weren't closely connected relatives. Scrolling through my contacts brought me a surprise: Kyle's was in here, paired with a picture of his smug grin. This brat.

Regardless, I decided to talk to Sophie and Abigail first. They were always there for me. So I'd rather them not remember me. I was too much of a burden anyways.

In the darkness, my phone's bright light glowed on the wall. The cursor blinked in the empty text box as I thought of what to say. There were so many things I wanted to do as Ziva Kritikos, but couldn't anymore. What was more important than my selfish greed was the happiness of others. Seeing Kyle face his dad made me realize that. So I typed the one thought overflowing in my head.

'Thank you for everything.'

They gave me a glimpse of what it felt like to be happy. They gave me support when I didn't deserve it. I would always cherish the time I spent with them.

My finger hovered over the 'send' button. Once I did this, I wouldn't bother them anymore. They didn't need to worry about me. This was just my farewell gift. A bitter chuckle escaped from me at the thought. If I knew this was the answer, I would've distanced myself more. It hurts too much to leave.

A teardrop landed on the screen. Dad's laughter reached my ears, accompanied by Mom's. But I could hear the lingering stress in their voices. They strained to look happy, just like I did.

Even though they argued whenever I wasn't around. I could only imagine how Dad looked when he learned about Kyle. It didn't matter if they forgave me, I would never forgive myself for causing them so much stress. At least, not unless I freed them from it.

It was seven p.m., yet I wasn't tired. Still, I wanted to sleep on my bed one last time. No words could creep in my mouth now; I ate any remaining notes I took when I passed out.

Now it was time to give them back.

With my mind set, I drifted to sleep. There were no dreams tonight, just the darkness of my eyelids. But not for long, as I was woken up by my phone vibrating under my stomach. Oh no.

I scrambled to get my phone to check who contacted me. My message didn't send by accident, did it? Even if it did, I didn't want to look at their replies. If I did, I wouldn't have the resolve to do this.

I pressed the phone on my forehead with closed eyes. I'll look at them soon, I promise. For now, I sat up and texted Kyle. It was eleven; he was probably asleep.

However, I felt like I had to tell him. It was my fault he was here. So I typed, 'I'm going to eat my name. It'll fix everything.'

I was confident it would. Kyle's very existence had been erased from this world. He had nothing to prove his 'existence'. Just like my words.

I spent the rest of the night stuffing everything I knew I would need in order to survive. My home wasn't going to be mine anymore. Knowing them, they'd have another kid to take my place in no time.

Once my clothes were packed, I took a single pen and a sheet of paper out. It rested on the wooden floor, waiting for my words. This is it. But my hand wouldn't stop shaking.

I looked at the last page with tears streaming down my eyes. My words were surrounding me, shielding my room from the moonlight. I wrote them out of habit, each one holding a piece of my various emotions. I was still hesitant to give up my identity, but there was no use in holding it off any longer. That's why I needed to eat myself. Eating words for survival was one thing, but I would've never done it if I'd realized the consequences! All for my stupid greed. I wanted to know too much, and look where that led me.

"Ziv!" Kyle's voice rang in my ears as he creeped up the steps.

I quickly wiped my tears away, then told him to come in. He wore the same clothes from this morning, as we weren't exactly expecting company this weekend.

Kyle glanced to my suitcases and the paper crumpled in my trembling hands. He muttered in between long breaths before closing the door, "You can't be serious, right?"

"I have to do this. It's the only way. In this world where dreams come true, I guess mine was a little too big. You... you can't even go home now because of me." I pushed my hair away from my face. It was the only choice I had. Killing myself would hurt those that cared for me, and I couldn't do that.

He scrunched his nose, then sat in front of me. "That wasn't you fault..."

I grabbed his hands and squeezed them. "I don't want to disappear, but I don't want to live knowing I stole so many things from humanity, either. It's too late, Kyle. I've decided that Ziva Kritikos will be no more." The pen bled a single blotch of ink onto the paper. Even my words were squealing in regret. Kyle's sobs made me turn to him with furrowed eyebrows. I patted his head and smiled. "I'll be fine; I'll find somewhere else to live. Think of it as... switching places! This is all just a bad dream."

"But if you eat your name, no one will―"

I shook my head. "Yes, I already know. But I'd rather no one remember me than everyone remembering nothing. I'm... I'm going to miss you all, but this is the only way." I lifted my hand up and wrote the first letter.

Kyle shook his head and grabbed my shoulders. "No, Ziv! I... I want to remember you! You shouldn't go through this. You were supposed to rely on us more. Your parents, friends... me!"

"You'll be fine without me," I whispered while writing the next letter. "Just tell the others that I love them. They're all so dear to me. Mom, Dad, Sophie, Abigail..." My tears stained the crisp paper when I finished writing my last name, making its fine blue lines squiggle. The words lifted from the paper, just like always. I took it into my hands and looked at it. This was my last banquet.

Kyle stared at me with glistening brown eyes. His grip tightened as his breathing hitched. "Them? What about me? I never got to tell you―"

I nudged my forehead onto his and shushed him with a smile. "Maybe if we meet again, you can tell me. For now, it's farewell." With that, I stuffed my name down my throat and swallowed. The warmth from Mom's womb, the sleepless days they spent caring for me as a baby, my first words... every lost memory was coming back to me. Simultaneously, I was disappearing from everyone else's. I looked at Kyle and pecked his cheek. Goodbye.

He jumped back, startled. His head turned every which way until he met my eyes. "Huh? Who're you? This isn't my house..."

A bitter smile stretched across my pale lips. "I'm no one important. But, can I ask you a question?"

He rubbed his cheek and frowned. "S-Sure?"

"Do you know what an apple is?"

Kyle's face twisted into one of disbelief. "Of course I do, stupid!"

It's just like him to call me that, even without remembering me. "That's good, then. Um, how about I take you home? You're a little lost, it seems." I stood and grabbed my suitcases.

He looked me up and down with wide eyes. "I guess, but why're you crying?"

"What?" My fingers brushed across my face to find tears indeed rolling down. "Oh dear, it seems I am. No worries, I'll be alright soon. Thank you." I wiped them away and looked back. Any sign of my living here was gone. The bed was stripped naked, dressers cleared, walls bare and scent faded.

Kyle tugged on my arm. "C'mon, let's go. You're taking me home, right?"

I sniffed. His house wasn't far from mine anyways. "Yeah." I'm sorry.

We creeped down the steps. Every room's lights' were out, giving us an easier time to maneuver through the house without getting caught. I took out my key and after unlocking the door one last time, left it in our... I mean, their, mailbox. That's it, huh. Looks like I don't have a home anymore. Once I thought that, another tear slid down my cheek.

Kyle's hand landed on my head. "You keep crying. I should be the one doing that! I was just trapped in some stranger's house for no reason. You guys could've been modern day cannibals for all I know."

"Thanks for trying to comfort me, Kyle." The memory of his hand in mine was one I would always cherish.

He paused when we saw his house across the street. Lights were on upstairs as three silhouettes scurried through the halls. "How come you know my name? I don't even know yours."

The bittersweet life of Ziva Kritikos still flowed through my veins. I hadn't even considered a new one yet. "I uh, don't have one."

Kyle looked at the navy blue sky and sighed. "Then, I'll give you one. The next time we meet."

My grip on my luggage tightened. I averted my gaze again. Hearing those same words from his mouth made my throat dry. Even so, I smiled at him. "Promise?"

Kyle chuckled, then walked ahead of me. "Yes. Everyone needs a name. Even kidnappers."

"...T-Thank you. Be nice to your classmates from now on, okay?"

We waved at each other before going separate ways. Him to the home he belonged to, and me to... well, I didn't know yet. The road ahead was uncertain, but I still laughed.

With this, I'll finally be a hero.