Don't you... forget about me...
"Oh, God, sorry," I spat out, now reaching into the pocket of my thin white jacket to pull out a small, black prepaid cell phone.
Don't, don't, don't, don't...
It continued to ring out in song as I scanned the front screen to see a simple green telephone icon and the phrase 'The Girls' typed above it.
Don't you-
I swiftly tapped the green button and threw the phone up by my ear.
"Yeah?" I asked aloud while I pressed the receiver against my cheek.
"Mae," the familiar voice of Katie spoke from the device. "We need you back at headquarters as soon as you're done."
"Okay," I promptly responded, now glancing down at the desktop that sat in front of me.
"So... have you done it yet?" Katie went on to question.
I smiled a little.
"Not yet," I answered.
"Oh, okay," she continued. "Well, I'll let you get to it, then. See you, later!"
"Okay, bye," I finished.
Immediately after that, I heard a tiny beep, and then brought the phone back down to my lap.
"Um," I started, now gazing up at the woman with short, curly graying hair and wide-framed red glasses that sat across the wooden desk set before me. "Sorry about that..."
I looked down to the papers that were placed underneath her resting elbows as I slid the cell phone back into my pocket.
"Oh, it's..." the lady piped up, promptly returning my gaze onto her. "Just... fine."
She pushed a weak smile at me, and then went on.
"Now, are you sure you want to do this? It's... very creative, but I—"
"Yeah," I cut her short. "I... I mean..."
I trickled my eyes from her, to the papers on the top of the desk, to the filing cabinets against the wall behind her, to the tall, wilted potted palm in the corner by the bright, open window.
"I had this friend, once..." I decided to continue, now refocusing on her unamused expression. "Who... Well, he taught me that life's... it's just... no fun when you don't take any risks."
I felt a burning sensation start to form in the back of my throat, but I quickly cleared it away and went on.
"And... sometimes, you have to pretend like you're... you know, in a..." I paused to purse my lips and tilt my head slightly to the side. "A cartoon."
I took a deep breath and fought back the stinging that was forming in my eyes.
"A-And," I added, my voice beginning to shake and crack a bit. "Only you can make your... your own decisions."
I let my eyes fall to the desktop once more, and then reached up with the back of one hand to wipe the areas underneath each of them.
"Well, okay," the woman picked back up after a few seconds. "I just need you to sign the bottom of this, then..."
I took a deep breath and glanced back up at her as she pushed one sheet of paper across the table.
"Both times, there," she instructed, now placing a plain black pen on top of the long, typed page.
I studied the paper for a short moment, then took the pen up in my hand and clicked the ball point end into place. I guided my eyes to the bottom of the paper, where two printed boxes were placed almost on top of each other.
"I'll get it sent in later today," the lady added, afterward shuffling some of the other papers that sat in front of her.
I looked once more at her, and then fully returned my attention to the boxes at the bottom of my page. I read the small text above the top one, which said 'Signature of presently legal name'.
I proceeded to cursively scribble the words 'Mable-Ann Rosemary Brown' in the box.
After that, I moved my focus downward and read the similarly-printed text above the next rectangle, which said 'Signature of proposed name change'.
I brought the pen to a hover overtop the blank box and paused for a moment.
I smiled, and then proceeded to scribble a new signature.
Amnesia Brown.