Purple Rain

Chapter 5: I Feel For You

I woke up feeling my arm was asleep and my elbow was so sore from being stretched out all night. My nose was clearer and almost back to normal. I bent my arm feeling it ache and I realized Samira was laying on it. I felt the fabric of her shirt on my palm. The moon was shining into her room and I could see the outline of her back. She was asleep on her stomach, and it reminded me of when we were little. Samira hadn't changed much since then. Yeah we were adults now, but she...still loved me. Not romantically, but...she was just here for me. I gently reached over to stroke her back with the back of my fingers. Samira shivered and almost fluttered, like a bird that flutters its wings when a breeze comes by. She rolled onto her side and I watched her hand reach out and her hand was on my chest. I looked down feeling her fingers brush through the hair and she was smiling in her sleep before rolling over and moving back towards me. I was holding her from behind now realizing that I'm so long she had been the one to be there for me. When I wanted to escape from home, she was there. Just like now, when my dad said I should give everything up and work plaster molding with him. That's not the life I know I'm going to live.

I slid my fingers up her palm to feel her hand holding mine. It was in an awkward way, but it was affectionate nonetheless. "How are you feeling?" She asked. "Better. Much better." Samira rolled over again to feel my forehead. "What about...emotionally?" That was something I was not feeling better about. "I think I know where I stand with them." I said. I rolled onto my back. The phone rang which made me a little anxious as it was dark. No one should be calling at night. Samira rolled over and picked up the phone. "Hello?" It sounded like she was talking to a woman. "No, no it's okay. Yeah I can cover you. I can't stay the whole shift though so I'll probably get off early....No, don't worry about it. Hey, if you want you can work my Friday shift...okay, cool thank you. Bye." Samira hung the phone up. "Shit." She groaned. "What's wrong?" "I gotta work today. Seven to noon, nothing bad." I sighed with relief. "Can I come to work with you?" I asked her. It seemed innocent enough. "If you want to. I'm shocked, usually you have work to do." "I can get work done while I'm there." I'll even bring my demo tape in case I see any venue owners around Minneapolis.

Samira rolled over and turned the light on before yawning. "Hmm. Time must've changed last night. It's 5:30." I quickly rolled over to see that it was in fact that time. So winter was officially on the way. I sat up and Samira came over to feel my head. "You don't have a fever anymore. You were sweating in your sleep last night." Now she was playing with my curls. I looked up at her eyes. I was feeling something for her. How could I not for what she's done for me? She cared about me when I don't feel like anyone does right now. Maybe it was stupid. "Let's get dressed. Afterwards we can go to dad's work and let him know what's going on." I nodded and slid out of bed. Samira was showering and I was laying my clothes out on the bed waiting to shower. "Prince, come talk to me." She called. I was confused. "Huh?" "Come sit down and talk to me while I shower!" She called again. I stood up and slowly made me way into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet lid. "Are you sure you're feeling better?" She asked me. "Yeah I don't feel sick anymore." I could smell her shampoo. "What about from the fight? How do you feel about that?" I scratched my jaw averting my eyes to the shower curtain. I couldn't see the outline of anything, and I was thankful for that.

"I mean, I'm not happy, but I'm not surprised...he's been a dick as long as I've known him." "What about your dad?" I wasn't in the mood to talk about him, so I changed the subject. "Do you want me to get some coffee going?" I asked her. "Prince...I just want to make sure you're okay." I frowned. Now I could smell her body wash. "My dad will always think I'm not good enough. My mom wants me to stop what I'm doing and so does he. There's really nothing I can do to change their minds. Even when this works out, I'm always going to never be enough." I said. I heard the water turn off and watched Samira reach over the shower curtain for her towel. After a minute the curtain opened and she stood there with the towel around her.