Holiday Lanes

Seventeen

Sam pulled out of the driveway and turned up the radio. One Dance by Drake was playing and I hummed along. I love Drake, not nearly as much as I love Ed Sheeran, but I love Drake. Sam grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. We weren't driving for long at all, maybe twenty minutes, when Sam was parking his car.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"A place you have not yet been to in California," Sam answered.

The pair of us walked through the parking garage of the building I didn't know. We got in an elevator and Sam pressed the 7 button. We took the elevator up to the seventh floor and walked down a hallway.

"Whose apartment building is this?" I asked.

"A lot of people who do social media live in this building."

I didn't ask any more questions, figuring I was probably getting annoying because I can't ever wait for surprises. Sam stopped in front of apartment 710, he unlocked the door and waited a moment before opening the door.

I walked in and looked at the empty apartment.

"Wait, is this your and Colby's old apartment?" I asked.

"Yeah, we haven't turned in the keys yet," Sam laughed.

We walked further into the room and I saw that Sam had set up the room. He put up some lights and put a blanket and pillows on the floor with food set up on it.

"I figured that simplicity was best for a first date," Sam smiled.

"You went to all of this trouble and you're calling it simple?" I asked with a smile.

"Yes?"

I laughed and Sam and I both sat down on the blanket in the middle of the living room. To my relief, Sam had pizza for us to eat. I was worried for a minute that Sam had spent a bunch of money on food.

"I thought you hated pizza," I said to Sam.

"I don't hate it, I just don't particularly like it. But what I do like is you."

"Smooth Sam, that was real smooth," I laughed.

"I try," Sam said sarcastically, "but since I don't really like pizza, I brought my favorite drink so we'd both be happy."

We both laughed and ate, making jokes and conversation along the way. I took a drink from my Dr. Pepper and just enjoyed being alone with Sam. I haven't had a chance to really, really, get to know Sam like I have the other guys because he hasn't really talked to me in over a week.

"Are you ready for school?" Sam asked.

"I only have a few more things that I have to buy, but besides that, I think I'm ready. I'm nervous as heck, but I'm ready."

"Why are you nervous?"

"Just because it's going to be so different and new and it'll take an adjustment," I explained.

I decided not to tell Sam about my feelings about not being good enough to do well at Cal-Arts. I didn't want to open that can of worms.

"That's understandable. Are you excited?"

"Yeah, I'm definitely excited for Cal-Arts, but I'm excited for some other things before the semester starts too."

"Like what?" Sam asked.

"Christmas where I'm not freezing to death, spending Christmas with all of you guys, New Year's Eve, getting to know all of you guys better, not celebrating my birthday," I laughed.