Something About Sam

Chapter 19

"It's not stupid," I told him, glancing over at my nightstand where my phone was buzzing. It was a text from Sam: Thinking about you every second. Xx. Sleep tight love. My chest burned. I swallowed back the lump in my throat. "No, it's not stupid at all."

The next morning, I woke up to Boone swearing.

"Dude?" Light was streaming in through the blinds on our windows, meaning it was probably mid-afternoon by now. Boone was pacing in our room, his steps practically wearing a hole in the ground. He was wearing gym clothes, and he was sweaty. "What's up?"

He stopped pacing to stare at me. "At practice this morning, our kicker quit."

"He quit?"

Boone began nodding furiously. "Yeah quit. To focus on school." He placed air quotes around the phrase 'to focus on school' as if it weren't a valid enough reason. "So now we're royally fucked. The backup kicker has a broken foot."

"Shit, man," I said, trying to show interest. "That sucks."

He cocked his head at me. "You ever play ball?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Just to keep in shape though, I was never any good."

"Come to practice Monday," he had started walking closer to me as if his presence would entice me to join him. "You could try kicking a few balls, see if it suits you. Besides, it would be sick if you were on the team. It would be so sick."

I had nothing to lose; I didn't think I'd be good enough to make the team, and I hadn't worked out in a few days. I needed some exercise. So I shrugged. "Sure. I'll try."

By Tuesday of the next week, I was on the team.

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I was about a month into school, and three months away from seeing Sam. Yes, I was counting down the days. I missed him like crazy. We talked almost every night on the phone until Boone came home from the library. I didn't want to be that annoying roommate on the phone all the time. So I mostly tried to talk to Sam when I was alone. For Boone, and for well, me.

Boone was most definitely my best friend. Most of the football guys were meatheads and crazy fun, but Boone was different. He had an intellectual side to him. He was deep. We got along so well, it was like I had known him my whole life.

We were tossing a football back and forth between our beds one night when I got a call from my sister. I tossed the ball back at Boone and answered the phone, putting it on speaker so I could still play catch.

"Yello?"

She didn't even say hi before she broke off into sobs.

"Shit Sarah," I pulled the phone back up to my ear so Boone didn't have to hear my sister crying. "What's going on? Are you okay? What happened?"

It took her ten minutes to tell me that Troy had broken up with her. I sighed. "Crap. I'm sorry, sis."

Boone mouthed an "everything okay?" at me as I rubbed my temples. I nodded back.

"I... It's just.... He...." She couldn't even speak. I felt myself ache for her. What could have made her this upset? Troy was a good guy. If he broke up with her, it had to be for a decent reason.

"Sar, did something happen? Did he do something to you? If he hurt you, I'll kill him."

She started laughing through her sobs. "Don't worry," they were her first real words since she had told me what happened. "I already took care of it."

I sighed. Of course she had. Never underestimate Sarah Jefferson. "Jesus. What happened, Sarah? You didn't actually kill him did you?"

"I wish," she mumbled. "I just had a few friends teach him a lesson."