(Sam's P.O.V)
I sighed with every scene that played on the phone as it played, facing the ceiling of my room with the phone in my hand and one hand under my head.
The video I'd made of Lea at the party.
I pretty much forgot about blackmailing her with it. And I regret it. Too bad.
I'd woken up at six today. I really couldn't get much sleep these days. And I kinda know why.
Why did she have to leave?
I......missed her.
Things had changed dramatically when she left. And it hadn't even been a complete week. And it had started to make me insane.
I sighed again and raked a hand through my hair. It's quite funny how many stages our relationship has gone through.
One day we're best friends, the other we hate each other and the third? The third even we don't know yet.
With these thoughts, I turned on my side and my eyes landed on the my table clock which showed that the time was 7:18 am.
I reluctantly got out of bed and went to my bathroom to carry out my routine.
I don't ever feel like going to school anymore. I wasn't fine with us hating each other but I now realise that it was better than not being able to even see her. No matter what feelings we shared.
She was a very important part of my life and now that she's gone....I guess I'm realising that now.
As I walked back into my room and dried my wet hair with a towel, my eyes landed on two photograph frames I kept on my table always. My eyes softened at the sight.
One picture was of me and Lea when we were young and playing. I was pushing her on the swing and we were laughing and grinning. Even this picture brings a smile to my face. Don't even talk about how good and ecstatic I felt when I can see her in person. I remember every second spent with her as clear as crystals but the day I lost one of the most important and close people in my life, my mother.....she wasn't there. And it broke me because if she would've been, then everything would have definitely been a bit better at least.
But no.
That's not what happened. I sighed at the mere memory before letting my eyes trail off to the other picture.
In this one I had everyone I loved.
I was grinning while Lea was besides me with a smile in the garden of my house. My mom was behind me with her hand on my shoulders, my dad beside her with a smile and a hand on her waist. Hannah was 8 then and stood between a grinning Lea and me.
It was taken a year before my mom passed away. It was honestly the best year of my life and I cherished it. It brought back countless memories.
I focused on my dad's picture as my vision became blurry for a moment. He........had been distant yet close to me. When I was younger......he used to spend a lotta time with me, playing and doing stuff. But it gradually became less. After mom was gone, we were all each other had. I had started depending on him a lot too. We'd slowly started to mend our relationship as well and then..........
He left me too. Just like everyone else. I've seen too many deaths of loved ones at such a tender and young age that I have a good chance of going psycho. Maybe I'd done a lot of sins that I'm paying for.
The very next day after Lea left, the news of my dad having been shot reached me. And it was awful.
I didn't even get to see his body! I had NO ONE by my side at the funeral. At least no one who I wanted should've been. And the feeling of emptiness has started to get to me.
I felt.....hollow.
Guess I'll soon become the invisible hollow man, huh?
'Stay strong, Sam.....You still have Hannah. And.....Grace.'
'Yeah...'
I let out a dry laugh.
Technically I should be an orphan. I am. But legally that's not possible. But Grace is almost never home so....
I sighed and put down the frame.
My reality is different now. Far different that what I would've wanted or imagined it to be.
It almost feels like I'm living one of my worst nightmares. I just want some comfort for once. I want.......warmth of another close human being. But there's almost no one left.
I exhaled heavily and inhaled deeply.
I opened my cupboard and took a grey t-shirt and light blue Jean's to wear. Just then my eyes fell on the white coffee stained shirt.
Gosh, I didn't even tell her it was me that day. Things just went too....fast. Too much. I really miss her.
I walked down the stairs after 10 minutes to have breakfast.
I grinned at the sight of my little sister at the kitchen table eating her favorite chocolate cereal.
"Morning, Han." I greeted her while turning an apple in my hand to see if it was good enough to be my food.
Turns out, it is. This got me an eye roll from brain.
"Mornin'." She replied between mouthfuls of her cereal. I chuckled at her fast pace to eat her breakfast. Well, I needed to be get going too.
Before I walked out, something struck me so I decided to ask Hannah about it.
"Hey, did he leave?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah." She replied after swallowing down her food. I rose a brow.
"When did he start leaving so early? He leaves when I do, no?"
"Yeah but I guess he didn't want to see your face." She shrugged casually.
"Seriously, Hannah?" I mumbled to myself before hiding my confusion, giving her a sarcastic look and finally grinning at her.
"I'll go then. See you later, sis!"
I was almost out when she yelled me to stop.
"Sam? When will Lea visit us again?"
I froze in my tracks and slightly gulped. I turned halfway and gave her a small smile. I'm unaware of what to say at all but I have to say something.
"Don't worry."
I wish I could say the same for myself too but that's not the case. She gave me a small smile too.
"Okay."
Well, to school which is extra boring without Lea to play pranks on or irritate or even see.
~
"Why did he have to change so much...?" Demi groaned and we all gave her sympathetic smiles.
"Well, guess that's his way to show his feelings....?" Dylan said but it sounded more like a question than a statement.
I ran a hand through my hair as Dave sighed.
"Well.....no one would've thought that Tyson would turn out that way and this would eventually be our group, right?" Ash remarked with a somewhat amazed look.
We all had to agree as we sat together at the table in the lunch break.
Surprisingly, after Lea left, Tyson flipped. He became a worse me and I became a better him. I guess it was true that she had been the only thing keeping the both of us sane.
Me, Dave, Holland and Gary had joined Lea's former group of Demi, Emma, Ash and Dylan. Tyson became a good jock. He started to drink, grew distant than ever from his former friend group and even started to became one of those stuck up guys.
He had a new girl on his arms every two days after she left and it had been only 6 day since she did! So just assume his state. It's stupid. And yes, I have counted.
And I guess it shows both the facts that he really liked her or that it was just a small crush.
"But you know...there are people who might be happy that Lea's gone.." Emma stated with a bit of sadness but also amazement.
"Well, scratch the might." Holland almost snarled at someone behind me before continuing. "There are people who are happy she's gone. Like that one." She pointed towards someone with a scrunched up nose and half of didn't even turn to see who she was referring to. I snickered.
Allison.
She had probably been the happiest girl in the entire area the day Lea left. She tried wooing me and trying to make me go out with her but I just couldn't. It felt......wrong. And I don't even know why. Just uneasy.
"Yeah, well.......people like her will always be there." I stated nonchalantly.
Everyone silently agreed as I slurped my smoothie.
Even this smoothie reminds me of Lea! It was a nice sight to see her drenched in pink Allison smoothie. Ugh....I think about her too much.
'Maybe you should ask for her number from Demi or Emma?' Brain suggested before sarcastically adding, 'Otherwise by the amounts of 'Lea thoughts' you have? There won't be any space left for me.'
I didn't respond but just rolled my eyes at him.
It's not a lie that the thought had crossed my mind but I somehow couldn't bring myself to do so.
I decided to tune back to the conversation going on but the bell signalling the end of break, rang. I sighed.
"See you all later!"
With that we all parted ways and me and Emma made our way to Biology. Yeah, we shared the class.
~
'-Kindly bring him too.'
"But Sebastian....at least let him do that himself! Or you inform him!"
'I would, but I have too much going on as you must know. So please bring the other master too. And paying him a visit might do you good. You need some air.'
I huffed out but muttered a fine as Sebastian cut the phone call on the other end.
So what am I now? His babysitter?
'Seems like it.'
I glared at brain as it grinned evilly.
So now I have to leave the comfort of my cozy, soft bed (Which I had yet to reach) to go pick that....that problem up?!
I sighed and turned my bike's direction to go to Austin. Within 40 or so minutes, I reached my destination.
People don't know much about either of us. We are both different yet alike. Well, forcefully kinda. And the worst thing is I need him for almost everything I do.
But I guess..........I don't hate him all that much anymore. Let's hope I won't get my pride hurt. Which I'm a 100% sure will happen.
Why do I even try?
~
Soooo, yeah.................
I'll simply skip my conversation with him where he badmouthed me, insulted me in front of crazy-going-for-me chicks, denied my offer and said he'd deal with it himself. And unfortunately, he's quite popular himself. So there were tons of girls around.
'Definitely and easily more than YOU could gather.' Brain mocked me and I glowered at it.
'Shut up. No one wants to know your opinion!'
'Oh, but I do!'
He's a real bother right?
'Hey, brain!? I got some news for you."
'Really? What can a dying-of-self-pity person have for me?' He yet again mused and ticked me off.
'I'm shutting you off for some time!' I gave it a sweet cheeky grin before pushing it to the farthest corners of my mind.
Yea, that's 'bout it. Better. I'm shutting off my brain so don't blame me if I do things that require a lot of thinking.
I'm feeling quite angry, to be honest. Who was he to boss me around?!
I guess it's thanks to the cold air on the speeding bike that's keeping me from lashing out on someone.
I had been here a ton of times so I knew my way around well. I thought about stopping for ice cream at the most famous and well known place here. What? I like Ice cream too! I'm not heartless!
I slowed the bike down and pulled over to park it. Just as I took off my helmet and ran a hand through my hair, a voice that I'd been dying to hear, one that made me feel full, that sounded like a song to my ears called out my name.
"Sam?"
I instantly turned around and my eyes seemed to have dived in those familiar chocolate brown ones. It was almost as if I was no longer in control of my body.
My feet moved on their own and before I even knew what I was doing, I had arms wrapped around her frame tightly and my head sorta buried in the crook of her neck. Her skin felt delirious under my own lip's slight brush. I didn't even know what I was feeling. But it was a nice feeling. And surely something I haven't felt in ages.
It felt as if she had me wrapped around her finger without even knowing it. I was desperate to see her and now I finally got the chance. I'm seeing her in a place I'd never have imagined. It feels as if now that she's by my side? Everything will be better.
Like I had a part of my best friend back.
It was a warm embrace.
"I missed you.........." I mumbled the words against her skin so they came out muffled. It was true. I think I did mention it quite a few times.
'Few times!!???'
'Hey, I thought I shut you down?!'
'Ha! Never! Not even in you dreams!'
Funny....huh. I no longer have dreams. So he can rest assured.
I felt her stiffened from the shock body relax after those words. Her hands left her side as they wrapped around my neck as well. Her face almost buried into my chest.
"I missed you too, Sam...." Her words themselves made me feel better. Right now, I'd really want nothing more than this. She felt the same way. At least as a friend.
All the emotions bottled inside me seemed to be raging inside me to come out. Because with this girl.........? I can be who I really am. At least most of it.
They say it right. You never know the value of something until you've lost it. But I'm not going to do the same mistakes over and over. And something I've realized.
I think of her as something more than a friend perhaps.