Next morning.
Sam opened his eyes as he's sitting up from the bench, rubbing his eyes trying to make his eyes clear. He looked around realizing it's morning. The sky is orange with a tint of yellow the sunset hasn't been come out yet. Sam furrows his eyebrows glancing around for Colby's he's confused. He slightly frowned when he's not there with him for waking up in his arms.
Sam looked at the other bench and saw Kat and Devyn are still sleeping while the blue-haired girl is behind her girlfriend cuddling. They have some pillows for resting their head. The girls look peaceful when they're sleeping. Sam looks around to see if Colby is just doing something else waiting for them.
But he's not there.
Sam grabs his phone, turns it on, goes to his messages app, and starts to text Colby. Even though he doesn't want to sound desperate but he wants to know if Colby is ok. Sam doesn't know if he's hurt or kidnapped or having a second thoughts about their relationship. Sam shook his head for getting rid of overthinking.
To Colbs:
Hey, where are you?
Delivered
He breathes as he's shutting off his phone, he ran his hand through his blond hair. He looks around the park when he saw some people have their morning jogs, walking their dogs, and wandering around with a coffee in their hands. Sam stands up from the bench, puts his phone in his pocket. Starts grabbing the stuff, and walked over to Devyn and Kat's bench.
Sam let out a yawned knowing he doesn't get enough sleep, since he stays up late. But he has the best sleep he ever has for a long time, feels so warm and comfortable for sleeping in Colby's arms. It made Sam feel something that he couldn't explain when he never feel the same way with a girl. Sure he thinks girls are still beautiful but Sam doesn't feel the same way about the last relationship with them.
He shook Kat to wake her up because they have school. Their parents are going to kill them if they ever skip school. School is very important to them for getting into very good colleges and universities. "Kat," Sam whispered, making sure he won't startle her. "Wake up!"
"Hm?" She hummed. She slightly stirs in her sleep and continues to sleep. Causing Sam to roll his eyes slightly frustrated and resume shook her. "What!" She whined. she's rubbing her eyes for clearing her version. She looks at Sam confused.
"Come on. We have school and we are already late."
Kat exhalations through her nose glanced at her girlfriend who's waking up and slowly sitting up. The blue-haired girl looked around until she realized... "Where's Colby?"
"I don't know." He said in dull.
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Devyn furrowed her eyebrows when she's glanced at him perplexed.
"Me and Colby are sleeping last night. When I woke up," He pauses. "He was gone."
"Do you send him a message or anything?" Kat stated.
"Yes, I did. He didn't answer though." Sam looks at his phone for the time. "It's 8'o clock. We should get going." He put his phone in his pocket. Looking at the girls who are picking up the stuff from the bench. "I'm going to ask Shea if she heard of anything."
"Ok. We can drive to the school and see if he's there or not." Kat shrugged while looking at Sam.
Ok. That works." The blond boy nods as he's following the girls to the car.
At school, Sam is walking in the same class where he and Colby are. He sat down on his usual seat, while he's waiting for everyone to come. Sam staring at his table in a neutral expression, couldn't help but start overthinking if he did something wrong. He wants Colby could text him back to make sure he's ok. Or maybe his mom needs him and want him to come back home early. But why he doesn't leave a note or at least text him back.
Sam slightly jumped once he heard a bell ring. He started to look around and saw students are in their seats while grabbing their stuff out from their bags. Sam sighs and started grabbing the stuff from his backpack, waiting for the teacher to begin her class. He glances at Colby's desk, next to him and it was empty.
He leans in against his table and starts looked at down at his hands when he started thinking. Maybe he shouldn't stop overthinking and started trusting Colby more often. Maybe he wanted some space because he is his person. Sam looks forward to the teacher who teaches who knows since he doesn't pay much attention, his mind is only Colby.
In the middle of the class, the teacher told her students that they're doing notes today. The classmates pulled out of their notebooks and start writing from the board. Sam put his fist on his cheek as his elbow is on the desk and started writing. History is the worst subject in Sam's opinion, his grades are splitting. This semester, their teaching about the war world.
On August 27, 1916, after Romania declares war on Austria-Hungary, formally entering, Romanian troops cross the border of the Austro-Hungarian Empire into the much-contested province of Transylvania. By the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914, Romania had long been at odds with Austria-Hungary over the issue of territory-specifically Transylvania, which was ethnically Romanian but then part of Hungary.
Sam sneakily pulled out of his phone, go to his message app. He clicked on Colby's profile as he's staring at the blank writing, don't know if he should or shouldn't text him. Sam didn't want to feel like he's clinging or anything but he wants to know if Colby is ok. He decided to change Colby's name on his phone to something different. Something a little creativity and something new. Once he's done, Sam started texting him.
To ⛓My Burnette Boy⛓:
Colby, are you ok? You haven't
told me where you were.
I was wondering if you're ok. 🖤
Delivered
He put his phone down on the table, not caring if his teacher saw it. Sam continues to start writing down his notes. His mind couldn't concentrate on school anymore, he's all worried about Colby. He thought about ditching school but he's not in the mood for his parents to yell at him. They cared about his future.
He's just hoping he's doing ok.
After the class. Sam walks out of the door, starts walking to his next class. He starts looking around to see the students at their lockers, grabbing their right stuff, for their class. Some are talking to their friends and loved ones. Sam also saw Jake and Tara leaning against the lockers as they're talking and smiling. He is honestly happy for Tara. But he wishes Colby is here with him. Right beside him.
He signs as he continues walking. When he spotted Shea who's on her way to the lockers. He called her name, making her glance up Sam in curiosity.
"Yes?" She looked at him confused.
"Hey... um. Sorry, have you seen or from Colby lately?" Sam asked.
"Um, no? Why? Is there something wrong?" She looked worried.
"Well, if you didn't know. Me, Colby, Kat, and Devyn are hanging out at the park last night for watching the sunrise. We fall asleep. I woke up and he was gone. I texted two times he didn't pick up." Sam said in dull, watching her getting her phone. "I was wondering if you heard anything from him since you guys are... close and all."
"No, I don't think heard of anything from him," Shea said as she's checking her messages. She furrowed her eyebrows when Colby hasn't texted her what's going on. That's weird, he always texted her for making sure that he's ok. "I'm sorry, Sam. He didn't text me either."
"Oh, ok," Sam said. "If he's not at the practice, I'll skip it and go to see his house if he's there."
"That's fine. I can tell Mrs. Moore that you're sick and went home early if you want."
"Thank you so much, Shea. I'll keep you updated if anything happened." Sam simper how appreciative for her to help. He thought about Shea is a good friend for Colby, than he ever be. Always there for him when he needed someone to comfort.
Shea hesitates to wrap her arms around his shoulders as she pulls him into a small hug. Sam is kinda stiff but calms down before he put his forearms around her upper back. Shea is kinda short compared between them.
For a few moments later. She pulled away from the embrace, she put her hands on his shoulders slightly to squeeze. She looks at his ocean eyes. Again, he's so hard to read them because he's unreadable but she found a tint of care. She thought about something, and she realized. He does care about Colby.
"You know." She begins. "I noticed something different about Colby." She pauses, her facial expression started to relax when she slightly smiles as she continued. "The way he talked about you almost a week ago. The way he looks at you." She pauses. "Colby told me how much he misses you over the years. He was in his fantasy about you and him are being friends again. He wants to be happy, Sam. You made him happy."
"And I have never seen him smile so hard before." She smiled, giggled.
He stared at Shea as he's speechless, feeling slightly surprised when he heard those words. He has no idea Colby regularly thinks about him before they get along. Over the years; Sam honestly thought Colby doesn't want anything to do with him or done with him. Sam truly adores the boy so much and he's too loyal for the blond boy. Does he deserve him?
"I genuinely hate the way I treated him. I don't know why... but I feel like I don't deserve him." Sam glanced down.
"Sam, the whole thing between you two is misunderstood. The past is in the past, have to let it go at some point because it's not good for you're health. If you're not let go of the past for yourself, do it for Colby." Shea said calmly.
"I'll try," He softly with a simper.
After school. Sam is walking on the sidewalk to Colby's house, he wants to make sure nothing happened to him. He wants to know if Colby is ok. When Sam's at the auditorium behind the doors, he searches around looking for the certain purple hair boy but there's no luck. He tries to call him although no answer, Sam says in the voice mail he'll stop at Colby's house after school.
Shea is right, Sam shouldn't think about the past. He shouldn't be thinking about Evelyn the way he treated Colby in the past. He needs to move on plus he wants to focus on his family, his friends, and his Colby. Colby. The sweet smile of his pink lips pale smooth skin, icy blue eyes filled with hope and dreams. His voice is deep and strong but comes out with sweet words.
The weird pit of his stomach has been going away but he might still have some butterflies. Sam has been flustered around him here and there. He cherishes that boy more than ever. Sam envy wants to express his emotions around but he doesn't know-how but it doesn't stop him from smiling that much. Because Colby makes him feel something that he hasn't felt a very, very long time ago.
Sam walked upstairs from Colby's porch when he arrived at the boy's house. He pressed the doorbell as he looks around the colorful trees moving from the breeze which makes him colder. Sam faces forward once Colby's mom opens the door. He immediately takes notice of Lesa has red tired eyes. She looks like she has been crying for not a long ago.
"Are you ok?" Sam said softly, that's the first thing he said to her escape from his lips. Sam doesn't have the heart to ignore it, since she has been so kind to him.
"I'm ok, Sam." She has a sad smile. "So, what do you need, sweetie?"
"I was wondering if Colby's there by any chance. He's not at school or practice. I want to know if you see him."
She slightly froze when she heard those words from the blond boy. She doesn't know if it's a great idea to let Sam in. She remembers Colby wants to have some space because he wants to be alone. "Um, he's not there. I'll let you know if he's here." She slightly smiles.
Sam looked up, he heard footsteps from the top of the stairs. He looks at the figure who's standing for a moment, it broke his heart to see him like this. Sam wishes he could ask him what happen but the time isn't right. He knew the boy needs him.
So, he didn't go anywhere.
5 minutes early.
Colby has his knees up and wraps his arms around it as he put his chin on kneecaps, sitting on his bed thinking. His icy eyes are red when he was crying, his rose-pink lips begin to puffy. Eye bags are dancing around under his eyes, Colby hasn't been sleeping ever since he woke up at the park bench. He has a text message from his mother when she needed him to come home as soon as possible. Colby looks at a beautiful blond boy who's sleeping on his side while Sam's head is on the boy's chest.
When he came to his home once he has seen his mother is sitting on a kitchen table as her lips escape from painful sobs. Her phone is right in front, her hand is in her hair while looking down. Colby hates to see his mother so upset. The last time he hears her cry since the past. He walked towards her and kneel for a bit, asking her 'what's wrong because he worried about her.
Colby discovered about turns out his dad is getting out of jail the next month. His heart feels like it's burning and breaks down, wanting to believe he's in a nightmare and waiting to wake up. He honestly thought his dad has another two years left on his time. Usually, when a person abuses their child, they stay in prison maximum of five years. Somehow they let his dad get out early. Colby wishes he would get out another two years or at least wait until he's graduated from high school. He wants to know why the universe hates him so much.
Did he deserve it?
Did he do something wrong?
Colby realized he hasn't been taking his pills when he was too busy crying for terrible news. It's too late for taking those because he has to take them every day, every morning. Colby never skipped the days for taking those meds. Not even once or twice. Or ever. But right now, he kinda regrets it. Colby picked up his phone and saw three text messages from Shea. Seven messages and one missed called from Sam.
As much he wants to answer both of them. But he wants some space. He wants to deal with the situation by himself. Even though Shea told him countless that she doesn't care if he's clasping or not; she always told him if you need anything to talk to, she's always here.
The reason why Colby didn't tell her about his dad getting out of jail is that he wants to give her his own space. Ever since he told her about he and Sam are friends, she wants to give them some privacy. Now, Shea is seeing someone, Colby decided to do the same thing and wants to make her happy. But it doesn't mean they're not friends anymore, they still hang out whenever they got time for each other.
Colby snapped of his thoughts once he hears a doorbell. He listened closely wondering who's here at his house. He whipped his tears and his eyes are slightly pink. He sniffles as his arms are around his knees. He listened when he heard someone who's asking about him. The voice is sounded so familiar but it's hard to hear since he's upstairs and his door is closed. Sooner he realized that voice is from Sam. As much as Colby doesn't want him to see him like this but he needs comfort.
That's exactly what he did. Colby races downstairs and saw a blond boy is talking to his mother but once Sam looks up at him, the other boy immediately runs into his arms. He felt a pair of arms are around his waist, his face is buried in Sam's shoulder as his eyes started to tear up.
Colby's mom leaves them alone feeling awkward when she's lying to Sam when her son is not home. She doesn't want to drag Sam into this situation since he doesn't know about Colby's father. Besides his friend group, Shea is the only one who knows and practically saved him. Gage and Shea save him. Gage save him from calling the police and stop his father before he could escape. Shea saves him by having a friend who he can talk to and not making him feel alone. She stays right beside him as she waits for him to speak.
Sam standing there, hugging the boy who is crying on his shoulder. He decided to not say anything until Colby is calmed down and waited for him if he wants to talk about it. Sam kiss his purple hair and ran his hand through Colby's hair for making him calm down. Sam feels his eyes start to tear but he stays strong for him since he knows how much the boy needed him.
That's what he did. He decided to wait for him.
Words Counted: 3037