She never really had a chance on that fateful moonlit night. Sacrificed without a fight a victim of a circumstance. Now that I've become aware, and I've exposed this tragedy, sadness grows inside of me. It all seems so unfair. I'm learning all about my life, by looking through her eyes.
It felt like the whole incident was just a dream. Horrible nightmares come terribly true. First off, let me start by saying my name. I'm Raiyden. I'm a seventeen-year-old senior attending AHS. And this is my story.
It all started six years ago. I moved to this town with my mother. This had been a hard time for us, both my mother and me. My mother had just accepted a job in this town, which meant moving miles upon miles away from our family. Not too long after we had moved here, I started my first day of the fifth grade. Many of my classmates ignored me, mostly because I was the new "kid." So I spent most of my day alone. I didn't mind though.
During recess, I sat outside. My eyes watched as all the other children moved and played. I sighed lightly and rested my head against the wall. As the sun kept me warm, my eyes slowly slid shut.
"Aren't ya gonna play?" a soft, sweet voice said before me. I slowly opened an eye to see who spoke to me. The sun blocked out my total view of the person. A little girl stood in front of me, from what I could make out. She had her hands folded behind her back. She had a soft smile on her angelic looking face. Her soft blond hair fell around her rosy cheeks and tumbled down her back. Her large, innocent blue eyes gazed on me. I quickly shook my head. Her smile turned down into a small pout. She put her hands on her hips.
"Aw…Please play with me!" She pouted cutely again. I sighed again and opened my other eye. She smiled again. I didn't know who this girl was, but that didn't seem to stop her. Again though, I shook my head. The girl simply shrugged and sat down near me. She crossed her legs and looked over at me.
"Well…What's your name?" She asked, looking at me. My eyes wandered around, looking at my other classmates. I just sighed a bit and moved my eyes over to her, smiling slightly.
"Rai…" is all I told her. She smiled brightly just at such a small action.
"That's a cute name," She spoke lightly.
"I'm Samantha."
All I could do was smile. I had felt my cheeks flush a bit when she said 'That's a cute name.' I just sat next to her in the warm sun. Minutes felt like hours. Hours felt like days as we just sat there. A lot of the other boys and girls giggled as they walked past Samantha and me.
Finally, the teacher called out, and I went to get in line. As I lined up to be led inside, Samantha ran up to stand behind me. She smiled and tapped my shoulder. She softly whispered to me. "Hi Rai." All I could do was smile to myself.
She was a cute girl, I mean, for my age. I really never did like them at this age. We all were lead inside and to our classes. Little did I know that she, as in Samantha, was in my class. I guess I spent too much time alone to notice her. We all walked to different desks, mainly because we didn't have a certain desk to sit in. I sat down in a corner in the back, like I usually did. I slinked down in my chair and looked over at the teacher. Sam sat at her desk as the rest of the children struggled to get the seats in the front. I just sat in the back. I saw Samantha sit down at a chair near the front, then glanced toward me. She smiled a bit and stood up, walking back to me. She sat down in front of me and smiled, waving at me.
Class seemed to lag on longer then ever before. I sighed as the teacher lectured about whatever he was talking about. I really didn't pay much attention. I did, however, notice a group of girls giggling and glancing over at me for whatever reason. Not too long after I saw this, did one of them, I don't remember her name, pass me a letter. I shrugged lightly as I took it and set it down along side my notebook. Slowly, I opened the paper and read the scribbling on it. It read 'Samantha and Rai, sitting in a tree…' and that's all I needed to read. I sighed and crumpled up the small piece of paper. The girls that handed it to me just giggled among themselves again. But finally, it clicked. Everyone giggled at her and me because they thought…Ha. What a silly thought! I thought of her as just a friend of mine, nothing more, nothing less. Maybe she told someone something that I didn't know. Either way, this made me curious. I had to know the answer.
As the teacher lectured, I gently tapped Samantha on the shoulder. She turned and looked at me. I smiled a bit and handed the crumpled up letter to her. She smiled a bit and turned back toward the front of the room. I could hear her uncrumple the paper. My smile slowly faded as I heard a light gasp from her. I heard the paper quickly crumbled up. She never did look back at me.
After class, Samantha ran up to me as I walked toward the general direction of my house. She quickly walked next to me. She looked as if she would drop her bookbag. I reached over to help her and carry her backpack, but she quickly moved away.
"No…I have it," she said softly. I was curious as to what was bothering her. Could it have been the letter? I didn't know, but she was my friend; therefore, I was slightly worried.
"What's wrong Sam?" I asked, looking over at her. Sam, though, kept her gaze away from me.
"It's just…oh…nothing," she started. Again I heard a light sigh escape her. We continued down the sidewalk. Three girls ran up behind us chanting the age old Rai and Samantha sitting in a tree…" chant. Me? I thought nothing of it. I just kept right on walking, whereas Sam chased after them. I raised a brow a bit and ran after her. She dropped her bag and continued to run after them. I still didn't quite understand why. It was nothing more then teasing. At least to me it was. Was there something I didn't know? All I did was sigh and pick up her backpack for her. I slung it over my shoulder and continued to walk. By this time, she and the three girls had run out of sight.
I walked around the corner of the block and continued onward. I saw a figure sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. I knew it was going to be Sam. I sighed a bit and walked to her. I don't know why she just sat there. As I approached her closer, I noticed her knee was all scraped up and she was quietly crying. I sighed again and glanced around, slightly cautious. I knelt down next to her and set down her backpack. I gently put my hand on her shoulder. She jumped a bit and looked over at me, her eyes red and puffy from crying. I felt my own heart jerk slightly as I gazed on her. Her eyes quickly turned away and looked down to her leg.
"You all right, Sam?" I asked softly. She quickly shook her head. I sighed and stood up, picking up the pack also. I held out my hand for her. She sniffed a bit and wiped her eyes. She took my hand and stood up. I smiled lightly at her. I noticed she rested most of her weight on her unscarred knee. I cocked my head a bit.
"Are you sure you're all right?" I asked again. She closed her eyes again and shook her head. I sighed a bit and hesitantly put my arm around her waist, just to steady her mostly or so I thought. She looked up at me and smiled weakly. She put her arm over my shoulders, and I, too, couldn't help but smile. Slowly then, we walked toward her house slowly. She limped at my side, using me mostly as a crutch. I glanced over at her various times, seeing her eyes filled with nothing but pain. We neared a bench, which was roughly. I moved her and myself to the bench and gently set her down. I knelt next to her and examined her knee. It was still bleeding and had small shards of rock imbedded in the wound. She winced lightly as I gently removed the larger pieces of rock from it.
"Ow.. Um…Thanks, Rai," She said softly. I stood up and brushed off my pants and sat down next to her.
"So…Where's your house?" Sam smiled a bit and folded her hands neatly into her lap. She looked across the road, so it seemed, to a house not too far off.
"That one…The blue one" She spoke softly. I nodded lighlty and stood up. Once again I shouldered her backpack and held out my hand for her. Again she took my hand with a light smile. I wrapped my arm around her waist and her arm draped over my shoulders. We limped like that across the road slowly and up to her house. I opened the door for her and she went inside.
"Mom! We're home!" She said.
I turned a light pink again as I stuttered.
"Ah…err…I'm going to…well…get going then Sam…"
She quickly turned around and gave me a sad look. I simply sighed and shook my head.
"Never mind…"
I saw her eyes light up and smile. She quickly limped into the bathroom and got the first aid kit and brought it to the living room. "My mom's not home. She will be back a little later."
I nodded slightly. I stood at the entranceway to the living room.
"Would you…um…wrap this wound for me please?" She asked hesitantly. I nodded and walked over to her. I kneeled down by her and smiled lightly as I looked up at her. I took a soft cotton ball and daubed it with the rubbing alcohol. She slowly hiked up her pant leg and showed her wound. It was slightly trickling blood. I lightly wiped the excess blood away, giving her a slight glance, hoping I wasn't hurting her too much. She smiled lightly at me. I set the cotton ball aside and put a gauze pad on her knee. I took some ace bandages and wrapped her knee. She smiled lightly at me again as I stood up, picking up the cotton ball and throwing it away. She stood up, resting her weight on one leg, and hobbled back to the bathroom. She returned the first aid kit to the cabinet and walked back to the couch. She sat down and gently patted the seat next to her. I hesitantly walked to the couch and sat down, letting myself sink into the chair. She smiled yet again
"Thank you Rai…"
I simply nodded.
We sat there for what seemed like hours. It was so quiet in there, it was deafening. Finally, I stood up stretched a bit.
"I'm sorry for keeping you here…You can go if you want," she said, her voice an almost squeak. I shrugged and sat back down.
"Naw, I'll wait until your mother gets here, then I'll go." I sighed softly as Sam clicked on the TV. It was some show having something to do with hawks or eagles. I softly yawned as I leaned back into the soft, plush couch. We sat like that for a while, not saying even a word to one another. Finally after what seemed like hours, the front door swung open and Sam's mom walked in.
"Sammy! I'm home!" I heard her yell. Sam turned a bright red as I rose to my feet, smiling slightly. She, Sam's mother, moved into the living room and slightly gasped as she looked at me.
"Oh! So who's this, Sammy?" Sam grew an even deeper shade of red, so I spoke up.
"I'm Rai. I'm pleased you meet you, ma'am," I held out my hand. Sam's mom gave me a blank stare. I slowly lowered my hand and turned toward Sam.
"I'm going to go. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled a bit and nodded.
After I left, I wondered what the first few words from Sam's mom's mouth were. I smiled to myself and slid my hands into my pockets for my house key. After a few minutes of searching, I pulled it from my pocket and opened the door. My mom greeted me as soon as I shut the door.
"And just where have you been?" she asked in her motherly tone. I only sighed. "I was helping a friend." I said.
She shook her head.
"Next time, call me and tell me." She moved back to her chair.
I went up to my room and flopped down on my bed. Not too long after, my sister knocked onto my door. "Rai, there's a girl on the phone for you,"
I nodded and picked up my phone. "Hello?"
"Um…Hi Rai," The voice on the other side spoke.
"Oh hey, Sam." I easily recognized the soft, sweet voice.
"I was just calling to say thanks."
I felt my cheeks flush a bit. It was at times like these I'm glad she couldn't see my face. "Oh, its no big deal. Glad I was there to help."
Our conversation went on for quite a long time before we finally hung up. I smiled to myself before pulling the covers up and quickly went to bed.
A few weeks later, things had changed. I was no longer the new guy at Saturday, my day to go to the park and play some basketball with a few friends. I dribbled down the sidewalk toward the so-called court we played on every day.
All my friends smiled and greeted me as I threw the ball to one of my friends.
We had been shooting around for a while before I saw her walking toward the court. Most if not all my friends sighed.
"Why'd you have to bring your girlfriend Rai?" one of my friends complained. I groaned a bit. My cheeks flushed a bit, but Sam simply smiled. She cane to a stop before me. I looked to see her deep blue eyes shimmering.
"Hey Rai," she said cheerfully. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't supress my smile. I sighed and turned toward my friends, who were still playing.
"Lets play a game. My team is me, Sam and Ben on one team and the rest on another," Sam looked at me with wide eyes. I simply smiled and winked at her.
"Our outs," I said, holding out my hands. I got the ball and dribbled it. I threw the ball to Sam. She caught it and looked at me.
"Shoot it!" I yelled. She turned toward the hoop and began to shoot. Matt, another of my friends, shoved Sam. She fell backward and dropped the ball. Everyone laughed. Everyone but Sam and I. I shook my head and moved over to her. I held my hand out to her. She smiled and took it. I felt something, like a jolt go up my hand and through my body. I quickly shook my head and released her hand. Clearing my throat, I turned toward Matt and glared.
"You moron, be careful," I said. Matt only laughed again.
"Ooo! Defending your girlfriend now hua?" Everyone laughed as my cheeks flushed bright red. Sam put her hands on her hips and humphed.
"You guys are just jealous of Rai," The laughs and snickers stopped. I stood up next to her and nodded.
"Yea. Your all just jealous. I have a girlfriend and you don't," Their eyes, along with mine, went wide at Sam's next move. She nodded and kissed my cheek. Again, I could feel my cheeks take on their bright red hue. I must have had a sheepish grin on my face because all my friends were laughing. I began walking away. Sam quickly ran up behind me. She grasped my hand and smiled brightly at me. The guy's laughing quickly stopped again.
Sam and I grew up together. We were pretty close friends all the way up to your senior year at high school. At the beginning of the year, that would all change.
I sat on the bench I normally sat on before classes started. Laughing and joking with my friends.
"Oh Rai!" I heard a voice say. I turned toward the origin of the sweet voice.
"Ah hey Sam" I responded. I heard my friends chuckling behind me. Oh they all knew Sam was cute. Heck, I did too, but she was a friend. She sat down next to me and smiled. I quickly returned the smile. Ben, my friend since childhood, leaned over and whispered, "C'mon man, ask her to the dance t his Friday!" I smirked and shrugged.
"Maybe," I muttered. She sat close to me. She always did though. I didn't mind. I thought about what Ben said. The bell rang and Sam and I walked to our first class. We sat down, her next to me as always.
The teacher began to lecture as she always did. Division and multiplication didn't seem, nor did it ever, seem fun. I scribbled down on a blank piece of paper. I folded it a few times and signed my name to it. I slowly began to hand it to Sam. The teacher, Mrs. Gilden, raised her voice.
"Excuse me Raiyden Would you like to bring that note up here." At the same time, I felt seventeen eyes focus on me. 'Oh crap' I thought.
"No, not really," I muttered as I stood up. I sighed and handed the letter to the teacher. As I sat down, Mrs. Gildeen unfolded the note and smirked.
"Oh, we have a juicy letter here." I groaned and slid down in my chair.
"Hmm," the teacher started, "Well this little note is from Raiyden to Sam, how sweet." I groaned again as the entire class joined together in oooing me.
"Ah wait, it gets better," She started. "Lets see. 'Dear Sam, this Friday, you want to go to the dance with me?'" Again, the class oooed me. I couldn't find the strength to even look at Sam. I'm sure she was bright red. Unfortunately, that's not all I wrote. Mrs. Gilden kept reading.
"'I hope you say Yes,' Ooo, 'Love Rai,'" I slammed my head down on my desk. Boy was I going to hear it from my friends during lunch.
"That's sweet, it really is. Next time lover boy, save it until after school," I could hear the other kids laughing quietly amongst themselves. Finally, the bell rang, saving me from further torment. Sam wouldn't even walk with me. Not that I didn't blame her. The note was probably far more embarrassing for her than me I'm sure.
We went through the rest of the day like that. Finally, the day's agony was over. I flung my books into my locker and pulled my keys from my pocket and quickly walked out to my little black and red truck. I sighed and darted out the door of school.
"Hey lover boy!" so many said as I made my way to my truck. I shook my head and opened the door to my truck. I sat down and sighed a bit, starting up all 6 cylinders. A light tapping came at my passenger window. I turned my eyes to the window. Sam stood there with a small smile on her tear streaked face. I nodded and she quickly hopped in next to me. I smiled weakly to her as we slowly drove away.
I pulled into her driveway and put the truck into park. My hands rested on the steering wheel. By the time I turned my head to look at her, she was already nearing her house door. Could she really be that mad at me? I didn't know, but I wanted to. I sighed and began to pull out of her driveway. Maybe I could call her. But with the way things were going, there would be no way she'd talk to me.
As I got into my own house, I ignored my mom and my sister as I just went up to my room. I flopped down on my bed and just laid there, thinking about how bad I screwed up. How mad was Sam? I wanted to know. I flipped onto my back and pulled my phone from the charger. I stared a few minutes at the numbers before my fingers worked over them. Sam's number was fresh in my mind. The phone ringed once, twice, still there was no answer. I sighed and began to hang up the phone.
"Hello?" Yes, she picked up.
"Sam? Its Rai, can I talk to you?" What hurt me the most, more then breaking my leg, was the next sound I heard from the phone. The click of a phone being hung up. I cursed under my breath and hung my own phone up. She really was that mad at me. I folded my hands behind my head. Tomorrow was Friday, maybe she'd be at the dance. Then I could talk to her.
I woke up late that day. I groaned looking at the clock. 'Aw crap' I thought as I quickly rolled out of bed. First stop, bathroom for a shower. Usually it took me about ten minutes, but this shower only five. I darted downstairs and grabbed some granola bars and got into my truck. Normally I'd stop over at Sam's to pick her up, but I wasn't sure this morning. I started up my truck and pulled out of my driveway. I glanced at her house as I drove by, and decided I might as well stop. After pulling into her driveway, I honked my horn a few times. Her mom peeked out the window and shook her head, which usually ment Sam was either sick or left for school already. I politely waved to her and proceeded to school.
I slowly walked from the parking lot toward school. I went inside and got my books, just like normal. I sat down at my normal seat and Ben slipped in onto the bench next to me.
"Man, what the hell did you do to Sam?" I tilted my head as I looked over at him.
"What do you mean Ben?" He shook his head.
"She's been avoiding you for the past few days. What did you do to her?" I raised a brow and shook my head.
"Yea I know. There's no way that the letter I wrote is the reason though, there's got to be something else. She won't talk to me though. I'm hoping she goes to the dance to night so we can talk." I sighed. Sure I was upset. I always was when something was wrong with Sam. She was my closest friend so I felt bad when something happened to her.
I went through the day alone. So alone I felt without Sam walking and talking with me. I felt depressed. More so than usual. As I walked out to my truck, I saw Sam going toward the bus. That, besides me, would be her only way home. She had her licence, but had no vehical. I stopped and turned toward her.
"Hey, Sam?" She slowly stopped near the bus and turned toward me, holding her books tight to her chest.
"Are you ok?" I asked quietly. She shook her head, her eyes starting to well with tears. I shook my head and walked to her. I slowly took her books under my left arm and gently took her hand. She sent me a wiery smile. I led her to my truck. I opened the passanger door and smiled a bit as she crawled in. I shut the door gently and walked around to the other side. I hoped in and set her and my books down in between us. I started up the truck and pulled away.
"I…don't want to go home yet." She said softly. I nodded and drove to a lake a few miles away from our houses. I parked the truck and turned toward her.
"Now, what's wrong Sam?" She sighed a bit, folding her hands into her lap, like the first time I met her. A small smile turned my lips up.
"My parents…are divorcing," she said quietly. I nodded. Her eyes started to swell again. I shook my head and lent over, wrapping my arms around her waist. She buried her head against my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry Samantha," I whispered in her ear. She shook her head
"Just hold me," she said softly, still crying a bit into my shoulder. I didn't mind at all. We sat there for at least half an hour. Finally, we parted. She sat back against the seat and sighed, looking out the front window.
"Thanks Rai, your always there for me," She said softly. I nodded.
"I always will be." I responded. I could hear her sigh. Then, the feel of eyes on me were felt.
"And yes." She said. I turned to look at her, tilting my head in question. She giggled a bit, a sound as light as meringue. She softly struck my arm.
"The dance silly. I'd love to go with you." I smiled a bit.
"That's great Sam. I'm sure having a bit of fun would make you feel better." She nodded.
"I think I'm ready to go home." She spoke quietly. I nodded softly and slowly started up my truck again. I drove a bit slower than usual toward her house.
As we pulled into her driveway, I turned toward her. Again, she held her books tight to her chest.
"Sam, if you ever need me, or just feel like you have to get away, I don't, and I'm sure my mom wont, mind if you come over," I felt a light blush flood over my cheeks. She smiled and nodded a bit as she left my truck. I sighed and put my truck into reverse. She kept staring at me. I smiled a bit. Even from my truck, I could see her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes. Whoa wait a minute, she's just my friend, right? That's what I thought, but something in my mind clicked. I did like her. Tonight at the dance, She'd know that. I smiled, pulling from her driveway.
I darted up to my room after I got home. I cranked up my music and simply laid on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Wow. I like Samantha. The one thing I didn't understand was why it took this long for me to figure it out. I'm sure she liked me since forever. It didn't matter at this point. After tonight, my life, would take a turn for the better.
I really didn't get dressed up for the dance. I slid down the banister of our staircase and smiled at my mom.
"Boy you seem happy tonight. Doing something?" My mom asked. I smiled again and nodded.
"Yup, going to a dance with Sam. Probably be back late."
"Oh so your finally going out with Sammy hm?" I groaned a bit.
"Ugh, mom, she hates being called that." My mom laughed and shook her head.
"Well you two have fun. Don't worry about coming back before midnight. Just tell me when your back, ok tiger?" My mom always called me tiger. I nodded and grabbed my keys I hung on the wall. I darted out to my truck and quickly hopped in, anxious for the night's festivities to begin.
I pulled into Sam's driveway and parked my truck. I hopped out and went to the door, knocking it softly. Her Dad answered. He was a rather large man, but nice. He always seemed to like me.
"Ah hey Rai! Come on in!" He said in his loud, booming voice. I smiled and walked in. He sat me down in the normal chair he sat in.
"Can I get ya anything?" He smiled and shook my head.
"No thank you sir." I folded my hands in my lap and smiled at him as Sam's Mom walked in.
"Oh, Hello there Rai, Sammy will be down in a few minutes." I nodded.
After a few minutes, Sam walked down the staircase. She was as beautiful as always. After tonight, she'd know that. She, along with me, smiled brightly. All I could think of was her. Nothing else clouded my mind, nothing else mattered. I sighed slowly and looked toward her.
"Ready to go?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. She giggled softly, which made my heart easily melt. She nodded slowly and walked toward the door. A firm, large hand rested against my shoulder as I opened the door for Sam.
"He'll meet you out there." A deep voice spoke. I sighed slowly and turned around to face the large man that was Sam's dad. A slow smile crept along his lips.
"Ya already know what I'm gonna tell ya, don't ya Rai?" He asked in his deep, booming voice. I nodded slowly. He smiled back at me.
"Good, have her home by 1 o'clock." I smiled slowly and nodded. He released my shoulder and I walked outside.
Sam was leaning against the passanger side of my little truck, checking her face in the mirrior. I smiled to myself as I crept closer to her. I lent over and quietly whispered into her ear.
"No matter what you do, your always going to look pretty." Her cheeks flushed a nice shade of deep crimson. I smiled slightly and opened the door for her. She climbed in and I shut the door behind her. When I moved toward the drivers side of my truck, my feet were so light, it felt as if I was walking on air. That night, I was walking on air. Nothing could stop me from having fun, nor could anything keep me from Sam.
After climbing into the driver's seat, I slowly started all 6 cylinders of my truck. It hummed quietly as I shifted the vehicle into reverse. We slowly made our way toward the dance that night, the night of truth. With a deep breath, the truck slid along the road, which was enveloped in the darkness. Only the headlights of the little truck pierced the night's cool air. The silence was so great, it was deafening. It didn't matter, just being with her, made the air in the truck seem warmer. I glanced over at her, she smiled brightly. Little rays of the sliver moon rested on her rosy cheeks. I had to turn away, out of fear of burning my eyes with such beauty.
Not too long after, we finally arrived at the congested parking lot of the school. The music boomed inside, the party was in full swing. I parked far in the back. It didn't matter much to me, but I figured Sam would get cold. After getting out of the truck, I opened the door for Sam. She smiled and took my hand as she gingerly hopped from the small truck. I locked and shut the door behind her. She hooked her arm in mine and we walked toward the party.
As we entered the warm school building, all my friends greeted me. By that time, Sam had already gone off with her friends. This, like most of the school dances, was free. I sat down in the gym with a few of my friends, one of which, was Ben. He hit my arm lightly and grinned as he sat down next to me.
"Hey congratulations man!" he spoke. I simply smiled and shook my head, glancing over at Sam, who was with a few of her friends. I blinked as Ben waved his hand in front of my eyes.
"You must really be hooked on her, hua?" He asked as I turned my gaze toward him. I smiled and nodded again.
"You bring a date?" I asked him, taking a sip of the punch provided. He sighed a bit and shook his head.
"Naw, not me." I lightly struck his shoulder.
"How bout I ask Sam to hook you up with one of her friends?" I smiled as his cheeks quickly turned a bright red hue. He shook his head quickly.
"N…no that's ok." He stuttered. I smiled yet again. I slowly took another sip of punch as my eyes found Sam yet again. The lights in the gym dimmed slightly. I set my punch glass down and quickly stood up, walking over to where Sam and her friends were. I decided I was going to request a song, and sweep her off her feet. I bowed slightly to Sam and smiled.
"Can I have this next dance Samantha?" I asked quietly. She turned a bright red, me asking her around all of her closest friends. She nodded and took my hand. I led her out to the dance floor and nodded to the DJ. As the music started to play, I looked down at Sam and wrapped my arms tightly around her waist. She smiled sweetly, as she always did, and locked her hands behind my neck. We slowly began to move to the rhythm of the music. Can You Feel The Love Tonight was the song I requested, for I knew she and I both loved the song. As the song played longer, Sam rested her head gently against my chest and sighed happily. This brought a great smile to my lips. We continued to dance so slow and so close. Never in my life had I felt this way about anyone. I couldn't seem to get close enough to her. As the song slowed, so did we. She smiled up at me and I returned the bright smile.
"Thanks…" She said softly. I nodded, unable to speak.
After that, the night went on, dancing, talking and just generally hanging out with friends. Ben made a good idea however. He said we should go down to the lake and hang out there. It was a warmer night anyway. I smiled and nodded.
"Sure, get the word around to friends" I told him. He nodded. I finished what little bit of punch I had in my cup before walking over to Sam. I tapped her on the shoulder and she whirled around, her blond hair hitting my face a bit. She giggled and smiled,
"Oh sorry Rai." I returned the smile before speaking.
"A bunch of friends are going to go down to the lake after the dance, would you like to come?" I asked, tilting my head and secretly hoping she'd agree, which she did. I smiled.
"Great! You can ride with me." I told her. She quickly nodded.
Her and I walked out to my truck, slowly at first. She walked close to me, as she usually did. Hesitant at first, I slowly moved my hand closer to hers. With a deep gulp, I gently took her hand in mine. I herd a slight gasp from her, then immediately felt her eyes on me. I lifted my head to meet her gaze, smiling softly. She returned the smile, the soft glowing moon reflecting in her beautiful eyes. She gently squeezed my hand and we continued to walk. I felt as if I was floating instead of walking. As we made it to my truck, I fumbled with my keys before finding the one to unlock it. I opened the passenger side door for her and she gingerly hopped in. I walked around to the other side, tapping the hood of my truck and hopping in next to her. She folded her hands in her lap and smiled at me. I couldn't get that image out of my mind for the rest of my life. The way the moon hit her cheeks, the way her eyes shimmered. I shook my head and started up the truck.
"Um, Can we stop at my house? I wanna change." I nodded as I began to drive toward her home.
"No problem. I wanna stop at my house too. I'm not used to wearing this nice of clothing." Sam giggled cutely and nodded.
"I bet, but you sure look handsome in them" She smiled as I looked over at her. I smiled in return and winked.
"And words can't begin to describe how you look" I said softly. I glanced over at her just in time to see her cheeks turn a bright rosy red. She smiled softly at me. I pulled into her driveway and parked my truck. I shut off the lights and sat there.
"Hurry up, I'll wait here for you." I said, smiling at her. Heck, I couldn't help but smile when I looked at her. She nodded and quickly got out, running to the door to her house. I sighed happily. So far, the night was a complete success. But, I thought, the hardest part was to come. Down at the lake, I hoped I could get her alone under the star-lit sky and tell her just how much I cared for her.
After a few minutes she returned to my truck in a pair of short shorts and a normal tee shirt. I yawned slightly as she hopped in.
"Aw c'mon! Tired already Rai?" She giggled and tilted her head. I quickly shook my head.
"You kiddin'? I get to spend the night with you, how could I be?" I winked at her and backed out of her driveway. I didn't look to see her facial expression after I said that, I just drove toward my house. I parked in my usual spot and invited her in. She nodded and followed me inside. I was greeted with a smile.
"Hi honey. Oh! Hi there Sammy!" My mom said. I shook my head with a smile.
"I'll be right down Sam." I whispered to her. She nodded and I bounded up the stairs. Hm…what to wear what to wear. I slipped on a pair of my baggy jeans and a simple black tee shirt. Good enough hua? I nodded and went back down stairs, so I didn't keep Sam in my mom's clutches for long.
"Mom, Sam and I and a bunch of friends are gonna go hang out at the lake for a while. We'll be back late probably. You mind?" I tilted my head in question. My mom shook her head.
"Just don't wake me when you get home." She smiled. I nodded and went toward the door.
"Have fun you two!" She yelled at us as we went out the door. I groaned a bit as Sam walked next to me toward my truck.
"Your mom's so nice…" She said quietly. I nodded in agreement as we both hopped into the truck. I sighed slightly as darkness filled the cab of the truck. Sam looked over at me and tilted her head.
"Something wrong Rai?" She asked quietly. I smiled and shook my head. How could there be? I was with her. I started up the truck and began the drive to the lake.
It was a small, secluded lake about eight miles away from town. It was a beautiful night and would make things I wanted to do even that more powerful. The moon was full, as was the sky with millions of sparkling entities. My eyes were constantly on them, more so than the road. I shook my head and drove down the gravel road leading to the lake. There were already two cars there. Ben's and some of Sam's friends. I parked my truck and rolled down both windows. I had the best sound system in my little truck; therefore I would expend my battery power to prove entertainment for the night. It didn't bother me. I started some rock in the back round as Sam and I hopped out of my truck.
After flipping down the back of my truck, I opened up the cap and pulled the blankets and pillows down to the front, just in case anyone got cold. I yawned and sat down on the tailgate of my truck. Ben hopped up next to me and nudged me in the side.
"So…ya gonna say anything to Sam?" He asked quietly, for Sam was close talking with her friends. I just shrugged. Ben punched my arm.
"C'mon man, the scene cant get any better!" He pointed out the stars and moon reflecting on the water. I nodded.
"Don't think I can hua?" I smirked. Ben shook his head again as he looked over at me
"No, I don't think you'll tell her." I narrowed my eyes slightly, a smile on my face.
"ok then, your on!" I said, holding out my hand. Ben raised his brow and tilted his head.
"What do you mean 'Your on?'" I smiled again.
"I bet you I'll tell her by the end of the night." Ben nodded and shook my hand firmly.
"Alright then, Your on" He grinned, as did I. I stood up from the truck and moved toward the gabbing group of girls. I nudged my way into the group of girls and rested my arm on Sam's shoulder. She smiled at me and tilted her head as she looked at me.
"Hey Rai, whats up?" I shook my head a bit and smiled at her. Even in the dimmest light, she looked beautiful. I couldn't hold it back any longer. She had to know, and I had to tell her. I leaned over and gently whispered into her ear.
"Hey, when your not busy, can I talk to you later?" I asked quietly into her ear. She smiled and nodded to me. I nodded also and walked away and sat down next to Ben again. He shook his head and nudged my side.
"You couldn't do it hua?" he asked. I just grinned.
There were a few couples holding eachother close at the lake. Most had been together for quite some time. Some as long as I had been in school. Couples such as Tom and Kylee had been together for as long as I could remember. Still, even after this many years, they held eachother close and whispered into eachother's ears. I smiled at this and continued to look around.
The night continued on as it normally would have. Finally, around 1 a.m., Sam approched me. She gently took my hand and led me aside. She smiled as she led me to the dock. We sat down, I stared out over the lake, looking at the moon and sparkling stars on the still lake. This brought a smile to my lips. She gently cleared her throat and my attention turned from one beautiful sight to another. She tilted her head and questioned, "What is it you wanted to talk about?" She asked quietly. I nodded, and was thankful for the darkness of the night so she couldn't see my cheeks flush slighlty.
"err…well I just wanted to say that you've been the grestest friend to me the last few years. Um…And I just wanted you to know that um… that I…I…" I shook my head and cleared my throat again before attempting the sentence again. Sam looked at me with her complete attention as I decided to finish.
"I…really like you Sam…" I said quietly. She smiled brightly, sniffing slightly. She shook her head and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around my neck. I smiled and wraped my arms around her waist. I could her her softly sobbing.
"What took you so long?" She whispered in my ear. I chuckled slightly and shrugged. We sat like that for quite a while before we slowly sat back. She sighed slightly, wiping dried tears from her cheeks. She smiled at me again as we both stood up. She took my hand briefly before we both walked back to the party. I sat down on the tailgate of my truck, next to Ben, with a huge, and dumb, grin on my face. He shook his head.
"You didn't" He said. I simply nodded. He shook his head, still not believing me.
"Hey man, go ask her yourself if you don't believe me." I told him, pointing toward the group of girls, which Sam was the center of. I could see, through the darkness, his cheeks flush a bit. I tilted my head.
"Ooo, does Ben have a crush on someone?" I grinned. He quickly shook his head and stammered out
"n..no! You kiddin' man? You aren't gonna get me hooked up with any of those girls!" I grinned again. We both looked over at the girls, though Ben's eyes wandered amongst them, My eyes locked onto one. She turned toward me and smiled her sweet, innocent smile. Wow, I couldn't even explain what I felt. Maybe because I really didn't know what I felt. She slowly walked over to me, and I nudged Ben. He nodded and moved. Sam walked over and sat down next to me, close as she usually did. This time though, she took my hand. I smiled gently and squeezed her hand. She smiled and lent her head against my shoulder. All the day's troubles and worries easily slipped from my mind, replaced by a huge picture of this girl. Nothing else mattered in my life. Not school, not my friends, just her. I couldn't believe I was thinking such things. Never in my life had I ever had such feelings for anyone or anything. This feeling inside me is almost more than I could take. I had never ever been this close to anyone.
Not long after, I took her aside, back to the end of the dock. I took off my shoes and sat on the edge of the dock, dangling my feet in the cool water. She sat close to me, her eyes gazing up into the endless sky. A light smile trailed onto her mouth. She lent back onto her hands, sighing slightly as she did so. My hand slowly slid across the wooden dock and overlapped hers. She turned her azure eyes toward me. I smiled gently toward her. Those few seconds spent staring into those beautiful eyes were heaven to me. I didn't know what she felt toward me, but I knew it couldn't have ever been as strong as I felt for her.
And so it went on for months like that. We both went to collage, not too far from our houses. Every day we spent with one another. We were inseparable. Nothing could keep me from her. Little did I know at that time though, my entire life would come crashing down on one night. As great as life is one day, the next, everything can be ruined, and so it was.
That night, we had gone to a movie. I really don't remember what movie it was, for I spent most of it in Samantha's eyes. As we began to walk from the theater, hand in hand, toward my truck, it happened. From the darkness, some strange, desperate man popped. He darted behind both of us and grasped Sam's arm. Obviously hard, for she quickly had tears in her eyes. He pressed a gun to her back as he looked at me. By this time, Sam was crying, and I also was on the verge of tears. I raised my hands as I kept my eyes on the man
"Whoa…ok ok buddy, what do you want?" I asked him. He growled slightly as he spoke.
"Everything you got. Cash, credit cards, keys…everything!" I raised my hands up, not wanting to endanger Sam's life anymore than it already was.
"Ok, ok, relax. Here…" I slowly began to reach into my pockets. The man started to look around nervously. He didn't seem like the type that would rob others. Desperate? That's what I was thinking. I retracted my wallet from my pocket and slowly moved my hand forward. The man, with his free hand, quickly snatched the wallet away from me. He growled, fumbling through my wallet. He quickly threw it back to me.
"There's nothing in there!" he yelled. He shook his head and pushed Sam toward me. Everything after that became a tad blurry. I heard two gunshots, and Sam fell into my arms. I caught her and fell to my knees, one arm held behind her back, the other gently stroking her cheek. Her beautiful blue eyes, even in her state, sparkled in the dim moon light.
"Oh god… oh god Sammy…" I muttered softly. I closed my eyes, tears rolling down my cheeks at this time. I shook my head and opened my eyes, quickly looking around.
"Help…" I squeeked out. Finally, my voice kicked in.
"Help!" I screamed over and over at the top of my lungs. After a few minutes, holding Sam's body tight to mine, I heard the blaring of sirens quickly closing. I opened my eyes, looking down at her. Her eyes had shut, her breathing was shallow, and her body was getting cold.
"God please don't die on me…Please stay with me Sammy…" I whispered to her, kissing her cheek gently. The ambulance had pulled up by that time, yanking her from my arms and quickly stabilizing her condition. Good…She would be just fine. Please let her be just fine I thought. The ambulance quickly darted down the street, the sirens blaring. I slowly stood up, Sam's mom and my own, helping me up. They gave me hugs and reassuring kisses. None of it helped.
We finally got everything together and a few days later, I was able to go see Sam. I knew it would be hard…and no one was there to help me. How could anyone? No one could realize what had just happened to me. My best friend…my girlfriend, the only one in my life I cared for had just been rushed off to the hospital. She was hurt, and I couldn't help her.
My truck seemed to move slower then usual as I neared the hospital. I parked near the front door and shut off my truck. I shook my head, sitting there, trying to get ahold of myself. My Sammy was hurt, I had to be her strength. I couldn't find my own. Finally, I got out of my truck and made my way inside. I fought as hard as I could to keep my tears back. I went to the front desk and rested my arms on the desk. The secretary looked at me and smiled, one of those bright, how-are-you-today smiles that should help anyone out, though it helped me little.
"C…can you tell me Samantha Worring's room please?" I asked, my voice a squeek, and I knew it. The nurse nodded, and hit a few keys on her computer. She turned back to me and smiled again.
"Down the hall, to the left, room 543." I nodded, smiled, and turned down the hall. I slowly walked, my heart pounded against my chest. I wanted to see her so bad…I wanted to walk into that room and I wanted to see her sitting in that bed with a bright, cheerful smile on her soft lips and I wanted to see her gorgeous blue eyes sparkling like they always did. I knew that's not what I was going to see. I rounded the next hallway, and started looking at the doors. I also knew that I would be the only one with her today. My mom and her parents had to work, all my friends were in school, which would make this that much harder. I stopped at her door. My hands shook as I slowly moved them toward the knob. I opened the door and bit my lower lip. There she was. Hooked up to many machines, her eyes closed, her lips not smiling. I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't hold them back, the tears poured dowm my cheeks as I made my way to her bed. I sat down in the chair, scooted close, and gently took her hand. My hand was shaking so bad, I couldn't believe it. It was so very quiet, save for the beeps and minor noises the machines made.
"S…Sammy…" was all I could manage before my tears cut me off. I shook my head and lent forward, resting my head against her stomech, which seemed to be the only thing not covered by any bandages. Her arm and torso both had thick layers of bandages on, her blond hair was all messed up, and her face was smudged. I couldn't bare to see her like this. I knew now that I saw her, I couldn't, wouldn't leave her until she got better. I sighed a bit, slightly regaining my composure as I sat up again. I moved my hand away from hers and wiped away my tears. I slowly ran my fingers along her soft cheek. She was still cold. I wished so bad deep down, those bullets had hit me. I would've gladly taken them. I wanted to do anything so she wouldn't feel one ounce of pain or sadness. I sat there for quite a long time, staring at her as my fingers lightly danced over her cheeks. Finally, a knock came at the door.
I sighed a bit, wiping away the dried tears from my cheeks and spoke, "come in." Through the door a man in a white coat walked, which I assumed was the doctor. He held a clip board in his arms, his eyes seemed to be filled with sympathy.
"You must be Rai, correct?" he asked, moving toward me slowly. I nodded.
"First off, let me say, I'm very sorry about what happened. Second, this may take some time, but she'll be just fine…it looks like her arm and shoulder took the shots, so they didn't hit anything vital." I sighed with relef. Though his words did little to comfort me. I nodded however.
"I'm just here to check up on her, then I'll leave you two alone." He smiled a bit, walking to the machines and taking down some notes on the clip board he carried with him. I kept an eye on him however.
"Just between you and me, talk to her. She may be in a coma, but she can still hear you." He said softly, smiling as he patted my shoulder as he moved past me. He slowly walked out the door shutting it behind him. I turned in my seat toward her again, softly taking her hand in mine. She felt so delicate laying there like that. My other hand softly stroked along her cheek.
"Don't worry Sam…I wont leave you." I said softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead softly. "I'll stay with you until you get better, for as long as that takes." I said again. I took a breath and sat up. It had already been a long day, and it was only noon.
Everyone at school knew what happened, and I got a lot of sympathy from them. I didn't want their sympathy, Sam deserved it, not me. I had all my assignments and time to do them. I sat a little ways away from her and worked on them. Unfourtunately, most of them involved bringing up bad memories, though I did them anyway.
By the time I finished most of them, it was late already, the doctor came in a few times to tell me to go home and get some sleep. I smiled, told him I couldn't do that, knowing Sammy was here and alone. I sat back in my chair, my eye lids were getting heavy by that time. I fell asleep.
When I awoke, a few other voices swarmed around the room. I yawned, my eyes slowly fluttering open. Sam's parents were there now, as well as my mom. Both mothers greeted me with kisses and hugs, Sam's father with a firm handshake and a pat on the shoulder.
"How are ya holding up?" He asked. I shrugged, sighing slightly.
"I'm alright I suppose." I stated. He nodded, taking a chair beside me. I rested my head against the wall, my eyes were on Sam. Everyone there knew how much she ment to me. He sighed slightly and rested his hand on my shoulder. I turned my gaze to him right away. He gave me a slight reassuring smile.
"Don't worry Rai, She'll be fine." He said. I sent him a wery smile. I knew she would, I wished this had never happened though. It shouldn't have. Not to such a sweet girl.
I spent every day at that hospital, which was a few days. I slept in the chair, and ate any time I got the chance. I didn't want to leave her alone. I did my homework, which Ben brought to me, so I could stay with her. Besides, the teachers understood why I wasn't there. If they had a problem with it, I didn't care.
It was a warm night that night, so I had the window open and I was staring out at the sparkling stars in the sky. I sighed softly to myself, letting the warm breeze wash over my body, ruffling my hair slightly. My attention was quickly caught by a soft groan. I quickly whirled around to face Sam's bed. I could see movement! My heart skipped a beat as I stood up and moved toward the bed. Her eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal her gorgeous blue eyes. I smiled, nearly tearing over right there. I fell to my knees at the side of her bed, gently taking her hand in mine. She slowly moved her head to connect her eyes with mine. I sniffled and did find a tear rolling down my cheek. She smiled softly, but didn't speak. She didn't have to. Just seeing her eyes was enough for me. I shook my head and softly kissed her hand, finding tears now easily rolling down my cheeks. I couldn't explain to anyone my feelings at the moment. At that moment, I knew then and there, I wanted to spend eternity with this girl. I knew I'd do anything to be with her, and do anything for her.
I slowly lifted my head to look at her again, I found her eyes slid shut again, but I smiled anyhow, knowing she was awake. I slowly brushed the back of my hand across her cheek. Her lips gently curled into a soft smile. I lent down, gently kissing her cheek and whispering into her ear "Glad your back cutie." Her smile remained, though she slowly fell back asleep. I sighed, letting go of her hand to brush away the dried tears on my cheeks. I slowly stood up and scooted my chair to her bed, resting my head back against the wall, though my eyes never left my angel. Not to long after, my eyes slid shut, and I fell into a light slumber, which I desperately needed.
My eyes fluttered slightly as I yawned, slightly blurred vision opened to the surroundings. I rubbed my eyes slightly and immediately turned them toward Sam. She was sitting up in the bed now, her head rested back against the wall and gazing up at the ceiling. The doctor was walking around, checking her out and whatnot. He caught my eyes and smiled.
"Ah, morning. How are you doing?" I nodded in response, but turned my full attention to Sam. I smiled.
"Not me Im worried about." Sam turned her eyes toward me and smiled slightly. The doctor smiled and nodded a bit, then turned to walk out the door. He stopped, looking back at me.
"Take care of her." He said as he then walked out the door. I nodded and smiled, streching out slightly. I turned slightly in the chair and gently took her hand, squeezing it softly.
"How are you?" I asked softly, concern on my face and in my voice. She shrugged slightly, not really speaking. I smiled slightly, leaning over to kiss her cheek again.
"At least your sitting up now…You had me really worried about you." That comment turned a light smile apon her rosy lips. In return, I smiled softly. Not a word was spoken between the two of us. That silence was fine with me, I didn't mind spending my time in silence with her. I sighed slightly and kissed her hand gently. Another soft smile ran across her lips. I slowly lent my head back against the wall behind me, my hand still softly holding hers.
"Rai…" I herd her soft, sweet voice say. I smiled. I didn't look at her. She slowly spoke again.
"I…I'm sorry I made you worry so much about me. I didn't mean to" I sighed, shaking my head slightly. I didn't to say, I really didn't. After so many days of seeing her so helpless like that, it just reassured me to know she was awake. To know she was going to be just fine. That is all that mattered to me.
A few weeks later, Sam was release from the hospital. She returned to school, and of course, I help her catch up with all the assignments. Though, most of the teachers gave her quite a long time to complete them, judging upon the circumstances that she was gone for.
This, unlike most love stories, has no ending. The way I see it, for a love story to end, is like the love between the two ended. This is far from truth, as Sam and I, our love was just beginning. So, instead of saying 'And they lived happily ever after,' I'll just leave you all hanging as to how this story ends. Though, is this the end, or simply a new beginning?