"Sorry, pardon me, excuse me, SHIT!"

THAT was the sound of a girl falling on me, trying to get to her seat on the plane. Her arms were around my neck, trying to keep from falling onto the floor. She looked up at me, her cheeks turning red.

The asshole part of me wanted to laugh at her. But something stopped me. Instead, I smiled at her and asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Thanks…and…um…sorry."

I picked her up and gently lowered her onto the set next to me. She was pretty light, considering that she had to be at least eighteen. But maybe I was just getting stronger.

When Sammy…left, I started working out. My dad thought I was on steroids, which is ridiculous, because I was flat broke. I was just trying to make the pain go away. The six-pack was just a bonus.

I need to block out all the painful, lonely memories. At least that's what my therapist told me. Sammy-less summers, Sammy-less school, Sammy-less life.

I turn to the girl next to me. "What's your name?"

She stares at me incredulously. "I fell on you and make a complete idiot of myself and you want to know my name? You're supposed to put on your iPod and block me out for the rest of the trip."

I laughed. "I just asked for your name. Mine is Casey Acosta."

"Acosta? Do you have any sisters?"

"Yupp. Heather. I don't suppose you know her. I didn't see a look of fear or disgust in your eyes. You have beautiful eyes." Where the HELL did that come from?

She blushed.

"Your name?" I asked.

"Oh. Uh, Jones…Sammy Jones."

"Jones, huh?" I teased her, "Is your dad's name Indiana?"

"Yes, actually." She didn't seem insulted. She seemed…amused. I understand I can have that effect on women.

She asks randomly, "Why the sudden interest in a complete stranger?"

"How else do you make new friends? I'm sorry, but none of my friends are as beautiful as you."

She blinked at me. "You're going to Santa Martina?"

"Yeah. I come to Russia every few months to look for an old friend. You've been living in Russia for a while?"

"Ugh. For five years. I can't stand that place. Too cold for me. I was waiting much too long to turn eighteen and get the hell away from my mother."

"My mom's a nut, too." I told her. "Her and my dad just got back together. And I get to see them and the rest of my extended family in about a month or so for my birthday. Joy to the world…I'm gonna be twenty."

"Gossssshhhh. You're gonna be olllllllllllddddd."

"Cute. Yes, I'll be ollllllllld. In a few years, I'll need to walk around with a tank of oxygen just to keep me alive."

An attendant then walked to the middle of the plane and spoke into a microphone. "Attention passengers. We advise you to rest for the night. We will be arriving at LAX tomorrow afternoon. Have a nice flight."

She walked down the aisle and stopped at my row. She gave me a flirty smile. I could practically HEAR Sammy rolling her eyes. You could practically FEEL the attendant glaring at Sammy.

She turned her attention back to me. "Do you need anything? Anything at all?"

"Ah, no thanks."

She glanced back at Sammy. She smile and leaned over to whisper in my ear, "When you need a break from her, I'll be in the bathroom." She stood up straight and gave Sammy an evil smirk. She walked to the front of the plane.

Sammy spoke up. "What's gonna happen if you need to pee?" I looked over to her. She was trying to restrain a smile.

"I explode. I'd rather suffer than run into her again."

She shook her head. "Poor Casey."

"That's right. Poor me. There's only so much of me to go around. I should be on the endangered species list. I need to be protected."

"Get married. Married women get pissed off when other girls flirt with their husband."

"Well, to get married, I would have to either already be in a relationship or find someone with a green card."

She looked puzzled. "You don't have a girlfriend?"

"Nope."

She looked even more puzzled. "A boyfriend?"

My eyes widened. "Do I send off gay vibes? I'm straight…"

"You're single?"

"Yeaah. Its just that most girls are stuck-up and obsessed with make-up and shopping and take too long in the bathroom and are self-conscious and only care about getting laid and-"

"My, my. You have quite a hefty list there. And what kind of girl are you looking for?"

"I dunno. I can't explain it." I do know what I want. I want Sammy. My Sammy.

"Listen pal, you came up with a nice long list of what you don't like."

"Isn't it time for the eighteen year old girl to go beddie-bye?"

I got a nice long glare from her. "Tell me!"

"Tomorrow. Go to sleep, okay?"

I hate sleeping. The same nightmare comes every night. Its not so much a nightmare than reality. Every night, my mind replays what happened when Sammy left five years ago.

Lana and my dad broke up, which should've been good. But Lana decided to take Sammy away from her Grams. And they left. They left in the middle of the night. Sammy wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but she got to a pay phone in the airport and called me. She told me to tell everyone that her mom was taking her to Russia. Her mom wanted to be as far away from my dad as possible.

My dad felt the same way. He changed our phone number so Sammy couldn't call me again. My mom got back together with my dad and Heather moved back in. I went to college for a few months, but then I dropped out. So me and Heather are still living with our parents. How pathetic can you get?

I've thought about going back to college, but it just wouldn't work. It just wouldn't.