Chapter 7
Nathan couldn't help but smile as Sara walked away. He was half tempted to follow her, but decided to let her go. He walked back in the direction of his original destination, Sam's house. Sam didn't live on the beach like Nathan or Sara. His house was a bout a 5 minute walk into town.
As Nathan walked, he passed by stores with his name plastered on the front. His dad had pretty much owned the town. Almost every building said Wilder. He looked at every sign and felt pain. He was reminded of what his father once was. He continued walking.
He knocked on the front door of the two story cookie cutter house. It looked exactly like the one next door to it. They only difference was that Sam's house had a huge dent in the rain gutter from when Nathan and Sam had been kicking the soccer ball and hit it. Nathan smiled at the memory when he had passed it. A few seconds later a Native American woman opened the door.
Nathan gave a warm smile, "Hi Mrs. Locklear."
"Hello, Nathanial. Come on in." The only two people allowed to call him that were Mrs. Locklear and Nathan's own mother. "I think Sam is up in his room."
"Great thank you." Nathan gave her another smile before climbing the stairs.
Nathan walked down the small hallway and opened the last door on the left. As he walked in he could hear the soft snoring of his best friend. A mischievous smile spread across Nathan's face. Nathan tiptoed quietly across the room and to the bed, careful not to make a sound. Without hesitation, Nathan leapt onto the bed. Sam gave a shout of surprise. Nathan continued to bounce up and down on the bed; careful not to step on Sam, he wanted to wake him, not to kill him.
"What the hell, Nate?" Nathan hopped off the bed, a smile plastered all over his face.
"Good morning, Princess."
Sam snuggled closer to the blankets, "Why the hell did you wake me up?"
"Some one's in a bad mood."
"Yeah, I am, you woke me up by jumping on top of me."
"I didn't jump on top of you, just around you."
"Is that supposed to make me feel any better?"
"No, why would it?" Nathan grabbed his friend's arm and heaved him onto the floor, with a loud thud. "No come on and get dressed."
Sam slowly got to his feet. His eyes were squinted. "Why?"
Nathan looked him in the eye, "because no one wants to see your power ranger boxers. Now come on let's go."
Sam slowly retrieved a pair of pants and a shirt and pulled them on. They left the house, saying goodbye to Sam's mother on the way out.
They descended the porch steps, "So, what do you want to do?"
"How should I know?"
"You mean to tell me that you woke me up at God only knows what hour for nothing?"
Nathan looked down at his watch. "It's 8:02" Sam stared at him with an irritated look. Nathan smiled at him. "What? God's not the only one who knows that it's 8:02, oh well now it's 8:03." Sam still had the look that his was about to kill Nathan on his face. "Okay, so I don't know what I want to do, but I'll buy you breakfast. How's that sound?"
"All I have to say is that it better be a pretty damn good breakfast for waking me up at 8:02 in the morning." Sam and Nathan walked over to the small town's only diner.
After Sam's all expenses paid breakfast, they headed towards the beach, like the best friends always did when they didn't know what to do. As soon as they hit the sand, Nathan's eyes immediately scanned the beach.
"Who are you looking for?"
Nathan looked at his friend, "What?"
"You look like you're a homing missile looking for it's target." Nathan didn't say anything, "Okay dude, who's the girl?"
Nathan was surprised he could figure it out so quickly. But then again Nathan should have learned by now not to underestimate Sam. "I don't know what you're talking about."
. "Uh huh, sure." A few seconds later he said, "Is it that girl we moved for our game?"
"Sara."
Sam smiled, "I knew it."
"I didn't say it was her, I was just telling you her name."
"So there is a girl."
"No."
Sam tapped his index finger to his chin. "Hmm, who could it be?"
"It's no one because there is no one."
Sam got this knowing look "It's Sara. It's written all over your face." He clapped his hands together, and rubbed them, "So when do I get to meet your new girlfriend?"
"Never, because she isn't my girlfriend. She's just a girl."
Sam ignored his statement of denial, "So, how about now? Do you know what she is doing?"
Nathan shrugged, "Well, she is either reading or with her family."
Sam hit Nathan's shoulder, "I knew you liked her, you already have her schedule down. So, I'm guessing she does this reading in our end zone."
Nathan nodded, and they headed in the direction of their beach football field.
Sara was sitting in the lawn chair she had found in her dad's garage. She wasn't reading anymore, she was looking out at the ocean, distracted with her own thoughts.
Nathan sat down next to her, but didn't interrupt her thoughts, Sam did the same. Nathan went from looking at her to looking at the ocean then he looked back at her again. "What are you doing?"
Sara jumped, dropping her book that was in her lap. "Oh my God, you scared me." She picked up her book. "I was just thinking. What do you two want?"
In a polite manner, Sam said, "Hi, we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Sam, Nate's best friend."
Sara smiled at him, "I know who you are. You're one of those kids that moved me out of your precious end zone."
"I see you are still not giving up your spot."
Sara shrugged, "No, I don't really care, I just sit here to spite Nathan."
Nathan gave her a sarcastic smile and laugh. "You just think you're hilarious don't you?"
Sara turned back to Nathan, "Yes. Yes I do."
Nathan rolled his eyes, "Well, we came over here to see if you wanted to go grab lunch with us."
Sam looked at him confused, "We just had breakfast, it's like 9. Who eats lunch at 9?"
Nathan gave him a shut-your-face look. "Whatever."
Sam looked at Sara, "You see, I think he just came up with an excuse for you to hang out with him."
"Oh, I don't think that's why. I know. You see, he comes over here like every day. A guy only does that if he likes you, or he's just a creeper." Then in a whisper she said, "I really hope it's not the latter."
Sam looked a little shocked, "Wait a second. He comes out here everyday?" He then shifted his gaze to Nathan, "He told me he had to do chores for his mom. Is she the reason you didn't come to Viki's house with me?"
"Dude, you're the reason I didn't go. You wanted to 'get some girl action', remember? And then they said you were gay, and you called me crying."
"Hey, I was not crying, merely complaining about the situation."
"Wait. You're not gay?" Sara stared at him with a shocked face. Sam returned her look with a blank stare. Sara looked away, "Okay, awkward."
Sam gestured to Sara, "Even your girlfriend thinks I'm gay. I mean seriously? What possesses them to think that?"
"She's not my girlfriend." Nathan said immediately.
Sara was still focused on Sam, "Well, I don't know exactly. It's just, you put out this vibe."
"A vibe. That's what you girls judge my gayness on?"
"Yeah. Sorry."
"I'm so glad I'm going to college next year. Get out of this town, where girls think I'm gay."
Sara giggled to herself. She didn't actually think he was gay, he just saw how much it annoyed him. He was actually really cute. "Okay new subject. What do you guys want to do?"
The boys just shrugged.
