Disclaimer:
I don't own any of the characters, I don't own the name Higher Ground, I'm not using this for money, yatsa, yatsa, yatsa.
Claimer:
I do however own the characters of Nick and Xan. If anyone wishes to use them in a HG story all I ask is that you mention that they are mine.
Remembering Sammy
Part 2
May 5th 2000
5:49 pm
Nick sat alone at the picnic table. Everyone had gone inside to eat dinner, leaveing him to think.
"Come on, Xannie-bananie." 10-year old Samuel Ryo Noellesen yelled to his six-year old sister.
"I am, Sammy! If I go any faster I'll be the roadrunner!" Xan yelled back.
Sammy looked at Xan's twin brother, Nickolas, and laughed, "We're going to have to teach her how to not run like a girl."
"She is a girl." Nick said, looking curiously at him.
"Good point, Nicky-baricky."
Nick closed his eyes against that memory, but it only continued to come.
The three children had reached the top of the heavily wooded hill. Above them, the stars were bright, and the lights of the town were dim behind them. Their father was out of town on a 'business' trip and their mother was on a high that could probably result in some rib fractures, so Sammy had decided to take a walk and to take Xannie and Nicky with him.
"They're gorgeous." Xannie said, looking at the stars as though she'd never seen them before.
"I know. When I get older, I'm going to be an astronaut and when they build the first colony in space, I'm going to take you guys with me and let you see the Earth from space."
"Like the pictures in the book?"
"Just like that."
"You know that when the stars are as bright as this, the next day will be great – maybe even life changing." Sammy said, looking up.
Nick looked at the sky, "Yeah, I'll say the next day was life changing." He breathed, "So, Sammy, how proud are you of us now? We've lived on the streets, we've done drugs, we've gotten drunk and smoked, we've distanced ourselves as far from life as possible, and now we may lose the only family we've loved since you. How proud are you now?" Nick looked back down at the ground.
6:01 pm
Xan sat in front of the fire, thinking. She, Shelby, and Katherine had been discussing "Juliette World" for the eighth time that week, but after ten minutes, Xan had wandered into her own thoughts. Today would have been Sammy's twenty-first birthday, and the thought that he wasn't alive to have it was ripping her apart inside. She had run through the what if's so many times, and barely gotten through every birthday – their's and Sammy's – still knowing they would never celebrate the birthday with him.
'Ten, almost eleven years. It's been that long and people still believe that an intruder killed them and spared us. I wish I could tell them, but then we'll be blamed for not doing anything to stop it. But then again, all that matters is that Sammy is dead.' She thought to herself.
"Earth to Xan." Shelby said, snapping Xan out of her reverie.
Xan looked up, "What?" Over the past two weeks, Xan and Nick had begun to say one or two word anwsers and questions, but everyone was still surprized to hear them talk.
Shelby smiled, "Juliette World, remember?"
"Yeah." She anwsered.
The group watched Juliette talking to Nick.
"She really thinks your brother will go out with her. How pathetic." Katherine said.
It was Xan's turn to smile, "Never."
Nick looked toward Xan, obviously hopeing she would save him from Juliette. Xan stood up, handed the blanket to Daisy, then walked over to her brother.
Juliette glared at Xan as she and Nick left, and was on the receiving end of Xan's own glare.
The twins walked outside and sat down on the steps, "Thinking about him again?" Xan asked.
"Yup. You?"
"Uh huh." Xand nodded, "So you want to go get the candle and the lighter and I'll go get the cupcake?"
"Sure."
Xan stood up. She helped Nick to his feet, then each went in a separate direction.
6:23 pm
Xan and Nick sat at the picnic table farthest from the building. A cupcake with a candle in it was on the table too.
"Happy Birthday, Sammy. I hope birthdays in the stars are good." Xan said, repeating the words she spoke to him every May 5th.
"Happy Birthday, Sammy Dragon." Nick said, looking at the frosting star on the cupcake that Xan had make at lunch.
Xan leaned over, and lit the candle. It burned for a second, then a soft wind blew threw and the flame was extingushed. Nick picked it up and began to walk over to the water. He didn't care if he had to go through a piece of the woods.
"What are they doing?" Sophie asked, looking at Nick.
"I don't know. It's like it's someone's birthday." Peter said, as Nick dropped the cupcake into the water.
"Maybe it was."
Peter looked at Sophie, "Maybe."
7:35 pm
Xan knocked on Peter's door. Nick was right behind her, holding a picture.
After a moment, Peter anwsered the door with a manila folder in his hand. "Xan. Nick. What's the matter?"
Xan shook her head, "Nothing."
Nick looked at Peter. Nick's eyes were red from crying, as were Xan's.
"Come on." Peter said, motioning for Xan and Nick to come in.
After the three people were seated, Xan handed Peter the note she'd written a few minutes before.
We would like to see our file. I know we're not supposed to, but there's something we want to show you.
Peter nodded and pulled a file from the cabinet.
Xan flipped through the pages, until she came upon a picture. It was Sammy just two days before his death. His sandy blond hair was wet, and it framed his hazel-blue eyes. He had Xan on his back, both were in yellow and red bathing suits.
Xan took the picture and showed it to Nick. He nodded, and Xan began to speak the first sentences in years. "This is our brother, Samual Ryo Noellesen. His birthday was today."
Nick looked at Peter. He was supposed to tell Peter the truth about what had happened, but he couldn't.
Peter looked at the picture. The two smiling faces looked back at him.
*****
I know – not that great, but I'm working on it.
Cassie Jamie