Australia

Nick’s POV

After a breakfast of cereal and orange juice, Sam and I grabbed our guitars and walked out to the barn where the horse stalls were found. We walked in and proper our guitars against the door.

“You know, I used to ride ponies when I was little,” Sam told me as we approached the horse stalls. “I mean, before the ballet. It wasn’t as serious as that though. Just for fun.”

“You’ve done everything,” I smiled at her.

“It’s not like you’ve had a boring life Nick,” she smiled back.

“I know,” I agreed. “But, horse riding, ballet, soccer. You can play guitar and sing. You’re the total package aren’t you?”

“Shut up,” she blushed and hit my arm playfully. “Come on, we’ve got to saddle up.”

After about 20 minutes of Sam explaining to me how to saddle up and actually doing it, we gabbed our guitars and hopped up on the horses. Sam rode a white one; I chose a light brown one. The labels on their doors told us that they were named Star and London. We headed out; aimlessly trotting down a long dirt path and out into a large green field.

“This is so cool,” Sam exclaimed. “I’d love to be able to do this everyday.”

“Well, now that you know where your dad lives, maybe you can come out and visit more often,” I offered. “I mean, as Joe said. His Christmas gift does work in conjunction with mine without him even knowing what mine was.”

“That’s true,” Sam smiled at me. “See! you’re gift will just keep giving.”

I turned my head and looked at her; smiling. I felt such pride knowing that this present meant so much to her. I was also ecstatic that she kept bringing up that it was my gift, it was what I had given her. She smiled her smile at me. She slowed her horse; bringing it closer to mine and held out her hand to me. I took it in mine; threading her fingers through mine.

“You really do mean, so much to me Nick,” she told me. “And, um, so does your present.”

She looked away and I smiled to myself.

“Well, you’re welcome,” I said, still smiling. “I would do anything to make you smile.”

“Make those gray clouds go away?” she asked.

“Alright, well, I can’t do that,” I confessed sarcastically. “It does look pretty nasty though.”

Maybe, we should head back then,” Sam suggested sadly.

I looked up at the sky. A flash of lightening cut the horizon.

“The storms already here,” I told her. “Watch there.”

I pointed to where the lightning had flashed earlier and sure enough after a few moments, lightning flashed only a few feet from the first. Thunder rolled and rain started to sprinkle.

“Come on,” Sam said over the thunder. “We’ll head back.”

The rain grew heavier and soon it was pelting down.

“We won’t make it back,” I yelled to Sam.

I peered through the rain; catching her brushing her wet fringe off her face.

“Come on! There!” I yelled to her. I pointed to a red barn about 100 yards away. “We’ll wait out the storm in there.

“Are you sure?” Sam questioned.

“What other option do we have?” I said; turning the horse around. “Let’s go.”

We sped the horses up to a gallop; reaching the barn within moments.

Sam’s POV

We slowed the horses back down to a trot and then a slow walk. We entered the barn still on horseback. Once through the doors, Nick climbed off quickly; closing the doors of the barn. He walked over to me and held out his arms. I pulled one leg over so I was sitting side saddle and slid down; Nick holding onto my hips as I went. When my feet touched the ground, I looked at Nick. His curls were drenched; some weren’t curls anymore. The rain had left his face wet; the whipping of the cold breeze leaving a slight pink hue across his cheek. The rain was stuck to his eyelashes, making them appear almost black; the brown of his eyes standing out. His white v-neck was also wet; sticking to his shoulders, chest and stomach. I admired it subtly; noticing that he wasn’t skinny anymore. He had muscle tone in his arms and shoulders; his stomach slightly contoured. I blushed.

“Are you okay?” Nick asked in a small voice.

“Yeah,” I nodded; looking down. “Just glad to be somewhere dry.”

“Same,” he agreed. “We should see if the guitars are alright. We weren’t out in the rain very long but still. We’re completely drenched.”

“I know,’ I blushed again and pulled at my top; unstacking it from my skin.

I looked up at Nick again. He ran his hand through his hair and moved to pull my guitar from the saddle bag. He handed it to me and went to grab his own. I glanced around. There was nothing but straw in this barn; it was as if it had been abandoned or something. Why else would the door be sitting open like that? I spotted a ladder made of old logs leading up into the roof. I assumed that that meant there was a second level.

“Hey Nick,” I started. “Can we go up there?”

“Sur,” Nick shrugged. “It’ll be better then hanging with the smelly horses.”

I smiled at him and led the way to the ladder. I handed Nick my guitar and pulled myself up. Once up the top I reached back down; Nick handed me the guitars one at a time. I watched Nick climb up and I turned around to examine our hiding place from the storm. It wasn’t bad. There was alot more straw but it was more clean up here. It smelled fresh.

‘This is awesome,” Nick’s voice came from behind me.

I turned a little to see him holding a guitar in each hand. I walked away form the ladder and sat in amongst the straw. Nick joined me; setting the guitars down ever so carefully. I pulled off my wet shoes and sat the beside me. I unzipped my guitar case and pulled out my beautiful white guitar. I only had played it three times since I got it and only once since I got to my dads. I looked it over.

“It looks alright,” I told Nick. “It’s not wet.”

“That’s awesome,” Nick smiled; turning his guitar over in his hands. “Mine looks alright too.”

“So um,” I chewed my lip. “What now?”

“Well, we can do that collaboration we were talking about,” he offered. “Jamming, as you put it.”

“I was actually wondering if I can play something for you that I wrote,” I asked nervously.

“Of course,” he agreed. “You wrote a song? That’s awesome.”

Nick’s POV

I was impressed that Sam had written a song and wanted to play it for me. I was actually looking forward to it.

“Just remember,” she said. I heard the nerves. “I haven’t played much in months. I may be a bit rusty. And i'm freezing so my voice is bound to be a bit off.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I assured her. “Go on. Play.”

I watched her set the guitar in her lap and get comfortable. She took a deep breath and started plucking the strings. As she played she spoke.

“I think it’s called Goodbye Waves and Driveways,” she bit her lip.

“Alright,” I pulled off my shoes and crossed my legs. I picked up a piece of straw and started playing with it; watching Sam’s face.

“Just walk away
Gather your thoughts for the second wave
Of this argument on this epic changing day
Its crazy to think that an hour ago all things were great
But we stand here both proud both wrong and right
Throwing cheap shots in this stubborn fight
And our lives are so intertwined in one
But we're just so stuck in this moment it's clear that were coming undone.”

She looked up at me and I caught her eye. A small smile played on her lips.

And you see it’s hard for me to breathe
When I get all worked up with these feelings
And I don’t know exactly how it is
That we can be so mad we consider to not exist
When we both know there’s so much love clenched within our fists.

She inhaled deeply again and broke the eye contact. She started playing single strings. It created a unique sound. I smiled.

The goodbye waves in the driveway they just resonate
And yes I am throwing it right back at you
While were drowning in rivers from our faces
We just wanna know if, this is this over
A trembling silence fills the air
As we stand here so impaired, so aware

What was she saying with this song? Is she talking about our fights? Is she talking about the stupid arguments we have? Rivers from our faces, meant crying obviously. I make her cry?

I sit in this house
Alone with fresh photographs
And I just can’t relax
And like cigarette smoke, I’m starting to choke on this
That half of my soul went to a boy through a simple kiss.

i...i have half her soul? Half her life? Half her heart. Or is this song about Joe? It has to about him right? she wouldn’t write something like this about me. I watched her face change as she inhaled deeply again.

And it’s making it hard for me to breathe
When I get all worked up with these feelings
And I don’t know exactly how it is
That just to say I’m right your wrong we both lose to win

The goodbye waves in the driveway they just resonate
And yes I am throwing it right back at you
While were drowning in rivers from our faces
We just wanna know if this, is this over
A trembling silence fills the air
As we stand here whoa-oh

I stared at her; the intensity in her face strong. I saw tears in her eyes. I don’t know if they were happy or sad tears. Her face grew sad and my question was answered. She started playing faster; pounding the strings. Her voice was louder; angry, demanding. What is she trying to convey?

So hey now, maybe we're just being stupid
Maybe we're just being dumb
Hey maybe it's time that we stopped and we realized
Like a flag in the wind we are one
And how at first it’s made so pure and lovely
But in battle can be torn to shreds
But with time and with patience and love and affection
Can be fixed with needle and thread
Because I love you and do you love me
And nothing will make this leave
I said I love you and do you love me
And nothing will make, make, make, make this leave
So remember me, yeah!
Remember me, yeah!
Remember me

She stopped playing; wiping the tears from her cheeks. Her hand returned to the strings and she played a simple note.

“And don’t walk away...”

Sam sniffled and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

“Oh Sammy,” I said. “That was beautiful.”

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“I think Joe will love it,” I told her; smiling ever so slightly but also disappointed.

“Its, it’s not for Joe,” Sam told me.

I snapped my eyes up at her; shocked. What?

“What?” I whispered.

“It’s for you,” she confessed. “It’s about the fights, the tears, the hugging, the photos, the goodbyes and the hellos.”

“Oh,” I sighed. I didn’t know how to feel.

“It’s also about that inevitable connection we have,” Sam whispered again. “Whatever it is. Whatever it’s supposed to be.”

I looked up to her face.

“Sammy,” I took her guitar from her and moved to sit beside her. I draped my arm across her shoulders. “I’m confused about all this just as much as you are.”

“But you’re not dating my older brother,” she said. “Wait, that came out wrong.”

“I know what you meant,” I nodded. I rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. “But, I'm still confused. I shouldn’t be feeling this way about you; the girl who's dating my older brother and is, in fact older then me herself.”

“Age is but a number Nick,” she whispered.

Thunder rolled loudly above us and Sam jumped.

“I know,” I sighed. “But. In our circumstance, I guess it does matter in a way.”

“How so?” Sam asked me.

She shrugged off my arm and lay down into the straw. I stayed sitting; angling myself to see her.

“I know this sounds pretentious, but because of who I am,” I told her.

“That's bull,” she said flatly.

“Excuse me?” I said; shocked.

“Camilla was older than Joe, Danielle’s older then Kevin,” she said. I heard the annoyance in her voice.

“Why are you so for us being in some sort of relationship beyond friendship all of a sudden?” I questioned.

She wasn’t making sense. First of all, she’s pushing me away and now she’s open for it.

“I don’t know,” she yelled; then sighed. “I'm sorry. I’m just, lost in a way; that’s all.”

“Well,” I started; lying beside her. I lay on my side; my elbow propping my head up. I played with her wet hair with my other hand. “If you ask me, I can help you find yourself.”

Sam looked into my eyes and smiled ever so softly. I started humming Please Be Mine softly and she smiled more. She licked her bottom lip a little. I watched her lift her right hand slowly; moving it towards me. I felt her graze er cold finger tips across my still damp neck and slowly move them around to the back of my neck. She pulled gently and I let my arm go slack. I rested it in the straw above Sam’s head. She continued pulling my head down towards hers. I moved my other arm; resting it across her waist. She pulled me closer and closer; stopping when our faces were just inches away.

“Nick?” she whispered and I answered in a throaty hum. “I find myself with you.”

She smiled again and pulled my head down to her completely; our lips meeting with fireworks and electric sparks. Our mouths moved in sync; my body weight supported by my slack elbow. Her tongue grazed along my bottom lip and I open my mouth slightly; the warmth welcomed in my mouth. Our tongues danced together; playfully melding as one. Sam’s hand moved up my other arm; leaving a trail of metaphoric fire in its wake. I felt it run from my shoulder, my shoulder blade and down my back. She edged her fingers under my shirt. I felt the damp fabric lift away as she moved her hand back upwards inside the shirt; coming to rest in the small of my back.
My skin was tingling everywhere. I shifted my body closer to hers; one of my legs in between hers. She arched herself slightly off the floor of the barn; her torso coming in contact with mine. I dragged my hand down her body; finding her hip exposed. I traced my fingers across it; moving my fingers around her back and holding her as close to me as possible. We stayed like this for what felt like eternity. It was absolute heaven. The feeling of our bodies pressed against one another, our tongues dancing together in each others mouths, our hands in contact with bare skin. It was as if our bodies had melded together so perfectly and it was moment that I didn’t want to end.

But, my wish didn’t come true. We had to break apart so we could breathe again.

“Wow,” Sam breathed underneath me.

I felt her chest rise and fall against and in time with mine.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I um, I didn’t expect that.”

“Me either,” she smiled. “But...”

“But?”

“I liked it,” she admitted; a small blush on her cheeks.

“There’s no need to blush,” I whispered. “I liked it too.”

I leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips. I pulled away; looking her in the eye. I saw no guilt in her face; no regret. I took the chance; going in for another kiss. I held my self there. Sam moved her hand from the back of my neck; her fingers finding there way through the tangles of curls at the back of my head.
I pulled away slightly again; smiling. I used my thumb to play with the air at the top of her head.

“I like kissing you Sam,” I admitted.

“And, I like kissing you,” she smiled.

I propped myself up back on my elbow; my face hovering over Sam’s. I was happy, I was content, I was ecstatic. Being this close to Sam; having experienced what I just had with her had made my day. She had practically admitted her feelings for me; kissing me with a passion only a girlfriend and boyfriend should share. I didn’t know what this meant for her relationship with Joe and I didn’t know where this took our relationship. But I knew one thing for sure; I had never been happier in my life.