Australia
Chapter Sixty Seven
Joe's POV
August 12.
Usually by this time of year, I'm excited. I'm usually thrilled. I'm usually looking forward to my birthday so much, that I can't keep the grin off my face. But this year; this years different. Turning 19 doesn't matter. I don't feel much like celebrating. I'd rather just go home to Texas, sleep in my own bed, not celebrate my birthday at all and forget what I said to Sam all together.
Why'd I say it? Why'd I drop the 'L' word? I've only known her for three months and I'm already telling her that I love her? It doesn't make sense. Nothing makes sense. I don't make sense. No wonder she said thank you. She doesn't love me. She likes me. Maybe I don't love her. Maybe it was just a spur of the moment thing. I sighed and grabbed my phone from the bedside table beside me. I released the power cord; dropping it to the floor. I pressed the button on the bottom of the phone and the screen lit up.
I looked at the photo I had as my screen saver. It was a photo from one of our hangout days back home. We were sitting in a park, amongst the grass, under the shade of a tree. I was smiling at the camera. My sunglasses hung at the point of my white vneck. I saw sweat on what you could see of my brow. I remember Sam telling me to not wear jeans because it was supposed to be so hot. But I had worn them anyway. I still had my long hair. I rubbed my hand through the back of my shorter hair. I missed it longer. But it would grow. I changed my focus to look at Sam. Her hair was down and also longer; the girls trailing down her front. He fringe was swept back off her face by her sunglasses which were perched on her head. The blue singlet making the blue in her eyes stand out more. She wasn't looking at the camera; I was her focus. I smiled at the way she was looking at me. Care, Admiration and affection; but was it love?
I tapped the screen and worked my way into my phones photo album. I tapped on the folder filled with photos from that day; only a month ago. There was one of Sam at the top of the slide and one of her at the bottom. A few of her swinging and one of her hanging upside down from the monkey bars: desperately trying to keep her stomach covered. There was a few of me doing handstands and flips in the grass and ones of the piles of bark we had thrown at each other. Then there were ones from the merry-go-round thing.
"Get on!" I assured Sam. "I won't spin it too fast."
Sam reluctantly got on; smiling at me as she did so. I took hold of one of the railings and pushed it. The merry-go-round spun very slowly. I spun it again; running along side of it. It spun faster and faster. I dove on the section Sam was sitting and moved beside her. I pulled out my phone and held it up.
"Smile," I instructed her. She smiled and I snapped the photo.
I looked at her and she smiled. I moved to the side and kicked off with my legs; making the ride spin faster again. She shrieked with laughter and excitement. I slid back to Sam. She took my phone from my hand and held it up like I had before. I smiled in the direction of the camera.
"Joe," Sam said; making me turn my head to look at her.
She pressed our lips together in a kiss. I smiled into the kiss and closed my eyes. Before I slipped them closed completely, I caught the flash of the camera.
I sighed; staring at the photo of Sam and I kissing on the merry-go-round. The background was blurry; just a mess of the green from the grass and the blue from the sky. But that wasn't all I saw and it wasn't all I felt. Gazing at that photo, it was proof enough for me. What I was feeling, what I knew, what I confessed to Sam yesterday was true. I love her. I love Sam. I stared at the photo until my iphone locked itself. I chucked it on the bed.
From out of nowhere, a familiar shriek of laughter sounded. I sat up properly; expecting Sam to walk into the room. I assumed she had stayed in Kev's room last night because she hadn't come in here. That's what I was hoping anyway. But the laughter continued past my door. I rolled off the bed and went to the door. I pulled it open and peered out. Sam and Nick were running to the elevator, hand in hand. I felt a twinge of jealousy run through me. I stepped out of the room fully.
"Where are you two going?" I asked, keeping my jealousy at bay.
"Me and Nick are just going to go grab something to eat. Maybe maccas or something," Sam shrugged; a grin plastered on her face. I looked at Nick; his grin also unfaltering. "Do you want anything?"
Yeah. My girlfriend.
"No," I shrugged. "Nothing."
"Alright," Nick grinned. "We'll catch you later."
Nick stepped into the elevator. Sam smiled and waved at me. Nick's hand grabbed Sam's and she was pulled inside the elevator. I walked back into my room and closed the door; leaning against it.
"I love you Sam," I whispered to noone. "I really love you."
August 12.
Usually by this time of year, I'm excited. I'm usually thrilled. I'm usually looking forward to my birthday so much, that I can't keep the grin off my face. But this year; this years different. Turning 19 doesn't matter. I don't feel much like celebrating. I'd rather just go home to Texas, sleep in my own bed, not celebrate my birthday at all and forget what I said to Sam all together.
Why'd I say it? Why'd I drop the 'L' word? I've only known her for three months and I'm already telling her that I love her? It doesn't make sense. Nothing makes sense. I don't make sense. No wonder she said thank you. She doesn't love me. She likes me. Maybe I don't love her. Maybe it was just a spur of the moment thing. I sighed and grabbed my phone from the bedside table beside me. I released the power cord; dropping it to the floor. I pressed the button on the bottom of the phone and the screen lit up.
I looked at the photo I had as my screen saver. It was a photo from one of our hangout days back home. We were sitting in a park, amongst the grass, under the shade of a tree. I was smiling at the camera. My sunglasses hung at the point of my white vneck. I saw sweat on what you could see of my brow. I remember Sam telling me to not wear jeans because it was supposed to be so hot. But I had worn them anyway. I still had my long hair. I rubbed my hand through the back of my shorter hair. I missed it longer. But it would grow. I changed my focus to look at Sam. Her hair was down and also longer; the girls trailing down her front. He fringe was swept back off her face by her sunglasses which were perched on her head. The blue singlet making the blue in her eyes stand out more. She wasn't looking at the camera; I was her focus. I smiled at the way she was looking at me. Care, Admiration and affection; but was it love?
I tapped the screen and worked my way into my phones photo album. I tapped on the folder filled with photos from that day; only a month ago. There was one of Sam at the top of the slide and one of her at the bottom. A few of her swinging and one of her hanging upside down from the monkey bars: desperately trying to keep her stomach covered. There was a few of me doing handstands and flips in the grass and ones of the piles of bark we had thrown at each other. Then there were ones from the merry-go-round thing.
"Get on!" I assured Sam. "I won't spin it too fast."
Sam reluctantly got on; smiling at me as she did so. I took hold of one of the railings and pushed it. The merry-go-round spun very slowly. I spun it again; running along side of it. It spun faster and faster. I dove on the section Sam was sitting and moved beside her. I pulled out my phone and held it up.
"Smile," I instructed her. She smiled and I snapped the photo.
I looked at her and she smiled. I moved to the side and kicked off with my legs; making the ride spin faster again. She shrieked with laughter and excitement. I slid back to Sam. She took my phone from my hand and held it up like I had before. I smiled in the direction of the camera.
"Joe," Sam said; making me turn my head to look at her.
She pressed our lips together in a kiss. I smiled into the kiss and closed my eyes. Before I slipped them closed completely, I caught the flash of the camera.
I sighed; staring at the photo of Sam and I kissing on the merry-go-round. The background was blurry; just a mess of the green from the grass and the blue from the sky. But that wasn't all I saw and it wasn't all I felt. Gazing at that photo, it was proof enough for me. What I was feeling, what I knew, what I confessed to Sam yesterday was true. I love her. I love Sam. I stared at the photo until my iphone locked itself. I chucked it on the bed.
From out of nowhere, a familiar shriek of laughter sounded. I sat up properly; expecting Sam to walk into the room. I assumed she had stayed in Kev's room last night because she hadn't come in here. That's what I was hoping anyway. But the laughter continued past my door. I rolled off the bed and went to the door. I pulled it open and peered out. Sam and Nick were running to the elevator, hand in hand. I felt a twinge of jealousy run through me. I stepped out of the room fully.
"Where are you two going?" I asked, keeping my jealousy at bay.
"Me and Nick are just going to go grab something to eat. Maybe maccas or something," Sam shrugged; a grin plastered on her face. I looked at Nick; his grin also unfaltering. "Do you want anything?"
Yeah. My girlfriend.
"No," I shrugged. "Nothing."
"Alright," Nick grinned. "We'll catch you later."
Nick stepped into the elevator. Sam smiled and waved at me. Nick's hand grabbed Sam's and she was pulled inside the elevator. I walked back into my room and closed the door; leaning against it.
"I love you Sam," I whispered to noone. "I really love you."
♠ ♠ ♠
Joe has a sensitive side.Comments?