Right Girl

After shopping, Garrett helped me to throw away all the things that I don’t need any more: old pants, sweatshirts, grandma sweater and other stuff that will only remind me of how cruel my world was in school but now, I’m willing to change for me to experience something new in the world.

Arizona sun was flashing down on us while Garrett was helping me put the trash away. He doesn’t want me to do it alone since I was a girl and he’s being a gentleman since the beginning so he offered for a hand.

I went to my room to fix the mess that I made when someone knocked on the door frame, “Hey, want to play something?” Garrett asked.

I stared at him with a grin on my face, “What do you want to play? I carefully stood up and pushed all my things aside. Because I realized, Garrett gave me so much of his time but I haven’t given him enough of mine yet. “Hide and seek, maybe” He suggested.

A big laugh came out on me, I didn’t mean to laugh but he was too cute and childish that I can’t even imagine him playing all those kid games with his age now. I was just surprised to hear that coming from him. Maybe he is really a kid at heart.

Garrett rolled his eyes and felt very annoyed so he decided to walk away just like yesterday, “forget about it” he shouted back at me. “I’ll just go at Pat’s house since he can entertain me more”

I quickly ran towards him and pulled his shirt, “I was joking. I hate your mood swings. I hate it when you’re being like that. I was just fooling around. Sorry” I lowered my head because I know what he’ll look like. I hate this feeling the most because it’s like I’m annoying him instead of making things better.

Garrett sighed and I saw his fist clenched into a fist. I thought he was going to hit me but it was all way around, he pulled me closer and it turned into a hug, “I’m sorry, Sam. I was joking too. If it bothered you so much, I’m sorry. I was just pretending to hate you”

I gripped onto his shirt and sighed but I can feel him chuckle and I smiled secretly while he was holding me. “We can play if you want to” I said, still the same position.

I felt Garrett nod and suddenly, his face was in front of me. His blue eyes were in the same level as my eyes and I felt my body shivered for a while because I was shocked. I can feel his breathing and I can see clearly his face, the sweetest face I can ever look at even if it takes for hours and hours. “I want to play!” He said.

I was laughing at his cute expression and uttered, “If we’re going to play, then Garrett must be the it! Since you’re the one who suggested the game in the first place”

Garrett glared at me but after a few more seconds turned into a cheerful laugh and nodded back, “I’ll be the it! There must be a consequence if I can find you” Garrett stared at me like he was waiting for my response but my mind was not cooperating that time.

Garrett snapped his fingers and sighed, “Earth to Samantha. Think of a consequence please”

Reality struck back by the image of Garrett being confused of what’s happening to me at the moment. I don’t know either, “Uh, I can’t think of anything, Garrett. I’m sorry. Whatever you like, I’ll do it”

Garrett smirked and by that action, I know he is thinking of something that has to do with the childish game that is quite turning into a life and death situation for Garrett and I, “I won’t talk to you ever again”

I looked at him with a serious expression and hoping that what he said was a silly joke and I was waiting for him to crack up but nothing changed from his face to his expression. He was serious about it. He was fucking serious about the stupid game.

When I was a kid, I was known for being a good player when it comes to hide and seek because I can get to hide even to the places you can’t even imagine that I can fit in. They say that’s how my imagination works and how my mind works, I make the impossible possible just by my little actions.

“It's a game then” He announced and messed up my hair. I re-tied my hair up and smiled at him, “Bring it on, Nickelsen”

Garrett closed his eyes and counted to twenty. I slowly ran towards my parents' room because it will be difficult for Garrett to enter it since I haven't showed him the room and I haven't entered it for quite some time now. I ran to my parents closet and closed it slowly.

Garrett must not see me because I'm scared that he might not talk to me again.

I sat in the most comfortable position I can make in the closet while waiting for Garrett to “enter” the room which gives me doubts. I breathed deeply because it was getting hot as the minutes pass by and it was making me hard to breathe because of the little amount of air coming in the closed closet.

I was planning on changing my hide place when I realized that the cabinet door won't open. I kept on shaking it tried my best to get out but it was no use. I can't get out and I can't breathe properly anymore. I need Garrett but I'm not sure if he can save me now.

An hour has passed but Garrett can't seem to find me. I've shouted a few times so he can hear me but it was all useless because it was only making things hard for me. I tried to shake the door open but I just couldn't.

Garrett Nickelsen:

I'm going to kill that girl if I find her because she's so good in hiding I can't even smell her scent near me. But there's still one room that I haven't been to. It was her parents' room. How could I go there? What if she gets mad if she finds out that I've been there?

Or maybe she's trying her best to hide so that I won't talk to her ever again like what I said in my consequence. What if all this time, I was a pain in the ass for her? Why am I suddenly feeling and thinking like this? This is not the proper time to think like that.

I ran down the kitchen to get a glass of water when suddenly I heard some noise coming from upstairs, where her parents' room was located. I can run upstairs and bust her ass or I can pretend that I didn't hear it and continue with the game?

After deciding what to do, I headed to her living room and switched on her TV. I decided to ignore her. She'll hate me but I'm so fucking tired already and I need to rest so I hope she will understand me. I got bored flipping through channels because there was nothing good in it. Nothing.

I chose to end the game. I walked up nervously to her parents' room and tried to figure out where the sound was coming from when I was in the kitchen a while ago.

I heard someone scream, “Garrett? Garrett! Open the cabinet. Please! I can't breathe!” and panic was all over Sam's voice. Her voice was shaking.

I ran towards the cabinet and tried to open it but the door was locked. I have no choice but to kick the wooden cabinet to set Sam free. I was in so much hurry because I got nervous.

“Sam, move away from the right side of the cabinet door!” I warned.

After the warning, I kicked the wooden door and kicked the rest until it was all wrecked and has enough space for Sam to get out.

I pulled her out and into my arms. She was shaking head to toe. I wished I went there when I heard the sound but I was too dumb not to go and end the game there. I just hate myself for being selfish because I only thought of myself; that I need a rest, while Sam was needing me so much.

I tried to hush her but she was so scared, "Sam, it's okay. I'm here already"

I cupped her face and looked at her scared expression, "Sam, I'm here. Everything's fine now" she nodded but I can tell that she was still scared.

I carried her because her knees were weak and brought her to her bed, “Sam, what happened?” I asked while holding her shaking hands.

“I was hiding in my parents' cabinet but that cabinet was old already so it was not a shock to me when I had a problem to open it up and there was no room for the air to come in so I had a very hard time to breathe and it's getting hot and I'm feeling dizzy, I thought I was going to pass out” She explained and closed her eyes as she rested her head on her pillow.

“I'm sorry” I uttered.

"Sorry for what?"

"I forced you to play with me and now, look what happened to you" I said. Honestly, I tried not to make my voice shake but it wasn't enough to make it less obvious that I got scared after what happened.

Sam smiled and placed a pillow on her head which made me alarm because it might be harder to breathe for her again like what happened a while ago, which I can't get out of my mind. I pulled the pillow away from her head and was surprised to see that her eyes were closed and she was breathing softly.

“Wow. You really are something, Sam” I uttered and pulled the comforter over her body so she won't have chills. Her hands grabbed my wrist as she said softly, “Garrett, you should rest. You're always busy. Lay down and rest with me”

I smiled because she was so sweet to think of me at a time like this. I went to the other side of the bed, flipped the comforter and lied down beside her on her bed. She became quiet and so did I. But out of no where, Sam asked me question.

I chocked on my own spit because of her stupid but hilarious question, “What?”

“ARE YOU GAY?” Sam repeated. She turned around to face me and her eyes are staring directly to mine. I know she's serious about the question. I cleared my throat and chuckled, “No! Why?”

Sam smirked and raised an eyebrow, “Uh, the day of your band practice, you cut my clothes, don't you know how awkward that was for me, huh? But for you, it wasn't. You became my fashion guru and even hair stylist, what's up with that?”

I moved closer to Sam and whispered, “Want me to prove it?” as I looked at her lips. She turned away but I felt her body shrugged.

I shook my head with my displeased facial expression. I don't get what's happening to her all of a sudden. Is it because the lack of oxygen for what happened a while ago? “You want me to tell you the truth, Sam?”

Sam nodded and smiled sweetly, how could I say no to her smile? “Well, while you were getting ready, I browsed the internet to have a look of what's good or what's in. Even magazines, though I don't like girly fashion magazines but I did it for you”

Sam covered her mouth with embarrassment, “I am so sorry, Garrett. But why would you do something you like for me?”

I brushed away the hair that was covering her beautiful face, it was getting on my nerves because we never stayed this long with our faces almost close to one another, “Because.. I wanted to help you, remember?”

Sam nodded and closed her eyes to rest, “Yeah, you're right. By the way, thanks for kicking the cabinet but I have some explaining to do to my parents but that's alright”

“Sam, I have a question” I said, which mad her open her eyes as wide as it can. “What is it?” she asked back.

"ARE YOU LESBIAN?"

“No!” Sam punched my arm playfully and laughed. I touched my arm where she hit and laughed with her, “Come on! Tell me, what kind of girls do you like? The blonde ones? Ginger? What?” I teased.

“I am not, Nickelsen!” She answered angrily.

I laughed and pinched her cheeks, “You are so cute. So tell me, do you liked any guy before?” I asked. Sam kept quiet and bit her lower lip, “I liked someone before”

I gripped onto my shirt and hoping she didn't have a heartbreak because I can't take her having that much of a strong pain in her heart because she experienced so much already, “What happened?” I asked.

Sam started to talk but her voice was very different, “I liked him obviously and we got too attached. But he was only using for my older sister. My sister was very pretty, fashionable, sweet, cheerleader, honor student and people describe her as close to perfect”

“.. I had trust issues because of that and is the main reason of why I have second thoughts on trusting you before. But I guess, you proved me wrong. Anyway, the guy used me but my sister found out so she got mad at the guy” Sam continued.

“Where's your sister anyway?” I asked.

“She moved to LA when my parents bought a house there. She moved there to start a new life” Sam answered and she didn't talk anymore.

I felt like the wall between Sam and I are slowly falling down and she's starting to reach out to me. Soon, she'll be even more close to me than what we are now. Because we're just starting to know each other and I know, not too long from now, we'll get even more close.

Suddenly, Sam spoke, “How about you, tell me something about your love life”

I scratched my forehead and started to think of a serious relationship I had before but I realized, there was none. No one made me feel special and loved with the actual feeling in it. Just the usual game of love people like to play was all I experienced.

“I don't like relationships” I answered straightly. Sam looked at me with her huge hazel brown eyes ad stayed like that for a second or two, “Why are you like that?” I asked her.

Sam covered her mouth, “I thought you had many!”

I giggled and tried to answer, “That's what many people thought. I don't like relationships that much. Waste of emotions and tears. I haven't found a girl that was pretty much different from the rest”

Then I suddenly noticed that I was just looking at Sam during the time I was explaining about my disbelief about relationships but she didn't move a bit, she was just listening quietly at every word I say. All this time, that different girl was just in front of me.

“Tell me more. I want to hear your stories” She requested

I looked at her and smiled. How can this girl brighten up my mood by just smiling? No one can do it before but Sam was pretty much different.

“Well, I met someone different.. But I'm not yet sure” I continued but suddenly stopped when I heard her snores. She fell asleep while trying to listen to my boring life.

I placed my arm under her neck and pulled her closer and let her head rest on my chest. Can we just stay like this and pretend that the whole world didn't care. Can we? But I guess not.

Should I continue my feelings when I know someone will get badly hurt in the end? Or just stay like this until we can? I don't know..