Slip Into This Tragedy

Chapter 6
Sam’s POV

Mikey had just called and asked me to dinner at 7. I was excited about dinner, it was rare that we actually went to a restaurant together, unless its McDonalds, or Starbucks. The only problem was that at was only 5, so I had two hours to kill. It would only take me a few minutes to get ready, so I just laid on my bed, listening to my iPod. I’ve always loved music, its my escape. Sometimes I just sing melodies quietly to myself, making up words to go alone with it. I never told anyone that I did it, I knew they melodies were stupid and the words predictable, but when I’m alone, I can’t help but make them up.

Then my mind started to wander and I thought back to my 16th birthday a few months ago. Frank and I decided to bake a cake at 9pm. We looked in our kitchen and we realized that we had none of the things we needed to bake. So we got in Frank’s car and quickly drove to the store. We ran around the aisles, loudly searching for the needed ingredients.

“Frank, we need flour,” I reminded me brother as I chased him around the store, trying to grab the bag of powered sugar, that we don’t even need, from him. I grabbed him and stole the sugar from his grasp. I put it back on the shelf and grabbed some flour instead. Then I grabbed regular sugar, and turned around to find Frank, who had once again run off. When I found him he had a huge bag of chocolate chips.

“Well, you can never have to much chocolate,” he explained happily when I looked at him questioningly.

“Okay Frankie,” I laughed, “Do we have everything now?” I asked, more to myself then to him. Butter, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, eggs, baking powder, vegetable oil, I think that’s everything. We bought the stuff and skipped back to Frank’s car.

Once we got home, we started baking a cake. Frank threw flour at me, and I threw some back. Soon the kitchen was covered with it, but it didn’t worry us. I was 11:30 by the time we finally got the cake in the oven. Cake batter was splattered onto the counter and flour, and we both had it all over us. Frank’s face was covered in batter, and his hair almost looked white because of all the flour in it, and I’m I didn’t look much better. The whole time we were laughing hysterically. We cleaned up the kitchen a little bit while we waited for the cake to bake.

“Sam, come outside. I want to show you something,” Frank said to me, a minute or two before midnight, the day of my birthday. I followed him our the front door, confused at why we were going outside on a cold Jersey night.

“HAPPY 16TH SAM!” Frank yelled, his voice breaking the silence outside. He grabbed me and spun me around in the air a few times.

“Thanks Frankie. But why are we outside...?” Frank pressed his finger against my mouth to get me to stop talking. Then he reached into his pocket, and pulled our a pair of car keys. He grabbed my hand and pushed the keys into my palm. My mouth fell open in shock. The keys Frank gave me were the keys to his car, and he just gave them to me. He just bought his car about a month or so ago. He would give me rides sometimes, but other times he refused to take me so I was always getting them from friends. Now I had my own car.

“Thank you so much Frank!” I hugged him tightly. “But don’t you need a car?” A smile played across his lips.

“I have a friend who knows where I can get an old, cheep car. It wont be as good as this one, but it will get me around. You deserve this car Sam,” he explained, his smile growing at the last part. I tightened my grip on him, and smiled up at him, explaining without words how truly thankful I was for the car.

I smiled at the memory of that night. Everything seemed so perfect that day. Our parents were happy, or at least somewhat happy. Frank and I were closer that day then I ever thought possible. We had a connection that night that we have never had any other time. Are Frank and I growing apart?

I glanced at my clock and jumped. It was 5 minutes until 7. I scrambled around my room, quickly changing out of the clothes that I slept in, brushing my hair, and put makeup on. As soon as I finished, the door bell rang. I heard Frank answer it and he and Mikey talked while I grabbed shoes.

“Hey Sam, ready?” Mikey said when he saw me.

“Yeah. Bye Frank,” We walked out the door, hand in hand. As soon as we were outside Mikey stopped. “What is it Mikes?” I asked.

“I didn’t greet you properly,” he replied pulling me close to him, kissing me sweetly. We stood in each other’s embrace, kissing, for a long time. Then my stomach growled, I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. “let’s get going baby,” Mikey leaded me to his car, and opened the door for me.

We were driving home from dinner when my phone rang. I gave Mikey an apologetic look, and pulled my phone it.

“Hey Frank,” I cheerily answered. There was a pause on the other end, and something that sounded like a muffled sob. “Frank?”

“Mom’s in the hospital,” Frank stated, straining to keep emotion out of his voice. I felt tears threaten to roll down my cheeks.

“What happened?” Mikey heard the panic in my voice and looked at me worriedly.

“Where are you?” Frank asked, ignoring my question. I told him we were about five minutes away from our house. “I’ll wait for you here. Hurry,” Then he hung up. I looked at my phone, staring at it as if it had just bit me. Mom was in the hospital. It just didn’t make sense. Before Mikey could ask what was wrong, I mumbled ‘get to my house faster,’. He looked confused, but did as I told him to.

Once we got there, I ran out of the car and grabbed Frank, who was waiting impatiently in the yard with Gerard.

“What happened?” I whispered to Frank. He had tears rolling down his cheeks, but I surprised myself by staying strangely calm and emotionless.

“Mom collapsed at work,” Was all Frank said. Then Gerard and Mikey lead us into Gerard’s car and we drove off towards the hospital, to see mom.