Missing a part of me - 1. Chapter 1

SAM

I walked into my room and immediately stripped down to my boxers. It had been a long day and I was ready to go to bed. Well, I would after a quick visit to facebook and maybe a few porn sites. I stared at my reflection in the mirror flexing my muscles. This summer had really given me some definition. My brown hair had grown too long but I had no intentions of cutting it off any time soon. I looked good with long hair. My eyes looked tired. I needed to get some sleep.

Its nights like these that make me wonder if I should be doing more with my life. I’m lying in bed just waiting to fall asleep but I can’t shake the feeling like I’m missing something. Don’t get me wrong I’m not disappointed with my life. On the contrary I am happy with how it has turned out. I have friends, go to school, and have a fun job. So, why am I still awake, wanting more? What am I missing?

I wake up to the sound of my alarm annoyingly chirping loudly. I am not a morning person in that I hate waking up. So really, I’m not a wake up person. Once I am up I am cheerful, but don’t try to be the person to wake me up or you’ll catch my bad breath and anger. I groggily sit up and reach for my phone to turn off the alarm. That’s when I notice it’s not my alarm it’s my phone ringing.

“Hello.” I answer with sleep still in my voice.

“Good Morning Blake. Guess who it is?” A familiar voice said. I couldn’t pin the voice down. My brain worked quickly trying to register it but I couldn’t figure it out.

“Um, I don’t know. Who is this?” I asked more intrigued than ever.

“I’ll give you a clue. We haven’t seen each other in five years.” The voice said sounding even more familiar. Five years ago I was 14. There is only one person this could be.

“Samuel!?!?!” I asked excitedly.

“You guessed it. How have you been man?” Sam asked almost in a laugh. Sam was my best friend until he moved away with his parents across the country.

“I’m great. How are you? How did you get my number?” I was talking faster then I intended.

“Ha, I’m doing good. As for your phone number, you have it on your facebook for everyone to see.” He laughed. I was slightly embarrassed and realized he hadn’t sent me a friend request. Maybe he just found me.

“Oh yeah, I do that so punks like you can call me after a million years.” I joked. A year after he left we lost contact and I never thought about it. We just naturally grew apart I guess. What was he doing calling me?

“Hey it’s not my fault I had to move. God, I have missed you.” He sounded genuine. It hit me like a ton of bricks when he said it. I had missed him too. Talking to him for thirty seconds made me realize it.

“I know. I miss you too. What’s new? How have you been?” I didn’t know what to say really. I can’t remember our last conversation. I just wanted to keep talking until I had something to say.

“You already asked me how I was doing. I am good. I have some news to tell you.” He said sounding mysterious. I knew he would wait for me to ask him what his news was.

“Ok, tell me your news you loser.” I was surprisingly wide awake and happier then I had been for a long time.

“Well I guess I should ask you what you’re doing this Saturday.” Sam was always one for suspense.

“Are you coming to Florida?” I asked incredulously.

“Yeah bro, I’m starting school this semester. I got accepted to UCF last week. I noticed on your profile you go there too.” I knew he wanted to hear my excitement over the phone so I paused for a minute to not give myself away.

“I am free as a bird Saturday. Where are you moving to, a dorm?” My voice sounded interested but calm.

“ I’m actually going back to my old house. My parents rented it out and now that I got accepted to UCF they are going to let me stay there. They haven’t had a tenant for months.” He must have known by saying that I would want to move in.

“HOLY CRAP DUDE!!! I can’t believe you’re coming back. When are you getting into town?” I couldn’t control my excitement.

“My plane gets in at nine Saturday morning. So I was wondering if you would pick me and my luggage up. Say yes.” Sam didn’t even need to ask. I would have told him I was going to pick him up.

“What are you talking about Sam? Of course I’ll get you, and I’ll take you to lunch.” My brain was spinning. I was still getting used to the idea of Sam calling me and now I was going to see him in two days.

“Thanks man. Now go accept my request on facebook. I have to go but text me bro.” Sam sounded happy.

“I’ll do it right now. Bye Sam, I’ll send ya a text in a few minutes.” I said grabbing my laptop off of my table.

“Bye Blake. I’ll talk to you later.” He said hanging up. I put my phone down and waited for my laptop to turn on. I couldn’t wait to lurk on Sam’s page. It had been years since I had seen him. When my laptop fired on I clicked through to facebook and low and behold my notification bar read I had a friend request.

It took me two seconds to accept and I saw my best friends face again for the first time in four years. I clicked on his photos and I couldn’t believe how good looking he had become. He was always a good looking kid but now he was… He was sexy. I had to stop thinking like that. Sam was my best friend and that is all. I had a crush on Sam since we were ten. I told myself that I only liked him as a friend but now looking at him I know I liked him as more.

My mind was racing. What if Sam had changed over the years? What if he didn’t like me anymore? I could pick him up on Saturday and have nothing to talk about. I was getting more and more nervous with every picture I looked at. Finally I stopped myself and pulled myself away from the laptop.

“He’s your friend. He’s going to stay your friend.” I told myself out loud. I needed breakfast. I walked to the kitchen and I expected to be alone but my mom was at the table drinking coffee.

“Good morning” I said cheerfully.

“You’re up early today. Good morning baby.” She said smiling and looking at me curiously. It was true I usually was still asleep by the time my parents were off to work. Which made me realize that is was five thirty in the morning in California.

“Mom, Sam is moving back here.” I said as animated as I could.

“I know. His mother called me yesterday. I was wondering when you were going to find out.” She looked like a burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. My mom is the type of person who couldn’t keep a secret. It must have killed her to not tell me.

“You knew yesterday and you didn’t tell me!!” I almost shouted.

“Calm down. Betsy told me that Sam wanted to tell you himself. After all these years and you two are still the same. I feel like we had conversations like this every week when you were kids.” She said smirking. I can remember always being upset when my mom wouldn’t tell me what she and Mrs. Betsy talked about on the phone. It always had to do with us.

“You shoulda told me so I wouldn’t have been so oblivious.” I said annoyed. I felt like I was 13 again.

“And miss this show you’re putting on? Not for the world pumpkin.” She said getting up. “Well I have to go to work now. Have a good day. Love you.” My mom always knew how to turn a conversation and make me civil again.

“Bye Mom, love you too. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” I yelled as she walked out the door. I heard my phone go off in my room. I had forgotten to text Sam. I ran to the room and grabbed my phone. It was Sam.

~Did you forget about me already~

I felt terrible. So I quickly sent him a text back explaining to him that I told my mother he was coming.

~How is your mom~

He sent back almost immediately. I told him she was fine and I asked him how his was. I roamed around my kitchen looking for something to eat. I was starving. I decided on eating cereal when he text me back.

~She’s great. I showed her your pictures on face book. She said you were very handsome~

I blushed when I saw that. I didn’t know how to respond. I wanted to tell him he looked good too without sounding gay. So instead, I told him to thank her for me. This conversation was killing me. I hated small talk. I wanted to know all the things I had missed out on. Like, if he had a girlfriend, or did he play sports in high school.

Over the next two days I was glued to my phone. My mom commented on it calling me a cell phone zombie. Before I knew it Saturday came. I woke up early to make sure I was on time. I couldn’t find an outfit that I liked enough. Wanting to look good I couldn’t wear just anything. Rummaging through my closet I finally found the perfect outfit. Khaki shorts and a short sleeve button up plaid shirt. I looked at myself in the mirror one last time flexing, wondering if the time in the gym had paid off.

I arrived at the airport a half hour early. I walked from kiosk to kiosk looking at everything with little interest. Time seemed to slow down and my anxiety was getting worse with each agonizing minute. I looked down at my phone hoping he would text me saying his flight got in early and he was walking off of the plane but I still had ten minutes to go and no text. I walked to Starbucks and stood in line to get a cookie.

I always over eat when I’m nervous. So, I bought two cookies. It had shaved off enough time to put me at ease. Cookies in hand I walked towards where he would walk out of and sat. Finally after another twenty minutes I felt my pants vibrate. My heart jumped as I fumbled through my pocket to look at it.

~Getting off the plane now. I hope you’re at the airport lol~

Instead of texting back I waited to see him come out. It was his turn to wait. It took a lot longer than I thought for him to come out. Finally I saw a group walking toward me and no sign of Sam. I was getting antsy. None of the people walking towards me looked like they were coming from California. They were all old or Asian. Then I spotted Sam. My heart leapt in my chest. I waved at him until he spotted me. His smile was contagious and I was in heaven.

“ HEY SAM!!!” I yelled when he was in shouting distance. He just smiled. Everyone in front of him was walking a little too slow for him so he pushed his way through. I walked as close as I could get and waited for him to get to me.

“ How’s it going Blake?” Sam asked. He gave me a hug and suddenly I realized what I had been missing all this time.