"What's the story morning glory?" Glenn blinked himself awake and sat up.
"Come on," Sam motioned for him to come down, "let's get going. I don't want to be late."
"You know Sam, I've been thinking." Glenn said as he jumped down off the car.
Sam rolled his eyes and sighed, "Here we go."
"Take it seriously this time and stop avoiding the question." Glenn looked dead into Sam's eyes, which froze Sam in place. "Why are we doing this? Why are you sacrificing your time and money to drive across the map for her?"
"For love, I thought that was kind of obvious." Sam shrugged.
"Bullshit."
"I don't know what else to tell you man." Sam dropped his head and got into the car.
Glenn followed in begrudgingly, "Dude, we've been friends since we were like 4. I know you're hiding something and God willing I'm going to find out what."
"If you say so Glenn. Why would I even keep secrets? You literally know everything about me." Sam turned the key and started up the car, slowly pulling back out onto the highway.
3 Months Ago
Sam inhaled sharply and began coughing hard into the sleeve of his shirt. The fit was violent enough to stop his walk to school and he took a moment to breathe as Glenn rolled up. Glenn gave him a few hard pats on the back to knock it out and Sam waved him off, straightening up. The coughing started about a week ago, but it was starting to get worse. This was the first time Sam had been caught though, but it was easily brushed off with an excuse of swallowing a bug.
Glenn hopped off his bike and walked next to Sam as they continued onward. Sam managed to muffle the coughs enough that they were barely noticeable anymore and pulled out his phone, creasing a half smile.
"So who's this girl you're texting?" Glenn looked over with a Cheshire Cat grin.
"No one, and how do you even know if it's a girl?" Sam stuffed his phone back in his pocket without responding.
"Dude you don't text like anyone...ever." Glenn laughed, "So the only reason you'd be smiling at your phone is if some cutie is texting you."
"Shut up." He shoved Glenn jokingly as he sped up his walk, "Come on we're gonna be late."
Ducking conversations wasn't Sam's forte, but he still wasn't sure how to tell anyone about Remi or if he even should. As in love with her as he was they weren't dating or even close to, they were simply friends. He had began texting her more frequently within the past week or so, but in the effort of not wanting to seem different Sam held off popping the question so to speak.
The next week or so proceeded much in the same way. Wake up, coughing, get dressed, coughing, shower, violent coughing, school. Anytime something new entered Sam's life it just became integrated as a part of his routine. He didn't get sick often and when he did it was over in a couple days, this newest fit just seemed to be a bit more persistent. Or so he thought sitting in the doctor's office, whom his mother insisted they go see. Growing bored and restless for an actual doctor to show up, Sam pulled out his phone and lightly kicked the back of his heels against the uncomfortable bench/bed contraption in the room.
"Hayyy" read the text from Remi.
"Hey, what's up?"
"NM. just sitting in class super bored."
"Sucks to be you. :)"
"Ya i no. Wbu?"
"Doctor's appointment, so I get the day off."
"Aww is my poor bby sick?"
Sam blushed fairly noticeably, he wasn't sure if the fluttering in his chest was caused by her or his current issues. In any case he was now light-headed, staring down at his phone. He lay back on the exam table hoping that the reorientation would balance him out while he waited on the doctor still. It was impossible to tell if she was actually flirting with him or being sarcastic, texts are a hard thing to decipher and as far as they knew a sarcastic emoji hasn't been made yet. Sam sat back up, readjusting his clothes, as the doctor came in. She was another beautiful woman with dark red hair and just the right amount of freckles in her mid-30s.
"Samuel Bennent?" She said, as she looked up hoping to get some visual cue from me that this was in fact the right room. I responded with a polite nod and "mhm".
"All right," She half smiled, "Good and bad news for you kiddo," Sam didn't much appreciate the condescending tone, but took it anyways, "Bad news is we don't know exactly whats going on, but good news is I don't think it's anything too serious. Probably just some viral bronchitis."
Sam didn't really appreciate the half-hearted diagnosis either, but she had a medical degree and he didn't so there wasn't much he could do in protest, "So.....what can I do?"
"Currently? Not so much." She flipped through the papers on her clipboard, "The nurse will come back in get some blood and we'll run some tests. In the meantime here is a prescription for some medicine that should help with the cough. Anything else I should know about before hand though?" She said, handing me the prescription slip.
Sam took a moment to decide whether or not the chest flutters and light-head were relevant, he quickly then shook his head. After another half an hour or so, the blood was drawn and bandages were applied, Sam was graciously set free after a whole day wasted. He walked back out to his car and sighed running a hand through his hair, Sam sat in the car for a minute to recollect himself. What do they mean they don't know? He fought over this idea for awhile, growing increasingly concerned with himself. Is there something seriously wrong with him?
"Heyyy evrything OK? U didnt txt me bck" Sam read the text from Remi and tossed his phone into the passenger seat, starting the car. He pulled out and started the drive home deciding to text her back once he was in the comfort of his own bed. Plus with a pounding head and chest, texting and driving was only that much more dangerous. Walking through the door and quickly to his room, avoiding talking to anyone as he sped by, Sam flopped down face first into his bed sighing heavily.
"Yeah, I'm fine." he finally responded.
"Then wat took sooooo long to txt back? :P" As if to get him back her response also took a minute or two longer.
"I was driving. Sorry, doctor says it's just a bad cough or something."
"Good :) Cant have anything happen to my lil Sammy now can i?"
The flutters returned, "Lil Sammy?"
"lol yea dont u lik it? I only give cute boiis nicknames." Sam could almost hear her giggle, a soft and brief chuckle that hid sincerity with coyness.
"And I qualify as cute?"
"Cute enuff @ least lol" There was her giggle again and Sam could feel his head get lighter with the influx of emotions and change in bloodflow. "Wat about me Sammy?"
"I wouldn't say cute, you're more hot." Before Sam could fully realize what he had sent or regain composure the text was gone and out there into the ether of wireless text messaging, data clouds.
"O realy?" Sam didn't have a chance to fully read her text as short as it was before another message came up, this time a photo attachment from Remi. This was different from the one he found lurking before and the juxtaposition of the image he had in his head and the one she sent was a shock to the system. The first photo had all the airbrushed perfection of supermodels, the type of beauty that causes infatuation and fills the fantasy of pubescent boys and lonely adults. The second picture, the one Sam received now, was so different and stripped down that were it not for her unusually piercing eyes it'd be hard to tell they were the same person.
This new photo was removed of all photoshop edits and Instagram filters, every blemish and flaw was right there for him to see. In the realness of it all, Sam realized her beauty was elevated to an even higher plane. It was a simple self-photograph of her in bed, but the way her hair fell over the middle of her face, how her lips curled into a manifestation of sexual tensions as she gently bit her index finger, the soft fluorescent lighting of the average American home, all of this crystallized the fact that Sam was so far deep in love with her.
Glenn hopped off his bike and walked next to Sam as they continued onward. Sam managed to muffle the coughs enough that they were barely noticeable anymore and pulled out his phone, creasing a half smile.
"So who's this girl you're texting?" Glenn looked over with a Cheshire Cat grin.
"No one, and how do you even know if it's a girl?" Sam stuffed his phone back in his pocket without responding.
"Dude you don't text like anyone...ever." Glenn laughed, "So the only reason you'd be smiling at your phone is if some cutie is texting you."
"Shut up." He shoved Glenn jokingly as he sped up his walk, "Come on we're gonna be late."
Ducking conversations wasn't Sam's forte, but he still wasn't sure how to tell anyone about Remi or if he even should. As in love with her as he was they weren't dating or even close to, they were simply friends. He had began texting her more frequently within the past week or so, but in the effort of not wanting to seem different Sam held off popping the question so to speak.
The next week or so proceeded much in the same way. Wake up, coughing, get dressed, coughing, shower, violent coughing, school. Anytime something new entered Sam's life it just became integrated as a part of his routine. He didn't get sick often and when he did it was over in a couple days, this newest fit just seemed to be a bit more persistent. Or so he thought sitting in the doctor's office, whom his mother insisted they go see. Growing bored and restless for an actual doctor to show up, Sam pulled out his phone and lightly kicked the back of his heels against the uncomfortable bench/bed contraption in the room.
"Hayyy" read the text from Remi.
"Hey, what's up?"
"NM. just sitting in class super bored."
"Sucks to be you. :)"
"Ya i no. Wbu?"
"Doctor's appointment, so I get the day off."
"Aww is my poor bby sick?"
Sam blushed fairly noticeably, he wasn't sure if the fluttering in his chest was caused by her or his current issues. In any case he was now light-headed, staring down at his phone. He lay back on the exam table hoping that the reorientation would balance him out while he waited on the doctor still. It was impossible to tell if she was actually flirting with him or being sarcastic, texts are a hard thing to decipher and as far as they knew a sarcastic emoji hasn't been made yet. Sam sat back up, readjusting his clothes, as the doctor came in. She was another beautiful woman with dark red hair and just the right amount of freckles in her mid-30s.
"Samuel Bennent?" She said, as she looked up hoping to get some visual cue from me that this was in fact the right room. I responded with a polite nod and "mhm".
"All right," She half smiled, "Good and bad news for you kiddo," Sam didn't much appreciate the condescending tone, but took it anyways, "Bad news is we don't know exactly whats going on, but good news is I don't think it's anything too serious. Probably just some viral bronchitis."
Sam didn't really appreciate the half-hearted diagnosis either, but she had a medical degree and he didn't so there wasn't much he could do in protest, "So.....what can I do?"
"Currently? Not so much." She flipped through the papers on her clipboard, "The nurse will come back in get some blood and we'll run some tests. In the meantime here is a prescription for some medicine that should help with the cough. Anything else I should know about before hand though?" She said, handing me the prescription slip.
Sam took a moment to decide whether or not the chest flutters and light-head were relevant, he quickly then shook his head. After another half an hour or so, the blood was drawn and bandages were applied, Sam was graciously set free after a whole day wasted. He walked back out to his car and sighed running a hand through his hair, Sam sat in the car for a minute to recollect himself. What do they mean they don't know? He fought over this idea for awhile, growing increasingly concerned with himself. Is there something seriously wrong with him?
"Heyyy evrything OK? U didnt txt me bck" Sam read the text from Remi and tossed his phone into the passenger seat, starting the car. He pulled out and started the drive home deciding to text her back once he was in the comfort of his own bed. Plus with a pounding head and chest, texting and driving was only that much more dangerous. Walking through the door and quickly to his room, avoiding talking to anyone as he sped by, Sam flopped down face first into his bed sighing heavily.
"Yeah, I'm fine." he finally responded.
"Then wat took sooooo long to txt back? :P" As if to get him back her response also took a minute or two longer.
"I was driving. Sorry, doctor says it's just a bad cough or something."
"Good :) Cant have anything happen to my lil Sammy now can i?"
The flutters returned, "Lil Sammy?"
"lol yea dont u lik it? I only give cute boiis nicknames." Sam could almost hear her giggle, a soft and brief chuckle that hid sincerity with coyness.
"And I qualify as cute?"
"Cute enuff @ least lol" There was her giggle again and Sam could feel his head get lighter with the influx of emotions and change in bloodflow. "Wat about me Sammy?"
"I wouldn't say cute, you're more hot." Before Sam could fully realize what he had sent or regain composure the text was gone and out there into the ether of wireless text messaging, data clouds.
"O realy?" Sam didn't have a chance to fully read her text as short as it was before another message came up, this time a photo attachment from Remi. This was different from the one he found lurking before and the juxtaposition of the image he had in his head and the one she sent was a shock to the system. The first photo had all the airbrushed perfection of supermodels, the type of beauty that causes infatuation and fills the fantasy of pubescent boys and lonely adults. The second picture, the one Sam received now, was so different and stripped down that were it not for her unusually piercing eyes it'd be hard to tell they were the same person.
This new photo was removed of all photoshop edits and Instagram filters, every blemish and flaw was right there for him to see. In the realness of it all, Sam realized her beauty was elevated to an even higher plane. It was a simple self-photograph of her in bed, but the way her hair fell over the middle of her face, how her lips curled into a manifestation of sexual tensions as she gently bit her index finger, the soft fluorescent lighting of the average American home, all of this crystallized the fact that Sam was so far deep in love with her.
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