The world could have exploded for all I cared. I didn't dare pull away even when the rain finally stopped and the sun reappeared from behind the misty clouds to caste a warm shimmering glow upon the earth.
The sun warmed and dried my skin, my wet clothes, and my hair. But the thing that made me the warmest was the sensation when Samuel kissed me back.
I took a small step back and slipped on the slippery ground. I went down with a yelp, dragging Samuel down with me. We fell onto the wet ground laughing, our hands never letting go of each other's.
This moment was perfect. And I wanted it to last for all eternity; Samuel's laugh, his smile, and his heart.
CHAPTER 15: Telling Sacred Tales
"Here, you can wear my hoodie for now," Samuel said and tossed me a faded blue hoodie. It wasn't exactly the world's prettiest hoodie, but right now I didn't care.
"Thanks," I said and slipped into the bathroom to change.
My clothes were soaked to the core and stuck like leeches to my skin as we were walking back to Samuel's house. But I didn't feel cold at all. Instead, I felt fluffy and warm inside, like a kindled fire erupted within my chest. It was a nice feeling and I knew it was Samuel who started the warmness.
I took off my wet clothes and dropped them around my feet in a messy bundle of white, yellow, and blue. I picked up Samuel's hoodie and held it to my nose. I took a huge sniff of his scent and sighed. It smelled just like him. It made me smile as I slipped into the hoodie and pulled on a new pair of jeans.
"You look good," Samuel praised when I stepped out of the bathroom. I blushed.
"T-Thanks." It was a lame answer, but nevertheless, Samuel's smile brightened.
"Are you hungry?" he asked. As if to answer his question, my stomach growled softly. That made me blush harder and I thought for sure that Samuel would just laugh at me, but instead, he surprised me (like he always does).
Smiling, he said, "Come on. Let's go down stairs. I think we still have some cookies."
I wanted to object and told him not to 'trouble himself', but Samuel was already pulling me down the stairs and into the kitchen where Susanna and Felix sat at the dinner table with papers and crayons spread out.
When we walked in, Felix's head perked up and he grinned when he saw me.
"Princess Eleanor!" He squealed happily and hopped off his seat to rush and hug my legs. Susanna set down her crayon and followed her brother. Felix pulled back and held his drawing up to show me.
"Look!" he said proudly. "I drew me saving you from the evil dragon!"
The picture was of a girl with wavy blonde hair in a pink dress stuck in a high tower. A boy dressed in full armor was trying to get her down, but a huge red dragon blocked his way. I smiled as memories of my past self drawing similar pictures flooded my mind.
"It looks amazing," I told him and squatted down to ruffle his hair.
Felix giggled and for a second, his voice almost sounded like Samuel's.
"Big brother," Susanna said and held out her arms for a hug. Samuel bent down and picked her off of the ground. Susanna was holding her art tightly in her hands. Samuel noticed it and asked, "What did you draw, Susanna? Can you show it to us?"
Susanna shook her head. "No," she said firmly.
"Why not?" Samuel asked and feigned hurt. Susanna shook her head again and explained, "I didn't finish it yet."
Samuel smiled and set her back down gently.
"Well, why don't you go ahead and finish drawing?" he suggested. Susanna nodded stiffly and turned to go back to the table just as my stomach growled again. I blushed and tried to make an excuse, "Uh, t-that was, uh, um, I mean..."
Samuel laughed and stood back up. "Sorry, sorry. I almost forgot. Let's go get you cookies, okay?"
Felix clapped his hands eagerly. "Cookies! I want cookies too!"
"Do you want some too, Susanna?" Samuel asked the little girl who was busying herself with crayons and markers. Susanna nodded, but didn't say anything.
"Alright, I'll go get some cookies. For now, do you mind watching over them, Eleanor?" Samuel asked me and for the first time, the way he said my name didn't sound nervous at all. I nodded.
"Y-Yeah, no problem. I'll watch over them," I told him and shooed him away.
"Are you big brother's girlfriend?" Felix asked suddenly as soon as Samuel was out of earshot. At the word 'girlfriend', my face reddened even more.
"W-Wha...? Uh, w-we're... I-I don't know..." I stammered. Felix stared up at me, waiting expectantly for an answer. I swallowed and tried again.
"I don't know," I told him truthfully. I didn't bother lying.
What was I anyway? Definitely a random girl who failed all of her classes and came running to him for help.
"I'm back!" Samuel handed Felix a plate of Oreos and Susanna a plate of chocolate chip cookies. He gave me a plate of red velvet cookies.
I picked one up and bit into it. The dough was still warm and melted in my mouth. It tasted better than any other red velvet I had before.
"Homemade?" I guessed and ate another one. Samuel nodded.
"My mom loves to make them and I usually help around," he said with a light pink tinting his cheeks.
"I want some too!" Felix demanded. "I want some of Mommy's cookies too!"
"Eh? But you already ate some Oreos..." Samuel said.
"Don't worry. I'll make more so take as much as you want," a voice I had never heard before in my life rang through the air, but it had the same sparkling sound as Samuel's voice. I looked up and saw a woman with dark brown hair and amber eyes that resembled Samuel’s eyes and hair. Felix grinned and ran towards her. She smiled and picked him up from the ground.
Samuel froze beside me. "M-Mother... What are you... doing out... here?"
"I came to see if any of you were hungry, of course," she said. Her eyes fell onto mine and she gave me a warm smile.
"Hello, and who might you be?" she asked.
"Oh, uh... I'm Eleanor Fyer, ma'am," I introduced. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Rose."
Mrs. Rose chuckled. "You needn't call me 'Mrs. Rose'. Stacey will do fine."
"Mother... it's dangerous," Samuel said worriedly. "You should go back to bed..."
Stacey waved it off. "No need. I feel incredibly strong right now. I'll go to make you children some cookies."
"But Mother-" Samuel tried again, but Stacey put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm fine, Samuel," she told him softly. "You go ahead and entertain your guest. It's been forever since you last had friends over."
Samuel didn't look so sure, but Stacey clapped his shoulder, gave him a wink, and walked away to the pantry.
"I'm going to help Mommy!" Felix announced and bounded after Stacey.
"Is something wrong with your mom?" I asked and realized that I sounded rude. "I-I mean, is she okay?"
Samuel blinked. "What? Oh, yeah, she's fine."
But his eyes and voice said otherwise.
"No she isn't," I said firmly. "What's wrong with her?"
Samuel swallowed. "I think... I have a lot to explain."
~*~
There was another side to Samuel that I had never known before. Another side that had been buried deep below and never dug up before. And today, that other side had broken the surface and showed its true self.
Samuel took me back to his room and we sat on his bed. I sat with my legs crossed and Samuel sat at the edge in a nervous way as if he might need to make a run for it at one point.
"So... explain," I said.
Samuel was silent for a moment. I could see the gears in his head working as he tried to come up with a good explanation.
At last, he said, "My mom has the cancer 'tumor'."
It was as if the air suddenly turned rigid.
"Cancer?" I echoed. "What do you mean?"
Samuel sighed and shifted around. He looked down into his lap and said, "My mom fell sick with cancer four years ago, shortly after Felix and Susanna were born. We couldn't bring her to a h
ospital so she had to hold it out for four years total. Her health wavers weaker and weaker each year."
"Where's your dad?" I asked. "Shouldn't he be helping?"
"That's the problem," Samuel said softly. "My dad disappeared five years ago, two weeks after Mom got pregnant."
My mind whirled back to that day when I helped Felix find Samuel and Susanna. He had said the said thing: I don't have a Daddy.
"I never met him before, too," Samuel continued.
"Meet who?"
"My dad," Samuel let out a long, drawn out breath. "When he was still here, he went to work early and worked late into the night, up to midnight sometimes. I used to go to bed at right so I rarely see him. Only Mom stayed up that late to give him his dinner and accompanied him while he ate. When Mom got pregnant, she got really happy. But my dad never got the chance to see the birth of his other two kids."
"What happened to him?" I asked. Samuel shrugged.
"Who knows?" he said and raised his head to look at me in the eyes. "But whatever happened, we never heard from him again. He just disappeared one day and never returned."
"At first, we thought that he got lost, but after Felix and Susanna were born and he still didn't return, Mom filed out a Missing Person document. Even after that, we never found him."
Samuel smiled sadly. "But it would be nice if I got to meet him properly once in my life."
Silence lapsed into the room. I needed a joke or a random comment. Fast.
"Maybe he got lost in the Bermuda Triangle?" I suggested jokingly, but I could tell that it hit something within Samuel's heart. Despite that, he gave me a small smile.
"Yeah, maybe he did," he muttered. I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The last time we heard from him was when he went on a business trip overseas and was supposed to return two weeks before Felix and Susanna were born. Problem is, he never did. That's all the clues we have."
"He went on a business trip overseas?" I repeated. "What's his job?"
"Our family used to own this electronic company called the Rose Corporation. It was created in California, where I used to live. But after my dad disappeared, we had to move here."
California, where Samuel used to live?
Samuel's entire life sounded like a broken puzzle. Some pieces were chipped and others were missing the picture on it.
"Oh..." I didn't know what else to say. I didn't want to say 'I'm sorry' because those two words wouldn’t mean a thing. I wanted to help him, not giving him even more pain and pity.
"But it's not like my dad's disappearance is the end of the world," Samuel stated and scooted up on the bed until our thighs lightly brushed against each other, sending an electrical shock through my body. "I found out that my dad was French, making me a half-half."
"What, half-half like Percy Jackson?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood. Samuel laughed.
"Yeah, something like that."
Samuel's hand crawled on top of mine and I barely noticed how well over hands were together, like they were carved to fit into each other.
We didn't talk much after that. Samuel pulled me close and we just stayed like that for what seemed like forever.
I didn't even notice the sun slowly setting down across the horizon and the stars and moon coming out. But for now, I just wanted to live the moment for as long as I could.
~*~
It was dark by the time I called Bailey to pick me up to take me home. Samuel had lent me his jacket since the winds at night were chilly and pulled me into one last hug. I tried to make time pass slowly as I savored the warmth and protectiveness of Samuel's arms.
"See you tomorrow," Samuel said, his voice muffled into my hair, slightly tickling the top of my head.
"Yeah, you too."
We pulled back just as Bailey's car pulled up. She rolled down the windows and gave me a wave.
"I gotta go," I said and jogged to Bailey's awaiting car.
"Bye Eleanor!"
I smiled and waved back before getting into the car and we drove away.
~*~
Bailey made me a plate of spaghetti when I got home. I ate and went upstairs to my bedroom.
I laid down on my bed and reencountered the events that happened today. I smiled as the taste of Samuel's lips lingered on mine.
I still couldn't believe it myself. I loved Samuel Rose. It was confirmed. Something changed within me or else I wouldn't be feeling these emotions churning inside of me.
I sat up in my bed and drew back the curtains covering my window. I watched as the stars twinkled and the moon shimmered in the night sky.
My door opened and Bailey strode inside.
"Hey, El. Do you-" she stopped mid-sentence when she caught me looking out the window. Without saying a word, she silently crossed the room to sit on the bed with me. I didn't notice her until I felt a shift in the mattress.
I turned around to see Bailey smiling at me.
"How many stars do you think are there in the sky?" she asked, catching me off guard. I shrugged.
"Dunno," I said. "What do you think?"
"I don't know, too," Bailey admitted. "There's too many to count. The universe expands forever."
We stayed silent as we watched the moon moving across the sky for a moment.
"That boy I saw today, is he your friend?" Bailey suddenly asked, breaking the silence. I was caught off guard.
"Yeah," I answered. "Something like that." It was only half of the truth. Samuel meant much more to me than just a 'friend'.
"He looks nice," Bailey continued. "Is he the tutor that you told me about?"
I nodded.
"Are you two getting along well?" Bailey asked. I nodded again.
Bailey smiled. "Are you in love with him?"
It took me a moment to answer her question. Thoughts pierced my mind. I loved Samuel Rose.
"Yeah," I said. "I do."
Bailey giggled and pulled me into a hug. For the first time, her hug didn't feel like it was crushing my bones.
"Oh, I'm so happy right now!" Bailey squealed. "My daughter has finally found her love."
I groaned as her arms tightened. I spoke too soon. "Bailey, you're crushing me."
"Oh, oops. Sorry about that," she said sheepishly and gave me a wide grin.
I smoothed out my shirt. "It's okay."
"You have my full support," Bailey told me and ruffled my hair. She got up and walked over to the door. She opened the door and right before she walked out, she turned to give me one last smile and reminded me, "Remember, I'm your mom. I'll be there cheering for you from the sides."
My bedroom door shut and Bailey was gone.
Her words replayed in my mind and I smiled to myself. I was the most grateful girl in the entire world to have loving parents, supporting friends, and an amazing tutor.
The thought of Samuel made my smile wider. I looked out the window again. The stars seemed to twinkle even brighter than before. Somewhere within my heart, I knew that the stars would forever be shining brightly in the sky.
Forever and ever. That was my favorite way to end a bed time story back when I was younger.
"And they lived happily ever after."
CHAPTER 16: The Road To Home
"Fine, you win," I grumbled to Marisol as I sipped my juice box. We were waiting for Chloe to join us for lunch, but I couldn't wait any longer and began to eat first. Marisol tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion.
"I won what?"
"The bet."
"What bet?"
I let out an exasperated sigh. "The bet that we made about whether or not I'll fall in love."
It took Marisol a blink of an eye to figure out what I meant. When she did, she squealed.
"Oh my gods!" she exclaimed and gave me a bear hug, causing me to almost spill my drink. "My baby grew up!"
I gave her an as menacing of a glare as I could manage. "Don't you dare tell anyone," I warned.
"What about Chloe?"
"No way, nu-uh, na-da, no-"
"Tell me what?" Chloe's voice asked from behind me, causing me to jump in my seat. Chloe slipped into the seat beside me. I shot Marisol another glare before clearing my throat and made up a lame excuse, "Oh, uh, nothing much. Just the normal talks."
"Are you sure?" Chloe raised an eyebrow and gave me a crooked grin. Before I could answer, Marisol butted in and announced proudly, "Guess what? It finally happened! El and Samuel are finally together!"
Chloe's face lit up and she beamed.
"That's amazing!" she clapped her hands. "Now, advance Romeo and Juliet!"