Chapter 11
January 2009
Every student had returned home. Serena went home and took a shower, had dinner with her family. She was waiting for her friends to call her and ask her out to the countdown, after all, today was the last day of December. Serena stared at her cell phone. She wondered if anyone would call her.
Anyone, who was Sam.
For some reasons, she wanted to hear Sam’s gentle voice, for a moment she had the sudden urge to call Sam. After what happened during the trip, Serena was so confused, why was Sam doing that? Just as she was thinking, her cell phone rang. Serena jumped and stared at the phone, but it was not the person she wanted.
“Hello?” Serena sighed, but deep down she knew Sam would never call her.
“Serena, honey! We’re going to the Pier to countdown, you coming?” Joanna asked, already getting in the Volvo and heading there.
“Sure, I’d love to. See you there.” Serena tried to sound happy. It’s not like she was upset, but she was feeling weird. Countdown, so there would be fireworks, this reminded her of one of the promises that Sam made.
“I’ll watch fireworks with my sweetie on the last day of December. I promise.”
Serena let out a long sighed.
Sam looked at Joanna, waiting patiently for an explanation.
“What?” Joanna asked and turned to look at him with annoyance.
“What?” Sam rolled his eyes, “Shouldn’t you be telling me what’s that all about?” he pulled over the car and had all his attention to her.
“Sam, I’m helping you guys. Besides, she doesn’t know you’re coming. No harm done.” Joanna raised her hands and smiled innocently.
“You don’t understand, she won’t want to see me. I’m sure the moment she sees me, she wants me to get out of her face!” Sam sighed, he knew that would happen, after everything he had done to her during the trip, confusing her, and now again ignoring her, who would want to see him again?
“You don’t know.”
“YOU don’t understand, Joanna!” Sam shouted at her, he wanted to tell her what he had done. He wanted to tell her that he kissed her again that was the one of many reasons why he thought Serena would not want to see him.
“I’m sorry.” Sam apologized immediately.
“Whatever,” Joanna sighed, she wasn’t going to argue with Sam, no matter what, she just want Serena to be happy, coming out to countdown would not hurt her, “Are you going or not?”
Sam nodded and pulled back onto the road.
Serena smiled when she was Jasmine at the entrance of the Pier. “Hey.” Jasmine greeted and breathed a kiss of her cheek and Serena did likewise.
“Where’s Joanna?” Serena asked, looking around. There were a lot of people at the Pier, everyone came for countdown, to say goodbye to 2008.
What a horrible year it is. Serena thought. It was supposed to be the happiest year; however, things went up and down like the
“I think she’s coming.” Jasmine told Serena, she was not sure if Joanna was or not. She called her a while ago, and Joanna told her that she was on the way. But it had been 20 minutes already. Just as they were wondering where was Joanna, she arrived.
“Hey guys!” Joanna smiled happily at Jasmine and Serena the moment she got off the Volvo.
Serena sighed.
Sam’s Volvo.
This was not going to be an easy night. Why couldn’t Sam just leave her alone!?
Sam shut the door and walked slowly toward Serena. “Hey.”
Both Joanna and Jasmine stared at Sam; they were surprised by what Sam had done.
“Did Sam just say hey to Serena?” Jasmine asked Joanna by means of eye contact.
“I don’t know, but I think he did.” Joanna nodded.
Serena looked up and stared at Sam’s azure eyes, how long had it been? A few days? She had not looked straight into his eyes since that night they kissed.
Wow, I love his eyes. Serena thought. She immediately snapped out of it and answered, “Hi.”
And here by Sam noticed she was no longer wearing the bracelet he gave her on her birthday, he saw her wearing it all the time, never had she once taken it off. But now the bracelet was not longer on her waist, it was gone. Sam doubted if she never wanted to have it back on ever again.
10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1
Happy New Year!
Happy 2009!
“Happy New Year Serena!” Joanna shouted through the noise.
“Happy new year to you too Joanna! Thank you!” Serena shouted back.
“Jasmine! Happy New year!” Serena said with a big hug. “You and Joanna are such good friends!” she said, a single tear fell and she quickly wiped it.
Serena looked up at the sky, the fireworks were beautiful. Everything seemed so good. She once wished to watch fireworks with Sam, and now she got her wish. However, even though they were at the same place, just a few feet from each other, watching the same fireworks, the bonding between them had broken; it would not be what it used to think it would be. Serena sighed, she wondered what it would be like in 2009, and she wished it would be a happy one. She’s done with everything; she’s so done with this unhappy relationship.
Sam stole glances at Serena, he saw the laughter on her face and he also saw the tears. He could feel the pain Serena felt, he knew it was painful. Happy New Year, sweetie. Sam said in his mind, he hoped one day, he would be able to tell Serena that. He hoped soon he could call her sweetie again.
*
On Friday afternoon, every student had to sit for a seminar about a career talk, and because Serena was the one in charge of the audio in the main hall, she had gone there earlier to have everything set up. After she had done her jobs, she walked back up to the classroom using the hall staircase. When Serena was walking up, she heard Sam’s voice and as long as with the other friends’. Serena was wondering if she should go back down so she would not be too lucky to run into Sam. But she didn’t go down which was a mistake. It was just so fortunately that Serena and Sam came across each other at the stairs. When Sam saw her, he immediately moved to the other side and let Serena pass.
Do you really gotta move that fast? Serena thought. Once again she reached for her waist, but was overwhelmed again by the fact that the bracelet was gone. She sighed.
Did he really needa avoid me like that? Why he gotta do these heartbreaking things right in my face and then sometimes be nice? Did he ever think of how hard it will be for me to deal with all those things? Serena kept muttered to herself.
Serena never understood what Sam was really thinking.
After Serena walked pass Sam, Sam sighed loudly.
“I’m sorry.” Sam said in his heart. He never wanted to do this; he never wanted to hurt Serena. Sometimes, he wished he would never see her anymore, because somehow his existence had Serena hurt.
*
After the career talk, Sam switched on his cell phone and saw the text message Sam. Meet me at Angela’s, 4:30 at 4:15, and he rushed to the parking lot to get his Volvo. He threw the books at the backseat; and walked to the driver’s side and slipped in. Just as he was about to turn the ignition, he swore he saw a rainbow like light. He moved to the passage seat and there he spotted it.
The bracelet.
Serena’s bracelet.
The star shaped charm that would give off rainbow light was lying on the floor. Sparkling like it always was.
Sam picked it up and had it in his palm. Now that he knew the reason why Serena hadn’t had it on with her anymore because she had lost it and not that she did not want to wear it. Sam smiled to himself and tugged the bracelet into his pocket. He started the car and moved off.
Since there was no place to park the car, he just double parked it along the street, and he just hoped that he would not get a ticket. He got off the car and went into the restaurant.
“May I help you, sir?” The waiter asked politely.
“No, thanks, my friend’s here.” Sam said, pointing at
Sam walked toward her, “Sorry, I’m late, I just got the message.” he apologized as he sat down.
“Don’t worry about that.”
The waiter come, “May I have your order, sir?”
Sam thought for a second and answered, “Cappuccino, thanks.” Sam said as he handed the menu back to the waiter. The waiter walked away.
“So, ah, is there something you wanna talk about?”
“Yeah. Are you hiding something from me, or you’re not telling me something?”
“What do you mean?” Confused Sam asked.
“During the trip, on the train?”
Sam frowned at her and said, “The train was so hot, I can’t fall asleep and the toilet stinks. Does that count?”
“Don’t play dumb with me; I know what you did with Serena on that night.”
“What did we do? We didn’t do anything. Besides, how do you know?” Sam asked, astonished.
Sam frowned and muttered under his breath, “Dammit, Lax!”
“I didn’t! I won’t be back with Serena, it’s a done deal, remember?” Sam argued.
“Sam! You-”
Sam cut her off at once, “Nance, stop it! Let’s not talk about it. It’s not your business.” He said, feeling annoyed.
“Your business is my business!”
“Who give you the right to mind my business? Who are you?” Sam said it, but immediately regretted, knowing that he had hurt
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. Just quit it, okay?” Sam said, shaking his head.
“Sam, I love you, don’t do this to me.”
“I’m not doing anything! I don’t want to let you know because I know it will upset you!”
“Sam, I don’t like you doing this. Why can’t you just stay the hell away from Serena?”
“I am staying away from her! What else do you want!? Besides, you don’t get to tell me what I should do.” Sam stood up, hands on the table. He then grabbed his jacket and marched out of the restaurant without taking another look at
*
Sam drove back to West High, when he saw Lax walked along the hallway, he walked toward him quickly. Sam swung Lax around, grabbed hold of his collar and pushed him to a corner, “LAX SMITH! When the hell will you learn to mind your own business?” Sam shouted at Lax.
“What are you talking about? Get off me!” Lax struggled but Sam didn’t let go.
“Why will you pretend to be asleep and watch what Serena and I were doing that night on the train?” Sam asked furiously.
“I didn’t pretend, you didn’t know I was awake!” Lax said calmly.
“Why would you tell Nance that we were sleeping in one bunk? What good does that do to you!?” Sam asked, pushing him harder against the wall.
Sam was so close to him that he had gone cross-eyed trying to keep him in view.
Lax said nothing.
“This is ridiculous! Why can’t you just mind your own business? Why do you needa cross the path!?”
Lax looked at Sam with doubt, “I’m your friend, that’s why!” Lax said.
“A real friend will not do anything like this to his best mate!” Sam shouted and shook his head in disgust.
“Sam!
“I’m NOT with Serena, and I’m not doing anything to hurt
“It’s because of Serena, isn’t it? I was just clearing the way for
“And who makes you the one to do that for Nance? You are not helping, you’re just ruining everything! Nance never needs to know what happened on the train, because Serena and I can’t be together!” Sam explained, breathing heavily. If Sam was not at the school campus, he was so gonna punched Lax.
“Who knows!?” Lax stared at Sam.
“We won’t because I’ve made a promise to Nance, I’m not going back on my words, and clearly Serena knows that there is no way we will be together!”
The bell rung, students were running to different classroom to have lessons and so needed Sam and Lax. Sam let go and shoot him with a dead glare and added, “For the last time, mind your own business.” Then Sam walked away.
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