Loved. Morgan Rice
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used to love the snow. Especially snow days, when he could stay home from school. He remembered going with Caitlin to the top of the hill and sledding half the day.
But now he mostly skipped school, so it didn’t really make a difference. Now, it was just a giant pain in the ass.
Sam reached into his pocket and withdrew a crumpled pack of cigarettes. He put one in his mouth and lit up.
He knew he shouldn’t be smoking. But all his friends smoked, and they kept pushing it on him. Finally, he’d said why not? So he started a few weeks back. Now, he was kind of liking it. He was coughing a lot more, and his chest was hurting him already, but he figured, what the hell? He knew it would kill him. But he didn’t really see himself living that long anyway. He never had. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he never really believed he’d make 20.
Now that his head was starting to clear, he thought about yesterday again. Caitlin. He felt bad about it. Really bad. He loved her. He really did. She had come all this way to see him. Why was she asking him about Dad? Had he imagined that?
He couldn’t believe she was here, too. He wondered if their mom had freaked out that she’d left. She must’ve. He bet she was freaking out right now. Probably trying to track them both down. Then again, maybe she wasn’t. Who cares? She’d moved them one time too many.
But Caitlin. That was different. He shouldn’t have treated her like that. He should have been nicer. He was just too stoned at the time. Still, he felt bad. He guessed there was a part of him that wanted things to go back to normal, whatever that was. And she was the closest thing he had to normal.
Why was she back? Was she moving back to Oakville? That would be awesome. Maybe they could find a place together. Yeah, the more Sam thought about it, the more he really liked the idea. He wanted to talk to her.
Sam whipped out his cell and saw the red light blinking. He pushed the icon, and saw that he had a new Facebook message. From Caitlin. She was at the old barn.
Perfect. That’s where he’d go.
Sam parked, and walked across the property, to the old barn. The “old barn” is all they had to say. They both knew what that meant. It was the place they always went when they lived in Oakville. It was at the back of a property with a vacant house for sale that had been on the market for years. The house just sat there, empty, asking way too much. Nobody ever even came to look at it, as far as they could tell.
And in the back of the property, way back, there had been this really cool barn, just sitting there, totally empty. Sam had discovered it one day, and had showed it to Caitlin. Neither of them saw the harm in hanging out in it. They both hated their small trailer, being trapped in there with their mom. One night they stayed up late in it, talking, roasting marshmallows in its really cool fireplace, and they both fell asleep. After that, they’d crash in it every now and again, especially whenever things got too crazy at home. At least they were putting it to use. After a few months, they began to feel like it was their place.
Sam walked across the property, a bounce in his step, as he looked forward to seeing Caitlin. His head was really clearing now, especially after that large Dunkin’ Donuts coffee he gulped down in the car on the way over. He knew, at 15, he shouldn’t be driving. But he was still a couple years away from getting his license, and he didn’t want to wait. He hadn’t been pulled over yet. And he knew how to drive. So why wait? His friends let him borrow their pickup, and that was good enough for him.
As Sam approached the barn, he suddenly wondered if that big dude would be with her. There was something about the guy…he couldn’t quite place it. He couldn’t figure out what he was doing with Caitlin. Were they dating? Caitlin had always told him everything. How come he’d never heard of him before?
And why was Caitlin suddenly asking about Dad? Sam was pissed at himself, because there was actually news he’d wanted to tell her. About the other day. He’d finally gotten an answer to one of his Facebook requests. It was their Dad. It was really him. He said he missed them, and wanted to see them. Finally. After all these years. Sam had already responded. They were starting to talk again. And Dad wanted to see him. See them both. Why hadn’t Sam just told her? Well, at least he could tell her now.
As Sam walked, snow crunching beneath his boots, snow falling all around him at an increasing rate, he started to feel happy again. With Caitlin around, things might even get back to normal. Maybe she’d showed up at the right time, when he was so messed up, to help snap him out of it. She always had a way of doing that. Maybe this was his shot.
As he reached into his pocket for another cigarette, he stopped himself. Maybe he could turn things around.
Sam crumpled up the pack and threw it in the grass. He didn’t need it. He was stronger than that.
He opened the door of the barn, ready to surprise Caitlin and give her a big hug. He would tell her he was sorry. She would be sorry, too, and things would be great again.
But the barn was empty.
“Hello?” Sam called out, knowing, even as he did, that no one was there.
He noticed the dying embers of a fire in the fireplace, one that must have been put out hours ago. But there were no signs of any possessions, of anything that would show they were still there. She’d left. Probably with that dude. Why couldn’t she have waited for him? Given him a chance? Even just a few hours?
Sam felt as if someone had just punched him as hard as they could in the gut. His own sister. Even she didn’t care anymore.
He had to sit down. He sat on a stack of hay, and rested his head in his hands. He could feel his headache returning. She really did it. She left. Had she gone for good? Deep down, he felt that she had.
Sam finally took a deep breath. All right.
He felt himself hardening up. He was on his own. He knew how to handle that. He didn’t need anyone, anyway.
“Hey there.”
It was a beautiful, soft, female voice.
Sam looked up, hoping for a second that it was Caitlin. But he already knew, from the second he heard it, that it was not. It was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard.
A girl stood in the entryway to the barn, leaning casually against the wall. Wow. She was stunning. She had long, wavy, red hair, bright green eyes. A perfect body. And she looked about his age, maybe a few years older. Wow. She was smoking.
Sam stood.
He could hardly believe it, but the way she stared at him, it looked like she was flirting, like she was really into him. He’d never seen a girl look at him quite like that. He couldn’t believe his luck.
“I’m Samantha,” she said sweetly, stepping forward and extending one hand.
Sam stepped forward and placed his hand in hers. Her skin was so soft.
Was he dreaming? What was this girl doing here, in the middle of nowhere? How did she even get here? He didn’t hear a car pull up, or even hear anyone walking towards the barn. And he’d just got there. He didn’t understand.
“I’m Sam,” he said.
She smiled wide, revealing perfect, white teeth. Her smile was incredible. Sam felt his knees going weak, as she looked directly at him.
“Sam, Samantha,” she said. “I like the sound of that.”
He stared back, at a loss for words.
“I saw you out here and figured you must be cold,” she said. “Want to come in?”
Sam racked his brain, but couldn’t figure out what she meant.
“In?”
“The house,” she said, smiling wider, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. “You know, it has walls and windows?”
Sam tried to comprehend what she was saying. Invite him inside the house? The one that was for sale? Why would she invite him in?
“I just bought it,” she said, as if responding to