it's you, it's always been you

chapter 2

Mr. Johnson opened up his beer as he flopped down on his couch in the living room. It was three am and he just got done working a double shift. He was about to turn on their T.V. when the doorbell went off. He looked out the window before going to the door. It was dark out and the street light on their street burned out years ago, so he couldn't make out the figure at the door.

"Sam? You know you don't have to ring the door- wait what happened?" He asked as the figure at the door walked inside. She was soaking wet and out of breath. "Are you okay?"

Sam was shaking down to her fingertips. Not because it was cold out, it was still warm out, but after running to her house straight to the Johnson's house. She was soaking wet because it had rained the past hour. She didn't have the strength in the moment to answer his questions, she was just grateful someone was home and awake. "Is Deena here?"

Deena. Deena. Deena. Her Deena. That's all she could think about the moment she left her house. Mr. Johnson gave Sam one of the blankets on the couch, Deena's favorite one. "Yes- I'll get her, stay here." He spoke softly, wanting to be gentle due to how weak and fragile Sam looked.

Mr. Johnson knocked on Deena's door loudly and nonstop until she opened it. "What?! I was sleeping!" She yelled as soon as she opened the door. The look on her dad's face made her worry instantly. "It's Sam- she's here.. something happened to her." He said as he moved out of the way for his daughter to make it to the living room where Sam was.

"Oh my God, Sam.." Deena rushed to Sam, turning on the light so she can see her better. Sam looked up from her feet, just now realizing she forgot to put on shoes. "I'm making your carpet so wet, I'm sorry I can clean it up," Sam spoke in almost a whisper  before she looked up and met Deena's eyes.

A tear fell down Sam's cheek the moment she saw Deena's face. With the light on, they could see the cut above Sam's eyebrow and the bruises on her cheek. "Sam.. what happened? Are you okay?" Deena stepped closer to Sam, her heart aching for the injured girl in front of her. She slowly lifted her hands to Sam's face, gently wiping the tear away from Sam's cheek with her thumb. Seeing Sam hurt like this broke Deena's heart. She looked Sam up and down and noticed how soaked she was and that she was only wearing a t-shirt and shorts, no socks or shoes.

"D-Deena.." was all Sam said before she wrapped her arms around Deena and melted into her. She didn't think she had anymore tears left in her after running the her house and crying at the same time. She thought she looked like a crazy person or something to other people that saw her, running and crying and bleeding, with no shoes.

Deena wrapped her arms around Sam the second she fell into her arms. She lifted one hand to the back of Sam's head and the other to Sam's back, running her hand up and down to try to calm Sam down. She could feel Sam shaking and her clothes getting wet from Sam, but she didn't care. "It's okay.... It's okay, I'm here, Sam... It's me," Deena whispered to Sam.

Sam lifted her head, realizing that Josh and Deena's dad were now watching them and each of them with worried looks on their faces.

Sam spent everyday during the summer here when they were young, and in middle school. When Deena's mom was still alive. She knew Deena's house better than her own. Josh felt like a little brother to her and Deena's mom and dad felt like family too.

But Deena never felt like a sister to her. She always knew that Deena was someone she was destined to meet. There were moments when Deena felt like the only person in the world that could make Sam feel like she was loved, and this felt like one of those moments now as Deena held her.

Deena saw the look on Sam's face and led her to her room where they could be alone together. She led Sam to the chair in her room, as she got towels and dry clothes for Sam to wear.