Sam & Penny Short-Stories *English*

HANGOVER - Alcohol is not a Solution...or is it?

Here is the last chapter of this short story. Typographical errors in the literal speech are intentional. Have fun reading.

I've been staring at the ceiling of my bedroom for 2 hours now. It was crazy. As much as I had resisted letting Ellie's words fall on fertile ground, I still couldn't stop thinking about them.

Sam liked me? Should I really believe that? And why did the thought turn my stomach in this strange but not at all negative way? When I thought of Ben, I felt it too, but in his case it suddenly felt more like a gastrointestinal illness. That moment when you felt like you had to run towards the bathroom at any moment. What was wrong with me and why did I only now realize that being with Ben wasn't what I really wanted?

Ben had texted me that evening saying he had to work late but wanted to come over. I had put him off until tomorrow with the excuse that I wanted to go to bed early. I did that too, but still couldn't get any sleep because my thoughts just wouldn't let go of the conversation with Ellie and the others and fragments of it kept popping into my head.

Should Sam really have more in store for me than the deep friendship that we now shared? It would explain why he had looked so shocked when Ben showed up the morning after my birthday, and then somehow even hurt when he left. It would explain all of his behavior over the last few weeks. I couldn't imagine what it was like to be so insulted that you had lost.

But did he?

How did I really feel about Sam?

He had become my best friend. I couldn't talk to anyone or laugh with anyone like I could with him. I always really enjoyed being with him and felt safe and secure in his presence. With him I never had to think about what I was saying. There was nothing he would hold against me. Just like I couldn't ever be mad at him about anything.

I thought for a moment how I would feel if Sam turned to a woman. Maybe even a colleague. Ellie maybe or Jodie or Krystyna? My stomach turned and I felt a deep anger and sadness welling up inside me, which immediately made me shake those thoughts away. I could do it. Sam couldn't do it.

Frustrated, I pulled back the covers and sat up, running my hands through my hair. I had to clear my head. I really needed to get my thoughts in order somehow.

Jog! That always helped. The fresh air, the exercise, and I might end up tired enough to get some sleep.

So I put on my jogging suit and tied my hair back up. I didn't think about it for long, but took the path through the forest. It was a long loop of about 10 kilometers. After the first third I reached the beach and walked along it. I closed my eyes and blocked out my own steady breathing as I listened to the sound of the sea. I loved the sea so much. It always brought me down, no matter how stressed or annoyed I was about anything. I just walked like that for minutes, opening my eyes sporadically to make sure there wasn't any driftwood in my path to walk over as I completely lost myself in the sound of the waves.

Until a scream made me freeze. I immediately stopped and listened, but nothing happened anymore. Someone had to be in danger, I thought, and I ran on, this time as fast as I could, until I saw someone in the distance crouched in the sand with his arms on his bent knees, covering his face in the gap between.

"Sam?!" I called out in surprise when I was close enough to see him and slowed down when he jerked upright.

"Penny?!" he asked, almost horrified, as he quickly wiped his eyes with one hand and stood up, while trying to hide something behind him with the other hand. He wasn't quite on his feet when he staggered and spread his arms to regain his balance, revealing what he had been trying to hide - a nearly empty bottle of whiskey. Was he drunk?