ANCHOR

Chapter 18

SAM

   The world was silent, except for her breath, sweet and minty, on my lips. "I love you." Hope whispered, my eyes caught in hers. She looked so serious, I felt my heart break. I knew I loved her more than anything I had ever loved before. She was my first thought when I woke up in the morning, and the last before I went to sleep. Before I could tell her though, she was seven again. Broken and lost. I needed to help her, but my seven year old body didn't know I would grow to love her. I was terrified of all I felt, the way my heart stopped and how my breath became shallow. So I left her there, under the willow tree. The only place in the whole world that had ever meant anything to me.

  I woke up, aware that my phone was vibrating. It was Hope. I answered it breathlessly,"Hope?" "Hi Sam. So you know our English project? We should probably get on that." She stated matter-of-factly. I smiled to myself. "How about we go to get coffee like we had intended to on Friday?" I asked. "That sounds perfect." she told me. It struck me, with great pleasure, how easy it was to talk to her. "Can you be ready in fifteen?" I asked her, as I heard something clash in the kitchen and my Dad's catch phrase; "Dammit." I barely heard her accept, because I just realized I couldn't leave Derek alone here with my Dad, ranting and raging. "Wait Hope," I got out quickly before she hung up. "...yeah?" I heard her ask curiously on the other end. "Do you mind if I... bring my little brother?" Wow. That sounded incredibly stupid. I regretted it immediately, and felt my cheeks flushed. Before I could clarify, she replied to me, cheerful, "I would love that!" if it was possible to love her more, I did. "Okay... bye Hope."

"Bye Sam," I heard her smiling.

"Derek?" I quietly tried to arouse him from his sleep. He looked peaceful, his face smooth and calm. I shook him a little, and he didn't wake. "Derek?" He mumbled something, and then rolled to his side so he had his back to me. "Come on Derek. Wake up." I said and shook him a little harder. His eyes fluttered open and he cracked his lips open and croaked, "Sam."

"Morning." I smiled. "I'm going to get coffee with a friend and she said it was okay if you came too." He gave me a sleepy smile and told me, "I like her already."

He stripped himself of the navy blue comforter that was identical to mine. He swung his legs over the side of his bed, and began stretching, his arms high over his head. His face contorted with one of pain, and he began holding his head.

 "Derek?!? Are you okay?" I asked, worried. "Yeah... just... a...rush to the head. Or something." His face was still scrunched oddly. "Are you sure?" I asked, still nervous. "Yeah." He replied, his faced drained from the visible pain. "Good." I told him. He had been getting headaches often, he really hadn't had enough sleep. I felt terrible for waking him up, but I couldn't leave him here.

 "15 minutes." I told him. He smirked at me, his half-open brown eyes unable to reflect the humor in his smirk as he replied, "It's a date." I gave him a snort, then padded into the bathroom to take a shower.

 I took a comb to my wet mangled hair, flinching everytime it hit a knot. I managed to get it in control, then took to my closet to look for my best clothes. I never realized how many t-shirts I had until I had failed to find anything else. I threw on my best looking one, which I must've gotten myself a year ago. It was brown, and I was hoping it brought out my eyes like Derek's did. I put on my favorite pair of jeans, worn and comfortable. I almost sprayed myself with cologne, then decided against it.

 Derek was in the shower and I placed the cologne bottle in his room, recognizing if I didn't use it today I never would.

   Hope ran out of her house, her long curls bouncing and shining in the sun. Her long legs were bare, except for a pair of shorts. She wore a navy oversized sweatshirt. I walked over to open the passanger door, the gravel crunching under my feet. "Hi Sam!" she sweetly told me, and gave me a quick peck on the check and gave me a "thanks" for opening the door. Once she was in and settled, I closed the door and returned to my spot.