The Friend Zone

Chapter Twenty Four: Reversal Camp

It's not all the time that what you've been wishing for since you were as the Scottish would say 'a wee bairn' would come true, but when it does most people consider themselves one happy SOB, and move on.

Not me though, never me.

God finally responds to my wish, paying respect to all those fallen lashes, all those shooting stars and all those 11:11's.

Turns out that all those birthday cake wishes were not wasted.

My wish has come true, Sam loves me, only he decides that he loves me when it's a little, no scratch that, a lot late.

Sam has left my house an hour ago, mom is off to one of her charity events, Jasmine is out on a date with Eric, and I'm not really in the mood for Tyler.

So instead of going out on the amazing date Luke has been setting up for weeks now, I slouch on the couch a carton of Ben and Jerry's in one hand, and a soda can in the other, one that for the first time in my life I wish was beer, and I can't stop thinking about Sam and his love proclamation.

"Leah, please I love you."

Thank God I didn't have a knife on me in that moment or I think I would have stabbed a hole in his heart, just like the one he made in mine.

There's a burn in my chest right now, I swear, it's like that feeling I sometimes get when I eat too much, stomach burn or something, but a thousand times more, it feels like my heart is on fire.

My heart is on fire, and Ben and Jerry's is not working.

A fire extinguisher, anyone?

Well alright then, a doctor maybe?

Not that either, well I guess I'll have to suffer alone.

* * * * *

Jasmine could tell that something's wrong, but she doesn't ask, and when I don't tell her she doesn't question me, kinda unusual for Jas, but she's so psyched about Homecoming and Eric and the dress she's going to be wearing to pay me much attention.

Tyler for some reason is a different case, he kept tossing me sad glimpses all through the second period, when I finally turned to him and snapped "What?" he simply shrugged, and turned those eyes toward the board.

Yesterday, after proffering a shot from dad's liqueur cabin ( I never drink so mom keeps it unlocked.) I had a sudden epiphany, it started like all epiphany's start with a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach and Freddy killing teens on Elm street on TV, and it lasted all to the morning, the epiphany made one thing very clear to me, I must ignore Sam's confession.

If I ignored it, Luke and I can continue onward with this fast pace relationship and maybe Sam and I can forget about this whole thing and continue with our friendship.

My alcohol induced plan is flawless.

So what if Sam claims to be desperately in love with me, and despite my denials my stomach flutters wildly around him and not so much around Luke, and so what that when he was telling me he loved me a part of me wanted to break into song and throw my arms around it.

My plan was still flawless, it's either that, or getting myself ready for heartbreak again.

During lunch period Sam didn't sit with us, in fact I didn't see him at all, all through out the day, I tried not to be overly worried but come on, this was Sam, I've loved him all my life I had to be worried.

"Ty," I told Tyler when I sat beside him completely ignoring everyone else, Tyler looked at me and even though he was wearing his usual cocky smile I could see a sad gleam in his eyes, like a good friend I ignored and asked the question in my mind "Where's Sam today?"

Tyler was quiet for a while as if debating whether to answer me or not, finally he said "Sam wasn't feeling well today, so he took an absent leave."

Sam has only been sick one time during his whole life, and he never missed football practice, today was football practice Tyler and I both knew that, so instead of voicing my doubts I gave him a level stare hoping he would budge, he didn't, finally he opened his mouth but said something completely I didn't expect "Look, Lee, Sam...he can be...an idiot sometimes, but it's only to protect himself."

And just like that Tyler got up and headed out of the cafeteria.

"You left your food." I yelled after him.

He didn't come back.

* * * * *

It's like before spring break when Sam broke my heart but in reverse.

Sam is me, I am Sam, Tyler is Jasmine, and I hope to hell he has a 'Mom'.

Sam didn't come to school for 2 days now, Tyler wouldn't tell me how he is, and Jasmine and Eric like the rest of the world were ignorant to what's going on.

Luke noticed that I was being a bit off these days, but he didn't make much comment about it, he kept his comments to how 'beautiful I looked.', and how 'lucky he was to have me', for that past two days I spent every moment of my time happy, planning having fun, and I hated it, because I knew that not so far from here, Sam was lying in bed mending a broken heart.