The Winding Road

Chapter 4

I sink into the beanbag as James inserts the movie into the DVD player. He turns around and looks at me...

"What?" I ask, confused by his smile.

"Nothing." He says as he walks to the beanbag next to me and sits down.

I laugh and sit up to get my coffee off the table. The music begins to play and we both sing along to the opening tune. The movie starts and we both fall quiet. We eat our popcorn and drink our coffee. For the first time in a while I feel completely at peace, with nothing bothering me or making me feel unsafe. The movie finishes and I put my empty box of popcorn on the table. James stretches and puts his mug on the table.

"Did you enjoy it?" He asks turning his head and looking at me.

"Yes," I say smiling, "it's funny."

He laughs, "yes it is. My favorite part is when the woman is dancing by the camp fire."

I laugh. He laughs. I laugh at him laughing. He laughs at me laughing. Eventually we are both in a laughing fit. My stomach hurts and I have a raging headache but I can't stop. Eventually the laughter dies down and we go downstairs to the kitchen to drink water. I sit down on the bar stool while James takes two glasses out of the cabinet and pours us ice water. He places it on the counter in front of me and sits down.

" So Sammy," he begins. I laugh and give him a light punch.

"Shut up Tuna!" I half shout. We both start laughing. Tuna was James' nickname and Sammy was mine.

#FLASHBACK#

"Hey Samantha."

I turn around and see a smiling James trotting happily towards me.

"Hey!" I say smiling back at him, "how are you?"

"I'm great thanks," he says with a blank expression on his face, "just had a maths test and history essay. So I am just great." He says forcing a fake smile onto his face.

I laugh at him and tap the ground next to me telling him to come sit down. He does. I take a bite out of my bacon and egg sandwich as James opens his lunchbox. He takes out a tuna sandwich and bites into it. I laugh as he does because he closes his eyes and embraces the flavor. As I laugh, I let out a snort and he spits the tuna all over his shirt. We are both hysterical and from that day on, James Rogan's nickname was Tuna.

#END OF FLASHBACK#

The laughing dies down and we both just smile at each other. I take another gulp of water and gasp as the brain freeze takes over. James chuckles and takes a sip.

"So you still haven't answered my question," he says becoming a bit more serious.

"What question?"

"Why weren't you answering my messages this morning?"

"I've already told you, I was sleeping!" I say laughing.

"Oh yeah! Sorry." He says blushing.

"You're such an idiot James." I say winking at him.

"Thank you," He says sarcastically," but why were you still sleeping? I sent that message at like 10:30"

"Yes James, haven't you ever heard of sleeping in?"

"I know it wasn't that Sam," he says looking worried, "what happened?"

"I really did sleep in but there's a reason why I was tired." I say softly.

"What is the reason, Sam, you know you can tell me anything," he says placing his hand gently over mine on the counter, " talk to me, what happened?"

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"It'll help to tell someone Sam." He says squeezing my hand.

I feel a pain in my chest and look down at the counter.

"Last night..........."