Chapter Eight:
Days went flying by like a mighty wind after their prom. A lot of things happened and she got really busy—which was okay, you know? A good guy can understand. Now, since she was graduating and was also the student council president, she had more responsibilities than all the other seniors had. And she was class the valedictorian, too. The smartest, most trusted student in the whole school. So you know that she was the principal’s favorite when it comes to commandments and commanding things.
As her graduation day approached, things around us would get so messed up that there would be days when I rarely get to see her. She would try her best to meet up with me, but that will only last for about a minute or so. She would be too tired to hang out or even talk on the phone. I mean, I was losing my time with her! And she knew it. So, after really thinking about it, we both decided that she should just stop bringing her car. It wasn't really much. But that time, it was the only decent thing that I could come up with. I told her that I would just drive her to and off from school, that way, she and I could spend a little more time together. But then again, even that wasn’t enough. Because most of the time, she would just fall asleep on the passenger seat or be too exhausted to even converse. She looked wearier every day and it made me feel like I want to take all of the stress away.
One time, Samantha was resting on my shoulder. It had been a long day and I felt her fall asleep the second she closed her eyes. But then, just after five minutes, someone was starting to call her again, one of the school board members, asking her to do more stuff. Oh,my Samantha! I looked at her with so much grief. My poor Samantha.. What can I do to take this away from you? I held her hand and tried to smile at her for support, and even though she seemed to be drained out every time I see her, when she smiled back, her smile told tell a different story. She was the strongest person I know. And that’s why I keep falling over and over in love with her.
On a called night of March, just a few days before her graduation, Samantha suddenly called me, and by the sound of her voice, I could tell how nervous she was. I could hear her breathing softly, like she was really thinking about the right words to say.
“Clay?” She said finally, unsure if it was right that she even called me,
“Everything okay?” I asked her concerned
“Yes.” She said. “Everything is fine.” But then, I could still hear her breathing deeply, like she was scared or something...okay? Scared of what? It was only later when she asked me if I could eat with her parents that I found out what the fuss was all about.
“Wait.. Your parents are here?” I started to freeze,
“Yep. They sort of like came over for my graduation.”
“Right.”
So, she wants me to meet her parents. Huh... Oh, man!! She wants me to meet her parents! What does this even mean? Okay, maybe I'm overreacting. I mean, both our parents friends after all. But then again, why me? Why now? Why does she want me to have dinner with her parents after I told her that I love her? Does that mean that she already consider us as a...couple? I was getting way over my head with these all sorts of thoughts rushing through.Yeah.. I believe paranoid would be the perfect term to describe it.
“So...?” I could hear her voice, but I couldn't really understand what she was trying to say,
“Clay? You still there?”
I stiffened up, “Yeah.. Uhm.. Sure,” I said excited but nervous at the same time.
She laughed and told me that she and her parents will pick me up. It was a little grade school, I thought, but then again, who was I to argue about it?
