Susceptible

Chapter one

"Okay... yes... I will I promise... okay... love you.... okay... bye... yes okay... bye."

I hung up the phone with my mom who could talk for hours. My parents are good people, and good parents too. It's just that they seemed to get busier and busier with work especially since my older sister moved out. That left me pretty lonely, so I spent most of my time at Sam's which is where I currently was.

I was laid out in a folding chair on their balcony sweating in the heat, but in desperate need of a tan.

"Adriana honey I'm about to go I should be back around seven thirty tonight." Sam's mom called out to me from inside. I cracked open the door to look in and respond.

"Okay I'll most likely be in the same position. Have a great day at work!" I replied. She was truly another mom figure in my life since I'm always around. She looked after me like I am another child of hers, and I believe she enjoys the other female presence in the house. Sam has a brother, Gabriel, who is twelve, and I think if it wasn't for me, Mrs. Walker would have gone absolutely crazy with all the testosterone in the house.

I didn't know where Sam was at the moment, but I wasn't too worried. After the first year of him being Midnight Hour I learned how to put my constant anxiety for him on the back burner. He was always in and out, and I couldn't stress everytime he had to go catch a prisoner escapee, or move cars in a wreck.

I mean of course I did still worry, but after losing almost half my hair from stress I learned I needed to trust his abilities more.

I was reading a trashy magazine about celebrities that Sam had picked up for me. He knew they are my guilty pleasure but never called me out for it. I had almost finished it, and could feel myself getting a sunburn when I heard Gabe, Sam's brother, clunking down the stairs.

I slipped into the nice air conditioned apartment and joined Gabe at the kitchen table where he was pouring cereal.

"A little late for breakfast isn't it Gabe?" I gave him a hard time looking at the clock which read 11:20.

He mumbled an incoherent response. I let him eat in peace until I felt he was awake enough to actually talk to.

"So school's out, you excited?" I asked him.

"No."

"No? Why on earth not?" I was confused on how anyone could not be excited for summer break.

"I'm not going to be able to see my girlfriend everyday." He pouted.

"Girlfriend! What you're too young to have a girlfriend."

"No I'm not you and Sam started making out when you guys were twelve."

I dramatically gasped. "We did not make out when we were twelve! That's disgusting. I've never even kissed Sam. Are you kidding me, do you know how many germs you can get by kissing?" I teased him.

He rolled his eyes at my antics. "Then you and Sam must be the two germiest people in the world."

I stuck my tounge out at him and he rolled his eyes yet again.

"I don't know who taught you that habit, but your eyes are going to fall out of your head." I said  tired of seeing the whites of his eyes.

"Well I see you roll your eyes at Sam at least a thousand times a day."

"Not true."

He responded with yet another eye roll. I loved to tease Gabe. I was able to let out my playful side, one that never seems to be used anymore.

The door suddenly slammed open and we both turned to see Sam slug in the door. He was wearing his pajamas because who knows what time he was called into duty this morning. He had his Midnight Hour outfit crumpled in his hand and dropped it on the floor next to where he kicks off his shoes.