Scarred

Chapter 11

I found Sam at the park the next day.

"Sam!" I called as I saw him sitting on a park bench. He didn't look at me. I ran towards him, slowing when I reached the bench. I sat next to him. We both sat in silence for several minutes before he spoke up.

"I can't believe that all happened," he whispered. I leaned against him, trying to offer some support. He put his arm around me, probably grateful for an anchor.

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"In one night, me and all of my brothers are orphaned," he said, hardly registering my apology. He then looked at my guiltily. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"What do you mean?" I asked, sitting up.

"I'm sitting here complaining about my parents being gone when you have none," he said.

"No, it's fine," I said. "Just because I don't have parents doesn't mean you aren't allowed to complain about yours."

"It's all her fault!" Sam exclaimed, getting up and pacing the area in front of the bench. "I told her to stop doing drugs. She didn't listen. Because of her, she's in the hospital, my dad is in jail, and my brothers don't have parents!"

"They have you," I said.

"I'm not good enough!" Sam screamed. "I'm not good enough for them. I won't ever be. I can never be a replacement for good parents. I've tried all my life, but I never will be."

"Stop it, Sam," I exclaimed, standing up to put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll never replace your parents for Micah and Kyle. But you're their older brother who has always been there for them and took care of them. You are enough for them; I'm sure of it."

Sam exhaled. "Thanks," he said, looking up at me. "I don't know what I'd do without you." I smiled.

"So, does your dad call all of your girlfriends 'Sam's little whore'?" I asked.

"Yes," Sam groaned. "I don't know why he does. I'm still a virgin."

"You are?" I asked.

"Yeah," Sam said. "Why, am I just so irresistible that some girl must have seduced me by now?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "You just seem like someone who would've had sex by now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Okay, can we just stop talking about this?" I asked. "Please. I'm getting uncomfortable."

"You know I'm just teasing you, right?" Sam asked.

"Yes, I know," I said. "C'mon, we've got to get our vests. Community service starts soon."

***

"The sentencing is today."

"Are you going?" I asked, pulling my long hair into a messy ponytail.

"No," Sam replied. "I can't listen to the judge just send my dad to prison for several years."

"You don't know that it will be several years," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "And I think he'd want you there."

"Well I don't want to be there," Sam said. "Please stop asking about it."

"Okay," I said. "Fine."

***

"Have you heard anything yet?" I asked the next day at community service.

"No," Sam replied. "I was going to try to call my dad and see if he would answer after community service."

"Changing the subject," I announced. "I can't believe my time for community service is almost over. Only three days left."

"Yeah, and then I still have a week after that," Sam groaned. "I hate community service."

"Better than jail," I joked. Sam glared at me. "Too soon?"

"Too soon," Sam confirmed.

Three hours later, we had picked up all of the trash at the park. "I can't believe they keep us in the same spot for the whole time," I said. "You can only clean up a park so much."

"I know," Sam said. "It's ridiculous."

"Do you want to call your dad now?" I asked.

"Yeah," Sam said, pulling out his phone. He dialed his dad's number and put the phone up to his ear. Someone picked up after three rings. After a talking with someone for a long time, he finally hung up.

"So?" I asked.

"He was fined for a hundred fifty dollars and seven days jail time," Sam replied. "That's so much better than i thought. But since the drugs were for personal use and not for distribution, they didn't sentence him for several years."

"That's great!" I exclaimed. "So he'll be back in a week."

"Yeah," he said. "But not great news about my mom."

"What happened?" I asked.

"She died."