Life Catcher

Chapter Twenty-One: We're Not In Kansas No More

21.

Winter and Sam head out. Winter's happy to soon be rid of him and Sam's head is held low. My stomach lurches every time I look at him. I'm still partially dazed from the earlier event.

I try my best to comfort Kai but she calms down without my help. When she finally falls asleep I head out into the forest. In the direction of Winter and Sam.

Call me a stalker if you please but I'm itching to see what his town is like. I'm sure to blend in with my wings hidden. I still have those clothes Sage got me. When I'm about half a mile into the forest I hear foot steps ahead and I see Sam with his bag on his back and Winter walking joyfully leading the way.

I stay within ten feet from them hiding in the bushes. I wonder if Winter will notice.

"How do know where I live anyways?" Asks Sam solemnly.

"Just a hunch," he says a bit too enthusiastic.

"So you're guessing?"

"Nope," he says with a smile. He's taken his suite off and is wearing a white T-shirt and blue skinny jeans.

"Then how do you know? I'd rather be with Cleo than lost in the forest," he says and my stomach flip-flops.

"Don't worry lover boy. I'll get you safely to your home and soon back to Cleo in no time. Like Kai said. No more than 48 hours. Trust me. Time goes by faster than you think," Erik says and Sam sighs. "Sadly," Winter adds and Sam glares at him.

"I hope it goes by as quickly as you say it will. I already feel lonely," he mumbles.

Erik laughs, I twitch.

"What do you like about her anyways? She seems ferocious to me."

It takes every muscle in my body not to jump out and strangle him.

"Well. . . Don't you at least think she's beautiful?"

"Eh. . . In a she'll-beat-the-crap-outta-me-if-I-don't-get-her-food kinda way," says Blade and my brow twitches.

"Not only that. Behind all that attitude she's a really great person. The way she looks at me sometimes make me get butterflies in my stomach," Sam says and sighs.

"Okay. Now you just sound gay," comments Erik.

"Well, when she got interested in what I was saying about my life it made me feel good. Like she actually cares. And when I hugged her she actually relaxed for a moment. The kiss made it better. Before you interrupted she was real close to kissing me back. We've kissed before too. It's not like she doesn't enjoy it," he says and looks up at the sky.

He thinks I'm beautiful? I guess I looked okay when we were with Amy but I didn't think anyone thought I was. . .beautiful. I shake my head. Whatever, I think to myself.

"Huh, you might as well marry her. Seems as though ya'll two are real attached to each other," comments Blade picking his teeth with one of his daggers.

"I don't know. I think marriage is too big. I don't think she likes me that much. But do you really think she actually likes me?"

He jumps over a tree stump and nods his head.

"Seems so. She looks at you a lot. And when we walked back to the forest from the movies she stuck really close to you. Not to mention tonight when she wanted you to stay. She didn't even bother pushing you away when you hugged her. She may not admit it, but she has a really big crush on you. She's probably thinking of you right now," says Erik and nudges Sam.

Sam chuckles nervously. "Really? Because I'm thinking of her. I can't help myself. I guess you can call it love, huh?"

"Love? Of course it's love Sam. Yeah you two may be kids but young love happens lots of times. I was real close to falling in love with this girl. Man, she was the most beautiful girl you'll ever see. Like an angel from heaven."

Sam looks at Erik. "What happened to you two. I mean, where is she now?"

"Eh, she fell for some other jerk. She was a spy anyways. Her mission was to kill me. Huh, I guess hot girls just can't be trusted. She wasn't worth it anyways. My life's too busy for relationships anyways," he says spinning his dagger between his fingers.

After about five hours of walking, resting in between, we reach a cliff. Over it is a small town. They follow a dusty road that leads down into the city with me on their trail.

Sam leads Erik down a few streets and stops in front of a big two-story house. I jolt behind a tree and watch them. They walk up a perfectly green lawn and onto the white porch of the house. Sam's finger stops about two centimeters from the doorbell and Erik sighs.

"It's not like they'll kill you for being gone," he says.

"Yeah but they must think I'm dead or something. I've been gone for like a year," says Sam.

Erik pushes Sam out the way and knocks on the door. Lights come on, on the second floor and Sam's face grows worried. The door opens and a tall blonde headed boy pops his head out.

"Back from your trip?"

"Trip?" Says Sam confused.

"Just come in. . . Your friend can come in too," the boy says.

Sam and Erik walk in and I bolt to the window to the right of the porch. I peek in unseen and see my two friends plop down on a comfy looking couch.

The house is spacious and mostly contains the colors red, orange, and black. I wonder what the second floor looks like.

I see a women with the same blonde hair as the boy who answered the door. Must be his mom.

"Sorry I was gone so long," says Sam, his eyes trained on the perfect cream carpet.

"How was your trip?" She asks solemnly.

"Trip? What trip-?"

"The trip you and your friend here went. How was it?" Interrupts the blonde headed kid who looks like an older version of Sam. Besides the blonde hair.

"What-?"

"It was actually fun. Who knew kayaking was so easy," interrupts Erik.

"Oh. And you are-," starts Sam's mom.

"My names Jaime Smith. It's nice to meet you ma'am. Thank you for letting your son join me with such little notice. Samuel had lots of fun."

"Jane Williams. And this is my son Josh," she says with such a normal tone it freaks me out.

"Jaime" stands up and thanks them for his company and walks toward the front door. I jump over the porch and bolt behind the house as Erik opens the door. I crouch in the grass and wait till Blade turns a street corner before I get out of hiding.

When the coast is clear I jump over the railing onto the porch and peek back in the window just in time to see Sam sulk up the stairs. I fold my wings out and fly gracefully around the house up to one of the windows upstairs.

I happen to be lucky enough to find Sam's room window and I see him plop down on his bed. Which by the way is really big. I could fit like five huts in that room.

He sighs and kicks off his shoes. I duck under the window when he starts to take his shirt off. I wait about ten minutes and peek back in.

He turns off his light and walks up to the window. I barely have time to duck but Sam doesn't seem to see me. My hair must have blended in with the night. When I peek back in the window it's blocked by a blue covering.

I glide to the ground and when my feet touch the ground I bolt behind the house and find a spot behind a tree in his humongous backyard.

Once I lie down and close my eyes I immediately fall asleep.