Starring role | l.h

Chapter XVIII

Samantha Stewart

"Oh my god, I can't breathe." It was exactly what anyone would say if three teenage boys who were a foot taller than you and a hysterical girl crying over you engulf you in a tight hug all at once.

"Where the fuck have you been?! We were all worried sick!" Becky cried out, still refusing to let go of me while the rest of the boys already did.

"Oh you know, I was with good ol' dad and had too much fun." She pulled away from me and wiped away her face from tears before looking at me with a worried look.

"I don't believe a single word in that sentence." She blurted out and started scanning my face for I-don't-know-what. I slapped her hand away and gave her a look.

"I'm fine, Becky. I told you, I was with dad and that's all I wish to say about it." She formed her lips into a thin line before engulfing me in another hug.

"God, I missed you so much." I patted her on the back and chuckled softly.

"I missed you too, Becks." I looked at the rest of the boys who were still looking at me with worry in their faces. "Guys, I'm fine, seriously. You were all worried for nothing."

"Why didn't you tell any of us that you'd be gone for two weeks?" Michael asked with a crack in his voice.

"We left you messages, called you a gazillion times and you never answered any one of them." Ashton added in.

"I lost my phone. I'm sorry." I said quietly.

"What? But you told me-" I gave him a look and Luke immediately shut his mouth. But Becky didn't let it slide.

"She told you what?" He and I looked at each other then at Becky. "Is there something you're not telling me Sam?" I scoffed and started chortling like an idiot.

"What? No. I told him that I-I uhm well-"

"She told me she sold her phone and gave the money away to a homeless man. Obviously, I was stupid to believe her as she lied to me like she always do." I bit my lip and mouthed a quick 'thank you' to him. He gave me a wink and I felt my heart do a little jump from it.

"Right." She stated slowly while still eyeing me cautiously.

I hated lying to Becky, especially when it was about my family. But I wasn't just going to blurt out everything that's happened with me and my dad back in that god-forsaken place in front of everybody. It was stupid and I don't even want to think about it anymore.

"How about a mean game of FIFA to make up for those two weeks? I heard Michael sucks at it." I bumped my hip with his and he only engulfed me in another hug.

"I missed you my little Oompa Loompa." We all laughed and headed up in Luke's bedroom where we sat and played all night like I was gone for ten years and not two weeks.

It was only before midnight when the room was slowly emptying out leaving Luke, Michael and I the only ones left. By this time, I was lazily sprawled out in his bed while the two of them were focused on the t.v screen like nothing else mattered in the world.

I grabbed my phone from my pocket and started reading their text messages for the past two weeks. I laughed at some of them but soon realized that I didn't get as much notification from Logan unlike from everybody else. I only got two texts from him. Two.

From: Logan

Hey. Becky asked me if I knew where you were today. I said I didn't know anything since I figured you must've wanted some time alone. Text me when you get back, yeah?