Half Full

Four

After the little show we had made, Ced drove us somewhere quiet to talk. A beach.

It was now midnight, but I could see waves blowing to the shore, it was a full moon.

"Hey, you're okay?" asked Ced. We had stayed inside the car, but I could feel the wind blowing through my short hair because I let the windows down. I let out a sigh I did not know I was holding.

"You cut your hair, you look different, more beautiful than when I last saw you", said Ced softly.

"Yeah right, you mean the day, you and the boys water-sprayed all the seniors, in their graduation gowns for God's sake", I said and we chuckled.

"Then Katherine's mascara ran, making her look like the fake she is." I continued making the two of us laugh, but later fell into a deafening silence.

"Sam, wh...what made you stay away all this time?" he asked, breaking the silence.

I looked out the window, wanting more of the fresh air, then back to his eyes.

"You remember the party Katherine threw a week before college started?" I looked at him waiting to see, if the mentioning of that party would trigger any guilt. Nothing. Nothing at all. Weird.

So I continued, "Everyone was there, it was the last we were going to see each other before going to college. Amanda and I came late to the party that night, I saw Eric first, I asked him where you were. I wanted to tell you that I was leaving, he directed me to Katherine's kitchen where the rest of the guys were.

I was in a hurry since I had a flight to catch that night.
Going abroad for college was my Dad's decision and I had no say in it."

Although my parents had divorced, both were still fully into my education and my brother's too.

"So I wanted to tell you how I felt before I left, that I cared for you more than a friend, that I had feelings for you. I knew it would not have changed the fact that I was going, but I had to let it out."

He put my hands into his, but I pulled away and continued.

"Reaching into the Kitchen, i saw you kissing Katherine, so there was no use in meeting you. I ran outside, but Kathrine saw me and followed me and said that you two were together and you had plans of moving in together for college so it would be good if I stayed away.
So I did exactly that. I stayed away."

"Sam, I..." Before he could start talking my phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, it was my big bro, Dilan.

I picked up, "hey what's up?"

"Where the fuck are you, mum is worried sick, we thought you were with Amanda?" He snapped.

I know it's him who is worried, mum can not be up this late. It's good to know that he cares since he's the man of the house since mum and dad divorced. But I'm 24 years now, can't a grown up have fun.

"Dude, relax I am on my way." I said looking at Ced. Then switched off the phone.

"I need to go home." I told Ced, it's like he wanted to say something, but he held back. He turned on the engine, and in 30 minutes we reached my house. He still knows where my house is?

Still in his car, he turns to me. "This conversation is far from over Sam." he kept the doors locked as if waiting for a reply, until we saw Dilan coming out of the house.

Ced quickly unlocked the door...he still fears my brother? Interesting.

" Quinn." Dilan called Ced by his Surname and gestured me to come out of the car.

"Mitchell." Ced replied with a nod, looked at me, then turned his car's engine back on, jaguar to be exact, and drove off.