Disclaimer: I own none of these characters etc….
I always imagined a lot more was going on between Sam and Josie for Sam to nearly risk everything by telling Josie how he felt at the Prom, so I thought I would focus my series on the gaps. We all imagine different scenarios, but this is my imagination at work and is also my first attempt at a fanfic. You can email your comments to me here or post on the message board.
* * *
"Okay," Sam said into the receiver, "I'll pick you up from the airport at 5:30 p.m. Which flight was it again?" he asked, grabbing a pad of paper and a pen.
"United Flight 527… and don't be late!" Lara snapped, even though Sam had never been late before. She continued petulantly, "You know how I hate waiting. By the way, I hope you remembered to clean and dust your apartment this time. My allergies have been acting up lately, and the last time I was there I nearly suffocated to death."
Sam sighed. "Yes, I remembered."
"Are you sure you can't take any time off, Sam?" Lara asked. "I mean, what am I supposed to do while you're at work?"
Sam was getting annoyed at Lara's dismissive attitude toward his job. "Well, maybe next time you could give me more notice. I can't just take time off at the last minute. I have a responsibility to the school and to my students."
"And what about your responsibility to me?"
"That's not fair, Lara. You know that I can't…"
Lara huffed and interrupted him. "Never mind, Sam." Lara's voice brightened as she changed the subject. "By the way, I forgot to tell you that I made plans for us to meet up with Amanda and Steve tonight for a late dinner."
Sam cringed upon hearing this. "You're kidding, right?"
Lara was silent, which meant she was probably fuming. But this time, Sam didn't care.
"Geez, Lara! You know how Amanda gets on my nerves… She has to have the most annoying voice of any woman I have ever met! And Steve isn't exactly my favorite person in the world either… All he ever talks about is his BMW and the latest killing he made on the stock market."
Sam paused and took a long, deep breath, pinching his fingers to the bridge of his nose to relieve his sudden headache. He calmed his voice and spoke softly, earnestly, "You know Lara, we haven't seen each other for three months. I was thinking that maybe we could have a nice dinner at home and just relax and talk. Besides, you're only going to be here for a few days… Do you really want to spend the whole evening with them instead alone with me?"
"God, Sam!" she barked back, insulted at his insinuation. "Amanda is my best friend! And it wouldn't hurt you any if you checked into some of those stock tips from Steve. The last time I looked, your bank balance certainly wasn't anything worth writing home about. Besides," she paused, her voice very matter-of-fact, "they've already booked the restaurant. Everything is set."
Sam listened to her in silence, knowing that arguing with Lara was a waste of time because in the end she always got her way.
She continued, "So anyway, we're going to the 'Red Emperor' and I want you to look your best. Wear your dark blue suit, with your blue shirt and the tie I gave you for your last birthday. No! Make that the gold tie that I sent you last month."
Sam rolled his eyes and answered saccharinely, "Yes mother. And what color underwear would you like me to wear? Or do I get to choose that myself?"
"Ha, ha, very funny Sam." Lara's voice sweetened in an attempt at pacifying him. "Sam…please do this for me. You know I really have missed you and we will spend time together, I promise. We'll do whatever you want to do tomorrow night, okay?"
Sam sighed. "Okay. I'll see you tonight."
With that, Sam switched off his cellular phone and dropped it down on his desk, almost as if it were scorching his hand. He sat ramrod straight in his chair for a moment, and then slumped over the desk as if he were a dying man. He remained like that for a few minutes and then slowly pushed himself upright to sit back in his chair.
It suddenly dawned on him that for the first time he really wasn't looking forward to seeing Lara. He was pleased she was coming; yet those feelings of anticipation and longing that he once felt for her were now missing. This knowledge left Sam with serious doubts about his future with Lara. He feared the idea of Lara not being a part of his life after being together for 5 years, yet he was apprehensive about the move to New York she kept pushing for. He couldn't find the strength of conviction to want to make that commitment to her.
Another, more terrifying fear entered his mind. The longing and anticipation that he no longer felt for Lara, was now…maybe…perhaps…a feeling he had for someone else. A someone he had no right feeling that way about.
Sam's eyes slowly surveyed his empty classroom, until they stopped and stared directly at the chair that Josie Geller occupied in his Senior Lit class. Josie. Just the thought of her put a smile on his face. Being a transfer student, she hadn't been in his class that long, but she had sure made an impression on him. 'What is it about her?' he asked himself mentally. Instantly, without even realising he was talking out loud, he answered his own question, "Those eyes!"
'Get a grip, Sam,' he told himself, shutting his eyes tightly and shaking his head, hoping this motion would stop his mind from conjuring up any inappropriate thoughts. He looked down at his watch. It read 12:25pm, and he realised that he was now running late for the 12:30pm faculty meeting in the staff lounge. He pushed his chair back, stood up and quickly piled together all the essays on his desk that his 11th Grade students had just submitted and shoved them into his briefcase. He then picked up his cell phone, tossed that in as well, and shut the clasp. He shoved his chair back under the desk, grabbed his bag and made a quick exit out of the classroom.
Sam swiftly made his way down the hallway through the mad rush of students…until a football came whizzing by his right ear. He turned to see Brett and a few of his 'jock' buddies playing catch down the hallway. "Hey!" he called out to Brett, "Take it outside, guys. This isn't a football field!"
"Sure, Mr. Coulson," Brett called back. They stopped playing and then as soon as Sam was out of sight they continued tossing the ball to each other, eventually hitting one of the Denominators in the head. The Denominator turned and aimed a nasty look at Brett.
"Whatchya looking at…geek!" Brett yelled to the Denominator, who by now was hurrying down the hallway to get out of range of further attacks, while the boys chuckled amongst themselves.
Sam continued down the hallway and then suddenly, in the corner of his eye, he saw her…Josie. She stood, her back up against the bank of lockers, staring into emptiness. Two students were standing next to her giving each other mouth-to- mouth resuscitation. Sam quickly surmised that Josie was waiting patiently for them to finish so she could get into her locker. He smiled to himself and shook his head, thinking that he would not have been that polite if he and Josie's roles were reversed.
As he walked by her, Josie raised her head and locked eyes with Sam. She felt herself blush as she gazed into his deep green eyes, but he instantly put her at ease when he smiled that adorable crooked smile to her that suggested that he understood why she was waiting. Josie smiled back and shrugged her shoulders. The moment seemed to stand still and to Josie it was all happening in slow motion. The moment was broken when Sam turned to continue his journey down the hallway. Josie simply stared after him until she eventually lost sight of him in the sea of students.
Josie suddenly grew impatient and turned to the two students and said "Hey guys, do you think I'll be able to get into my locker anytime this century?" They both moaned while continuing in their passionate embrace, yet made no move. Josie flung her arms up defeat and walked away. This daily ritual was beginning to get on her nerves.
* * *
Sam fiddled with his keys while trying to balance Lara's luggage in both his arms. He eventually found the key, turned the lock and shoved his apartment door open with his right foot. Sam made his way in and dropped the luggage in a heap on the living room floor, while Lara followed behind him just carrying her handbag over her shoulder. "Thanks, Hon," Lara said, giving him a peck on the cheek for his efforts. Sam just stood looking at her and then down at her luggage. She had 2 large suitcases, a carry on bag and her makeup bag.
"Are you sure you packed enough?" he deadpanned; raising an eyebrow in sheer wonder at how much one woman could pack for such a short visit. "I mean, you're going to be here for three whole days and you might actually run out of things to wear!"
Not noticing his sarcasm, Lara simply replied, "Don't worry Sam, I packed enough…I think."
She placed her handbag down on the side table and then headed over toward Sam's bedroom. "Look, I'm going to jump in the shower and get ready for dinner, okay?" With that she gave Sam a quick wave and then disappeared around the corner into his bedroom.
In disbelief, Sam shook his head. After a couple of seconds, Lara's head popped out from around the corner. "Oh, do you mind putting all my bags in the bedroom? Thanks," she said, as she scurried off out of sight heading for the bathroom.
Sighing deeply, he muscled her luggage into the bedroom and set them on the bed. He could hear her setting out her mountain of toiletries as he walked by the bathroom door on his way out to the living room.
Sam collapsed back into his armchair, closed his eyes and let out a huge sigh. "Dinner with Amanda and Steve…great!" he muttered, as he thought of the long, miserable night he had ahead of him. Sam was then startled by the sound of the phone ringing. He reached over with his left hand and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hi Sam, its Matt. How's it going?" He said cheerfully.
"Oh, hi Matt. Yeah, I'm good. What's up with you?"
"Oh, you know…a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Hey, listen Sam… Kevin, Ben, Sean and myself are heading down to hockey rink tonight to have a bit of a practice match. Are you up for a bit of one on one?"
"That sound great, but I can't come. Lara just got into town and we're heading out to dinner tonight." Sam said regretfully.
"Bummer!" Matt paused. "Well, why don't you bring Lara down with you?"
Sam didn't even have to think about that one. Lara hated hockey and he knew she wouldn't be caught dead near a hockey rink, not even to support her boyfriend.
"Thanks Matt, but I don't think Lara would be up to it. Besides we're having dinner with Amanda and Steve."
"Oh! Ok. Hey you know… that Amanda is a weird one."
"I know, I know," Sam said drolly. "Well anyway, thanks for the invite. How about I give you a call later this week? We'll catch up for drinks or something?"
"Sure, no prob, Sam. Catch ya later. Oh, and good luck!" Matt laughed.
"Thanks, I need it. Bye, Matt."
Sam put the phone down and then he heard Lara yelling to him from the bathroom. "God! When was the last time you scrubbed the bathtub, Sam?" Sam just rolled his eyes at that.
* * *
"Lara, stop messing with my tie!" Sam tried to push her hands away from the knot at his neck.
"But it's crooked!" she exclaimed, and pouted prettily. "Maybe you should have worn the blue one," she rambled on to herself, while continuing to fiddle with Sam's tie as they waited outside the restaurant.
"It's fine, okay? Just leave it!" Sam was now annoyed.
Suddenly behind them came a shrieking voice, "Lara!"
Sam didn't have to turn around; he knew it was Amanda. He'd know that whiny voice of hers anywhere.
Lara screamed back, "Amanda!" and with that they ran and gave each other a huge hug, then complimented the other on how great they looked. Sam and Steve said a quick hello and shook hands. Then followed silently behind their women into the restaurant, while Amanda and Lara bantered on ahead of them.
* * *
Sam stared down at the dishes the waiter placed down on the table. 'Fish, raw fish, and more raw fish' he thought, as he scrunched his nose. Sushi was not one of Sam's favourite cuisines. Right now, all that raw fish staring up at him was making him feel nauseated. He fervently wished he were sitting in his favorite Italian restaurant, "Luigi's." He made a mental note to himself to go and visit his good friends Luigi and Maria, even though he knew that he would get a good scolding from Maria for not having visited of late.
Sam's train of thought was suddenly broken when he heard Amanda's whiny voice. "So Sam, do you still teach at Glen South Glen High School?" she asked while chewing on a mouthful of sushi.
"Actually, it's South Glen South… and yes, I'm still there," he corrected.
"I don't know how you do it, Sam…Don't those kids get on your nerves?" Amanda squeaked, sounding quite a bit like a rusty gate hinge.
'Not as much as you get on my nerves,' he thought. But he replied evenly, "You forget that we were all high school kids at one time and they're not so bad. Some of them are actually pretty bright," he said proudly.
Steve just shook his head. "Ugh, I could never do it. I'd be bored to death. Money! Now that's what I understand. Stocks, bonds…you know… the real world."
Steve's comment touched a raw nerve for Sam. "The real world! As opposed to what?"
Lara quickly interjected, placing a calming hand on his arm, "Oh, Sam, you know what he means."
Sam's voice was icy calm, even though he was seething inside. "No, actually I don't. Please explain, Steve."
Steve loosened his tie knot uncomfortably before shrugging and saying, "Well, it's just…I mean, what you do is not hard stuff. You know…you get to play with those kids all day, spouting that sissy stuff at them and just having a good ol' time. You even get a three month vacation every summer. I mean, come on, it's not like a real job where you have to put on a suit and tie and thousands of dollars ride on every decision you make."
Sam could feel his blood begin to boil and he instantly thought of his older brother Josh, who shared those same opinions with Steve.
"Literature is not 'sissy stuff!'" he shot back. Sam then paused, searching for the right words to make him understand, as if that were at all possible.
"You know… I don't think you can even begin to imagine how important my role as a teacher is. When I see those kids opening up their minds and breathing in the knowledge and wisdom and power that words have, it's truly amazing. You know, I have this one student now (thinking of Josie) that has the potential to be anything and anyone she wants. I don't think she even sees that potential inside of her yet. And if I can contribute, even just a little, into steering someone like that in the right direction so that their opportunities in life are limitless, then I think that makes my role as a teacher the most important job in the world." Sam then paused and added, "You know…life isn't all about money."
The other three occupants at the table stared at Sam as if he'd just grown a second head. Then, Lara snorted and commented snidely, "Yeah, but money can sure help you buy a lot of books, Sam!" Lara, Amanda, and Steve all erupted into laughter.
Sam sat, dumbfounded, stunned at what he'd just heard. Did he hear right? How could Lara be so insensitive? He thought she—of all people—would understand and appreciate how important teaching was to him, yet here she was making a mockery out of him and his chosen career. Suddenly, Sam felt nauseated and excused himself from the table.
"Excuse me, I'm going to get some air." He rose out of his chair, threw his napkin on the table and headed toward the back of the restaurant, leaving them to snicker in his wake. He made a quick bolt out the glass door off the main room that led to a small Japanese garden. He took a few deep breaths and let the cold air slap him in the face, cooling him down. He then loosened his tie with his left hand, which at this stage seemed to be choking him.
Sam stood in silence in the chilly air, but his heart sank again as he thought back to Lara's insensitive remark. He turned and looked through the window at Lara, Amanda, and Steve who were all sitting and laughing together. He stared intently at Lara. Sam realised that she was turning into a person that he didn't even recognise anymore. Not only that, but he wasn't sure he even liked the person she was becoming.
* * *
"I'm not 'Josie Grossie' anymore!" Josie yelled out triumphantly, the second time around.
Josie suddenly felt a sense of power wash over her and her body calmed itself with its new, awakened strength. She then smiled.
"Thanks Rob, you really are a great brother."
"Yeah I know. I've been trying to tell you that for years!" he boasted, smiling hugely.
Josie stood up and flung her arms around Rob, giving him a bear hug.
"All right, all right…down girl. How would it look someone walked in on us? They might actually think we liked each other or something."
Josie punched him in the arm.
"Ow! Josie…." Rob complained, while rubbing his arm. "Hey. I just remembered… There's something that I have to do down at the Tiki Post. Is it okay if I head off?"
Josie looked at the mess in the living room and then turned to see a huge pile of mess waiting for her in the kitchen sink, after Rob's pizza making episode.
She sighed and smiled ruefully. "Its okay. You go ahead. I'll clean up." And with that, Rob made a bolt for the door.
"Hey, what do you have to at the Tiki Post tonight that you can't do tomorrow?" Josie asked curiously, stopping Rob at the door.
"Uh…nothing. Umm, I just want to redo the filing system and it's easier to do when the boss isn't around, that's all."
"Okay," Josie said, giving him an odd look.
Josie then began cleaning the mess Rob had left on the coffee table, when she heard Rob's voice from outside. She knelt over the loveseat to look through the window.
"Bambi! I missed you girl!"
Josie rolled her eyes as she watched Rob walking around Bambi, inspecting her and giving her the occasional polish with his sleeve. She just laughed to herself. She then heard the phone ringing and went over to pick it up while still giggling at Rob's antics.
"Hello?"
"Josie, it's Anita!"
"Oh, Hi An…."
"What happened with you and Gus before? I saw him yelling at you in his office and then before I could get to you, you were already out the door! Is everything okay?" she blurted out.
"Well…."
"Because, I saw Gus after that and I asked him what happened and, well, you know, he basically told me to mind my own business and to get back to work. So what happened?"
"Everything happened! It's a long story Anita but just suffice to say that I'm not really in good with Gus at the moment. He wants me to start hanging out with the cool kids so I can dig up some dirt on them, but it's harder than he thinks. I'm scared because if I don't get a story soon, I just know he'll pull me out of there… And Anita," Josie sighed deeply, "I can't fail. If I fail at this, then they'll never let me do another story ever again and I would have blown my one and only chance."
"Gosh Josie. Well, hey listen… Don't worry about Gus. I'll set him straight. And Josie, if I can help out in any way, just let me know."
"Help out? What, like the way you helped out by picking my outfit out for me on my first day!?"
They both burst into laughter.
"Yeah, sorry about that one, Jos. It looked great in the catalogue! But seriously Josie, how's it all going over there? Is it what you expected? I mean there must be something good about it…"
"Well, I've made some really nice friends. There is this one girl, Aldys… She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age and.…" Josie's thoughts then went to Sam. "My English teacher is really nice. Apart from Aldys, he's probably the only other person who treats me like a human being at that school."
Anita harrumphed and said, "Trust you to go and make friends with the old folks!"
"Oh, no! Mr. Coulson isn't old. I mean, he's probably in his mid-to-late twenties and he's really intelligent and funny and he listens when I talk, I mean he actually listens to me!" Josie said with her eyes beaming.
"Ohhhh! I get it. So, tell me Jos, does he have a hot bod?"
"Anita!" Josie would have been shocked if it had been anyone but Anita. "He's my teacher!"
"So?"
"Well… if you must know… he is kind of cute." She said casually, not wanting Anita to know that she thought Sam Coulson was the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on.
"See! Was that so hard? Well, anyway Josie, I've gotta go. I have a hot date with Roger tonight and I don't want to keep him waiting, if you know what I mean! But listen, call me if you need anything and we'll catch up for lunch soon, Okay?"
"Okay, thanks Anita. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."
* * *
Sam and Lara entered his apartment in silence. He dropped his keys onto the side table, switching the light on at the same time. He made his way into the living room, turned the lamp on, which dimly lit the room. Then he removed his suit jacket and tie, placing them over the back of the rocking chair. He unbuttoned the top button on his dress shirt. Then he picked up the remote control and then fell backward into his armchair, turning the TV on at the same time. He flipped through the channels looking for something to watch. He landed on the National Geographic network, which was showing a documentary on 'The Valley of the Kings' and settled on that.
Lara stood beside Sam's armchair in silence, studying him for a long moment. She knew he was upset.
"Well it's getting late," she said, breaking the silence. "I think I might head off to bed." She paused, waiting for Sam to answer, but he remained silent. "Are you coming to bed?" she asked softly, running her hand suggestively across his shoulders.
"No. I have some papers that I need to grade before I go to bed," he replied while still staring at the TV. After a moment, he placed a hand over hers and turned to look up at Lara over his shoulder. "You go on. I'll be there in a little while."
Lara just stared down at him. "Okay. Don't be too long." She then bent over and gently placed a kiss on Sam's face near his ear. She turned away and walked over to the bedroom, stopping at the door. "Umm, remember what I said before? We can do whatever you want tomorrow night, okay?"
"Okay."
When Lara closed the door to the bedroom, Sam closed his eyes and let out a huge sigh. It had been an awful night and he was filled with mixed emotions. Sadness is what enveloped him at the moment. He wanted to get the memory of the whole night out of his mind, so he switched the TV off and made his way over to his desk, where a pile of papers were waiting for him to grade.
He pulled his chair out, sat down and then switched on the small green lamp on his desk. He had two piles of papers to choose from. One was from his Junior Creative Writing class and the other from his Senior Literature class. He stared at both piles and then reached over to pick up the pile for his Senior Lit class.
He had asked them all to write a poem or sonnet on anything that they wanted, so they could practice the use of meter, rhyme and form. He gave them the choice of writing something in free or rhythmic verse. Basically, he just wanted them to have fun and experiment with language.
The first paper on the stack was from Tommy. Sam looked at it and just smiled, shaking his head thinking, 'Typical…' Tommy had written a rather brief poem (if you could call it that) about his car. He wrote:
| It's big. |
| It's black. |
| It roars. |
| It's large enough for my gang. |
| It's my 1974 shiny Mustang. |
Sam snorted and then wrote on his paper: 'Not bad, Tommy. Needs some work. Come see me and we'll work on it.'
The next was from Aldys. She wrote a poem about trees. Sam smiled. Then he wrote on her paper: 'Very good. Nicely written, Aldys, as usual.'
Sam continued reading through his students' work, correcting and commenting as he went along until he flipped over a page and saw Josie's name at the top of the next page. Sam immediately smiled. He felt a tingling of excitement. Josie's work always impressed him and, anxiously, read on.
| For in thy message, there is a peep. |
| A sound so faint, can hardly be heard. |
| But my ear pressed to the wind, |
| Doth hear its merry call, |
| And it sayeth this- |
| Do not shout for the world knoweth you, |
| Do not weep for the wind doth hear you, |
| For the world and you are it! |
| It knoweth your sorrow and surrenders to you, |
| The wisdom that you seek. |
| So treasure your vision, treasure your dreams, |
| Treasure the words that ignite your heart, |
| And the sweetness that weaves through your mind. |
| Let not others cheapen or weaken it, |
| Or titter at thy sentiment. |
| For your mind and spirit are one, |
| And when your soul sings, |
| The heavens will summon the breezes, |
| To carry your song across its kingdom, |
| And embrace those who will delight and rejoice in it. |
Sam let out a huge smile. He read it again. Her words spoke to him and his heart lifted out of its sadness, which only a few moments ago surrounded him like a disease. He thought back to dinner and how Lara and the others made him feel rotten about his love of literature; and then, as if answering a prayer, Josie spoke to him about the power of words. He sat back in his chair and whispered "You're amazing, Josie!" He quickly sat back at the desk and wrote on her paper. 'Truly beautiful, Josie. Your words touched me.' He smiled again and set her paper aside.
He looked over to the next paper and he was surprised when he again saw Josie's name at the corner of the page. Sam was confused. He had only asked his students to submit one poem and it looked as if she had submitted two. Looking closer, he noticed that at the top of the page Josie had written, 'From one poet to another. I hope you like it.'
Sam was bewildered, but curious. What did she mean? His heart grew with wonder and he anxiously read on.
| I have loved so many a man, |
| That some may think me a whore. |
| But my love lies in eternal rhyme, |
| Which men hath dreamt from the dawn of time, |
| Much as waves are summoned to the shore. |
| And through those words, my spirit flies, |
| And grant their wings of life to me. |
| And for imparting their beauteous psalms, |
| Shakespeare, Tennyson, Keats and Donne |
| Shall live on in my heart eternally. |
| And to this list, shall I add one more? |
| Sam Coulson his name shall be. |
| For his soul and mine do so entwine, |
| And share a love of words divine, |
| That I now give this gift to thee. |
Sam was astounded! He leaned back in his chair and simply stared at the page. Josie had written a poem especially for him. A gift.
Sam's breathing became heavy and labored, but only because he was filled with excitement. After getting over the shock, he let out a huge grin. He was beginning to see that there was a lot more to Josie Geller than even he knew. She touched him in ways that no one in his life ever had. She spoke directly to his heart and mind.
Suddenly, a smothering fear surrounded Sam as he realized that Josie might be beginning to mean more to him then even he dared allow himself believe. He was entering dangerous territory, but he didn't know how to stop it…or even if he wanted to.
After taking a moment to collect himself, Sam put the paper down and twirled the pen in his left hand, while trying to think of something poignant to write. Then he thought that a written note would not suffice in this case and he decided that he would thank her in person. A special poem deserved special thanks.
He had a class with Josie the following day and he decided that he would thank her after class. He then remembered that he had asked his students to write a paper on As You Like It, and he decided that he would ask them to read their essays out loud in front of class, more specifically, Josie. He enjoyed listening to her soft, sweet voice while she read.
He put his pen down and then looked at his watch, which read 11:47 p.m. Stretching his back in the seat, he decided to go to bed and get up early the next morning to read over the other papers. He stood up, switched the lamp off and then turned to go to his bedroom.
He suddenly stopped and turned to make his way back to the desk. He picked up Josie's poem and stared at it intently, rereading it yet again. He walked over to his bookshelf and grabbed The Stratford Complete Works of Shakespeare (his most treasured book) off the shelf. He neatly folded Josie's poem, placed it gently inside the front cover, and placed the book back onto the shelf.
* * *
Josie snuggled up in her bed, her laptop sitting across her legs, adding the final touches to her essay on As You Like It. She smiled to herself, thinking how much she was enjoying writing again, especially since she was a Copy Editor and spent all her time looking over other people's work.
She read over her essay one final time and congratulated herself on a job well done. Her thoughts then went to Sam…ahem…Mr. Coulson, she reminded herself. She wanted to impress him with her work and she hoped that he would be pleased with her essay. She saved her final edits and then closed her laptop, setting it down on the carpet alongside her bed.
Josie slid down further into her bed, getting comfortable under her blankets. She grabbed a book from her side table, 'Seven Centuries of Poetry in English,' and flipped through the pages. She suddenly remembered the poems she had written for Sam's class, but more specifically the one she had written especially for him.
'Oh God!' she thought. 'Why did I write two poems?' She wanted to earn Sam's respect more than anything, but not make him think that she was a silly girl who wrote frivolous poetry. The last time she wrote a poem for a guy, namely Billy Prince, it turned out to be the single most humiliating experience of her life. Josie suddenly felt anxious. She covered her head with her blankets, feeling totally and completely foolish.
* * *
Sam switched off the lights and quietly approached the door to his bedroom. He secretly hoped that Lara had fallen asleep and when he opened the door to his room, he was happy to find Lara out like a light. He was relieved because he was in no mood to discuss their evening together and he was certainly in no mood for anything else.
He crept over to the bathroom and shut the door to brush his teeth. After he finished, he walked back out through the dimly lit room (as Lara had left the side table lamp on) and quickly changed out of his clothes. He had only his boxer shorts on and replaced his shirt with a white t-shirt. He then searched his closet for something to wear the following day. He decided on a pair of tan pants and a gray sweater. He laid them out over a chair, which stood by the window, ready for the next morning. Then he made his way over to bed.
Sam stood for a moment on his side of the bed and just stared down at Lara. She had disappointed him greatly tonight, but he made a decision that he would forgive her and forget this horrible night. She was only going to be here for a few days and he wanted to make the best of it.
He climbed into his side of the bed and pulled the blankets over him. He reached his right arm over to the bed lamp and switched that off. The room was now only filled with the moonlight streaming in through the bedroom window. Sam turned on his side, facing away from Lara, and nestled his head into his pillow. His thoughts went back to Josie and the incredible gift she had given him. A huge smile crossed his face and he closed his eyes, anxious for the dawn to arrive so he could thank Josie in person.
* * *Next installment coming soon* * *
* * *