2032 I.A.

- Meeko Melodie

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Meeko: So does Jake Gyllenhaal have grey eyes...or green eyes...or blue eyes? Huh? Somebody know, please tell me! Let's do this: Inuyasha DOES NOT belong to me, The Day After Tomorrow DOES NOT belong to me either, sadly.

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Chapter 3: Lonely As Ever

YOU GUESSED IT: 2025 I.A

Sam's POV

"Sam..." a faraway voice seemed to be calling me, "SAM!"

"Ahh," I stumbled as I turned to look at my best friend, Brian Parks, who was, at the moment, staring back at me with an annoyed glare on his face.

"Were you listening to me?" Brian asked me, although he knew there was something wrong about me, "forget it." See? I told you he knew I wasn't listening.

"Where were you when I was talking?" Brian asked sarcastically, "in dreamland, I'm willing to bet."

"Will you stop it already?" I told him, now a bit annoyed at his annoyance at me.

"Sure," Brian said, "as soon as you tell me what's on your brain when I was talking."

"Nothing," I muttered, gazing down on the hard, concrete ground as we strolled on the sidewalk down to -

"Where are we going?" I asked, looking around suspiciously, this was not my neighborhood I was standing on.

Brian rolled his eyes. I'm sure his eyes could stare right to the back of his brain. "As you were in la la-land, I was telling you to go ask Laura if she wants to join us for movies on Saturday."

"Oh," I exclaimed a bit too loudly, "oh."

"Yea," Brian looked at me strangely and I couldn't help ask him why. That look always freaks me out, I'm serious.

"Look, man," he started. I hope he was not going to give out one of his famous prophecies. "Sam, you're thinking about Laura, aren't you?" Damn! Why did he always have to be right? At least I didn't say anything about it for a minute, but it didn't really matter.

Yes. I was, indeed, thinking about Laura Chapman when Brian was babbling on about going to the movies. And at the moment, actually.

I've known her since...let's see...I think it was back in third grade when we first met in school. She was one smart girl, she was. Always the top of the class, but of course, she would have to have some challenges and people she had to beat. For instance - me. Okay, I admit it, I wasn't as good as I sound but I did get second standing in all my classes, and Laura was always the first. Plus, she was pretty.

To tell the truth, at first, I really did not like Laura. I was really competitive although I hate to admit it. Adding to that, I always had prejudice over pretty girls; like, I thought the very beautiful and popular girls at school were always ignorant or worst, sluts. Those ideas were all thanks to the television shows that my father, Professor Jack Hall, always told me not to watch too often. I should've listened.

So, as you can probably imagine right now in your mind that I was one pathetic jerk who acted like...well, like a jerk to Laura during our first elementary days. I had thought for sure that she would hate me for that.

But for some unforeseeable reason, we became friends. How? I could not remember. We just...well...we just did.

It was strange, though. Whenever our trio (Brian, Laura and me) were doing things together, we always seemed to have endless topics to talk about. But when it was just Laura and me, I was the one who went speechless and when I went speechless, Laura was the one who went mute. So, that was always a bit awkward.

I wonder why my mouth always malfunctions whenever Laura and I were alone. It basically took me, a person who was smart enough to be second place in classes, two whole years to figure that out. That I was in love with Laura Chapman.

Wait, maybe love was too strong of a word. Sure, I like Laura, a lot, too, let's leave it at that. But love? Hmm......

"Hello?" Brian was waving his hand in front of my face, "anyone in there, or has alien suck out your brains?"

"'Alien suck out your brains'," I repeated, my eyebrow rose," where did you get that?"

Brian shrugged, "random." He glanced at his watch carelessly and gasped, "Oh, shoot! Tutor is going to chop me into sushi!" He began to run back, leaving me on the road, alone.

"Hey, Brian, wait!" I yelled. I couldn't just go to Laura's house and ask 'do you have time on Saturday? Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you want to go to the movies with me- I mean, with us.' Even in my head, it sounded stupid.

But Brian was already out of my sight when I wanted to chase him back. Sighing to myself, I continued to walk towards Laura's, though I made the walk as long as I possibly could.

Yet, the slower I seemed to walk, the faster I got there. It was weird, like time would go slow if you want it to go fast and it would go fast if you want the time to slow down. You do know what I mean, right?

Anyways, I was in front of the door before I knew it. My heart beat faster then usual. Stop it, I scold myself as I force my finger up to the bell, it's not like I've never been to Laura's house. That's true too, I had been here on a few occasions and the one I remembered most deeply was Laura's birthday a few years ago.

A woman in her mid-thirties opened the door.

"Hi, Mrs. Chapman," I immediately greeted the woman as politely as my voice would allow, for my voice somehow become funny and tight. I didn't even know why.

"Hey," she said, frowning. I guess she was trying to remember my name. "You are-" she stopped, still trying to remember.

"It's Sam Hall," I told her. Then she remembered.

"Oh hi Sam," Mrs. Chapman said, brightly, "you're looking for Laura, I suppose?" I nodded quietly. "Laura honey, come down here! Some guy is here to see you!" Were my ears deceiving me, or did Mrs. Chapman just pronounced 'guy' in an emphasized manner? I hope it was just my imagination. But still, I could feel my face burning as though it was suddenly on fire. I didn't know what was going on with me right at this very moment.

I leaned against the front door and waited for Laura, trying my best to calm myself. Mrs. Chapman had retreated back to her kitchen, continued to make dinner. Silence followed; only water running and Mrs. Chapman's chopping was the only noise in the house. Then I saw her.

Laura emerged from the stairs. From the looks on her face, she looked like she had never look at me properly before. Don't get me wrong though, I meant it in a nice way.

Anyhow, she looked at me for a few seconds then come down as if she had just woken up from her day dream.

She stood a few inches from me and started with, are you ready?

"Erm..." yup, that was how she started the conversation. Every time we're alone, one of us will start the conversation with 'erm'. "Hey, what brings you here?" If I was not mistaken, I would say she was blushing!

She finally glanced up at me when all this time she'd been stuttering; she had been staring at the floor. But it was only a swift second when I shifted my eyes else where. I just couldn't bear to look at this beautiful girl whom I've liked (or it could be love, though I'm still not very sure) for three whole years.

I was starting to get nervous. I hate myself for being nervous in a situation like this. I stuck my hands into my pockets to hide my sweaty palms and now, it was my turn to stare at the ground like there was something fascinating on it. But in fact, it was only brown, shiny wood that winked back at me.

"I just came to ask you," I replied, my eyes were still sticking on the ground, "do you have time this Saturday at 7 pm?" She looked startled for a second, like she didn't expect anything like this at all.

"Erm..." she started to blush lightly again, "are you...err...asking me out, or something?" Now I was the one who was startled by the question. Am I asking Laura out? Thought I hate to force myself to be back in reality, I wish I was.

"No," I replied. I thought my voice sounded awful, like I meant it, "we're going out to watch a movie and Brian just wanted me to ask you if you want to come with us."

"Oh," was all she said. Was it just me? Or did she sounded disappointed?

"I don't know," Laura answered coolly, "maybe not, because I still have an English assignment to due." Something clicked inside my head that was telling me this wasn't the reason she didn't want to go.

"Erm..." I started to stutter again, with a bit of uneasiness, "Isn't your assignment due tomorrow?"

"Oh," she caught my question by surprise, "I still have to do...stuff, you know?"

"Oh," I said quietly. Everything went silent again. I hate it this way. Why couldn't we just talk like we always do when we hung out together? Why?

"So..." she began uncomfortably.

"Do you...want me to go?" I swallowed hard.

"I have to get on with my homework," she made it final and opened the door. I had no choice but to step out. "Alright then," that's all I said as I turned around with my back facing her and strolled once again down the sidewalk, feeling as lonely as ever.

Meeko: Ends here! Like it so far? Or is it too boring? Give me some comments or else!