Alex & Sam - Jeniffer M (graded readers TXT) 📗

avoiding everybody? Scarlet is driven me crazy asking about you. You better caller every day so she can be relieve that her younger son is still alive”.

“I know... I will call her tonight”.

“What about Alex?” <That was a pretty good question! I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to be close to her and was afraid of her at the same time.>

“Don’t talk to me about her... I just want to forget. Take me home please; I don’t want to be around”.
“Suit yourself. I will be late tonight, call delivery pizza o whatever”.

“Umm hum”.

Now that I’m in California, I think I made another mistake... Maybe I should have gone to Australia with Mom. But I didn’t want to live with her after what happen with Katy. Besides, she is finally married to Barry, they deserve their privacy. I’m 18 anyway... adult with the right to vote.

“We’re here”.

“Ok, bye Georges... See you tomorrow”.

“Don’t do anything stupid bro. Remember that!”

“Umm hum”.

Everybody keeps saying that to me. I wasn’t me back there. Now I’m better. I have accepted that Katy made her own choices. But I could have made the difference. Is not what you said, is how you said it what make the difference. I hurt her so much. Of course I’m responsible; at least I have to share the guilty. The person who said “It’s my life and I will do whatever I want with” Was so wrong. Your life is not your own. You share your life with so many people, your life is so important to everybody, how can you be such a coward and kill yourself. Oh Katherine... Katy… we ruined each other’s lives. Alex... I want to remember you always, my own ray of light in the darkness. What am I going to do now?

I called my mom and let her know I was fine. Then I turn ON the TV to avoid the silence. I couldn’t help it; I started to remember everything all over again. Sometimes life sucks!

10 Months Ago.

“Hello”

“Hey, it’s me, Sam. I’m in the airport and well... I’m about to leave. I wanted to say good bye again.”

“I’m glad to hear you Sam. I already miss you...”

“I miss you too Alex.”

“Umm, Sam?”

“Yes?”

“Can I call you some time?”

“Yes... I... I would try to call you too Alex.” <Oh, I shouldn’t have said that!>

“Ok... Well, I wish for you to have a nice trip back home.”

“Thanks Alex. Take care! Bye now.” <Say it Sam; tell her that you love her!>

“Bye bye, Sam”.

I couldn’t do it in the end. She was already waiting for something. I need to take care of things here first, then I can call her and tell her how a feel for her.

I got early to England that night. I purposely lie about the time I’ll arrive just to avoid Katherine.

“Samuel!!!”

“OMG, Katy, you are here!” < OMG... I think that not even lying about the day will have fooled her. >

“You got the hour wrong you dummy! I called for confirmation and they gave me the information. I missed you so much Samuel. Don’t leave me again please!!”

“Let’s go home Katy. I’m tire”. <I’m really tire of this.>

“How is Georges? I thought he was coming with you?”

“He changes his mind at the last moment”.

“So tell me, how was California? You look very hot with that tan!”

“Yea, we went to the beach in Santa Monica with George’s girlfriend and some other friend”

“And? Tell me more!! Tell my everything!”

<sigh>

I didn’t have any option so I tell her about every detail for the trip. Of course, I didn’t even mention Alex at all. For Katy, That information will be treated like life or dead. She was so emotional dependant on me, that I was already in my limit. I try to break up with her before, and she even try to threaten me that time with her mom’s depression pills. That was a year ago... I have been stock with her almost year and a haft. If I don’t end this sooner, I will be force to be married to her.

Katy drove me home that night and promised me to visit the next day. My Mom received me with a big kiss and a warm hug, almost as warm as Alex hugs... I miss her.

“Honey! This house feels so empty without you! I missed you!”

“I missed you too Mom!” <And it was true!>

There has been always the two of us. When she was Young she met my Father and he was crazy about her. He proposed to her and she thought he would be a good man to start a family. She believed that love will come sooner, he was a good man and for the moment that was enough. So she got Georges first, and two years later she got me. When I was six, my mom discovers him cheating on her, and after a big fight they decided to call it off. Georges was eight years old and choose to stay with my father. I was Always crying for my mom, so I reaming by her side. That was a low blow for her because Georges didn’t cry for her not even once. A Year later, after the divorce, she decided to come back to England. Since then it has been the two of us.

Georges and I take turns to visit our parents every summer. This summer was his turn, but he met a Girl... So, just like my Father, he chose another woman instead of Mom. I decided to go to California for different reasons. First was to get away from Katy. I’m started to get sick of her. She is a nice Girl, but emotional dependant, and honestly, I think she needs help. And Second, Barry finally proposes matrimony to my Mom, so she is not going to be alone anymore and California is less expense than London. So maybe I could study in the same university as Georges. Besides, Barry is planning to work for a couple of years in Australia and he doesn’t want to leave my Mom. Barry has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he loves mom. And that’s the third reason. So the hard part will be the first reason... Katy.

“How is Georges?”

“He is fine mom. He is the same. The only different about him every summer is the girl!”

“Oh my, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it? I’m glad he is fine.”

“Don’t be sad mom. You know, this time was different”.

“But you just said he was same!”

“No, I mean the girl. He is with Alice Jones. She is eighteen, and is going to study medicine. She is a really nice girl... too good for him, though”.

“hum... looks like you like Alice too!”

“Ha ha ha, no Mom... Actually, I liked her sister Alex, Alexandra Jones”

“Wow! That‘s a great name. I can tell she will be important in your life!”

“How can you say that mom? How can you know?”

“hum, let’s said Mother intuition”.

“Well, I hope you are right mom. She really was something”.

“Hey! Wait a minute! Did you cheat on Katy?!”

“Emm... not exactly...” <Holy crap... she got me!>

“Samuel Campbell!! That’s not what I –“

“I know mom, I know... it was just a summer break you know. Katy has been too intense and I don’t know what else to do with her. She doesn’t accept no for answer and I’m really afraid that she may try something to hurt herself”.

“Well honey I understand... but if she ever discover anything, you will hurt her even more. So look for a solution. I will allow only one year Samuel, after that you have to go to college!”

“Yes Mom!”

After a light supper, mom helped me unpack. She kept asking about Georges and the trip to Santa Monica. I didn’t hide what happen with Alex this time. Mom was eager for me to break up with Katy. She knew from beginning that Katy wasn’t the girl for me but I was in love, or so I though. When my mom saw the handbag that Alex helped me pick for her, she was smiling like the cat in Alice in Wonderland. I will never understand the love women feel for handbags or shoes. But made me happy see her happy too.

The following weeks I was looking for a job, a summer job. Mom gave me one year to work and think better what I wanted to study in college. I wasn’t near sure to know. I like swimming, but wasn’t good enough to make a career of that. 8 years of swimming gave me good body structure so I was incline to do something like teaching PE or something. But the idea of work with children o teens ... didn’t sound attractive. My father has a little company of construction; I was also studying the possible options related to that, nothing attractive so far either. So, summer job was my first task to accomplish.

I went to the LM Sport Center and fill out and application form, appointing my 8 years of experiences y Swimming. Then I went to some restaurants with the “HELP WANTED” sign and fill out their forms too. I was planning to make my time as busy as possible. The mission to avoid Katy and started to put distance was the first step to make a break up less messy. But with her, you never know. Katy was preparing for college; she got accepted in the National Art School. But she was planning to change that as soon I decide which college to go. She was always talking about that we should be together and the good couple everybody thought we were or how mucho she loves me. It was more like an obsess. I was freak out; I didn’t really know what to do or how to do it. She made sure every day to see me at least a couple of hours, and the text messages were nonstop. My mailbox was full of mail from her but I didn’t read them anymore. My world was full of her and that wasn’t a choice of mine. In contrast, Alex was not that kind of girl. Almost three weeks have pas and there weren’t signals of her. Maybe she was waiting for me to make the first step.

By the end of the week I received a call for the sport center for an interview. They hire me to work for two months only and it was a part time job. I was going to work 6 days per week, six hours each day from 8 to 12 at noon. To celebrate a small progress, I send my first text message to Alex:

Hi Alex! Everything good here, I’ll work in a public pool for 2 months. My mom loves the hand bag, so thank for that. Take care! XOXO Sam

She didn’t answer tight away.