With Me

The sequel to "Empty Apartment". Now featuring "With Me" by Sum 41...

With Me

 

The rain falls all around as I watch from my house.

 

The sun’s been gone for too long now, I think to myself. It’s been weeks since she last called me, since she’s emailed me or communicated at all for that matter. I watch as the wind billows and puffs, threatening to blow the trees down. I watch as the lightning slashes the sky, again and again, like a wounded tiger as it slashes at its attackers. The world around me is shrouded in the pale, translucent mist of the rain, just like my heart.

 

Is there anything worth looking forward to anymore? I ask myself. Is there? The world seems so bleak now. I turn my head to look at the clock. I’ve only been at the window for a few minutes, but it feels like I’ve been waiting for days on end. Waiting for what, I myself don’t know.

 

The storm starts to fade at long last, after what seems like an eternity. I vaguely notice the dark, ominous clouds slowly begin to pass, the rain slowly decreasing in intensity, the world slowly becoming clearer, and the thunder gradually vanishing. I vaguely notice a car in the distance, a shiny silvery car driving towards me. I turn away. Yet another nameless, faceless person, going about his or her boring life.

 

I crash on the living room couch and open up a textbook I’d been reading. The exams I had to sit for now and the teachers who set them knew no mercy, no forgiveness. Either you could do it, or you failed terribly. As I flick through the dog-eared pages, I see movement by the window out of the corner of my eye.

 

The doorbell rings.

 

I drag my feet to the door and open it.

 

I almost gape when I see who’s standing there.

 

A girl with stunning brown hair, with eyes of the deepest blue and a beautiful face smiles back at me. She brushes her hair out of her face, her eyes gleaming and beams at me. My jaw hits the ground, as I stare at her, at her face, which I never thought I’d ever see again. She laughs and before I know it, she embraces me tightly. I feel her softly scented skin press against me, as her arms lock tight around me, and her silky brown hair stroke my face. I stare into her eyes, her deep blue eyes that seem to hold the world and the stars in their soulful gaze. She smiles as we break apart, brushing a few wayward strands of hair from her face.

 

“Hey, Sam. Long time, no see...”

 

“S...S..Sarah?” I stammer. Only then I look up and see her father looking at me with an amused expression on his face. I turn twelve shades of red and he and Sarah burst out laughing. As their laughter finally dies, I notice Sarah’s father shooting her a quick glare. Just then my mom comes to the door from the kitchen. Her eyes widen at the sight of Sarah, and she shoots a glance at me before she turns back to Sarah and her father.

 

“Oh, please come in, please do, you know it’s been raining cats and dogs these few days! Have a seat, please!” She gestures at the sofa and beams widely as Sarah and her father sit down. My mom pours hot chocolate into several china teacups. She turns to Sarah and smiles.

 

“You must be Sarah Andrews! Sam has told me a lot about you...” Sarah and I exchange a glance. In school we had learned to read each other’s minds with a single glance. She shoots a playfully accusing glance at me. I shrug in reply. Sarah smiles anyway. Her father sips his tea and then looks up. I finally take a good look at Sarah’s father.

 

Every part of him screams rich and important. Probably the CEO of some multinational company, I think to myself. His clothes, behaviour, manners, everything about him seems immaculate, set up to standards that only the rich and famous could possibly equal. I guess he’d probably spend more money maintaining his dog’s kennel than my parents could possibly earn in a year or two. So why enrol Sarah in a public school? I wonder to myself. Sarah’s father clears his throat.

 

“Sarah needs a place to stay for about a week while I have to go urgently to Zurich. She insisted on coming here, and even when I suggested going with me to Zurich she still protested.” He turned to me, and now I saw where Sarah had got the colour of her eyes from. His voice dropped to a whisper. “She must really like you, you know. She’s never wanted anyone this badly before, not even any of her ex-boyfriends. And there’s a long list of those...”

 

He looks at his watch and jumps. “My God, look at the time! I really must be on my way now!” He straightens out his crumpled business suit and walks quickly to the door. Before long, he’s on his way, the silvery Lexus disappearing into the distance. My mom smiles at Sarah, and points up the staircase.

 

“You can stay in Sam’s sister’s room. It’s empty, has been ever since she moved out two years ago after getting married, but still we clean the room. It’s the room to the left...”

 

I help Sarah carry her suitcase up the stairs. Man, it’s heavy. Then again, it’s probably just me. As I place her suitcase on the floor, she sits down on the side of the bed. She looks up at me and a seriously awkward silence ensues. Then I finally break the silence.

 

“Does your dad always go for these long trips?”

 

She nods sadly. “Very often. Sometimes, after he comes back, he has to go again. Sometimes, I wonder...is someone doing this on purpose? I miss him a lot...when he’s gone...” She shakes her head. “I really do...” She looks up and sees the old acoustic guitar lying in the corner of the room. “Do you play guitar?”

 

I half-smile. “My sister was the better one. I couldn’t get anything right...”

 

Sarah nods and starts to strum. She’s really good. Actually, good would have been a serious understatement. Then, all of a sudden, she thrusts the guitar into my hands. I shake my head in disbelief.

 

“I told you I can’t play...”

 

“Here, I’ll show you how. It’s not that hard...”

 

And the good days start all over again. The days that had started in school, and lasted six months, right up till she left for the big city, begin again, all over again for me. The very same days that I always thought about, in the three weeks in which I never heard anything from her.

 

But as they always said, time flies when you’re having fun. Before I know it, it’s almost time for her to go home. I watch from my room as the sun begins to set over the horizon. I think of all the times we had had together, and now it’ll all be gone again. I punch my thigh in sheer frustration. Such moments are so ephemeral, so short, and before you know it crushing reality is upon you once again.

 

I watch the clock tick over to 11pm. I still can’t get to sleep. Every time I try, I think of her. I never thought I’d ever feel this way about her. Ever. I mean, why would she even want to be seen with a nerd like me? All the other girls in school make jokes about me, and according to them a date with me is almost worse than death. I toss and turn, waiting, just waiting for tiredness to claim me.

 

The door opens.

 

I look up, and she’s there. Sarah walks over to me and sits down on the side of the bed, wearing a blue t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She smiles at me, but in her eyes, I see only sadness. I switch on the light in my room and sit down next to her.

 

“I can’t sleep...” She brushes her hair out of her face.

 

“That makes two of us...” I clumsily reach for my glasses on the table. She reaches over and turns on the radio on my table. She randomly tunes to different stations, then she finally settles on one. We listen for a short while to the station. Song after song of fast rock music and slow songs blare from the tinny speaker of the radio. Then, a voice cuts across my conscience, the voice of the DJ.

 

“And this song is for all you lovebirds out there...”

 

We exchange a glance at each other. No way are we calling each other that, even if we do end up together, by any chance.

 

“And especially if you’re dreaming of that special someone, or better yet, he or she is by your side, you’ll love this one. This is With Me by Sum 41. Enjoy!”

 

Sarah claps her hands together. “Aww...I just love this song! Have you heard it before?”

“Yeah...once...”

 

I hear the strumming of an acoustic guitar. Then I hear Deryck Whibley’s voice, singing softly and soulfully, unlike some of the harder, more punkish songs by the band.

 

“I don’t want this moment...

To ever end...

Where everything’s nothing

Without you...”

 

I turn to Sarah. Slowly, yet so surely, I realise the truth of the lyrics in my life. I really did miss her so much over the weeks. My life has really been nothing without her. Does she feel the same about me? She catches my eye and c***s her head to the side, and smiles. Even so, I can’t tell what she’s thinking.

 

“I wait here forever, just to

To see you smile,

‘Cause it’s true, I am nothing,

Without you...

Through it all, I’ve made my mistakes,

I stumble and fall,

But I mean these words...”

 

And then the chorus plays. I close my eyes as I listen to the lyrics, sending out the words I never dared to say to Sarah. The words that echo in my heart and my mind, locked forever, until now.

 

“I want you to know...

With everything I won’t let this go...

These words are my heart and soul...

I’ll hold on to this moment, you know,

As I bleed my heart out to show...

And I won’t let go...”

 

The song goes back to acoustic for a while, before Jason McCaslin, Steve Jocz and Tom Thacker join in. I become vaguely aware of Sarah resting her head on my shoulder. The soft scent of her hair gently wafts up, and I inhale deeply.

 

“Thoughts ran unspoken, forever in vow,

And pieces of memories fall to the ground...

I know what I didn’t have, so I won’t let this go...

‘Cause it’s true, I am nothing, without you...”

 

Now I know why Sarah likes this song so much. Was she thinking of me every time she listened to this? Or was she thinking of someone else? My mind’s in a serious swirl.

 

“All the streets, where I walked alone,

With nowhere to go, have come to an end...”

 

And the chorus plays again, and this time I reach out and run my hands through Sarah’s hair. Every part of me is screaming for me to kiss her there and then. But of course, I hesitate, unsure of whether she would want to be kissed.

 

“I want you to know...

With everything I won’t let this go...

These words are my heart and soul...

I’ll hold on to this moment, you know,

As I bleed my heart out to show...

And I won’t let go...”

Deryck Whibley strums the guitar like how he did right at the start of the song, before the rest of the band join in. Sarah looks up at me, and reaches out. Her hands stroke my face, and time seems to stop as she does so.

 

“In front of your eyes, it falls from the skies,

When you don’t know what you’re looking to find,

In front of your eyes, it falls from the skies,

When you just never know what you will find...”

 

The song dwindles to acoustic yet again, and Deryck Whibley sings the words he did right at the start.

 

“I don’t want this moment...

To ever end...

Where everything’s nothing

Without you...

 

“I want you to know...

With everything I won’t let this go...

These words are my heart and soul...

I’ll hold on to this moment, you know,

As I bleed my heart out to show...

And I won’t let go...”

 

As the chorus plays one last time, we move closer together. Almost in slow motion, Sarah’s eyes close and our lips meet. I feel her soft, tender lips press against my own, for just the slightest moment, and yet it felt like I had been filled with all the bliss and happiness in the world. I break out in a silly grin. Sarah sees my expression and laughs heartily. As the song finally ends, I turn to her.

 

“Sarah?”

“Yes?”

 

“I was wondering...why did you bother helping me, even as everyone was laughing at me and the bullies were pulling wedgies on me? And why did you decide to become friends with me?”

 

She c***s her head, surprised. At long last, she smiles.

 

“You know, you’re honest and earnest. You’re attractive in your own way, you know. You really care about people, care about whether you’re hurting them or not. You’re very sensitive to others’ feelings...”

 

She leans in close, her eyes concerned. She places her hand gently on my shoulder.

 

“You’re a good guy, you know. You may not look it, but deep down inside you’re almost every girl’s dream. I think that’s what attracted me to you...”

 

And with that, she gets up and walks back to her room.

 

The next morning, as I help Sarah pack her bags into her father’s car, she turns and smiles at me. We share one last hug.

 

“Hey, Sam, thanks for the awesome stay at your house! Maybe you can stay at my house next vacation!” She beams and heads for the door.

 

I nod. “No problem...” But I’ve barely said those words before the car pulls away, moving fast into the distance. I think about what Sarah said. Yes...that’s something to look forward too...a lot...

 

And though my mind’s spinning with my thoughts, with the prospects of the exams looming in the distance like thunderclouds, a slow but sure smile comes to my face, like the rays of sunlight that break out after the storm. 

Author's Note

Image taken from Wikipedia
It's a bit long, I know...
Somehow, when writing this, I had the strangest feeling that this wasn't as good as the other stories I've written...but still, hope you like it!

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Not a long story. A very good story. Those sweet moment where innocence and friendship had more value then money and lust. I wish to go back when walks and sweet kisses were the only dreams. I like the story. You took the reader in slow and easy. Gave us a very good ending. A outstanding story.
Coyote

[Zeitgeist Manifesto]

As I got to the line *“I can’t sleep...” She brushes her hair out of her face.*

The phone rang. I thought..WHAT!! WHAT DO YOU WANT!!! UGHHHH!!!! lol

I Guess that says, I was totally sucked in. That character you created here has an amazing amount of depth. I will admit that I was a little intimidated by the length of this story, but your work is always worth it. The emotions you created here are genuine and sincere. I enjoyed this piece a lot. It is not action packed or filled with intense scenes of madness, but you have still written a great story. You seem to have stepped out of your comfort zone with this one. It's an honor to see your growth as a writer. Great job!

[deeps]

Wow! This is an awseome story here. To me it makes a better story if it is long. Alot detail and adds vivid scenery. I like this alot. Very well written and had me holding on. Very well done!