✔️Soundtrack To My Life (18+) part 1

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Sam, September 2001

My Summer holidays were quickly coming to an end, I had less than a week left before the start of my third year of uni so I decided to spend those last few remaining days in London, keeping Shayla company while her parents were away in New York and catching up with Kate, Alex and their twins. 

The Summer had passed me by in a whirl, with flying back to Australia for Dad's wedding and the five day football camp I had attended a couple of weeks ago, in a way I felt like I hadn't even stopped to have a break until now. 

Football camp had been full on, with some players who were ultra competitive and egotistical and that's never been what I'm about. I love football, I have since I was 4 years old and it's my passion for the sport that drives me to be the best that I can be but I will never cut anyone else down just to get ahead, I'd rather earn my spot based on my own efforts, a lesson that some others never learnt but now I feared that lack of ego could work against me, especially now that the days between camp ending and school starting back and I still hadn't heard a peep from potential scouting agents.

"Do you know what your biggest problem is Sam?" Shayla asked as we enjoyed a late lunch at a small cafe in Covent Garden, right near her studio. We were sitting outside, enjoying the light warmth of Autumn while it was still around because in a week or two the weather would change drastically, becoming much colder as we edge closer to Winter but for now it was still t-shirt weather. 

"No, but I'm sure you're going to take great delight in telling me." Shayla was well known for her honesty, although she was never rude in telling someone the truth, she would also never sugar coat anything. It was one of the things I loved about her, she would give you her honest opinion without it feeling like an attack or insult but she would also offer up solutions to any issues you could be facing. 

"You lack patience" She tells me, matter-of-factly in her own Shayla way. "I'm not saying that you didn't work hard because I know for a fact that you worked your arse off for this but, unlike everything else that has always come easy to you, you may have to wait this time and it's killing you" 

"Not everything has come easy to me, I've had to wait for something before" I defend myself.

"Veronica is the only exception here" She resolves, shaking her head. "You two are like magnets when you're in the same room, no power on Earth is going to keep you apart"

My mind wanders back to the wedding, dancing with Veronica, holding her so close to me, I couldn't resist kissing her, Shayla was right about this, when I'm around Veronica, that attraction that we have for one another is just too strong and it feels so natural to go with it. Then I remember another kiss that happened that night, one that seemed to get swept under the rug with the excitement of the wedding and the intensity of the lead up to football camp.

"So, are we ever going to talk about you kissing Bridget or were you just hoping I'd forget and never bring it up?" My question makes Shayla blush as she focuses on her gourmet cheeseburger and huge stack of hot chips. "You go into detail about every girl you hook up with, whether I want to hear it or not, yet, when it comes to Bridget Kreslin, I'm getting radio silence from you?"

"It was...unlike any other kiss I've ever had" She struggles to get the words out, for the first time ever there's a coyness about Shayla.

"Good? Bad? You need to elaborate here Shay, you're giving me nothing to work with" I push, usually she would have created some sort of nickname for the girl in question and be spilling out information like she was on trial.