Summer of Sam

Part 21

[It is the middle of the morning and Sam and Greg were meeting the girls at their house for a nice, long, beach day. When the door bell rang, Paige went to answer it but only Greg came back.]

Reagan: Greg, where's Sam?

Greg: He's uhhh...he's back at the house

Reagan: Why?

Greg: He...he didn't feel well. He told me to tell you to go see him.

[Reagan can tell that Greg doesn't want to talk about it any further and she heads to the boys house. She walks into Sam's room. He is laying there motionless and colorless. His golden tan is meaningless now.]

Sam: Hi. [Sam sits up happily.]

Reagan: Hi, lay down, lay down. You don't look good.

[Sam leans in for a kiss, Reagan doesn't lean in.]

Sam: Give me a kiss.

Reagan: No, I don't want to get as sick as you.

Sam: You won't.

Reagan: Okay, what bio class did you take?

Sam: A.P..

Reagan: Well, damn.

Sam: Come sit with me. I've been sick all summer.

[Reagan stands angry.]

Reagan: Sam! That means I could be sick too!

Sam: Reagan sit! Let me finish. What I have isn't contagious.

Reagan: Sam, you're scaring me. Are you okay?

Sam: Ray, I have cancer. I've had it for four months. At first the treatments were working, but they stopped. Now the doctor told me to be a normal teen kid. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I didn't think that I would fall in love with you. I have been coming here for seventeen years and nothing like this has ever happened.

Reagan: Why didn't you tell me.

Sam: I don't typically go around saying Hi, I'm Sam Gale and I have cancer.

Reagan: Sam...

Sam: Well at first I didn't see the need to. But then I really started to like you and I was trying to find the right time.I swear I was.

Reagan: Sam, I can't lose you. I won't lose you!

****

Reagan's Narration: I laid next to him and cried into his chest. I listened to his heart beat. He died the next morning. August 25th, 2014. 11:36 AM.. It was 94 degrees out. It was sunny but the water was unusually cold for the time of year. I sat and watched the waves never once taking my eyes off the horizon. The crash from the waves sprinkled my toes. The cold water bit my toes like a bunch of little fish trying to get the last of their dinner. Watching the waves kind of reminded me of my life. They wash out to start a new, they build into this huge untouchable thing then crash.

Paige: Greg just told me what happened. I'm so sorry Ray.

[Reagan puts her head on Paige and starts to cry.]

Reagan's Narration: She didn't have to hear it from me. At that moment she knew what I meant to say. Without a word said, we both knew that a piece of me was broken and never to be found nor repaired.