WestFiction- "If You Love Something" by Mary

“And what? Have her laugh at my face? Besides, to her I’m just her neighbor.” Rowen just stood there not knowing what to do. Mark has already made up his mind.

~ ~ ~

She looked around for a familiar face, any familiar face. Samantha was at a friend’s party. The whole week was a total chaos for her. She thought she would settle in pretty quick but she was wrong. For the first few days, Joshua, Mark and his brother Barry took her around town. No drastic change, just the usual upgrade here and there. She met lots of her old friends and made some new ones in the process.

School was a different story altogether. Her first day at Ursuline College, and she was completely disorientated. Now she knew what Joshua meant years ago when he first went to Summerhill’s. It felt different going to an all-girls. Not to mention the amount of catching up she had to do in such a short time.

“Hey, you seem lost,” Keith interrupted her thoughts.

“Just, you know…getting my bearings right,” she replied. Keith was one of the first few people she met when she came back and she took an immediate liking to him. In fact he asked her to go to this party with him.

“A few of my friends are going for a movie tomorrow, wanna join us?” he asked.

“Sure,” after all she wasn’t doing anything tomorrow.

“Hey Keith,” someone called out from the corner of the room, whom she recognized as Shane another person Mark has introduced her to, and motioned him to go over. He excused himself from Samantha and left. She looked around again wondered where was Mark. She couldn’t believe herself. She had managed to fall for him. Again. Mark had added inches to his height and his kiddish look has grown to a more of a good-looking one. And he was the same person she knew. She liked Keith, no doubt about that. He was nice and sweet and all but he is not…that moment she saw Mark standing outside sipping his punch…but Keith was not Mark.

She continued looking at him. He looked great in the black shirt and khakis. She was about to make her way to him when another girl came up behind him and put her arms around him and he gave her a peck at the cheek. The girl Mark was going out with for sometime, at least that was what Rowen told her. That’s when realization hit her. He would never see her more that his friend.

~ ~ ~

CHAPTER 6

“Whose bright idea was it again, to walk all the way home?” asked Samantha, as she flinched in pain from the blisters in her feet. “There has to be a bus or taxi around here, even at this hour” she muttered under her breath. She was amazed by the fact that one could still walk safely in the streets at this late hour.

“Come on, it can’t be that bad,” he told her.

“Bad? You try running around for 12 hours without a moment to sit,” Samantha said. Today was opening night for Oliver! at Hawkswell’s, Mark had a part in the play. After long and hard work rehearsing for the past few months, the show came together and tonight was a success. Samantha however got a taste of what production work was for the play.

“Man, wasn’t it fabulous?” he asked smiling from ear to ear. His blue eyes seemed much bluer today. There was just something about his eyes, childlike, innocent Samantha noticed.

“Yes Mark, for the millionth time,” she said grumpily.

“You had to be on stage Sam, the feeling, the rush, it’s amazing,” Mark it seemed couldn’t wipe the smile off his face and his adrenaline pumping wildly. He couldn’t help but skip around Samantha

“Yeah, I know,” she said smiling, Mark’s good mood was infectious, “Ya know, you have to stop twirling around me. You are giving me a headache.”

“How would you know? You were backstage!”

“For your information Markus Feehily, I have done some stage acting back home. I know what you are talking about.” She said smiling to him. Mark felt his heart pump harder. She did look beautiful. Sometimes Mark felt it was pure torture just being near her. And torture being away from her.

“Really?” he asked surprised, “Then how come you don’t do it anymore?” She just shrugged in reply. They walked in silence. After a moment he began said, “Ya know, I want to do this,”

“What? Act?” she guessed.

“Yes, act,” he confirmed, “and sing. Musicals. Plays. I want to do this for the rest of my life.”

“Really? What happened to putting Pete Sampras to shame?” she asked.

“Well,” he said taking a deep breath, “it would cost a bomb if I really wanted to go pro. If given the chance I would have gone.” He paused for awhile, “Didn’t you want to sidekick your way to the Olympics?”

“Jumping around from one country to another didn’t do much for that career. Maybe I’ll open Karate classes, one day.” she replied.

“Stage actor, Mark Feehily,” said Samantha pretending to imagine it, “Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“So does producer Samantha Micah” said Mark looking at her, wanting to see her expression. She stopped, “How?…But ….I didn’t,” she was sure she never told him she wanted to go into production.

“Come on, I know you better than that. There had to be a reason why you stuck with those temperamental production crew.”

“Yeah, I want to produce,” she finally admitted, “Believe it or not I do like the shouting and chaos and all the tempers flying backstage,” They continued walking and talking, occasionally teasing each other.

“Wow! Look at that,” said Samantha pointing to a shop. Music was playing and an elderly couple was dancing to it and they looked content with each other, “Want to dance?”

“Here?” he asked doubtfully, “Besides isn’t it customary for the guy to ask the lady to dance?” he said as he offered her his hand.

“Customary, yes. But it’s the 90’s, the rule doesn’t apply anymore,” she said to him. Dancing with him, in the deserted streets, under the stars, her feet didn’t touch the ground. She wished they could stay this way forever. The music stopped, Mark didn’t want to let her go, it was like heaven to have her in his arms and she didn’t make any inclination to move. The whole world seemed to fade away. He couldn’t help but trace the edge of her lips with his finger. She reached up to kiss him, which took him by surprise. It was even sweeter than he imagined. When they broke free, they stood there looking at each other, he didn’t dare blink, thinking all this may be a dream.

“The 90’s huh?”

“Well, I’m not going to wait around for it to happen.”

“So you make things happen.” He glanced at the shop and blushed, Samantha followed his gaze, the elderly couple was looking at them and smiling.

“I think we better go now,” she said waving at the couple. He took her hand in his, which now surprised Samantha, and continued back home.

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