Samuel felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He wished the message would be from Megan,the girl of his dreams. The image of her invaded his mind. He could imagine her now, walking along the campus path with her summer dress waving in the timid breeze. His eyes followed her, waiting for her to evaporate like water in this heat. She continued to draw closer. Samuel blinked. She still remained.
“Don’t you pass out on me Sammy.” The words were accompanied by a firm hand on his shoulder. Samuel redirected his attention to the handsome blue eyes of his friend Jake standing beside him.
Before Samuel could respond, Jake was calling Megan over. The goddess turned and pranced toward them. Samuel’s throat began to tighten up so he swallowed hard to relieve the tension and butterflies building inside of him.
Megan threw her arms around Jake as he pulled her in for a kiss.
“I didn’t notice you babe. I was off in my own little world. Hey Samuel.” Did she just smile as she said his name? The thought buzzed through Samuels mind.
“Sammy and I were going downtown for a drink and a bite to eat. Want to join us?” Jake asked. Samuel knew she seldom said yes and expected he was asking her simply for curtsey sake.
“Umm… Yeah. Okay. Let me drop off my bag real quick.” She planted a quick kiss on Jake’s cheek and disappeared into Evangeline Hall.
They both silently watched her leave and longed for her return but both had wildly different reasons. The world seemed to darken. Samuel looked up, searching for the culprit but the sky was void of clouds. A cloud blocking the sun was the logical reason his mind had directed his focus upward, but it was unnecessary. His heart knew the real reason.
Mile 29 