1 comments/ 11651 views/ 1 favorites A Love Lost, Found Ch. 01 By: SoulMadeOfSong Well, that was that. The last log- the huge campfire seemed to rise to the sky, or at least to the Zip-line, our goal. We had toiled for ages, it seemed, over those logs. We were both misfits in a summer camp full of Jocks- twelve year old theater kids who loved the outdoors. It seemed that everyone else in that place thought that I was a dyke because of my love for camping, and everyone thought Stevie was "gay", put into nicer terms then they did back then, because he loved acting and singing. It wasn't a big deal that I liked to sing, because that made me like Britney Spears, and Stevie could love roughing it without say because it was "manly." Well, we knew better, ourselves. Stevie and I wouldn't have ever let ourselves onto the fact that this campfire was started to find something to do during free play. You see, everywhere else were the kids who spent summer after summer delighting in making us feel like shit. So, we found a place where no one would be, and made it our own. My bunkmates had "Set me up with Stevie," as far as that could go with two twelve year olds. They did it mainly because it would be funny to watch the two weirdos hanging out, but we didn't care. Their heartless banter, this time, gave birth to something special. I looked into Stevie's eyes, then, and I could see his heart, and mine, in that gaze. I knew, in that moment, that this would be one of our last moments together. He lived 8 hours away from me, and he was not returning to camp the following year. The bullies had gotten to be too much for him. I had decided to tough it out, and return for another summer. Not knowing what to say, I put into the words the only thing I could at the moment- the campfire. "It seems to go on forever, doesn't it?" I said, smiling warmly at the boy I was technically dating, but was really only very, very close friends with. Stevie, though, knew exactly what to say, he always did. To that simple line, he said simply, "Like our friendship." At the simple beauty of that line, a tear rolled slowly down my cheek, and forever understanding, Stevie pulled me into a tight hug. "Sam, this will never be over." He whispered, "Never. We will go on forever. As long as I can breathe, I will be there for you. I'm just a phone call, a plane flight away." I squeezed him tighter, never wanting this moment to end, for him to leave my side. But in my heart I knew I had to let him go. ----------------------------------------------- Memories of the past hit my mind like a shock, hurling it backwards, delving into memories longed for but long buried. Stevie, my mind wondered as I stared at the newspaper clipping. A list of names was all it was, with the title "Long Island Music Students Honored in All-State Groups" glaring across it. My name and school district were there- Sam Schwartz (Plainview) - right in alphabetical order, where they should be. What caused the shock was another name on the page- Steven Cohen (Long Beach). Sure, Steven Cohen is a relatively popular name, Long Island having such a high Jewish population and all. But could 'Steven Cohen (Long Beach)'... be Stevie? My Stevie? Stevie had stopped responding to my calls after a year or so. I got back from camp one year, and suddenly all contact broke. Could he have moved to the Island? Is that why he never returned my calls for all these years? "Don't be stupid," I told myself, shaking my head. What are the chances? You're seventeen, for god's sake. He was from five years ago, the past. That didn't stop the tear that dropped down my face though, and I wiped it off, chuckling at my stupidity. My little terrier cocked her head at me, wondering who I was talking to, and I rubbed her head, scratching her behind the years. Wagging her tail and jumping onto my lap, Bailey kissed my nose and let out a tiny bark. For some reason, she had an odd sense at knowing when I was upset. "Love ya, Bailey." I said, as, seeing I was in a better mood, she jumped down on the floor and promptly asked for a tummy rub. I happily obliged, then went upstairs to practice my music again. The trip to New York City for All-State was after all, tomorrow. A Love Lost, Found Ch. 02 If there is one thing I hate- it's lines. Long, unending lines that hold you back from something you have dreamed about experiencing since you were 7. I'm at All-State... I'm one of the best sopranos in NY. It couldn't get any cooler then that. After what seemed like an eternity, I got my room number, my keys, my meal cards, my, ugh, fluorescent green nametag that must hang around my neck at ALL times. It glared "SAMANTHA" in huge, black, letters, with a smaller "Schwartz" underneath. Yummy- now the nerdy bassoon players wouldn't even have to ask me my name before hitting on me. I lugged my bag towards my room, and collapsed on my bed. I was exhausted- I had woken up at four in the morning to get to the bus by five. Not my favorite way to spend a morning. ************************************** On the back of the line that Sam just left, a boy was waiting. He had gotten there late- his bus had broken down. The line didn't seem to be moving, so he plopped down his suitcase on the floor and collapsed upon it. Among a crowd of others, a brunette walked past him, and as she passed, Steven was hit with an odd feeling of deja-vu. If he hadn't seen that certain girls face just then he knew he would have fallen asleep, But something about her kept him up, something haunted him about that face, and he could not remember what. He knew he was probably imagining things, it was probably only the girls unconventional beauty which excited him. She had brown, almost chocolate colored hair, curled in prefect little banana curls that framed her round face in a way that made his breath catch. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief, and, though he never really was a freckles dude, the scattered freckles on her cheekbones and nose just made her even more beautiful to his eyes. Her lips though, he thought, were frankly, amazing. They looked so soft, so kissable… he couldn't help his mind racing along the lines of what glory it would be to sink his lips on hers. Stop it, perv. He shook his head to clear that thought from his head- waiting on this line with a hard-on would make it even less enjoyable then it already was. It was only when he caught a glimpse of her nametag by the water fountain before rehearsal did he begin to suspect. He had only seen the name "SAMANTHA" on it, not for lack of trying. He had tried, in vain, to read her last name, but before he could do so she quickly ran off into the rehearsal room. For a moment, Steven cursed himself that he was a bass, and not a tenor, so he could have been seated closer to his mystery girl. ************************************** For Sam though, there was no mystery. At the water fountain, she had almost choked on her water in shock to see a much, much older version of Stevie stepping into line. It seemed she was right when she saw his name in the newspaper… his nametag, the same shade of fluorescent green as she, said "STEVEN Cohen." No matter how much time had passed, he was still Stevie, she could still see her friend in him. But, damn, time did the kid justice! No longer a scrawny little shrimp, Stevie was taller then most kids his age, instead of shorter, as he used to be. He'd put on a lot of muscle, and finally grew into his limbs, it seemed. Samantha was shocked- he grew out his hair! His previously mamas-boy bowl-cut was now in a ponytail at the back of his head, the ebony hair that used to make him look deathly pale were now striking, since he finally discovered the sun. His eyes were the same odd shade of amber that they were back then, so light that they almost seemed golden. She so wanted to say hello, to wave her hands in front of his face, beg him to recognize her, but when she noticed him looking at her quizzically, she couldn't do it. Samantha became shy, and scrambled towards her seat. The conductor seemed to be running late, and everyone was taking the time to get to know the people next to them. Sam wasn't interested in all that- she only had eyes for one boy, across the room in the bass section. Samantha, herself, was in the front row of the Sopranos, so unlike Stevie, who was seated on top. They were set up in odd circle, each row higher then the previous one, sort of like a stadium. She finally realized that he, too, was staring at a memory from the past, whether he knew it or not. She watched as his eyes dropped from a quizzical contemplation of her face to her nametag. Upon the sight of her name, she guessed, his eyes suddenly grew huge. His face suddenly was void of all color, and his jaw seemed as if it was in danger of falling off. Stevie knew Sam was watching him, it seemed, because he mouthed at her an astonished 'You?!" All Sammy could do, her heart pounding, is nod her head. They both stood up abruptly, causing a few stares, and tore towards each other, collapsing into a hug that encompassed seven years of regret, of apologies, of a longing for the others presence that was long stored in the back of their minds, put there when each of them gave up that they would ever see the other again. As fate would have it, the conductor walked in at that very moment, apologizing for his lateness, and telling the chorus to take out "O Magnum Mysterium". The newly reunited friends both sighed audibly, and with regret broke the embrace, and went back to their seats, but not before Steven whispered into her ear- "Later. I promise". In her seat, Sam sat, amazed at the exchange that just took place. They had spoken no words, yet said so much. Steven, though, was angry. Not at Samantha, not in the least, but at himself. For one so good with words, Steven just couldn't manage to say what he wanted to in those spare seconds that had passed between them. Mainly, 'I missed you', but it was so much more then that. There had been a hole in his heart without her near, and finally, when he fell into her arms, that hole began to heal. That, and the fact that while he stared into her eyes, he realized that he would never be able to leave her again.