Page 33 of Surviving You, Scotch and Sammy 1

“I gotta go back before Luc starts singing. He’s been asking for vocals for ages. I can’t give up my spot.”

I giggle again, and repeat, “Okay.”

“I love you, Ricci.”

I love you, too. “Have fun. Sing me a song.”

He drops one last juicy kiss on my lips before he pulls away. “Every song I sing is for you. Haven’t you been paying attention?”

I bite my lip and watch him walk back to the stage. Leaning against my table, my eyes follow his every movement; as he jumps back onto the platform, as he slaps Marc on the shoulder and they share the smile of happy best friends and brothers, as he picks up his guitar and slings it back over his shoulder, as he steps up to the microphone, as he finger combs his long hair out of his eyes, then finally, as he winks at me and joins back in with the music, adding his voice seamlessly. The dancing crowd is energized by his return, the girls swoon as he sways his hips and caresses the microphone. His hands move down to the guitar, his long fingers moving along the neck and strings.

I spent two years fighting him away because I was scared. And though we’re only seventeen, we’re not babies, and we’re not stupid. He wasn’t wrong. We know what we know, and we could be the easiest thing there ever was. Meg was also right. Not everyone will find a man that will look at them the way Sam looks at me.

‘Music is food for the soul, but she’s the elixir of life.’

– Scotch –

How Scotch was named Scotch

Two hours after she walked into The Shed, I called it a night early, and I dodged empty drink cans from angry dancers. I don’t give a damn, and neither do the guys. I leave my guitar slung over my shoulder and I jump down from the stage, push through the pissed off crowd, I swoop Sammy into my arms and I kiss the shit out of her.

She giggles into my mouth, but her eyes are alight with fun, and her hands hold me tight and beg me not to let go.

“That was so much fun.” Her hand slips into mine, and her spare hand rubs up and down my forearm. “You guys are really good.”

I smile and drop another kiss on her nose. “Come for a walk with me, Sammy? We’re gonna walk home.”

Her eyes flick between mine, surprised, daring, sassy. “All the way home?”

“Sure. It’ll take an hour at most. I wanna walk with you.”

Meg crashes into us, her body falling on Sammy as she giggles and clasps that guy’s hand in hers. “We’ll walk too. Gimme that bottle back now, Samuel.”

I turn back to the stage, to the guys packing up our shit, and I spot the bottle of scotch sitting by Marc’s feet. I turn back to her, and ignore the tall fucker who has her boobs in his hands. This is our place, and I don’t know who the hell he is. “I let you drink that straight, you’re gonna be spewing everywhere before we get home.”

She rolls her eyes at me. “Whatever, lightweight.”

I shrug my shoulders as Sammy presses in closer to me. Whatever. I’m just happy to have Sammy here. Meg can do whatever the fuck she wants. “You wanna spew all night, that’s on you. You want your liquor, you better go ask Marc for it.” I smile wolfishly. “You better ask nicely.”

Her eyes turn to slits as they follow my gaze, and she watches Marc as he watches us. Jesus, first impressions are definitely important, and these two practically hate each other. In all the years I’ve known Marc, I’ve never seen him take such a dislike to anyone so quickly, not even that kid who knocked his sister down at school for the twentieth time. On the twenty-first time, when he stepped up to her and put his foot out to trip her, Kari popped him on the chin and took care of the situation herself.

Meg huffs and puffs at my words, and I silently pray her new friend doesn’t escort her to the stage, and thankfully, as though she knows what would happen if she did, she slithers out of his grabby hands and she walks away.

Sammy and I turn away from him, and though I keep my eyes on Meg and Marc, I lead Sammy toward the doors to leave.

We’re on borrowed time, and I won’t be wasting a single second if I can help it.

Meg approaches the stage with her hands on her hips and her long hair swaying with sass. She says a few snippy things to Marc as he stands tall on the stage and looks down his nose at her, and though I can’t hear them, it’s not hard to read ‘asshole’ and ‘give it to me’ on her lips. They both bend down at the same time to retrieve the bottle, and though they both get their hands on it, Meg wants it more, and snaps it out of his grasp.

Marc’s lip turns up in an angry sneer, but with a ‘fuck off, then,’ he turns his back on her and starts spinning cords around his arm. She turns back and skips to the new guy’s side, and Sammy and I follow them outside.

Ten minutes later, the rest of the guys join us outside in the dark as others all make their way to cars and bikes, or they simply start walking down the street in every direction until they disappear into the dark. Angelo drove here in his Charger, so I throw my guitar into his trunk so I don’t have to carry it all night. With his shiny new driver’s license, Luc drove his dad’s old van to transport his drum kit, but knowing – hoping – that Sammy would be here tonight, I just came in Ang’s car with every intention of walking her home and sucking every last minute out of this night.

Fuck knows if they’ll get caught tonight, and if they do, this might never happen again.

I take her hand in mine, even as Meg cracks the lid on the bottle of scotch, then with an infectious laugh, she tips the bottle and takes a long swig. She’s going to be spewing before we get all the way home.

Marc walks beside another girl from school, and Sassy St James and her crew hang around the van as Luc finishes loading. Forgetting them, Sammy swings around behind me quickly, then with an infectious laugh of her own, she jumps onto my back, wrapping her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. She snuggles in tight as my hands instantly jump to her thighs to keep her secure. She rests her chin on my shoulder, as her breath bathes my skin and her hair tickles my ear. “You gonna be my sturdy carriage tonight, Sam?”

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