Chapter 23
Henry woke in a state of anticipation. It was Saturday morning, and he was excited to meet Samantha and Melissa at the abandoned house where they would conduct their next investigation. The sky was cool and cloudy, with a steady wind moving through the thinning trees. The air had taken on the heavy smell of Autumn. Henry prepared by retrieving his camcorder. Samantha returned it to him after they reviewed the footage from their investigation of the Cummings house, and with the video downloaded to her computer, they could simply record over the tape. Putting it in his day pack, he started for the outskirts of Norway. He had been glad to see Samantha and Melissa getting along so well. Knowing that Samantha had always been a loner, he knew how important it was for her to make new friends, especially someone she could share those things with that she felt uncomfortable talking to him about.
Approaching the house, Henry expected to find the girls waiting on the sidewalk, perhaps sitting on its front steps. When he failed to see them, he called out for Samantha, but got no response. Assuming they had already gone inside, he walked slowly down the side of the house, along the driveway. He thought that, perhaps, they might already be upstairs and called out to her again, still with no answer. His heart began racing as he realized he'd have to go into the house alone. He stepped up to the back door, and putting his hand on the door knob, noticed how cold it was. The back of the house sat in constant shade, giving it a noticeable chill. Pushing the door open, Henry was startled by the sudden shriek of its rusty hinges. Their shrill was quiet, but it was its suddenness that caught him off guard.
Whispering aloud, Henry continued calling to Samantha. Still without a reply, he walked slowly through the house as the floor quietly creaked beneath his feet. As he entered the living room, he heard a faint sound, something familiar. At first, its direction eluded him, but walking to the corner of the room, Henry was able to determined where the sound was coming from. Rounding a corner, there was a large bedroom. It's plaster walls covered with the same wallpaper pasted up throughout the rest of the first floor. What he found in the bedroom shocked him into a near catatonic state. Over the last few days, Samantha and Melissa had become closer than Henry expected. Now, he stood in the doorway as they embraced each other, their lips woven together like two flowers discovering each other for the first time.
Sensing his presence, Samantha released her lips from Melissa's mouth and taking a step back, turned towards Henry. Both were clearly embarrassed as disappointment struck him like a sudden storm.
“Henry,” Samantha said.
The suddenness of his presence startled her, but having become caught up in a moment of passion and self- realization, she had lost track of time. It was more than awkward, and Samantha was left without words. Certainly, there was no need for an apology, as Samantha had just discovered something about herself that brought all the pieces of her life together. Melissa, however, caught up in her own embarrassment, brought her hands up over her mouth and backed away.
Henry was crushed. First, he'd fallen in love with Samantha, but was able to put his feelings aside when he found she would never respond to him. Then there was Melissa, the beautiful girl from Georgia who stole his heart without so much as the slightest intent. Not only was Henry hurt, he was angry. He felt betrayed, if not by Samantha, then by his own feelings. With all the time they had spent together and the ongoing lack of romantic spark, Henry never thought it was an issue of sexuality. It wasn't that he resented either of the girls for being who they were. After all, people are who they are and cannot be changed. Henry's emotions began to come to the surface as his eyes teared up, but rather than allow himself to be seen in an emotional state, he turned away and quickly walked out through the back door. Samantha rushed out after him with Melissa following close behind. She knew nothing about Henry, but seeing him in such a state disturbed her and she wanted to offer him, at least, a bit of comforting.
Approaching him in the back yard, Samantha tried to find the words that might heal Henry's deep emotional wound.
“Why didn't you tell me?!” he began. “I could've handled it!”
Samantha didn't feel any obligation to explain her newly discovered life. Not to Henry, or anyone else.
“Henry,” she replied. “I don't know what to tell you. I just found out myself.”
She further explained that sometimes things just happen. That by circumstance or accidents, the right people get connected and bound at the soul. At a loss for words, Melissa stood near the back door, nervously wringing her hands. At her age, she was not accustomed to witnessing such an outpouring and couldn't help feeling both sympathy and worry for him.
“Samantha,” she began. “I think I should go. I didn't mean for him to get hurt.”
Realizing that neither of the girl were at fault, Henry told her that everything was okay. But still feeling uncomfortable, Melissa decided it would be best to leave, foregoing their invitation to investigate the house.
With Melissa having left, Samantha and Henry were free to have a more honest conversation.
“Henry,” Samantha began. “This has nothing to do with you. I'm the one who has to figure this out.”
Henry was still reeling from the shock of discovering Samantha in Melissa's arms.
“I know that!” he replied. “I'm just not sure what to think.”
“Well,” Samantha said. “That makes two of us.”