I could hear my phone ringing somewhere in the distance. It was getting louder, no not louder, closer. I forced my eyes to open and saw my phone lighting up on my bedside table. Still half asleep I reached over to grab it.

'Hello?' I mumbled into the device that had disturbed my wonderful dream of a meat party.

'Sam?' I knew that voice from somewhere..wait.. I sat up now wide awake.

'Spencer?' I asked somewhat shocked. It had been 2 weeks since Carly left and I had tried to get in touch with Spencer a couple of times to no avail.

'Sam I need your help..' My legs were already over the edge of my bed but now I was up and getting dressed.

'What's up?' I asked as I threw on my jacket and grabbed my keys to the sterling.

'Um.. I may or may not be stuck in Los Angelos..'

'I'm on my way.' I went to hang up but he had already started talking again.

'No! Sam I only wanted you to go to my place and get my savings and wire me it so I can get a bus home.' He started to protest.

Now I really did hang up on him. I grabbed my helmet and scribbled a quick note for my mum. She might be pretty useless but she had been trying the last year or so I had been making an effort to try as well.

The wind was crisp and chilly at 3 in the morning, especially on the bike but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked it.

When I got to L.A I found that I had 7 missed calls, 6 from Spencer and 1 from Freddie. First I called back Freddie while I parked my bike up outside a gas station.

'Sam? Where are you? I just got a call from Spencer he wants to know if I know where you are, he wants you to come over and break me into his apartment. He's stuck in L.A'

'I know. I'm there now.'

'There.. at his apartment? I don't see you? Sam have you broken in already?!'

'No, there being L.A' I noticed my voice gave the impression that it was the most obvious thing in the world but I could tell he was sitting in shock on the other end.

'Oh, alrighty then. Well.. um.. I guess I'll see you when you guys get back.' The line went dead.

Dialling spencers number it barley rang once before he picked up. 'Sam? Where are you? Did you fall back asleep?'

'I am outside a gas station in L.A. were about's are you?' I pulled the beef jerky out of my pocket and started nibbling at it.

It took him a few seconds to get over his shock but finally he managed to splutter out the address and off I was again.

We were sitting at a table outside a smoothie shop and we had been sipping in silence for over ten minutes. I was already onto my second smoothie and we hadn't said a word to each other. This was the first time we had seen each other since the night Carly left for Italy.

'You didn't have to ride all the way to L.A' Spencer finally spoke as he set down his smoothie on the table in front of him.

I shrugged. 'It's all good; I needed a long ride to break this baby in anyway.' I motioned to the Sterling he had given me only 2 weeks prior. 'Now do you want to explain to me why you're in L.A?' I raised an eyebrow at him as I leant back in my chair.

He lent forward and had both hands flying in different directions as he started explaining. 'The apartment felt too empty. I couldn't sleep so I decided to take a walk-'

'To Los Angelos?' I asked sarcastically. Then I realised that knowing Spencer this was actually very much a possibility.

His laughter took me by surprise. 'No, I walked to this bar and I met these guys! Who said they would give me a lift home... I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up my wallet was gone and I was in a park in Los Angelos. I don't think they knew where I lived.'

'Oh Spence.' Even when bad stuff happened to him, which was rather regularly, he still had such a good attitude about life. It was something I envied. I put my empty smoothie cup on the table in front of me picked up my helmet and handed Spencer my spare helmet and the keys.

'What..?'

'I'm tired.' I shrugged. Honestly though, I was suddenly feeling very, very ill.

I trusted Spencer on a motorcycle; he was always smooth and careful, unlike the rest of his life. I had to keep reminding myself that it was so incredibly dangerous to fall asleep on a moving motorbike but I could feel myself slipping into that empty void of dreamland. I tightened my grip around Spencer's waist and tried to keep myself awake as long as possible…

'Sam?' I could hear someone talking to me I knew it was Spencer but I was so tired I didn't even care. 'Sam we're back home.. are you asleep?!'

'mhmm' I murmured and drifted back off.

I could feel him lifting me up. Instinctively my arms wrapped around his neck and I snuggled into his chest. Spencer always smelt good but the way he smelt now was heavenly. I felt like I was sleeping on a bed of clouds and all the most delicious foods in the world.

I could feel him putting me down on something soft but I didn't want to let go, I was comfortable before. 'Don't..go..' I mumbled through the sleep. I then felt blankets being placed over me but I was too far gone to care now.

Time slipped past and I don't know how long I slept for but when I woke up I was in Carly's room. Spencer was sitting on the edge of the bed with a wet cloth that he was just taking away from my forehead. I tried to sit up but I felt so tired that I collapsed. 'How long was I out?' I mumbled.

'A couple of days. I called your mum to let her know.' He stopped dabbing with the cloth. 'How are you feeling?' He looked genuinely concerned for my wellbeing. That's something I had always liked about Spencer. He genuinely cared for me and Freddie not just Carly.

'Fine I just feel..' I struggled to find a word

'Weak?' he suggested. Nodding I gave a weak smile.

'Thank you for looking after me. You should have just told my mum to come get me.'

'Nah, it's alright. I miss having someone to look after. I think it's going to take a fair bit of time to get used to living alone. I've had Carly so long I can't imagine life without her.'

I knew what he was saying. Carly had been with Spencer alone since their mum had died when Carly was 9, Spencer was 17.

I think that was the main reason I had always had a crush on him. He had sacrificed so much to look after Carly.

Plus how could you not with that goofy grin of his and those big brown eyes.

'How would you like to come down and watch some telly with me?' he asked and I realised I must have been silent for a while and the silence must have gotten awkward.

'Yes sure, if we can watch Celebrities underwater.'

'Oh! I LOVE that show.' Suddenly without asking or offering to just steady me downstairs I was being thrown over Spencer's shoulder and rushed downstairs.

'Spencer!' I screamed the whole way down the stairs.