You've Reached Sam

Julie has more nightmares about Sam, with Sam asking where she is and searching for her. The nightmares relive the night Sam died, with different scenarios, but Julie’s phone always rings, and they continually can’t find each other. In this one, Julie sees a string on the back of the truck that is about to hit Sam, but she realizes the string is a guitar string and she can’t stop it. She wakes up crying and calls Sam. He comforts her, explaining he can’t connect with her in dreams.

Every day, Julie’s attention is on Sam, their calls, and why they were given this second chance. She worries about how much time they have left, how many calls, and how to repair her friendship with Mika and help her heal. Julie can’t tell Mika about the secret calls, as she thinks everyone will consider her crazy and turn her into the counselors for mental wellness.

Lunch is the only happy part of school, as Julie, Yuki, Rachel, and Jay bond. She starts writing in her notebook, remembering Mr. Lee’s inspirational questions: “What story do I want to tell? Who am I writing for?” (107). Yuki comments about her beautiful journal, and Julie shares suddenly that she’s going to write about Sam and their relationship.