Timeline

The Run

"Sam! JJ! Come here for a minute, please!" That's strange. Usually she'd just come to each of our rooms and talk to us individually. Something must be wrong.

"What is it, Mom? Are you OK?"

"I need to talk to both of you." JJ and I walked into the living where we heard her voice and sat across from my mom on the couch.

"Is everything OK?" She was really worrying me and I wish she'd just tell me what was going on.

"Yes. Everything is fine. At the moment, anyways. Guys, listen. There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it." She took a breath and said, "My boss offered me a promotion. He said it pays more but I'd have to work more."

"That's great, Mom! Congrats! And you know I'll take care of JJ while you're at work. I'll do whatever I can do to help." I knew this was only part of the news. She didn't call us both down here for this.

"But, the bad news is, the offer isn't in Florida."

"What do you mean?" Not again, not again, not again! I thought we were past that! I thought we were here for good!

"Honey, we have to move."

"What? No way! It's my last year of High School, Mom! Please... I have to graduate with my friends. Please don't do this to me again!"

"I'm sorry, Honey. We need the money."

"What if I get a job? Then we'll have more money. You wouldn't have to pay for anything of mine. And I'll pay my own way through college. And JJ's too if I have to. Please, Mom. We can't move now!" I didn't even let JJ have a say in what was happening. I just really wanted to convince her to stay here. I can't leave Ashley. She's my all time best friend and Stewart.... We were going to have a future together... I couldn't just leave all that behind.

"OK, Sam. I'll ask for another week of thinking. But you do need to find a job within that week. If you can find a job, then we'll stay. But if not, then I'm sorry but we will need to move."

"Ok. I'll start applying to anywhere and everywhere." I walked over to the family computer and started googling places that were hiring. I pulled up three different applications and filled them out. Whichever one answered me first is the one I'll take. I heard JJ and my mom in the living room still talking but I wasn't paying any attention to what they were saying. I was too focused on the applications.

Two days later, none of the jobs I had applied to called me back. I interviewed at Panera Bread and Lowe's but I haven't heard from them either. I went to check the answering machine for the hundredth time today and there was nothing. Nothing on my cell phone either. Just then, the house phone rang. "I got it!" I yelled before anyone else could pick it up. "Hello?" I said a little too eagerly.

"Hi, this is Isabella from Panera Bread. May I speak to Samantha Shole please?"

"This is her" I was starting to get excited.

"Hi, Samantha. I was just following up with our interview a couple days ago and we'd love to have you join our team if you're still interested?"

"Yes! Of course!" That's all I could say for some reason.

"Great! Would you be able to start tomorrow morning at eight o'clock?"

"That's perfect! I'll see you tomorrow morning then."

"I'll be there!" We hung up and I called my mom and JJ into the living room. "Guess what?" They didn't say anything so I added, "I start at Panera tomorrow morning!"

"That's awesome, Sam! I'll tell my boss that I don't want that promotion then." JJ still lifts his hands in the air above his head when he gets excited. And that's exactly what he did.