The Deal

Chapter 10

If he had to clarify, he would.

Most people in the school probably didn't think Jake could be nervous about anything. But trying to ask the closest thing he had to a friend to go to the Fall Dance with him definitely qualified as nerve-wrecking.

He'd at first been inclined to maybe just not go. But then he made a friend. Sort of. He was pretty sure they were friends? Samantha.

So if he had to say, "You know, just as friends," really quickly afterwards, he could totally do that. Samantha was pretty chill.

This time, he'd have to approach her though and say the first thing. He had gotten used to just responding to everything she said, because it was easier. He always knew if he was responding to what someone else said, they'd be interested in what he had to say.

So what if she was like, "I'm sorry, I have a date." Or even worse, "I'm going with some of my friends." This was the only human being he could possibly ask, and he intended to do it.

So with a deep breath, and his backpack pulled over his shoulders, he walked up to where Samantha was chatting with her friend Leah.

"Really? I mean that's great, Sammi -"

"Weekend's over! It's Samantha again."

"Right. Sorry. But forget popularity if you actually like -" The first bell rang, and Leah said, "Sorry, my class is on the other side of the building. Gotta run!"

And so Jake walked up to her - and when Samantha noticed him, she looked surprised for a split second before smiling that shiny, beautiful, genuine smile of hers. "Hey Jake!" She said in a friendly way. See? Only person who would talk to you like that. Just do this.

"So. Samantha. I, um..." Jake ran through his brain, grasping for some words. "Well I guess, you know the Fall Dance coming up?"

Samantha's eyes lit up - and now what did that mean? "Yes, I know!" She exclaimed, almost... excitedly?

"So. I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go with me?" He was about to hastily tack on, since you're the only person I know, when Samantha somehow managed to smile even bigger and tackle-hugged him.

"Yes!" And then, still smiling, she waved goodbye as she made her way towards her first class.

Jake was dizzy. He hadn't been hugged by literally any of his friends, even at his old school, so it threw him off-balance a little. But a part of him - that so long dormant part that had begun to nudge at him that he had a crush on this girl - felt all warm and fluttery at it.

So, with a small smile, Jake made his way off towards his class. Samantha had agreed to go to the dance with him.

~~~

After school, Jake thought about maybe looking for Samantha and asking if she wanted to hang out again, like the last few times. But when he saw her in the hallway, she was standing straight up, fidgeting nervously, and talking to - Angela, Makayla, and Lucy.

Ugh. Those girls.

They'd better not be picking on her.

"...I promise. Really!"

"Three days, Sally." Lucy jammed a finger at her.

"I literally stopped going by Sammi!"

"Yeah, but Lucy can call you whatever she wants," Makayla told her.

"You've been talking, though," Angela said with an unsure look at Samantha. "We've got our eye on you."

Samantha nodded slowly before the three girls stalked off with their hips swinging. Samantha sighed, and Jake approached her again.

"What was that all about?"

Samantha sighed. "The Queens. You know."

"I don't, really. They kind of leave me alone."

Samantha raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. I guess they do," she said ironically, though Jake couldn't quite find the irony.

"Did you used to go by Sammi?"

Samantha bit her lip a little and nodded. This was the first time that he'd actually see her act anything but completely sure and extroverted.

"They made you change your name?" Jake said, disgusted.

Samantha nodded, sighing. "Yeah. They didn't like the name Sammi for some reason."

"Why make you go by Samantha if she's just going to call you Sally?"

"Cause she's a jerk," Samantha said, laughing a little bit after she said it. "They're all total, complete jerks and I hate them all." She spat it out, and she looked like she felt a little better after she said it. Then she added, "At least to people they aren't friends with."

"That doesn't make it okay," Jake told her.

"I was like that at my old school - I mean, minus the nasty snootiness. I was nice, I guess, but also really popular."

Jake shrugged. "I guess high school's a whole different ball field."

"You'd better be glad Leah's not here. She'd start singing that opening song from Heathers." Samantha laughed. "She's a theater kid."

"Well that explains a lot. Has she gone vocal-rest on you yet?"

"Nope, though I bet she would if she was in a musical right now. She does burst into Broadway tunes almost every single second of every single day," Samantha said with a raised eyebrow.

Jake laughed a little, and then, trying to summon Samantha's type of confidence, he said, "Come on, we should... go get coffee again. You could use it."

"But not from that Starbucks," Samantha said with a raised eyebrow.

Jake's amount of laughter had grown exponentially in the week that he'd known Samantha. "Yeah. Definitely not. You know somewhere else?"

"Leah takes vocal lessons at this place called New Roots," Samantha suggested. "It's also a coffeehouse."

"We should go there then. And Samantha?"

"Yes?"

"Can I call you Sammi?"

She pursed her lips and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. And then, almost reluctantly, she said, "...Sure. I'd like that."

They're making a bit of progress! Eee! I mean, he asked her to that Fall Dance. (I bet you forgot about that. Lol.) If you enjoyed, maybe leave a vote or some comments! Thanks!