The Deal

Chapter 12

So uh... yeah, I disappeared for five months, but here's your next update if anybody's still reading this. I rediscovered the story, I guess, and fell back in love with it. Here y'all go!!

Nine days ago, Jake had met a girl named Samantha Davis. Now, she was his girlfriend, and somehow, he'd fallen hard for her in the nine days they'd known each other.

Part of that was probably the fact that she had been trying to get him to fall in love with her... but he had elected to ignore that part. Because she felt the same way about him. And even if it had started fake, what they had was real.

So, with a nervous smile, Sammi walked up to the Queens in the hallway while Jake watched with bated breath.

The conversation was at a distance, but just close enough that Jake could tell what they were saying.

"Oh, you again. What is it you want?"

"Well..." Sammi pulled out her phone. "I have here a texting conversation that proves Jake and I kissed yesterday."

Angela raised and eyebrow. "Oh really? Show us."

Jake watched as Sammi dug out her phone and showed the conversation to the Queens. He watched with bated breath as they snatched her phone and looked through her text messages with him, wincing as they did so.

He could not believe Sammi wanted to be their friend.

Angela raised an eyebrow. "Wow." She smirked approvingly in Sammi's direction. "Honestly, I'm more impressed with you than I thought."

"Yeah," Lucy said with a nod. "Very impressive."

"Is he your boyfriend now?" Makayla asked with anticipant eyes.

Despite the circumstances, Jake felt a surge of pride when Sammi nodded.

"Well," Angela said with a smile not nearly as warm or welcoming as the ones Sammi always gave him. "You, Samantha Davis, have achieved what was believed to be impossible with the hottest and most mysterious boy in the school." She turned to Makayla and Lucy. "Girls? Make sure to save our new Freshman a spot during lunch tomorrow."

The three of them turned on their heels in sync and walked away, all of their footsteps matching. As soon as they rounded the corner, Jake approached her with a smile. He hated the Queens with a passion, but he loved Sammi, and he was happy that she was happy.

"Congratulations," he said, his face muscles already tired from the full forty seconds he'd been smiling. It wasn't a habit of his, though it had become more and more common since he'd met Sammi.

"Thanks," Sammi said with a smile. "Now I guess I just have to convince them that Leah's cool."

"Convince who that Leah's cool?"

Jake and Sammi both turned the direction of the voice, coming from Sammi's friend Leah herself.

"Tell me it's not the Queens," Leah added once she had their attention.

Sammi grimaced. "I mean, it is... but, they're cool people. They'll understand."

"They are not cool Sammi! I've been trying to tell you for the last month. They won't even let you sit at their table unless you..." she trailed off and her eyes found Jake.

"He knows," Sammi reassured. "He actually did kiss me, and he's my boyfriend now, so." She shrugged.

Leah sighed. "Look, you're lucky you have a boyfriend they accept, and even then that's cause they set it up! If they become your friends, they become your only friends. You could never be seen with me again."

Sammi sighed, though not as confidently as she had before. "Look, I... just, both of you come sit with us tomorrow. At lunch. I'll prove you wrong," she said with a confidence that, to Jake, sounded a little forced.

Jake has his personal reservations about sitting at the Queens' table, mostly because he preferred to lurk in the shadows and the Queens were a major spotlight. But then he looked over at Sammi's hopeful face... Sammi, who he loved... and nodded in agreement. "It can't hurt to try it," he said.

Leah still looked wary. "I'd bet a million dollars they won't accept me, and you'd be in debt to me for life."

Sammi shrugged and nodded, but Jake noticed she did not accept the bet.

Oh look, a bit of... CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! Sammi finally begins to realize a little bit that the Queens are trash! Anyway, if y'all haven't given up on the story yet, hope you enjoyed the chapter!

~Kit-Kat