The Space Between Us

one <3

"Okay I am so done with this." I drop my pencil on my desk and my head follows in suit.

I groan in utter frustration, why is Algebra 2 so hard?

Samaria giggles at my annoyance and I sit up to glare at her.

"Astra its not that bad. It could be worse. Why don't you just let me explain it to you and then we can be done with it for the rest of class." She smiles cheekily.

I hated how pessimistic she can be sometimes. Im such a negative Nancy, I hate that about myself. I just never see the good in things that aren't fully good, but Samaria does.

"Okay fine," I huff at her, "Only if we can sit in your car during lunch."

She smirks at me and nods in consensus causing happiness to fill my veins. I hated the high school cafeteria.

Sweaty bodies everywhere, loud annoying people, gross food, and the worst of them all,

Caelum Madden.

He's been my least favorite person since before I can remember. It started in sixth grade. Kat Rood, literally rude, invited our entire class to her birthday party. It started out nice, lots of snacks, cool music, a huge movie collection, and the biggest pool I've ever seen.

We all know how this is going to end.

After a long evening of swimming and enjoying ourselves it was time for my least favorite thing.

Games.

Games are cool! Don't get me wrong. I love Monopoly, Uno, Bloxorz, all that good stuff.

You know what games I'm talking about. Truth or dare, seven minutes in heaven, spin the bottle.

Shitty games.

We all sat in a circle around a bonfire and the games began. We started off with truth or dare.

After a few rounds somebody chose me, Wesley Rhodes.

"Truth or dare Astra." He giggled uncontrollably noticing the quick shift in energy.

"Dare." I stated firmly

Looking back I rate the situation a 2/10. I picked dare because I'm just not a pussy. I don't shy away from anything, especially not a game.

"I dare you to kiss.." He drifts off and looks around the circle of about 15 kids.

"Caelum."

My heart dropped into my ass.

Caelum! Are you serious? There was so many people to choose from and he chose my crush? Needless to say, I freaked.

"Um..I..No I'm not kissing Caelum," I state anxiously

I looked over at the sweetest boy I had ever met.

His messy brown hair sat perfectly on his head. Freckles danced across his cheeks. His fair skin complimented those emerald green eyes so perfectly. He was a dream.

Until he scowled at me.

"I don't want to kiss Astra! She's ugly and her parents are in jail! My mom told me so." He snickered at his comment as my peers began to laugh. Whispers swam behind the giggles.

My heart sank.

I wasn't even mad that he said that, I was more mad that what he said wasn't true.

Let's get one thing straight. I hate liars. Capital H-A-T-E.

At the time I lived with my Aunt Tess and her husband, Jerry. My parents were drug addicts. I was put into foster care at the ripe age of 10 and my Aunt swooped in and took my siblings and I.

Tears swelled in my eyes and before I even got the chance to say anything, Samaria swooped in and took me inside.

Next thing I know I'm crying in her arms.

"Hey Mom, Im actually not feeling well. Can you come get me and Attie?" Samaria said weakly

I tried holding my breath so my tears would stop but they just kept flowing. It hurt.

"Thanks Mom, see you in 10."

Samaria put her phone down and tended to me.

She gently pushed my wavy brown hair behind my ear and put her kind hand on my back. Ive never felt so defeated. In that moment, I swore to myself that i'd make his life a living hell.

Throughout middle school I was painted as the weird kid with no parents. Sami never let that stop her from sticking with me. She stayed through all the teasing, bullying, notes in my locker.

Samaria never left. I cherish her.

"Okay, now that we are finished here we can pack up. The bell should ring any second."

Then, it rang.

Samaria and I graciously speed out of Mr. Hughes classroom and head out into the parking lot.

I speed to her car and hop in, grabbing my lunch out of my book bag. Sami turns to me with excited eyes.

"Oh no, what is it." I state coldly with a huge bite of a sandwich in my mouth

"Theres a new kid! Look!"

She shoves her phone in my face, I see a picture of a divine looking young man on the screen. He's a dirty blonde with pretty grey eyes. His cheekbones are chiseled and his jaw is strong. It's a snapchat story. Kats snapchat story to be exact.

The caption reads, "My new Bestie :)"

I threw up in my mouth, literally. Biggest pick me ever. Girls support girls though, right? I shake my head in annoyance and read the tag at the bottom.

"@ JakeLeigh56"

"Jake? I guess that's his name. I wonder when he started? I didn't hear anything until just now." Samaria looks at me puzzled.

Due to her inviting and kind personality, Sami is on the student council. One of her endless duties is showing new students around campus.

She must be devastated they didn't choose her to show him around.

"Sami he probably knows Kat personally, Leeman definitely choose her to show him around because of it. Don't take it to heart." I rest my hand on hers and she looks at me with a big smile on her face.

"You're probably right, but he's a total hottie. I have to introduce myself." I chuckle at her excitement and grab my chips from my bag.

Who are you Jake Leigh?