The Deal

Chapter 15

Sammi always arrived at school after Leah. She'd visit her locker, take off her jacket, grab her binders and find the water fountain that Leah was always waiting for her by.

Sammi wasn't surprised when today, Leah didn't wait for her.

That was alright. Leah was in her Study Hall. They'd do that thing where she'd ask to use the restroom in this specific wording and then Leah would wait exactly one minute and twenty-eight seconds before asking to fill up her water bottle, and then they'd meet by Leah's locker.

Surely Leah would give her a chance. Leah was nice. Sammi had done a less than nice thing, but Leah was nice. She'd hear her out. She would.

So when Study Hall rolles around the corner, Sammi sat down in her normal spot. Leah didn't sit down next to her, as expected, but...

"Hey Samantha," Makayla said as she sat down next to her. "I can't believe I, like, finally know somebody in this stupid period. Angela and Lucy have study hall together next period, it's so dumb! So. Didn't see you at the dance yesterday." She smirked. "That can only mean you and Jake were up to something... right?" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Is he a good kisser?"

Sammi probably should have gotten up and walked away to Leah, who had started chatting with another girl she was sitting with. But she found herself feeling trapped. Maybe she could be chatty right now and then apologize after school, she rationalized.

"He's fabulous," Sammi said. "Kissing in the rain is pretty romantic, to be honest."

"In the rain? Dang, girl. You two are literally a dream couple." Makayla's voice faded into tue background for Sammi when Leah looked her direction, her smile vanishing and something else replacing it. Then she turned back to the other girl and kepted talking.

Makayla also kept talking. "...and that's just the most insane thing, right?"

"I- right." Sammi nodded. "Totally."

"Like, we were dating for a whole month and a half! And just because I kissed another boy at the dance, boom! He breaks up with me." Makayla groaned. "So unreasonable. So, anyway, that guy I kissed is named Andrew and now I'm dating him instead. You'll meet him at lunch today."

Leah raised her hand. "My water bottle's empty. Do you mind if I go refill it?"

Wait, that was a code sentence.

"Can't wait to meet him," Sammi said absentmindedly, watching the second hand tick around the clock. Twenty seconds...

"Is Jake passing his classes? It's a hot topic."

"Yeah, he likes school and is pretty smart."

Fourty seconds... One minute...

"I'll make sure that gets into the rumor thread of this high school! That's alright, right? Why am I asking, of course it is."

...Twenty-eight seconds. Sammi raised her hand. "Can I use the restroom?"

The teacher nodded and Sammi turned to Makayla. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Coolio," she said, pulling out her cell phone while Sammi walked away.

Sammi entered the hallway, beginning to practice what she was going to say to Leah, when a few seconds later, the girl Leah had been talking to also exited the room. Probably to actually use the restroom or actually fill up her water bottle.

But as Sammi was about to round the corner to the hallway with Leah's locker, she heard the girl behind her say her name. "Samantha? Where are you going? The bathrooms are back there."

Sammi turned around to see both of them had actually passed them. "It's Sammi, and what are you out here for?" She winced. That sounded a little standoffish.

"My water bottle."

"You don't have it with you. Where are you going?"

Her lips formed a line. "Neither of us are where we're supposed to be, so I don't have to tell you anything."

Sammi shrugged. "Whatever." And rounded the corner.

Leah was leaned against her locker, looking at her cell phone. When Sammi approached her, she took out her earbuds. "Hi Ria."

Sammi looked behind her and saw that the girl Leah had talked to was also here. "Hi Leah. You appear to have attracted her majesty as well."

Leah turned to Sammi. "It's one minute and thirty-three seconds now, Samantha. And nobody invited you."

"It's... it's Sammi. And the secret code was always our thing," she said, sounding a little hurt.

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings?" Leah looked her straight in the eye. That stung. "The back corner lunch table was our thing, too. But now it's me and Ria's thing. I'm sorry, Sammi, I put up with you vying for the Queens attention for a full two weeks, and in two seconds I wasn't a convenient friend anymore. But Ria takes the theater elective with me, and she would never call me a freak. So go ahead! Go be Samantha Davis. The whole school already knows you're a Queen now."

Sammi blinked back tears. "I... I was just coming to talk to you and -"

"You should go back to class," Leah said flatly.

Sammi turned around and slowly began to walk away. She'd reassured herself she'd get a second chance from Leah, but then she realized: Leah had given her enough chances. She gave her warnings every day the deal was in motion. What happened at lunch Friday had just made her snap.

Whatever, she told herself, still feeling unsure. Leah said the whole school knows. That's what you wanted.

She lost one friend... but she gained three, plus a really awesome boyfriend. As well as popularity. She'd be fine.

Leah would be fine, too. She had Ria.

Jake would understand.

*sigh* Sammi... is a slow learner...

Let me know if you enjoyed the chapter!

~Kit-Kat