Worst Summer Ever... (Book 7 of Adopted by Jenna and Tyler Joseph)

5. Samantha

I did not enjoy being woken up for the TV interview. I was just happy it was being done at our house.

Mom helped me get moving but I showered and got myself dressed. I did need that initial little push.

I went downstairs and had a coffee and some toast with jam. I bolused and tried to stay awake to eat.

Luckily, the makeup people could make me look like I hadn't only had about three hours of sleep.

When it was time for the interview, Dad and I were sitting on the couch. The producer explained a couple of things to us and then the interviewer also told us a few things and it was time to start.

"Good morning. I am coming to you live from the Columbus area home of Jenna and Tyler Joseph. Viewers may recognize those names as Tyler is best known as the frontman for the band Twentyone Pilots.

Almost five years ago, the Josephs made headlines when they adopted a young teenager, their daughter Samantha. Samantha herself made the news when her birth father, disgraced entertainment and contract lawyer Stanley Deitz, now deceased, kidnapped the teen after organizing a transport crash and escaped police custody. Following that event, Samantha and Tyler were both in the news when the two were involved in a serious car crash during a visit to Cleveland, which left Samantha in a coma for about a month, and requiring several surgeries. The accident ultimately cost her her right leg. Samantha again made headlines when her school was the scene of yet another school shooting in America.

But despite the trauma Samantha has endured, she has yet again made headlines, but this time for good reason. The teen has launched a scholarship at her high school, South Columbus High School, in honour of her friend Blaine Carter, who died in the shooting. He shielded her body with his.

I am happy to be here with you, Tyler and you, Samantha, who I understand is turning eighteen soon?"

She turned to me.

"Yes," I said. "In just a couple of weeks."

"Samantha, you've dealt with a disproportionate amount of trauma for someone so young. It's already been reported that your birth father was abusive, and that the night your mother died, you were actually the intended target."

"Yes," I responded.

"How did you wind up in the Josephs care?"

"The night I wound up here, my... Stanley was mad about something or other. It never mattered what I did, he'd find a reason to be angry. I'd had enough, so I ran. I'd never run away from home before so I just ran. I ran into a ravine and through the woods and wound up at a fence. I didn't know where I was but I climbed and hoped whatever was on the other side couldn't be as bad as what... Stanley might do."

"Tyler, what happened that night that made you and Jenna make this impressive teenager your daughter?"

"It was raining. I mean, it's actually not hyperbolic to say 'on a dark and stormy night', because it was. Jenna and I were relaxing and watching TV together when the motion lights went on in the backyard. Jenna asked me to go check and when I did, I saw Sam standing in our yard, in the spotlight of our motion light. She was like a deer in the headlights. I approached her and I could hear someone yelling - screaming threats - from the fence line. She was shaking like a leaf. When I got close to her, she passed out in my arms. I brought her inside and we found out she was - is - diabetic.

We both just knew we needed to protect this girl. I'd heard what was being shouted from our fence line. Jenna didn't. I knew this kid, for better or worse needed protection.

Because of some things we found out later, Samantha was placed in foster care. We asked to be her guardians and we were approved on an emergency basis while her social worker got us properly vetted and officially foster parents.

As time went on, and things happened with Samantha and her birth... father, we found out he was going to lose his parental rights. Which he didn't care much about. By then we knew we wanted to make this child ours. She needed love and we had an abundance."

He smiled at me. I smiled back.

"Samantha, after all you've endured, how do you maintain such positivity?"

"It's not easy," I said. "Well, it's easier now. But after Stanley, and then the accident and losing my leg, I struggled a lot mentally. But I've had an amazing therapist since I was 13 and he helped me. Plus, when I lost my leg, Mom and Dad staged this weird sort of... funeral? For my leg. It definitely helped me start to accept that loss."

"Can I take you back to that day in June?"

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"What can you tell me about that day? Was there any sign or anything to show that that day would be so different?"

"No. I was in my math class, waiting for our teacher to hand out our math exams. B-Blaine and I," I swallowed. Tears came to my eyes, but I was going to power through. Because I did all this for Blaine. I could be strong for him. "We were talking about the exam and that we were happy to almost be done with the school year.

I remember hearing a commotion out in the halls, but it stopped. Then the lockdown alarm went off and Blaine and I both thought it was odd for us to have a drill during exams. Then the door opened and I heard fireworks. Or so I thought. My leg started hurting and Blaine pushed me over telling me to stay down.

It wasn't until K- the shooter killed himself and everything stopped that I realized Blaine was dead."

"I can't imagine how that realization would have felt. But you've turned the loss of your friend into something incredible."

"I hope so," I said. "Blaine was an amazing person."

We talked a little longer and then the interview was over.