Sam Campbell needed to escape, escape from her life, her messy divorce, and all the pitying looks. Looks she couldn't ignore when everyone in town had known her and Cam, had known her shame and failure. So, she took the first job she could get, teac...
The sound of the horn honking outside had Sam grabbing her purse and racing outside. There was a pleasant buzz of excitement and anticipation running along her skin, little currents of delight lighting up every nerve ending. Not only did she have plans, not only was she getting out of the house with friends, but she also hadn't been roller skating in a long time and she used to love it.
Almost every Saturday night in high school, you could find her and her friends at Roller Stop, the local rink in her hometown. It had been the most fun thing to do in Galena. Of course, it had also been one of the only things to do besides go to the library or get high in the woods. If you were really ballsy, you might try to sneak into the only bar in town but old Larry who owned the place knew everyone. Too small of a town to try to fool anyone that you were older than you were.
But Sam could remember with perfect clarity the thrill and pure joy of flying around the rink, Madonna or Wham! blaring loudly overhead. Drinking Coke and getting nachos covered in plastic cheese from the concession stands. Her and her friends spinning in circles under the flashing neon lights, laughing. Her and Cam holding hands, skating slowly together when their song, the song Cam had decided was theirs anyway, 'Can't Fight This Feeling' came on. He'd told her it was perfect because that described him the moment she'd walked in the door of the cafeteria. Sam had come into his life and he couldn't fight how he felt from the moment he saw her. What a crock of garbage that turned out to be.
No. She shut that particular trip down memory lane behind a door, locked it, and tossed the key over her shoulder. No more Cam memories. She wasn't going there. Mistakes had been made. Lessons had been learned. Sam had promised herself that she wouldn't dwell on what she had no control over anymore. She would use the opportunity to better herself, to become smarter about her life choices. Now it was time for new friendships and experiences, a whole world of possibilities, a chance to take those lessons and start over. She would make the most of any opportunity this second chapter of her life decided to bring along.
She waved to Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin as she approached the car. Sam had decided comfort was the way to go for skating so she'd worn jeans, her yellow Kiss tee, and a black jean jacket. Layers were also the way to go right now because winter was not quite ready to let go, still bringing a biting chill to the evening air. But she figured if she got too warm skating, she could always lose the jacket. Better safe than sorry, especially when she was almost always cold.
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Sam slid in next to Robin who offered her a great big smile as if she was just thrilled that Sam was tagging along as everyone said their hellos. Max had not been kidding when she'd told her that her friends would be welcoming. Sam had never met a warmer, more friendly group of people in her life. Most people were wary of outsiders, hesitant to let someone new in once the group had been formed. But, besides the secrets they were very clearly keeping, they were more than happy to fold her right into their group even though they'd all known each other for at least a decade.
And while Sam was willing to set it to the side for tonight, those secrets had not been forgotten. They continued to tap annoyingly at her brain, demanding answers. Sam hadn't given up on that particular task. She was determined to find the truth, to get to the bottom of those accusations, those haunted looks she saw pass over their eyes when the past was mentioned. She was like a bloodhound and now that she had been given the scent, she wouldn't rest until she found the source. But for tonight, she was going to let it sit in the back of her mind. Tonight she was just going to have fun with everyone.
