SAM

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*
s a m a n t h a
*

"Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Not in what they say.
Just in what they are."
- Marcus Zusak, I Am the Messenger.

"Samantha Carmen Perkins! Answer the damn door!" A very angry mother screams from the kitchen. I'm sitting in the dining room, studying. The incident with Kyle still fresh in my head. I'm wearing blue shorts, one of my brother's university sweaters and I most probably have Nutella smudged somewhere on my person. I get up and answer this door that has been screwing with my life since I was old enough to open the door.

"What do you want?" I say to the unknown figure. As the 3 people turn around I immediately take back my words. The men are wearing suits and the woman is wearing a simple but very elegant dress. One of the two men is very young, my age if I were to guess it. The other two look about my mothers age. The boy resembles both the woman and man. Probably the son. He has blonde hair, from his mother, and stunningly attractive bright blue eyes, from his father. He also looks very familiar.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." I automatically put my head down.

"I'm sorry but we're here to see a Mrs. Perkins?"

I'm about to answer but a tremendous force pulls me back and out the view of the people. My mother, the force, whispers at me,

"Go get something nice to wear. We're going out with the Carters,"

She suggests to the people at the door, "and the Parkins."

I shrugg this off and just go to my room. I don't own a lot of 'nice clothes'. I wear my brothers hoodies for crying out loud! I do have this one dress. It's a light blue cocktail dress. Someone bought it for me a while ago and I should probably wear it as I can't exactly wear anything else. I hold the fabric in my hands. The soft satin feels heavenly. I undress and slide into it. I look at myself and smile. I don't normally dress up, but I appreciate myself when I do. Everyone is beautiful. I just don't show this so called 'beauty'. I like looking like I deserve something better than the dirt under his shoe... this dress reminds me of him...

I sit down at my dressing table and stare at myself in the mirror. I don't know what to do with my hair. I normally just leave it. Its on the verge of being coily but the feel of being curly. I decide to just wet it and let it fall down how its meant to. I put some mascara and eyeliner on. I don't wear a lot of make-up. I only started wearing eyeliner when I turned 15. I wasn't interested in any of it before 15. I place my sneakers on my feet. I'm not wearing high heels or anything else. I love my sneakers and they love me.

"Samantha!"

I hear my mom from downstairs. How did I not even know that we were going out? Thanks for nothing mom.

I take one last look into the mirror. I do not just look it. I feel beautiful.

I quickly grab my laptop. I carefully put it in my bag and head out. The house is full of chatter. Before I head down the stairs, I look out the window. The Perkins and Carters. I didn't know my family knew anyone but the Parkins. I mean, they were randomly at my house and I looked like a troll in front of them but whatever. Everyone's dressed up, suits and evening dresses.

I can truly now say that I have no idea what's going on.

You might be thinking, "Why is everyone dressed up like their going to the ball?" or "Samantha, why do you have your laptop". The answers to these questions are,

1) I do not go anywhere without my laptop because I always like to have a distraction from anything that might happen when I go out with my family

And

2) I have no idea, don't ask.

I walk down the stairs and the sound of chatter suddenly ceases.

"Oh, Samantha, you can look beautiful." My mom whispers and everyone stares. I roll my eyes. Thanks mom. My eyes land on Sam's and he's looking tentatively at me. I raise my eyebrows.

"This is your daughter, Kara?" My eyes move to the voice. The brown haired man, Mr. Carter, says as he extends his hand.

"Hi, sir. I'm Sam." My mother sends me a death glare. She hates it when I say 'Sam', she thinks of it as a boyish nickname that no lady should have.

"Samantha, Samantha I mean." I send a fake smile his way and I shake his hand.

Awkward silence follows and everyone stands looking at one another.

"Can we leave now?" A hostile voice groans. Sam Perkins everyone. Cue the applause.

Everyone silently agrees and gets up to leave. I move towards the front door and before I could grab the handle my father bluest, "Samantha, you will have to ride with the Carter's. Both your sister's and Diana are coming with us and Samuel and both your brother's are going with the Parkins."

I should probably explain. My parents had twins before me. They're both named Dylan and Daniel. They're 19 and annoying. When my stepfather came into the picture after my father left, my mother and him had twin girls; Maria and Maura. 14 and annoying.

So basically I'm the odd one out in the family. You know, being the only non-twin and being the middle child.
I simply nod and walk outside. The cold hits me. I forgot a jacket, I'm an idiot. I feel a presence beside me and turn to meet the face of the Carter boy.

"You look cold." He expresses through a beautiful heart-melting smile.

"You could say that. I just stupidly forgot a jacket. Not the first stupid thing I've done." I follow him to his families car.

"I'm not one for clichés but," he takes off his jacket and passes it to me, "here. Wear it. It probably looks better on you than it does on me. And no, you can't give it back so let's skip that conversation." As he remarks, he has a skip to his step and moves backwards. He bites his lip and just before he goes behind his car, his eyes scan my body and he adds, "By the way, you look really beautiful."

I finally know who this name. His name is Cameron Carter and I met him today at school. Thats awfully strange.

~

maya