Number 12

Chapter 1

Jake’s POV

It was 8:30 and my day was already going fucking badly. Technically one of the things was last night. Turns out I have a half-sister called Samantha coming to live with us. By us I mean me, my father who is her father too and my mother Summer. She hates the name Samantha and won’t answer unless you call her Sam. She is wearing a football jersey to school with the number twelve on the back and our last name, Anderson.

She is swamped by girls which isn’t surprising as it is the middle of the third week of the year. She and I are both seniors but she is 11 months younger which indicate she has skipped a grade. I walk over to where she is.

‘Cheerleaders, this is Samantha and she is my half-sister’ I introduced.

‘It’s Sam’ she snapped punching me in the stomach. I double over and she walked towards class. It’s just my luck that she in my first class which is Health with Ms Wilson and she is sitting next to me.

‘Ask your partner their worst and best memories’ she said.

‘I’ll start. My best memory is becoming the regular quarterback on the team and my worst is when my grandmother died. What about yours?’ I asked.

‘My best memory is playing in the State for my college and scoring the final touchdown’ she said and turned away.

‘What about your worst?’ I asked but she won’t say.

‘Sam, you can start” Ms Wilson said.

‘Jake’s best is becoming the starting quarterback and his worst is losing his grandmother’ she stated.

‘Nice, Jake you go’ she said.

‘Her best is winning the State final and she won’t say her worst’ I said.

‘Miss Anderson you have to say” Ms Wilson said.

‘Fine. I saw both my parents get murdered in front of me as well as my twin sister and four year old brother who I now know is a half-brother' she said standing up and storming out of the room. It was silent for a minute before Ms Wilson told us to continue.

The Football Coach, Coach John approached me at lunch.

‘Is the blonde girl your sister?’ he asked.

“Half-sister, why?’ I asked.

‘Part way through the first class she came out in no gear and bare feet. She grabbed a ball tossed it round and had a go with the scrimmage machine and headed back in for the next class. Can you get her to come to training after school?’ he asked and I nodded.

“What did Coach want’ Cody asked. He is a wide receiver, a really good one at that.

‘See if I could get my half-sister to come to training’ I said beginning to eat.

‘I saw her start a fight before’ Matthew said, another footballer.

‘She punched me in the stomach for calling her Samantha’ I said

‘And she can punch hard’ I added.

Turns out I didn’t even have to ask her to come; she was planning on it anyway. As we headed there she grabbed her pads from her locker. They were the school ones, no sure how she got them.

‘What are you going to do about the whole locker room thing?’ I asked.

‘I’m more boy than girl so get over yourself’ she snapped walking in. She kept her promise and got changed with us. She didn’t care that the boys were staring probably because she was used to it. I was the captain this year so I let her do her own thing.

‘What position do you play?” Coach asked.

‘I play Quarterback but I can also play Middle line backer’ she stated.

‘I’ll put you at middle line backer as I already have a good quarterback and we have issues with our defence and I’m guessing that you would be good in that position.’ He said.

After warm up we went straight into game, we have an away game against Lake Side Wolves. We are the Mountain Polar Bears. I have no idea who came up with the idea. We are Mountain side school but the polar bear part I don’t know.

We started with the ball at the half way mark. Our goal was to score and the defenders were there to stop us. We managed to get the first ten the first time with my favourite play, Striped Zebra. The first time I got sacked by Sam. She jumped up and didn’t help me.

The second time was no better. Sam managed a clean intercept and would have scored a touchdown if she had of run the whole way. She smirked as she handed the ball over. The training was interesting. I have to admit that Sam was amazing. She managed to sack me about ten times as she was fast of her marks. She refused a ride home saying she would run the mile distance.

‘How was your day?’ Mom asked.

‘Rubbish, Sam could easily take my position at quarterback especially if my shoulder injury flares up again, she is amazing defender. Plus she punched me twice for calling Samantha’ I stated as the door was flung open.

‘How was your day Sam?’ Mom asked.

‘It was shit’ she snapped walking away.  

‘What do you know of her past?’ I asked.

‘She won’t tell anyone, not even your father. She goes to a councillor and he knows everything but no one else’ Mom said.

‘She definitely won’t tell me then’ I said. I know they say that curiosity killed the cat but after what happened in Health. I heard Sam talking on the phone to someone.

‘Yes I know. The best part is he is the quarterback so I can attack him all I want at training’ Sam laughed. I walked past hoping she didn’t see me and she didn’t. I knew she was talking about me but I avoided.

Mom had made chicken curry for dinner and Dad walked in seconds before it was made.

Dad picked up a conversation with Sam but she would short answer him.

‘So Sam, why do you short answer everyone?’ I asked.

‘Because I don’t like conversation’ she snapped.

‘Why because it reminds you of your slut mother’ I said and immediately regretted it. Sam jumped across the table and punched me in the eye. She slipped off the table and left the room.

‘Are you ok?’ Mom asked.

‘I’m fine but I’m going to wake up with a black eye’ I said

‘I’m going to do my homework’ I said leaving the room.

‘I hope you have a black eye in the morning’ Sam called as I walked past her room. It was blue and it had multiple football posters. She was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. She also had a desk and drawers. My room was similar but no posters and paler blue walls.

Sam was a pretty girl. She had honey blonde hair and emerald eyes. She often looked like she would kill you which often seemed to be true. She dressed in torn jeans or short and football jersey or shorts most of the time. I really don’t know I could survive living with her for long.

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The Wise One