The Freshman Child

Chapter 9: Your Secret's Out

Chapter 9: Your Secret’s Out

“Want to talk about it?” Grandpa asked Sam the next morning over sausage, pancakes and milk.

“Maybe.”

Sam viciously attacked her breakfast as Jill sleepily looked on.  It had taken Sam all night to sort out yesterday’s post-football practice scene. She had always preferred to keep things to herself until she had thought them through. The more she thought about it though, the more she got stuck on the very same questions she had asked Max: Why were they doing this to her? What has she ever done to them?

Sighing loudly, Sam bit her lip and said, “Grandpa, did you have a lot of friends in high school?”

He gazed at her intently, his brow furrowed. “Well, in the beginning, not a lot,” he said. “Then I joined the school paper and some other clubs, and before you know it I had people lining up to get to know me.”

Sam groaned. “I’m hoping this is just a phase I’m going through.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, dear.  You just moved here and things just need some getting used to,” Grandpa pointed out. “That’s something to keep in mind.”

Jill looked at her sympathetically and gave her a thumbs up sign. “Your grandpa is right.”

Sam nodded glumly and picked up her plate just as her mom entered the kitchen.

“You girls better hurry or you’ll miss your bus,” Margaret paused hesitantly, “Oh, and Samantha? Your dad said he’s been calling you all night but that you might have been too busy to pick up. He wants to know if you want to spend Christmas with him in California.”

Christmas in California? Seeing her old friends? Going to the beach? Sam felt a little better already. Maybe she can even take Jill with her.

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“See you later at lunch. Hang in there,” Jill squeezed Sam’s shoulder as they parted in the middle of the hallway.

Well, I guess the only thing I can do is to grin and bear it, Sam thought and headed to her Biology class. Reaching into her bag for her phone, she almost missed the stairs. Backtracking suddenly, she bumped into Noah. “Sorry,” she mumbled. She stepped aside quickly so he could get by. He was someone she was hoping to avoid.

He gave her a crooked smile. “How’s it going?”

Too busy noticing how good—really good—he looked in his uniform and how gorgeous his eyes are, Sam could only stare at him mutely.

“You’re Sam, right? Look, before you write me off as a jerk, I’m really sorry about yesterday. I get nervous sometimes when a pretty girl talks to me then I go and say something really stupid,” he said with a wry grin.

He gets nervous when a pretty girl talks to him? Pretty? Does he mean me? Sam stared at him dazedly.

“So, if you’re still interested about that date, I thought maybe we could go hiking or apple-picking this weekend. Sound good to you?”

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Did Noah Robinson really just ask her out? Her? Samantha Bancroft?

Inwardly cringing because she was pretty sure she was doing a poor imitation of a guppy, Sam wanted to bolt. Her hands went up to her cheeks. She could feel them turning a hot pink. She didn’t know how to answer Noah and sound cool. He was looking at her curiously now, as if he were trying to read her thoughts.

Just then, the late bell sounded a warning. Saying the first thing that came to her, Sam blurted out, “I need some air.”

Scrunching her eyes in embarrassment, she hurried upstairs, wishing the earth would swallow her up.

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I need some air. I need some air. I need some air.

All morning, those words mocked Sam. How could she have said that out loud? To Noah, of all people!

Expecting Jill to laugh like a hyena as soon as she had finished telling her about it, Sam was surprised when she barely cracked a smile. In fact, Jill looked like a deflated balloon. Maybe she’s sick, Sam thought worriedly.

Jill snuck a bite out of her sandwich, keeping an eye out for Ms. Smith, the extrasensory librarian who could be back in the magazine stacks and still smell ham on rye.

“Everything ok, Jill?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she answered unconvincingly.

“What is it? Please tell me,” Sam begged her.

“I can’t…you’ll think I’m a freak…” Jill whispered.

“Jill, you’re my best friend. I would never think that!”

Staring solemnly at her, Jill finally gave in.

“I think… I…I’m…in love…”

“Jill! That’s great! Who’s the lucky guy?” Sam exclaimed.

Jill quickly averted her eyes. “That’s just it…it’s not a guy…it’s…forget it.” She quickly stood up and picked up her stack of books.

“Jill?” Sam said in a shocked voice.

Picking up her backpack, Jill watched Sam carefully.

Biting her lip nervously, Sam said “C’mon, I’ll walk you to class.”

“You don’t need to,” Jill said quietly.

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“Why weren’t you in school today?” Dani asked Max accusingly, “Where do you go when you stay out late at night?”

From his prone position on the couch Max smirked at her. “Why are you so nosy?”

“I’m worried about you.”

“Well, don’t be. I can take care of myself.” He lit a cigarette. “Did anything interesting happen today in the land of Mickey Mouse and high school?”

Dani rolled her eyes at him. “Well, aside from Trent Jones falling on his ass while serenading Caitlin at lunch, Emily Scott trying to set off the fire alarm in the Headmaster’s Office and Bryce being caught selling vodka in mouthwash bottles, nothing interesting to report.”

“Amateurs,” Max said under his breath.

Sticking her tongue out at him, she continued, “Oh, and Noah asked out the new girl from California.”

Max straightened up quickly and banged his head hard on the coffee table. He rubbed his head, hissing out several swear words and making no attempt to disguise them.

What was that little weasel Noah thinking, poaching on his territory? Samantha was with him. She was his employee, his gofer. How dare her think she can date just anyone while on the clock? Not on his watch! He could just imagine how excited that naïve little girl was about the stupid date. He’ll just have to keep her busy all week. Starting right now.

Dani raised her eyebrows at Max. What gives? “Are you trying to hit on the new girl?”

Max glared at her. “Are you crazy? I don’t go for babies.”

“You know you’re single because you’re an asshole, right?” Dani taunted him.

“Well, yeah, but I’m an interesting and fun asshole.”

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