One More Chapter

Samantha Alder

Turns out, someone did want to be my friend, which was a problem.

"Hi, um, can I sit with you?"

I looked up from my table where I was sitting alone at the cafeteria. A girl about my age had come up to me. She had long blonde hair done up in a ponytail, and had a splash of freckles across her nose.

"Uh, sure you can sit here." What else was I supposed to say? I didn't want to seem friendly, so I pulled out my book and pretended to be super engrossed in it.

"So, what are you reading?" she asked as she sat down. She looked questioningly at the cover, as though she was actually interested.

"You wouldn't like it." I told her, I don't know why, but I put the book down. "So why'd you wanna sit with me?"

"I guess you just looked lonely."

Although I didn't want to admit it, I didn't really mind her. I really didn't want to make new friends but she seemed really nice.

"So what's your name?" I asked her.

"Oh, my name's Samantha Alder, pleased to meet you. And you're Avery Beckett, I saw you in homeroom."

"Ya, that was so embarrassing."

"No, worries, everyone's like that when they first come here. But I assure you, this school is the best one ever. Everyone is super nice!"

I must've looked kinda sceptical because she said, "No, I'm telling you, no one is mean at all, mostly."

"That Jackson kid didn't seem all that friendly."

Samantha looked down, "Oh, you met him already. Well Jackson is my cousin and he basically thinks he owns this place, But other than him, everyone else is great. Oh, you should totally meet Bethany. She is so popular but also really cool. And Abigail! She is-"

I smiled inwardly. Samantha seemed pretty cool, and super talkative, but I was supposed to be trying not to make friends and she seemed to be forcing it on me.

Sam (she insisted I call her that) and I kept talking all of lunch, and when the bell rang, she asked me to meet her after school behind the dumpster. She apparently had something really cool to show me. I'll admit I was tempted. But instead I apologized and told her that I had to get home early to help unpack the rest of our things. Which was only partly true. Sam looked kinda disappointed but she said it was okay and she'd see me tomorrow. And I headed for biology, with a million thoughts swirling in my brain. But I came to a decision, Samantha would be the one exception, I needed a friend in this new place.