The Stolen Jewel of Hecate

Chapter 24

It might be Saturday, but my mind was scrambling like it was Monday. Hightide was what was scrambling up my brain if you wanted to know. To get the full story on what happened, Hightide brought me back to my house, but before he did, he gave me one last hug and whispered 'Goodnight Sam' and then he left. I don't think I have ever told him my name. Maybe he knows me in real life. What if he doesn't like me in real life? Hephaestus, who was in my pocket, thinks I don't because there are so many boys that could be capable of being a superhero. It is almost impossible to know who the other heroes are in real life in his opinion, but I wasn't sure. Wait, why does that matter. I don't like him. The only person I have had the closest thing to a crush on is Logan, and I think he at least tolerates me now. Wait, did I say crush? No! No way we gave him crush status. Anyway, Ellie should be here soon. She texted me last night to see if I wanted to hang out today, and hopefully, we will find something for her to wear at the mall when we go later. As soon as I shut my door to go downstairs, I hear the doorbell. I ran downstairs to answer it because the family was out for some quality time. "You know Ellie, you do-" I was saying until I looked up to see Steven. I don't care about our previous fights anymore. I just cared that he was OK. I acted on impulse, and I gave him the biggest hug possible. "I'm so sorry! I couldn't stand the thought of our last meeting being a fight! Can you ever forgive me?" I shouted with tears in my eyes. Steven hugged me back, and we were there for what felt like hours. "I'm sorry too, Sam. I really should have been thinking," He said, unraveling his arms around me. "OK, now the real reason I'm here," He said, and we laughed a bit. "I came to tell you about Tuesday," Steven said, and I gulped. "I came to tell you to show up a touch early. Say quarter after six? I just want you to meet your date and get comfortable before Ellie shows up. Is that cool?" He asked, and I nodded. "Who is my date, anyway?" I asked. I really hope it's Lo- wait, no what? Hell no. Why him? He isn't anything special. "It's my friend Derek. We met a few weeks ago, and he said he was single, so I asked him to come along. Hope that's cool with you," Steven said, and I nodded. I don't really know a Derek, but I bet he's cool, he's friends with Steven after all. We bid our goodbyes, Steven leaves, and I shut the door. OK. Don't freak out. It's just a date with someone you don't know. You're not going on a date with a serial killer or something. There is no need to freak out. In the middle of my freak out, I heard my door open to reveal Ellie. "Sam, you OK? You seem a little pale," She said concerned, and I shook my head. "It's okay. Just Steven came over to tell me I had a date with some unknown stranger! I have no clue if he is a stalker or a serial killer!" I shouted, pacing around the room. Ellie starts laughing at me while I'm still walking with my hands on my head. "Sam, chill. I bet Derek is a nice guy," She says in a calm tone. She probably doesn't know that. She probably said that to keep my mother high worry, down. "Now come on, we have some shopping to do," Ellie said as she grabbed my arm and dragged me out the door. I barely had time to lock the door. We started walking to our favorite shopping mall in comfortable silence before Ellie randomly burst out a question. "Do you like Logan?" She asked, and I cringed at the question-no idea why my body reacted like that, but it just did. "What, no, why?" I asked a little too quickly. She looks up at the sky and shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know. You just have that look in your eyes when you look at him," She said, and I stared at her. What look? I don't have a look. Sam Brown doesn't do those looks. "We met on Monday. We have barely had any interactions, and the little times we have, most of them were based on hate," I said quickly, and Ellie shakes her head. "You know there is such thing as 'love at first sight, ' right? Maybe that's what happened, and that's why you started to like him so fast," She says with a confident smile. "Excuse me. I don't like Logan. I never said I did, and I never will say it. We are peers. He probably has a girlfriend anyway," I say, looking at a fascinating tree 'cause I like trees and- OK, I just don't want to look at Ellie. I will never say those horrible words. It will probably pass anyway. "Ah, two powerful signs of an early crush, denial and thinking the other has a partner. I want a wedding invite for you and Logan's wedding, Sam. It is so obvious," She says in a 'duh' tone while looking at her nails, and I huff. "I do not like that boy. I don't have time for dumb boy problems," I say with my arms crossed, and Ellie laughs. "Really? Tell me why you don't have time. I want to see a full schedule with no spare time to fit in love; only then will I believe that," Ellie says with a knowing look. I sigh. "Ellie, you know I'm a busy person. I have soccer practice, I need to get good grades, and I have a job," I also am a super freaking hero, and that is the main reason I don't have time, but she would think I'm ridiculous. "Uh, huh. I don't see that in writing. I want a written out schedule showing you have no time," She said, and I sigh. "Fine, I do have time, but that doesn't mean I need it or want it," I say, rolling my eyes. "Sam, it is very beneficial to have love in your life, you know. Love reduces stress and anxiety, It helps reduce blood pressure, It helps with self-care, and it even helps you live longer," She says, listing the pros on her fingers as she goes. "Do you research love in your spare time?" I say with slight sarcasm in my voice. The last one doesn't even make sense. Did she learn that off of a cereal box? "I bet love is great, but it is not for me. I'm meant to be independent, alone. I don't need a man to live," I say as we walk up to the mall entrance. "Oh, come on Sam. You haven't given love a real chance. Evan doesn't count. I know you would have said that. You dated for a month, and you never showed him any kind of romantic affection. You treated him like a homie. So, in conclusion, that doesn't count," She said in a matter of factly tone. 'In conclusion,' what is this an essay? "Ellie, me and him just didn't work like that, so don't bring it up," I said a little too harshly. Ellie immediately backs off on the subject. "What store first, Ellie?" I asked, and she immediately grabs my arm and drags me to a very bright clothing store. Pink and purple were everywhere and on almost every piece of clothing in the store. "I never thought I would hear you say these words. I'm so proud. I have a girl as a best friend!" She shouted to basically yell at the entire mall. I rolled my eyes as we entered. Ellie immediately ran to the aisle with only short skirts and dresses. Why did I agree to this again? Ellie hands me a few skirts and dresses, and I pile them onto my arms. Why are little bits of clothing so heavy? "Come one Sam! I have got to try these on!" Ellie shouted as she ran to the change rooms. I rolled my eyes and wobbled over to the change rooms with the mountain of clothes on my arms. I toss the clothes into the change room, and I go to sit on one of the fuzzy couches. I scroll through social media when I see out of the corner of my eye Logan with Emma? Why the hell does he still hang out with her with all the shit she has done to me- I mean to people. That's what I meant. I'm watching, hopefully discreetly, and I see them talking. If I were a secret agent, I would totally be using an eavesdropping gadget right now. Why do I care? He is a guy who can hang out with who he wants. He can see who he wants because I certainly do not care. Not even a bit. "Sam! I called your name five times. Where is your head at?" I turn to the change room door to see Ellie with her hands on her hips to see her in a very, let's just say, slut like dress. It was hot pink that came to her upper thigh, and the dip was very shallow. "Ellie, how do I put this nicely? You look like a hooker," I say in a bored tone, and she checks herself out in the mirror. "Oh, god, you're right. I thought the dip was a touch higher than that," She says, walking right back into the change room. Ellie throws the dress over the door, and I go to return it to its rightful spot. I got to where it was before, but I find myself looking over to stalk this boy again! My god, he can hang out with who he wants, and I of all people shouldn't judge his choices. Oh no, he saw me staring. He looked into my eyes and saw me looking at him. Oh shit. Why am I freaking out? He probably thinks it's a coincidence. "Sam fucking Brown, I swear if you don't get your ass over here, I will personally tell that boy you want to marry him and scream it at the top of my lungs to the entire mall!" Ellie screamed, and I ran to the change rooms. I see her with an annoyed expression, and I sheepishly back up. "Sam, I brought you here to help me pick a dress, not to stare at some guy that you refuse to admit you like," She said in an almost bratty tone. "One, I'm sorry, my brain is just not here. Second, I do not like him. I haven't been staring at him. Third, that dress suits you, I suggest that one," I said as nicely as I could even though I was a little pissed off. She has heard a countless amount of times I don't like him. She needs to get that through her skull. "You really think so? That surprises me. This was my favorite out of the entire pile," She says, checking herself out in the mirror. In the end, she forgives me for being off in space or something, and she picked a nice, blue, strapless sundress. It reached her knees, and she got matching white flats to match. As we started leaving the store, I caught one last look at Logan, and he looked back at me. He almost immediately gave me another one of those crest white smiles, and I gave him a smile back, though, it probably wasn't as nice. We left the store, and as we were walking back home, all though we were talking about the date Tuesday, my mind was on Logan, again, and that stupid feeling was back. Why won't this just go away?