CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Becky called me bright and early the next morning. "Bad news bears, Sam."
I rolled over and sat up with a yawn. "It's seven in the morning. On a Saturday morning."
"I know. I just got home."
"So you decided to call and say good morning? You suck."
"No." Her voice was bright and chirpy. "I'm still drunk so it's probably not sinking in yet, but I can't go to the game tonight."
I groaned. There went my one friend to sit with.
"There was a party on the beach by Lydia's house and I'm getting back. Mom caught me this morning so I'm grounded now."
"You went to Lydia's party?" I should've asked, 'Lydia had a party? And you went to it?'
"Oh no. The party was by her house, I think some other girl threw it, but I dunno. Anyways, we had to wait till Adam was sober enough to drive. I kept drinking all night. Lydia's actually kinda funny."
"You were with Lydia? You two were pissing on each other."
She giggled. "Not literally, but she explained a few things to me and I feel for her…sort of…not really. Oh well. So I'm not going to the game tonight so that means you don't have to go either. I know I was the only reason you were going anyway."
I picked at some lint on my bedcover. "I might've gone to cheer for Adam too…"
"Aw." Her voice melted. "That's so sweet. I'll make sure to tell him. It'll mean a lot to him. He doesn't think you care about him at all."
"Are you kidding me?" I grumbled into the phone. "You're the one that likes him."
"Yeah, but he doesn't like me."
"You're a bit not right in the head, Becky."
"I know!" she chirped again, followed by a giggle. "He held my hand to the car."
"Were you falling down drunk?"
"That and the sand was really tricky to walk through."
"I'm sure it was." I laid back down on the bed and closed my eyes. Something was telling me this phone call wasn't going to let me go back to sleep anytime soon.
"So, what'd you do last night?"
I grinned into the phone. "Well, I didn't get drunk and hold hands with my crush all night long."
She giggled again. "I wish it was all night long. Maybe I could get drunk more?
You think he'd do that every time?"
"No."
"Yeah, you're right." She sighed. "It'd be nice, though. I wish I could hold his hand all the time."
"Why don't you just ask him out?"
"Because he doesn't like me. How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Whatever." I gripped the phone tighter. "I think there's something there.
Maybe he'd have to man up and make a decision already."
Silence.
I sighed.
There was more silence on the phone.
Then I asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
Her voice was timid. "It's not that easy for some of us."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Sometimes all we have is our imagination."
I frowned and cursed under my breath. "Your imagination? Your fairytale that's holding you back?"
She sucked in her breath.
I bit back another curse. I'd forgotten Becky was one of those girls. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" She sounded like she had started to cry.
I cursed myself and hit my forehead with my hand. "For not being sensitive."
"It's okay," she hiccupped.
"No, I really am sorry."
"I know." She hiccupped again. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it."
I gritted my teeth, but said nothing. The problem was that I did mean it; I meant every word of it and more.
"So, since we're not going to the game, my mom said you could come over tonight. You want to come over here? I think we'll do dinner and movies."
"Um." How could I lie myself out of this one? "My mom said something about dinner too."
"She did?"
"Yeah." I sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. "But I don't know. I'm not sure what I should do. I might still go and cheer for Adam tonight."
"You're going to go alone?" She sounded so small.
"Maybe. I don't know."
"I don't want you to be alone."
"Oh no. I'll be fine."
My door opened at that moment and Logan stuck his head inside. When he saw I was on the phone, he lifted a hand in a half-wave and frowned at me. I motioned for him to go away, but he only grinned and pushed the door open to come inside.
"Uh," I said in a hurry. "I have to go, Becky. I'll call you later."
"You're really going to the game still? Alone?"
"Oh yeah. I'll be fine."
Logan stood right behind me. I turned around and he breathed on my neck now. I tried to shove him away.
"Okay…"
"See ya. I'll call you tonight." And I hung up, breathless. Then I whirled around. "What are you doing?"
He smirked at me.
"This is my room. This is my privacy. Get out."
He laughed. "You're just pissed because one of your friends might've heard me."
"Do you blame me?"
"Nah, guess not." And he threw himself backwards on my bed before he scooted back to sit against the wall. "So you're coming tonight? You're going to cheer on your future brothers?"
My lip curled up in disgust. "Don't say that word again."
"Brothers?" Logan's hyena laugh came out and he twisted to chortle into my pillow. "I cnn't beliff ith."
I sighed and rolled my eyes before I took hold of his arm and started to pull him up. "Come on. Get out. I want to go for a run."
He dodged my hand and chuckled when he went to the door. "You should run with Mason sometime."
"What?"
"You should run with Mason sometime."
"What do you mean by that?"
He lifted a shoulder in the air. "He runs too, most of it's at practice, but I bet he'd smoke you."
I quirked an eyebrow up. "You think so?"
He puffed out his chest. "I know so."
"I can run for hours."
"So can he."
Then I shook my head and turned away. "I'm not going to get into this with you."
"What? That Mason's better than you at running?" Logan rushed around and blocked my way to the bathroom. His cocksure smirk was back in place and he folded his arms over his chest. "Why don't the two of you throw down? I'd like to see that."
I shoved him aside. "I'm not going to race, either of you."
He taunted behind me, "Scared?"
I froze. My shoulders went up, my chin hardened, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up. I turned around slowly. "What did you say?"
He looked too sure of himself. "You heard me."
Both of my eyebrows went up.
"I think you're scared."
"Come again?" I laughed out with a pout.
He took a step close. "I think you're scared of losing."
"I wouldn't lose."
He took another step closer and he was against my chest. He peered down, through his thick eyelashes. His breath wafted over my skin. "I think you're scared of everything."
Something snapped and I shoved him back again, this time he slammed against my bedframe.
My arms were stiff against my side and I clipped out, "I'm not afraid of anything."
He laughed as he pushed himself up from the bedframe. "Whatever you say to yourself at night."
"I mean it."
"Yeah, yeah." He dismissed me with a wave. "See ya, sister. Have a good one tonight."
When he left and the door had closed behind him, I let out a shaking breath and realized my fingers were pressed into the palm of my hands. I pulled them out and saw the blood start immediately. They'd been pressed so tight, so hard. I hadn't felt a thing.
My jaw trembled when I went back to the bathroom, but I turned on the shower.
I wasn't afraid. I wasn't afraid of anything.
The football stadium light's lit up the field, bleachers, and two of the parking lots around it. As I approached my school's field, a different sense filled me. I wasn't a fan of the game, but I had come at times to support David. Now I came to support the enemy, or who I had considered the enemy.
Lydia, Jessica, and Jeff at times had sat beside me.
After I got a soda and a football program, I sat alone this time. My two ex best friends were higher on the bleachers and I knew Lydia's mouth had fallen at the sight of me. Jessica refused to look, like always. Jill was on the track in front in her cheerleader outfit. She paused in her stretching to glare at me.
I sat back and drank some soda. Then I saluted her with the thing.
Her nose wrinkled up and she turned her back when Ashley DeCortts approached her. Both girls glanced over their shoulders at me after a moment.
I gave them a wide smile this time.
It wasn't long before the teams ran out on the field. The Academy side gave Adam a big cheer when he was introduced in the line-up, but when Mason and Logan were introduced, I swore the ground shook.
I had no idea. It was as if they were gods. I shook at my head at how weird it seemed to me.
When the ball kicked off, I tried to pay attention to Adam, Mason, and Logan's numbers. The one that was most obvious was Jeff's, 33. It blared up at me as he stood right in front of where I sat. He didn't play the whole time, but that was fine by me.
During halftime there were a lot of announcements and drawings for the charity raffles. Ashley and Jill giggled into the microphone at one point for some sell-off. I had no idea what they were talking about. Their cheerleader-esque language kept creeping into the microphone. I grew tired of trying to figure out what 'pep' actually meant to them, but it seemed to go over well with the crowd. There was a big cheer and Jessica's name was announced after.
Lydia screamed the loudest. Jessica stood in surprise, but it was fake. She had a small smirk on her face and I knew whatever had been done was all a scam.
She had known the whole time she was going to win. As she passed by me and didn't seem to realize I sat there, I sat up straighter. Whatever she had won must've been important for her to forget the chill-factor any time she was in my vicinity.
I nudged the girl next to me. "What'd she win?"
"A date with Logan Kade."
I grabbed her arm when she started to turn for her friends. "What?"
Her lip curled up and she gave me a look in disdain. "Like I said, a date with the ever-so-great Logan Kade. Get your hand off me."
I let go, but scooted closer. "Was that a drawing or something?"
She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "I have no idea. Can I talk to my friends now?"
"Oh yeah. Whatever."
The girl's bitchiness didn't bother me. She was a sophomore. She had two more years to get stepped on and I knew it'd happen. It always happened.
Then she surprised me when she looked back at me. "Aren't you Samantha Strattan?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Shouldn't you know about your new brother being auctioned off?"
Everything stopped for me. The hairs on my neck stood up. My claws came out. My tongue fell thick, but I gave her the most polite look I would muster in all my years and asked in a voice so professional my mother would've been proud, "What do you mean by that?"
The sophomore narrowed her eyes, but rolled them after. "My twin sister goes to public. Logan Kade said that you were his new sister. Is that, like, not true?"
My heart started to pound and my chest got heavy. I felt a heart attack coming on, but I still asked in that painfully polite voice, "What do you mean?"
She made some sound and I felt snobbery written all over it. Then she tugged down her frayed mini skirt and wrapped her athletic jacket tighter around her.
"Whatever. He probably made it all up."
"Yeah," I said faintly as she turned back away. "Probably."
Oh god. Logan had spilled the beans. People would know. My world was going to end.
Adam would know.
Jessica would know.
Lydia would know.
And, I gulped. Becky would know.
There'd be no anonymity any more. Everyone would know. Most would care.
And I groaned as I lowered my head to my lap. People would either love me or they'd hate me. My guess is that they'd all hate me.
Round two of hell, here we come.
And, of course, Lydia dropped into the chair beside me at that moment. "Hi!"
I jumped from how cheery she sounded.
Then she scooted close and lowered her voice. "We only have a few minutes.
Jessica's over the moon. I'm sure she'll be with Jill and Ashley for awhile. How are you?" Her hand clamped onto mine and she gave it a squeeze.
"I'm…fine…"
Her smile stretched wide. "Good. That's good. I talked to Becky last night.
She's so funny. Why didn't you tell me how funny she could be?"
"Because…." Had Lydia grown two heads? I swore one was sane, but this one—
not so much. "I have no idea."
She doubled over with laughter.
I scooted an inch away.
She scooted with me and pressed her leg up against me. "Come on, Sam. How are you really?" She whispered behind a hand. "I heard that Adam likes you, like really likes you. That's great, although I knew that'd happen." Her hand squeezed again. "Are you excited?"
"Um."
She rushed in, "You'll make a great couple. I just know it."
The sophomore bitch turned back with eyebrows high. "You're dating Adam Quinn?" She gave me an once-over.
I returned the favor and spoke in her same bored, stuck-up tone, "Why's that your business?"
She clamped her mouth shut and turned away. A bunch of her friends behind us scooted forward and I knew the whispers were about me.
I was starting to get used to it.
"She's coming," Lydia hissed and shot from the chair.
A second later Jessica walked past my seat and back to her old one. When she saw me, her smile froze for a second, but then she murmured, "Hello."
I almost fell of my seat.
If Jessica gave me the time of day that meant she was happy, really happy, and that left me with a sense of dread. From the little time I'd had to get to know the real Jessica, I knew she wasn't happy unless she got whatever she had set her sights on.
Logan.
Maybe she thought she had him in her clutches after all?
I spent the rest of the game weighing my options. Jessica, ex best friend who'd been screwing my boyfriend for two years to get back at me and now she's best friends with his new girlfriend. Jessica wanted Logan. I happened to know the guy…what to do?
When the game ended and Fallen Crest Public had trounced my school, once again, I stood with the rest and started to make my way towards the parking lot. Lydia squealed my name as I was almost off the bleachers and gave me an excited wave with a thumbs-up sign.
I wasn't sure what she was thumbing-up, but I gave her a small wave back.
When I got to the parking lot, I had to stand back with a bunch of others as our team first ran through, followed by the next team.
And then two arms came from nowhere and lifted me off the ground. I was swung around before I was placed back on my feet.
I leaned back and saw Logan's smiling face. "We won! Did you have any doubt?
Tell me you cheered for the winning team?"
Oh no… I looked around. Eyebrows were up. Hands were hiding mouths and heads were bent together. Then I saw Lydia and Jessica behind me. Both had frozen looks on them. Jessica was white as a ghost.
"Hey!" Logan embraced me again. "I scored three touch downs, of course Mason got all the blocks for me, but I scored. Aren't you going to congratulate me, sis?"
"What?" Jessica choked out.
Then a hand clamped on Logan's shoulder and he was pulled with the rest of his team. He turned back and yelled, "You're going out with us, Sammy. We're going to party tonight. No more loser parties for you!"
One of his teammate laughed and said something in his ear. Logan tipped his head back and his hyena laugh came out again.
Then I turned back around and felt the ground start to shake again.
Mason had stopped behind me. He had a quizzical look on his face and he reached a hand to scratch at the back of his head.
"Hi." I clutched a hand to my stomach and wondered why I was breathless all the sudden.
"Hey?" He looked where Lydia and Jessica stood. "Are they your friends?"
"No." I shook my head and moved closer to him.
He did too and we were almost touching, his pads to my shoulders. He bent his head so he could hear me. "They were my best friends."
"Got it." Then he gave me a small grimace. "Your mom mentioned that you were coming for dinner on Sunday?"
I jerked my head in a nod. I couldn't catch my breath.
"Good," he sighed.
I looked up in surprise.
He shrugged. "She's bearable when you're around." Then he frowned. "Did I hear Logan yell at you to party with us?"
"Yeah. He did."
"Good." He nodded. "We might have some actual fun." Then his hand touched my shoulder, lightly and briefly. "Wait for me after this. I'll give you a ride."
I was about to tell him that I had a car, but he had started to jog after his team. There was a line of girls who had been watching and all looked as he went past them.
Before their heads could snap back to me, I started to turn away. Lydia and Jessica were in front of me, both with fierce expressions on their faces.
I steered myself. This was not going to be good.