by E. K. Blair
As I headed to the kitchen, Mousteff was there in his chef’s white apron and he wore a hat too. He brandished a cutting knife and gestured to the table in front of him.
“Sit,” he grunted.
I sat.
He sliced up some meat and put it between two pieces of homemade bread. A parsley and tomato were placed on the side before he set the plate in front of me. A knife and fork were plunked beside it, along with a glass of water.
“Eat,” he grunted again.
An apple was cut up next. He put the bowl beside me, turned his back, and left. I didn’t see him for the rest of the day.
Later in the afternoon, I headed back to the kitchen for some water. When I went past the patio, I peeked out again and saw the group hadn’t left. A bonfire had been lit on the beach and most of the people were around that now. Loud bass blared through the windows. It got louder when a door opened and closed.
I didn’t glance up, but Mason stepped next to me. He reached around me and pulled out a pitcher. When he moved back to pull out a glass, I let out my breath. I hadn’t known I’d been holding it.
I didn’t turn around. No way.
Suddenly the door flew open again. Logan’s voice carried through as he howled and ran through the house. Then a car door was slammed shut in the front of the house. When I looked over I saw Mason watching through the kitchen window. A small smile was on his face. He looked softer, just a bit.
My stomach kicked a notch.
I spread a hand against it and frowned. What the hell was I doing?
Then the front door was thrown open and we heard Logan holler, “Finally! Dude!”
Male laughter responded. When Mason left the kitchen window, I took his place and saw Logan trying to dry hump some guy. I didn’t recognize him, but they had so many friends. He was tall, over six feet and his jet black hair matched with Mason’s. The two almost looked like twins. While he went out to greet the new arrival, both gave each other a hug with a smile on their faces. It was so genuine, that I clenched my hands around my glass and turned away.
I didn’t come out of my room for the rest of the day. When I did, it was past ten in the evening. The party was still full force outside by the beach. No one was beside the pool and I was surprised by that. Then I checked my phone and regretted it. Lydia sent me a text, ‘Jeff said you guys broke up. CALL ME!’
I turned it off and put on a movie.
My body was tired so I did nothing on Sunday, except for the little homework I already had. I heard my mom’s voice once when I ventured downstairs, but Mousteff told me, “Mr. and Other are gone for day. Cooking in cities is better than cooking at home. No one cares. You eat.” And he dumped a bowl of soup in front of me with some crackers on the side. When he went back to the kitchen I heard him muttering to himself.
It was late when I heard Mason and Logan in the hallway. A third male’s voice was with them so I assumed that it was the guy from before.
“Nah, man. That’s her room. You’re parked in the east wing.” Logan’s voice carried down the hall.
Two doors shut after that and it was silent for the rest of the night.
When I left for school, Mousteff stuck his hand out as I passed by. He held a brown bag to me and barked, “Eat. Lunch.”
I took it and there was more muttering as I left. I couldn’t hold back a small grin, but it was gone when Lydia and Jessica caught me at my locker.
“What happened with Jeff?” Lydia sounded breathless.
Jessica frowned and readjusted her hold on her books. “You never reply to my calls anymore. You’re not a very good friend.”
I slammed my locker shut. “Get away from me you whores.”
Lydia gasped, “Me?”
Jessica got red in the face and hurried away.
I watched her go, but when Lydia stayed I snapped, “You covered for them. A disloyal bitch is the same as any other disloyal bitch. Shove off, Lydia. I don’t want anything to do with you.”
She hung her head, but glanced up quickly. Her feet shuffled in place and she said in a hush before she scampered away, “Adam Quinn is going to ask you out. Everybody’s talking about it.”
I closed my eyes, not something I wanted to deal with.
When I went to my last class, my lab partner kept glancing at me. After the twelfth time, I sat back. “You got something to say?”
She looked around and then pulled back her red curls from her face. It didn’t matter. The frizzy hair clung to her skin. She didn’t seem to mind. Her excitement couldn’t be contained when she leaned forward. Her pudgy elbow rammed mine off the table. “You and Jeff Sallaway broke up, right?”
I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Is it true that Adam Quinn asked you out?”
I lifted an eyebrow.
A high-pitched squeal left her. It sounded like laughter. “He was asking your friends about you this weekend.”
“They’re not my friends.”
“Oh.” Her eyes kept darting around. “So are you gonna say yes?”
“Who are you?”
“My name’s Becky Sallaway.”
My mouth quirked up. “You’re Jeff’s cousin?”
She shifted in her seat. “Only through marriage. My mom married his dad’s brother. Are you going to go out with Adam Quinn?”
“Why are you asking me? Did Jeff ask you to?”
Her mouth gaped open a second before her pasty white cheeks matched the color of her hair. “That pipsqueak? He’s a loser. Not like Adam Quinn.”
And she wasn’t one? I rolled my eyes. “Why do you care so much?”
She shrugged. “Maybe I want to be friends.”
“Friends are overrated.”
“Not if you’ve got good ones.”
“And you’re going to be a good one?”
“Better than those two. Jessica Larsen’s been jealous of you since sixth grade when Forrest Adams thought you were cute and Lydia Thompson doesn’t have the backbone to be a good friend. She always does what Jessica tells her. Everyone knows that. I’ve always wondered why you didn’t know that.”
I sighed. “He hasn’t asked, but the word is that he’s going to.”
“Are you going to say yes?”
The bell rang and I scooted my chair back. “Why don’t you say yes for me?”
She hurried to catch up as I started to shoulder my way out the door and to my locker. The day had been long and I was in need of a good tiring run.
Panting, she tried to mop back her hair again. “Do you really want me to? I’ll go find him right now.”
“Sure.”
When she stopped and headed one way, I kept going. The girl was a freak. But then a different freak planted herself in my path.
I groaned on the inside while I couldn’t hold back a snarl. “Jill.”
She tilted her chin up and her blue eyes flashed. As she flipped her bleach blonde hair over her shoulder, she responded, “Samantha.”
I started to move around.
She blocked me.
“What do you want?”
“I’m dating Jeff.”
Nothing surprised me anymore. “That was quick. You two been scooting and booting for a while?” Then I gave her a smile. “Are you my homewrecker?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Jeff asked me out last night. I’ve decided to date him.”
“And you’re going to make him change?”
The bottom of her uniform top started to ride up her waist. She reached down to pull it down, but stopped. A satisfied grin came to her and she let it up even further. One of her hands moved to the bottom of her skirt. She pulled it down an inch so her hipbones showed, along with the black thong she wore.
“Look at you,” I purred. “You wanna be Britney Spears? Wear the pigtails tomorrow. I’m sure Jeff would love it.”
She moved closer. “Only when I give him head.”
“That’s the spirit.”
Her smug smile slipped a bit. I k
new she was a cheerleader, she’d forgotten that.
“You do know he cheated on me with my best friend for two years, right?”
“He won’t with me.”
I laughed. “He won’t cheat with you or he won’t cheat on you? I’m sure both will happen.”
“Jessica Larsen won’t be sleeping with him anymore. She only did it to get back at you and from what I’ve heard; she’s close to getting Logan Kade to date her.”
“Yeah.” I threw my head back and laughed. “You’ll be luckier thinking Jeff won’t cheat on you.”
“He’s wanted me for years.” She pulled the other side of her skirt down as well, readjusted her hold on her books, and arched her back slightly. Her breasts were on display as people went past; the guys had stopped a while ago and were watching. I heard the whispers and knew this’d be all over school, probably already was.
“And you’re the Mecca for his dating daydreams?” I caught sight of Becky on the sidelines. Her cheeks were inflamed and she pointed to the corner. When I looked over, I saw a confused Adam Quinn against the wall with some of his football teammates. He pushed some of his blonde hair out of his eyes and scratched his forehead.
Then Ashley DeCortts pushed through the crowd. She sidled next to Jill and touched her on the arm. “What are you doing, Jill?”
“I’m making my stand.” Her eyes drilled into me.
I rolled my eyes and snorted. “Are you kidding me? You can have Jeff. I don’t want him back.” Then I thought about it again. “I haven’t wanted Jeff for a couple years now.”
Someone gasped. Someone laughed. And I turned to leave, but I stopped when I saw him right behind me. A look of hurt was evident when he met my gaze for a second.
My jaw hardened and I pushed through the crowd.
When I saw the men’s locker room door was open and no one was inside, I went without thinking. My dad’s office was in the back and his door was open. I paused in the doorway. I’d rarely come to his office because of where it was, but I took a deep breath. I was there now.
The small bathroom that attached to his office had the door closed. The toilet flushed and a moment later he came out, drying his hands.
He froze for a brief moment. “Samantha.”
“Hi.” I glanced over my shoulder. Male voices carried through the room and I heard them coming closer so I closed the door and sat in one of his chairs.
“What are you doing here?”
I hugged my books on my lap. “I haven’t seen you since we moved out.”
“Yeah...I know.” He sounded tired as he sat behind his desk. His body was tense and his finger started to tap on his chair. I watched as it continued to tap, a habit I knew he did whenever he was nervous.
“How are you?”
A small grin appeared. “I’m okay. I’m the one who’s supposed to ask you how you are.”
One of my shoulders shrugged. “I’m not the one who’s getting a divorce.”
“Yeah, there’s that.”
“Jeff and I broke up.”
“Oh?”
“He was cheating on me.”
My dad’s face remained void of any reaction.
My hands twisted together in front of my books and I looked down at my lap. “With Jessica. You remember her, right?”
There was silence.
I ploughed on, “For two years and Lydia knew. She helped them lie about it.”
I waited and then after a minute, he asked in a quiet voice, “Why are you telling me this, Samantha?”
“What do you mean?” I looked up now. I needed something; I was looking for it in him. I didn’t know quite what, though.
“I’m sorry that Jeffrey cheated on you. That’s a horrible thing to find out.”
“Like you and mom?” I swallowed thickly.
He froze again. His finger stopped tapping. And then a deep breath left him and he hung his head a moment. When he looked up again, I reeled back. The pain was so clear, so evident in his eyes. I was speechless for a moment.
He choked out, “I can’t keep lying to you, Samantha.”
Lying? “Dad?”
He closed his eyes and looked away. “I’m not your father.”
I laughed.
“I mean it, Sam. I’m not your biological father.” He caught my gaze again.
He was serious. I saw it in them and a flare of pain stabbed me in the gut. I almost bowled over, but my fingers caught my chair’s sides and dug in. My books fell to the floor, one of them thumped on top of my toe. I didn’t feel it. I was caught in his eyes and I felt seared by them and by his words.
Something cracked. I lifted my hand and saw blood trickling down from underneath my nails.
“Sam, let go of the chair.”
“What?” I jerked my chin upright. I couldn’t see him. He had blurred and there was two of him. They were starting to swim around.
“Let go.”
I opened my mouth. No sound came out.
Then he got up and rounded my chair. He forcibly lifted my other hand and there was more blood from that one. Two of my nails were gone.
He cursed under his breath and left.
My head slammed to my lap and I gasped for breath. No way. There was no way...
Footsteps were heard coming back and hands lifted me in the air. There were more faces now, but I didn’t pay them attention.
“Put her on the trainer’s couch. Quinn, get the nurse.”
I was placed on my back and both of my hands were lifted in the air. I felt some cool liquid poured on them as they poked and prodded. I looked at the ceiling. The white tiles above me looked like they were mocking me.
“Sam. I’m sorry.” His voice was muffled close to me. His hand brushed some of my hair from my forehead. “She made me keep that secret all your life. I should’ve told you a long time ago. Analise didn’t want—”
The footsteps were coming back. They were louder this time. My head rolled to the side and I saw a nurse and another man hurrying to me, they looked like they were moving through the air. Some guys were behind them.
“Get ‘em all out, Quinn,” my dad barked.
I frowned. Not my dad. David.
“What, honey?” He bent low to me.
“You’re just David now.”
He frowned and closed his eyes. He seemed to struggle with something and then when he opened them, they looked bleak. He looked how I did now. “Yes, Samantha. I guess I am.”
***
CHAPTER SIX
Becky sat next to me where the sidewalk dipped to the parking lot. I’d been there after the school’s nurse had tended to my hands and after my da—David took the football team to the field for practice. That’d been around four. It was six now.
“I don’t understand why you won’t let me drive you home,” Becky grumbled.
I stared straight ahead.
“You want something to eat? Let’s get something to eat. I’ll drive.”
I jerked my head in a nod and stood up. When we got to her car, I winced as I tried to open the door. Becky hissed and moved me out of the way. She opened the door for me, and then climbed on her side. As she started the car, she muttered, “And you expect to be able to drive home like that? You can’t even open a door. You’re crazy.”
I grinned. “I thought you were going to be a good friend.”
“I am and I’m telling the truth. You’re crazy.”
That shut me up.
Her voice took on a giddy note. “Did you see how Adam was hovering over you? It was so romantic.”
I hadn’t. I’d been distracted.
“You guys are going to make a great couple. I can already tell.”
“How?”
“What?”
“How can you tell? You don’t even know me.”
“Well... Okay, I’m being honest here, but you weren’t all fabulous before. I mean, I’ve always known who you are. We’re lab partners, seriously, but I didn’t care. But something changed with you t
his year. I have no idea what, but it’s like you don’t care anymore.” When we pulled into a coffee shop, she laughed. “Then you showed up at that party in that outfit. It sounds stupid, I know, but there’s just something about you, like you’re a mystery or something. Everyone knew Jeff wanted you hardcore that night. And everyone knows he’s been cheating on you. Then you showed up today and you told off those pathetic excuses for friends.”
“Are you obsessed with me?” My hands were starting to throb. I sucked in a breath when I tried to flex one hand, but stopped right away. What the hell had I done?
She laughed another one of those high-pitched squeals and flipped the red curls over again.
I cringed.
“Um, no. Are you crazy? I mean, you are, but are you?” Her laugh weakened. She turned to face me in the car. “I’ve known Adam all my life. He’s my neighbor and he’s a good guy. He’s one of the good guys. I was thrilled when he broke up with Ashley.”
“So why don’t you date him?”
Her cheeks got red again and her hands started to fidget in her lap before she tugged her skirt further over her knees. She mumbled something then.
“What?”
When she looked back up, her whole face was red. “I’m not good enough for him. I’m fat. I know it. Everyone knows it. Your friends used to call me hippo every day until—they still do.”
I frowned.
“Anyways, I’m happy that he likes you. Last year I wouldn’t think you had any balls. I mean, look at who you were. You had two sleazy best friends and an even sleazier boyfriend. They were all sleazy together behind your back. Some people thought you were stupid or had special needs or something.”
“Thanks,” I said dryly.
She brightened. “Now you’re awesome. Jill Flatten tried to decimate you and you got away from her, easy as pie. No one does that. And you made her look stupid too.”
“Is that hard to do?”
“Ashley DeCortts is afraid of her. That says something.”
I grinned. “Are you going to buy me dinner now? All this flattery, then you drove me, now’s the food part? What’s next? A movie and a drink?”
She went back to tugging her skirt down again.
“Relax.” I caught one of her hands, but grimaced from the contact. My hands were going to be in rare form for a while. I swallowed the pain down. “I’m sorry I’m not as excited about Adam Quinn. I don’t know him. I’ve never cared to know him either.”
