Seasons of Life: Friendship

Gage:

I should go to class. There’s only a couple of minutes before the bell rings, but the coolness seeping through my t-shirt from the painted cinderblock wall sooths the ache in my shoulders. Besides, I’d rather scroll through my phone and risk a tardy than face Tawny’s furious glare. Not that she has any right to be angry.

“Gage, is this your class?” Mr. Wright, the high school’s oldest principal, squints at me over the top of his bifocals.

“Yes, sir.”

“Excellent. You can escort Samantha inside.” His eyes twinkle under his bushy white eyebrows.

My gaze dart around the hall, but I recognize all the stragglers rushing to class. “Who?”

Mr. Wright glances around and then steps to his left, revealing a short brunette with a pair of big green eyes and freckles sprinkled across her nose. She seems familiar. Where have I seen her before?

Samantha:

I feel bad that Mr. Wright voluntold Gage to take me to class, but a teeny bit of me is totally pumped that this tall guy with caramel colored skin, dark curls and chocolate eyes is supposed to help me. He’s the cutest guy I’ve seen all morning. At least he is until he turns to look at me and I see red scratches along his swollen right cheek and bruising around his jawline.

Mr. Wright doesn’t seem to notice Gage’s face as he gestures toward him. “Samantha, this is Gage. He’s a senior too. He’ll show you the ropes, answer your questions. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I see someone I need to talk to.”

Without another word Mr. Wright marches down the hall toward a guy who looks like he just woke up.

It takes real effort not to focus on the scratches marring Gage’s face when I turn to him.

He’s staring at me. “You look familiar. Have we met before?”

“I don’t think so.” I know we haven’t. I’d definitely remember him.

He still looks puzzled as he shoves himself off the wall and scoops up his backpack. “There’s an empty seat by me. You can sit there if you like.”

Gage:

The second we walk through the door, silence reigns. I keep my sight fixed on my desk and ignore all the heads swinging in Tawny’s direction. I motion Samantha to the now empty seat next to mine in the front corner. Hushed whispers zip through the room as I drop my backpack and lower myself into my seat.

Samantha sinks into the glaringly empty chair beside me without a word. Cool relief that I don’t have to face the empty chair spreads through me, loosening the tension in my shoulders better than the ibuprofen I swallowed at breakfast. She might not know it, but Samantha has already brightened my day.

Oblivious to me, she bends her head over the paper she’s smoothing out on the desk with trembling hands.

Samantha:

I take regular deep breaths until my heart stops pounding. Only then do I glance around the room. People give me a few curious glances but don’t seem too interested, except the blonde with dramatic wing eyeliner sitting toward the middle on the opposite side of the room. Her arms are folded underneath a generous chest straining the fabric of her shirt. Her mouth twists to one side as she shoots daggers at me with her eyes.

My heart about gallops out of my chest as I jerk back around. What on earth is her problem?

Before I get my heartrate under control, Gage leans forward and slides my schedule off my desk. “Hey, we have a lot of the same teachers. Unfortunately, the only other classes we have together are history and English, but that means we have the same lunch.” A sudden smile transforms his face and reveals a deep dimple. “You should sit with me and my friends.”

Somehow, without looking back at her, I feel Blondie’s gaze boring into my shoulders. That’s when it dawns on me. She’s angry because I’m sitting next to Gage.

Gulping in air, I ask, “Won’t your girlfriend mind?”

Gage:

“My girlfriend?” I’m a little confused, but maybe she’s just trying to figure out my dating status.

Samantha tilts her head back and to the side. “The angry blonde in the back.”

Despite my vow to ignore Tawny today, my gaze flicks to the back of the room. Tawny’s glare sends prickles of ice through my veins. It’s a struggle to keep my voice even. “Tawny is not my girlfriend, and I refuse to bow to any of her expectations.”

Samantha’s eyebrows shoot skyward. 

Samantha:

Okay, wow. There’s definitely some kind of history there.

“Sorry. She’s a sensitive topic.” The tightness around Gage’s eyes eases as he leans toward me. The dimple dances in and out of existence. “About lunch. Are you in?”

“Why?”

His forehead crinkles. “Why what?”

“Why lunch? Why me?”

Gage:

“Why not? You have to sit somewhere, and I don’t have a girlfriend, so that’s not a problem.” I grin at the cute way her green eyes widen and her cheeks turn pink.

She blinks a couple of times and even opens her mouth once or twice, but no words come out.

Interesting, but not conclusive. At least it’s keeping my thoughts far from the events of the weekend. “Do you already have plans with someone?”

“Of course not. You’re the only person I’ve met.” The corners of her mouth perk up in a tiny smile. “Lunch sounds good.”

“Awesome.” I lean a little closer and add in a low voice so only she can hear. “I’m not sure which is worse: you taking so long to say yes, or you thinking I would date Tawny.”

Samantha:

My glance back at the blonde girl is so reflexive that I don’t realize I’m doing it until I’m caught in her death ray glare. If weapons were allowed in school, I’d be dead. As it is, she looks like she would like to tear me limb from limb with her bare hands.

For the second time in a few minutes I whirl away from her murderous gaze and freeze when I find myself nose to nose with Gage. His dark brown eyes have tiny gold flecks that seem to glow the longer I look at them.  

“Good morning!” A cheerful voice from the doorway shatters the moment.

Heat emanates off my face as I pull away.

Gage blinks twice, sets my schedule on my desk, and leans back in his chair.

Gage:

Whoa.

I’m not big into girls. No wait. Even in my head that sounds wrong. I like girls. I do. I just don’t date. What’s the point? I am attending Missouri University of Science and Technology this fall, and none of the girls in this school are going there.

The lunch invitation probably sounded flirty, but it was more of an effort to fill the painfully empty chair at my table. I don’t want to give Tawny any openings, and Samantha needs a place to sit. It’s a win for both of us.

So why is my heart hammering in my chest like I just sprinted the 200 meter at a track meet? 

Samantha:

Gage doesn’t say anything for the rest of the class. He keeps his head down and focuses on the assigned chemical equations. Not that I sneak any peeks at him or anything. I definitely haven’t peeked enough to know that the scratch closest to his hairline is shaped like a square root bracket. Okay, maybe I have.

The ringing bell startles me. I lose my grip on my pencil. It drops onto the desk and bounces onto the floor.

Gage’s hand shoots down and grabs it before I can even bend down. His dimple makes an appearance as he hands it to me. It disappears in a flash as a shadow darkens my desk.

The blonde’s lips stretch in a thin smile as she towers over me. Her narrowed eyes look odd with all the eyeliner designed to make them look bigger. “I’m Tawny. Welcome to River High.”

Gage:

I see red, and it has nothing to do with the color of the shirt stretched across Tawny’s chest. I jump to my feet. “Leave Samantha alone.”

Tawny rears back. “I didn’t do anything.”

I snort.

“All I did was say hi.” Tawny’s hand flies to her heaving chest, her favorite distraction tactic that doesn’t work on any guy with half a brain.

“Yeah? Well, I don’t trust you, Tawny.”

Our gazes lock together. I refuse to blink. After this weekend I will never ever consider her harmless again.

Samantha mutters, “This is ridiculous. I’m going to class.”

Samantha:

Shaking my head, I skirt around the bristling pair. I have no idea what their problem is, but I don’t want to be involved. I just want to get the next three months done so I can go to college.

“Hey, Samantha, wait for me.” Gage shoves past Tawny and falls into step with me. “Don’t worry about her and her drama.”

Tawny huffs behind us.

I glance over my shoulder. She bares her teeth at me and begins tapping on her phone. I resist the urge to step a little closer to Gage’s protective height.

Gage:

Once we’re in the hall I glance at Samantha. There’s a bemused expression on her face, but I don’t want to answer any questions. I ask one instead. “You have calculus next, right?”

She looks at me sideways. “You remember that from one look at my schedule?”

“Your second and fifth hour are exact opposites of mine.” I shrug. “That makes it easy to remember, especially since calculus and physics are only offered those two hours.”

“Oh.”

I point around the corner. “Your classroom is this way. Come on. I’ll walk you.”

Samantha scoots closer as more students crowd into the hall. A couple of the football players start horsing around. One of them pitches backward without warning and knocks Samantha into me. I grab Samantha’s elbow as she teeters. “Watch out!”

“Sorry.” The culprit’s mild apologetic look morphs into avid interest when he notices me. “Hey, man. I heard about this weekend.”

I do NOT want to talk about the weekend, so I nod and tow Samantha around the corner. It doesn’t matter. Everyone in this hallway watches us too.

Samantha:

I know I’m new, but that can’t possibly explain why everyone, and I mean everyone, stares at us as we walk down the hall. The eruption of excited conversations in our wake doesn’t help. It’s bizarre.

Gage stops in front of a door and releases my elbow. “This is you.”

“Thank you.” My smile slips as I look into the classroom full of strangers.

Gage:

Samantha doesn’t move. I swear her face gets a littler paler as she contemplates the doorway. I need to get to class, but I hate to leave her looking so nervous. She looks up at me with round eyes when I clear my throat. “You don’t have to be so worried. It’s going to be okay.”

“But everyone is staring at me.”

I shake my head. “Some, maybe. I think most of them are watching me because they heard about the car accident.”

“Is that what happened to your face?” Her gaze darts to my banged up cheek. “A car accident?”

My throat tightens around raw emotion. I give her a terse nod.

“Oh. I’m sorry.” She squints at me with sympathy before her face brightens a little. “So it’s not because I’m the new girl?”

“Maybe a little. You’re pretty enough that the guys will definitely look twice.” I thoroughly enjoy the pink staining her cheeks, but flirting? I better get to class before I say anything else. “I’ll see you in fourth hour.”

Samantha:

With a flash of his dimple, Gage disappears through the door across the hall. I walk into the classroom in daze. All thoughts of his smile flee when the girl with black emo hair sitting in the first desk asks, “How’d you get Gage to walk you to class?”

“He was just being nice.”

“Right.” She snorts and brushes back some of her bangs to inspect me closer. “Gage is nice, but he’s not walk random girls to class nice.”

“Mr. Wright asked him to show me around.”

“Ah.” Her face relaxes. She glances around and then whispers, “Word of warning, watch out for Tawny.”

My heart sinks. What did Mr. Wright’s introduction get me involved in?

Gage:

My phone vibrates at the end of third hour. As soon as the bell rings I check the text. I can’t believe what I read. I shove the phone back in my pocket. How can anyone, even Tawny, stoop so low?

I spy Samantha hesitating by the door to our fourth hour. My guts tie themselves in knots. How am I supposed to tell her about Tawny when she’s obviously nervous about being new?

Her face lights up when she spots me. “Hi.”

“Hey,” I try for a smile, but my whole face ends up feeling unnatural.

She looks at me sideways. “Is everything okay?”

I don’t know how to answer.

Samantha:

A thousand emotions fly across his face, but there’s no hint of his dimple. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other as a group of girls gives us dirty looks as they walk past. Still he doesn’t answer. The warning from the emo girl in second hour echoes in my brain.

“Is this about lunch? Because, if it is, I don’t have to sit with you. It’s okay.” It’s a total lie, but I want to preserve some dignity. “Really. I don’t mind eating by myself.”

Instead of the expected relief, his eyebrows draw together. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

Gage:

The way the corners of her mouth pull down kills me. I hasten to say, “We’re definitely having lunch together. It’s just…”

“What?”

I check the emptying hall before I spit out the least of the rumors. “Tawny is telling people I convinced you to transfer to our school so I could make her jealous.”

Samantha’s mouth drops open. “Seriously?”

I nod.

“She must be crazy.”

Samantha:

Gage grimaces. “I’m beginning to agree.”

The teacher, coffee cup in hand, pokes his head out the door. “Are you two coming to class, or shall we all join you in the hall?”

“We’re coming, sir,” says Gage.

As we walk inside the room, Gage bends his head down and whispers, “Don’t worry. I will help you with Tawny. It’s going to be okay.”

I can’t help thinking that’s an easy thing for him to say as I sit down in the empty seat next to him.

Gage:

The expressions on my friends’ faces range from shock to outright disbelief when Samantha and I sit in the two empty chairs at the lunch table.

Mike’s gaze lingers on Samantha. “I thought everything was a rumor.”

“Of course it is.” I glance at Samantha as she opens her lunch bag. Catching sight of small purple plastic package that looks suspiciously like my sister’s tampons, I turn to look at my friends. “Guys, this is Samantha. Mr. Wright introduced us this morning, and since we have an empty chair, I asked her to sit with us.”

Samantha:

Suddenly I wonder why there’s an empty chair beside Gage in both of our classes and at his table. Did they belong to his ex-girlfriend? For half a second I wonder if Tawny is his ex-girlfriend. Remembering his comment about bad taste, I dismiss that idea. The question remains. Why is there an empty chair?

The guys all give me a cursory greeting before turning to pepper Gage with eager questions.

“What’s going on?” asks the redhead, who I believe is named Landon.

“Tawny didn’t really do it, did she?” asks Mike, the Asian with blond tips.

Gage opens his bag of Cheetos and picks one before looking up. “Do what? Start a rumor, text while driving, or put Jim in the hospital?”

Gage:

Samantha’s head swivels toward me as she sucks in a quiet breath. Her green eyes are bigger than I’ve seen them all day.

Mike runs a hand through his hair, leaving his blond tips sticking out in all directions. “Well? Which is it?”

“All of them. She was texting when she ran a stop sign and plowed into Jim’s car.” I drop the bag of Cheetos and try to block out the memory of Jim’s blood everywhere. “While we were waiting for the cops and the ambulance, she tried to convince me to tell the cops it was his fault. She had the nerve to offer to be my girlfriend if I did.”

No one says a word.

Samantha:

Poor Gage. There’s no hint of amusement in his face as he fiddles with the bag of Cheetos. His eyes have the unmistakable sheen of tears.

One of the guys bangs his water bottle down. “We all know she’s had the hots for you forever, but that’s…”

“Despicable,” finishes Landon as he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “She’s telling people the accident was your fault.”

“Like Jim let anyone drive his precious Mustang, even you, Gage, and you’re his best friend,” says Mike with a derisive snort. “Anybody with a brain knows you weren’t driving.”

“You’d be the one in the hospital if you’d been driving,” says a guy whose name I didn’t catch. “I saw pictures of his car. The driver’s side is smashed in. He is lucky to be alive.”

Gage:

Samantha sitting next to me in Jim’s chair is the only reason I can listen to them rehash the details. Her presence prevents me from drifting into the nightmarish memories for the thousandth time since Friday night. She’s a godsend.

Her cheeks turn pink when I catch her watching me. She leans over and says in a low voice, “I wish Jim was here to sit in his chair. Then you wouldn’t be sad.”

The genuine sympathy in her eyes sparks warmth in my chest. As upset as I am about Jim’s avoidable injuries, I’m not sad about meeting her. “At least I have the chance to get to know you.”

Samantha:

Even though my cheeks are hotter than ever, I can’t help returning Gage’s smile.

Landon interrupts my thoughts by asking, “Is Tawny talking trash about Samantha because of you, Gage?”

That wipes the smiles off both of our faces. I glance at Landon and then stare at Gage.

He heaves a sigh.

Gage:

“Of course. She didn’t get her way so she’s trying to get back at me any way she can, which means Samantha is now in her crosshairs.” I shove a cheeto in my mouth and chomp on it with a satisfying crunch. If only dealing with Tawny was so easy.

Samantha looks at me sideways. “How does telling people you asked me to transfer cause problems? It’s not hard to prove her wrong.”

Landon chokes on his drink. Mike pounds Landon’s back, but his eyes focus on Samantha. “That’s not all Tawny’s saying.”

Her shoulders stiffen. She swings around to face me.

Samantha:

Gage’s throat convulses. “I didn’t have a chance to tell you the rest, Samantha.”

“The rest?” I push away my food. “There’s more?”

He takes a deep breath and blurts, “Apparently she’s telling people that you’re pregnant and aren’t sure about the identity of the father. Also, there’s a rumor that you’re a drug dealer trying to expand your turf to our school. It’s all nonsense. Anyone with a brain can tell you aren’t a drug dealer. And I’m pretty sure you aren’t pregnant.”

The tips of his ears are red by the time he finishes, but he doesn’t look away. Sincerity tinged by indignation radiates from him.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence even though you don’t know me.” I lean back in my chair with a sigh so deep I feel it in my stomach. “So much for flying under the radar until graduation.”

Gage:

“We,” I gesture at my friends, “all know that Tawny’s a monster, but I can’t be the reason she ruins your life.”

Samantha’s lips twitch up for half a second before she turns serious. “I’m not your responsibility just because you got asked to take me to first hour.”

“Maybe not, but I’m the one who interrupted Tawny after first hour and made her angrier.” There’s no hiding the smile growing on my face. “Besides, I’d rather help you than Tawny any day.”

Out of the corner of my eye I see Mike’s eyebrows crawl up his forehead to disappear under the blond edges of his hair. The tips of my ears heat up again.

Samantha:

The reappearance of Gage’s dimple has my heart beating like I just ran uphill. It’s so effective at worming through my defenses that it ought to be classified as a deadly weapon. I mean, I’m sitting here in silence staring at it like an awestruck idiot when I ought to be saying something.

His dimple disappears as his forehead wrinkles. “You don’t mind, do you, Samantha?”

I shake my head and then smile. “Call me Sam. That’s what my friends call me.”

Gage:

“Sam, huh?” I can’t take my eyes off her smile. “I like it.”

“Oh, boy,” mutters Mike. “I never thought I’d see the day Gage turned into a simp.”

Sam’s cheeks turn pink as snickers ripple around the table, but I don’t care about Mike’s teasing. After everything that happened this weekend, becoming friends with Sam feels like a new beginning.

After a moment, Landon clears his throat. “So what’s the plan?”

I tear my gaze from Samantha and face him. “Plan? What plan?”

Landon looks at me over the top of his glasses. “The one where we make sure Tawny doesn’t ruin Sam’s life.”

“Um, I’m still working on that.” Beside me, Sam reaches inside her lunch bag, which give me an excellent view of the purple plastic package. “I do have one idea. It’s kind of crazy, though.”

Samantha:

Gage’s voice sounds uncertain. His ears are red again when I glance up from my bag of sliced cucumbers. With his eyes on my lunch bag, he shifts in his seat.

“Are you going to tell us or what?” Mike asks before I can.

Gage looks at me sideways. “If that purple thing in your lunch bag is what I think it is, then you could accidentally drop it on the way into the bathroom. You could even ask some of the girls in your next class if they have Midol. That would stop the pregnancy rumors immediately.”

Heat rushes up my neck and into my cheeks. So much for being discrete enough that these guys wouldn’t notice my tampon. At least I’m not the only one blushing. Landon’s face rivals his red hair.

Gage:

Her blush makes me feel like a jerk.

Mike snorts a laugh and says to Sam, “Just so you know, that’s exactly what friendship with Gage feels like at least sixty percent of the time.”

“Thanks, bruh.” I glare at him, but he doesn’t notice my narrowed eyes because he is staring at Sam again.

“You know,” Mike says, “it’s not a bad idea. Maybe a little embarrassing, but faster and more effective than not looking pregnant in a few months.”

Samantha:

I can’t believe these almost strangers are planning to combat rumor with my period. It’s … Humiliating? Unbelievable? Sneaky? Ingenious? I’m not sure what word I am looking for exactly.

The debate rages on in low tones, but finally Gage turns to me. “Of course, it’s your choice, Sam, but I think it would work. And then any time it comes up all of us can point out that Tawny’s behind it and ask why on earth she’s spreading rumors about a new girl she doesn’t know.”

“Why would anyone believe you guys over her?”

Gage:

“Because everyone knows how mean she gets when she doesn’t get her way.”

Sam just looks at me.

Landon shoves his glasses back up and leans forward. “By now the entire school knows Gage has paid more attention to you this morning than he’s ever paid to Tawny, so it’s not a surprise that she’s added you to her hit list.”

Sam bites her lip and looks around at us. Her gaze settles on me.

“Landon’s right.” My nod is decisive. “Tawny has hurt a lot of people in this school. Embarrassing as it might be, proving her a liar will automatically put most of the school in your corner.”

She swallows hard. “I can’t believe I’m even considering this.”

Samantha:

The chair legs scrape across the floor as I scoot back. I feel hundreds of eyes on me as I stand up and then palm the tampon from my lunch bag.

Gage points across the cafeteria. “The girls’ bathroom is over there.”

Feeling like there is a spotlight on my back, I thread my way through the tables. I’m almost to the bathroom when a guy jumps out of his chair in front of me. He rams into my shoulder. My arm goes numb. The tampon drops out of my hand and rolls to a stop at his foot.

“Oops, sorry!” He ducks down and grabs the tampon. His face turns the color of a ripe tomato. He drops the tampon in my hand and flees in the opposite direction as his friends burst out laughing.

My face feels hot enough to fry an egg as I race the rest of the way to the bathroom. Unfortunately, it isn’t empty. Or maybe, given the plan, that’s fortunate, because all six of the girls in there see me drop the tampon when I’m trying to shove it in my pocket.

Thanks to Gage and his friends, I’m probably going to be known as Tampon Girl for the rest of high school.

Gage:

Still blushing, Sam sinks into the chair beside me and buries her head in her hands. “I can’t believe I let you guys talk me into that.”

“How’d it go?”

Her green eyes peek through her fingers. She groans.

“It totally looked like an accident when you ran into Jorge,” says Mike.

Sam drops her hands and glares at him. “It was an accident. Do you really think I wanted to advertise my period to another table of guys?”

Mike’s cheeks flush. He ducks his head.

I bite back a chuckle. “It probably would have been better in front of girls.”

She sighs. “I dropped it again in the bathroom. Plus I asked them if any of them had any medicine. I think it’s covered.” 

Samantha:

The bell rings before anyone can respond, which is fabulous. I do not want to discuss my period with them ever again.

The guys all scatter as I gather up my trash. All of them, except Gage. He waits and then walks with me to the trashcan and out the cafeteria door.

“Don’t you have a class to get to?” I ask when he sticks to my side.

His eyebrows lift just a touch. “Are you trying to tell me to get lost?”

“I just don’t want you to be late because you feel obligated.”

“I don’t feel obligated at all.” The corner of his mouth lifts in a lopsided grin that brings his dimple into existence. “Besides, my class is across the hall from yours, so this works out great.”

Tearing my gaze away from his dimple, I focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Houston, I have a problem. I don’t know Gage well enough to know if he is being nice or flirting, but heaven help me, I want him to be flirting.

Gage:

“Mr. Egerton loves it when people ask questions about…” My voice trails off when I see Tawny walk into the physics classroom. I’d forgotten Tawny had physics this hour.

“What questions?” asks Sam.

“Huh?” I jerk my gaze from the classroom and blink in Sam’s general direction.

“You said Mr. Egerton loves questions about, but then you quit talking. Questions about what?” Her forehead wrinkles as she peers at me.

“Oh, that. He likes questions about the practical applications of whatever he’s teaching.”

“That’s easy enough.”

I pull her to a stop outside the door. “Tawny is in this class too. Stay away from her if you can. If you can’t, stand up to her. She’s more likely to leave you alone if she thinks she can’t scare you.”

“She’s in there?” She sucks in a deep breath and lets it out. “Great.”

“You can do this, Sam.” I squeeze her arm. “I’ll be here after class.”

Samantha:

A self-satisfied smirk fills Tawny’s face as I pause just inside the door. The only unclaimed desk is right smack in front of her. Remembering Gage’s advice, I square my shoulders and head for the desk. Almost immediately after I sit, her finger drills a hole in my shoulder blade.

I pivot to give her a tight smile.

She leans forward and pitches her voice to a carrying stage whisper that practically bounces off the walls. “Is it Gage’s?”

The room goes dead silent.

My heart hammers against my chest, but I blink in feigned innocence. “Is what Gage’s?”

“The baby, of course.”

“Are you talking about Gage from our Chemistry class?”  When she nods, I scrunch my eyebrows together and stare at her. “How would I know if he has a baby? I met him this morning.”

Tawny’s lips thin as someone guffaws behind her. She narrows her eyes and studies me. “That’s not what I heard.”

I shrug and turn away.

“Don’t you want to know what I heard?” she hisses.

“Not really.” I glance over my shoulder. “I don’t like gossip.”

Tawny’s eyes narrow to slits. Then her gaze bounces to the door. Immediately her forehead smooths and her eyes widen to innocent proportions. She beams a coy smile at someone behind me.

I half expect to see Gage when I face the front, but it’s not him standing behind the teacher’s desk. Apparently our physics teacher is fresh out of college, and too handsome for his own good where Tawny is concerned.

Gage:

Calculus is usually one of my favorite classes, but today it stretches on forever. I’m too distracted by thoughts of what Tawny might be doing or saying to Sam to focus on finding the area under yet another curve. This, I remind myself, is exactly why I don’t get involved with girls. There’s time enough for that when I get to college or maybe even later, after I’ve reached my goal of being a mechanical engineer.

Like a lightning bolt, that’s when it hits me. I think I know why Sam looks so familiar. Suddenly I’m grinning wider than the Cheshire Cat and easing my phone out of my pocket. I just have to check to make sure I’m right before I tell her the news. It only takes a few seconds to open Instagram and find the page I have bookmarked. My heart leaps as Sam’s face stares back at me.

Is it just me, or does this change everything?

Samantha:

The physics teacher’s hand pauses in the middle of solving the translational motion equation on the white board when the intercom crackles to life.

“Mr. Egerton, please send Tawny MacFarlane to the office. She is being … picked up.”

The teacher sighs and motions for Tawny to go.

“But, Mr. Egerton, I drove to school.” There’s a distinct pout in Tawny’s voice that sets my teeth on edge.

He shrugs. “There’s nothing I can do about it. Gather up your stuff and get to the office. You can work it out with them.”

Behind me, Tawny slams stuff into her backpack while muttering under her breath about her stupid mother who can’t get anything right. There’s fire in her eyes as she marches past me to the door. Her hand is on the handle when Mr. Egerton says, “Don’t forget the assignment. It’s due tomorrow.”

She jerks to a halt. Then she tosses her hair over her shoulder and bats her lashes at him. “I never forget my physics homework, Mr. Egerton. You know that.”

He clears his throat and nods without really looking at her. She gives him one last lingering look, which he ignores, before she closes the door.

I swear his shoulders loosen up and his voice sounds a little lighter as he turns back to the whiteboard to finish explaining the equation’s solution.

Gage:

I’m on high alert for Tawny as students file out of the physics classroom, but there’s no sign of her before Sam walks out the door. Heaven help me, I like the way her green eyes light up when she sees me waiting. I push the feeling back and ask, “How was class?”

“Tawny tried to be a jerk, but I handled it. Also, I’ve already learned translational motion equations so I’m not behind like I am in calculus.” She grimaces a little. “I think my old class was probably a couple of units behind.”

“I can help you catch up with calculus whenever you want.” I dodge a group of gossiping girls, but I’m not quick enough and end up bumping Sam’s shoulder, which propels her sideways. Grabbing her elbow, I pull her upright. She smiles her thanks, and I blurt out, “I realized last hour why you look familiar.”

“Really?” She steps around a couple arguing in front of a locker. “Why?”

“Does Missouri University of Science and Technology Future Engineers mean anything to you?”

She comes to a complete halt in front of the library doors and stares at me. “How did you find out?”

“I saw your profile when I was checking out my future classmates.” I can’t help grinning as her jaw drops.

Samantha:

For as intelligent as I am supposed to be, processing Gage’s words feels like wading through a swampy morass. My brain keeps shorting out at future classmates. It’s not possible. I mean, the odds are astronomical. “We’re attending the same university?”

“Go Panthers!” Gage smiles so wide his brown eyes practically squeeze shut.

I’m super aware of his warm hand on my elbow, but I’m blaming shock for the inane ramblings that spill from my mouth. “Wow. That’s unbelievable. What are the odds we’d go to the same school?”

“I know, right?”

I nod as he beams down at me. I’m not usually superstitious, but this seems like some kind of sign. I mean, we were introduced by Mr. Wright, and Wright sounds just like right. Maybe this all means something for the future.

Gage:

Sam’s eyes glaze over. A dreamy sort of smile plays across her lips. I’d love to know what she’s thinking about, but we really need to get to our English class. I’m still holding her elbow so I jiggle her arm. She jumps a little, and then pink spread across her cheeks.

Mike materializes next to us. Pale, out of breath, and a wild look in his eyes, he pushes me and Sam through the doors into library. He runs a hand through his already wild blond tips. His mouth opens, but no words come out.

“Bruh, you’re gonna make us late for class,” I say.

Sam’s voice is gentler. “What’s wrong, Mike?”

“You won’t believe what just happened,” says Mike.

“What?”

Mike glances around before lowering his voice. “You know how I’m an office aid during fifth hour? Well, the cops showed up and had Tawny called down to the office. They arrested her. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”

“What for?” Sam’s eyes are about to pop out of her head.

Mike scuffs the toe of his Nikes against the floor before meeting my gaze. “Vehicular homicide.”

Samantha:

All the color drains from Gage’s face, leaving it a shocking pasty color. His hand falls lifeless from my elbow. He whispers, “Jim?”

Mike stares at his feet. “Apparently he died this morning.”

“No.” Gage’s face crumples. “No.”

“Sorry, bro.” Mike swallows hard. “I thought you should hear in private.”

Gage’s eyes grow glassy. His chin wobbles. His fists clench at his sides.

I glance over at Mike, but he’s lost in his own misery.

Gage, his eyes screwed shut, sways on his feet. After an indecisive moment, I wrap my arms around him. He buries his head on my shoulder as the first sob shudders through his body.

Gage:

Even though I’ve halfway expected this, it’s still a blow. Jim is … was my best friend. We’ve been inseparable since second grade. He is in most of my memories. Honestly, he was more like a brother than a best friend. 

I can’t believe he’s gone.

Samantha:

The bell rings. We’re officially late for class, but I can’t leave them alone. Not in the middle of their grief.

An older lady walks through the doors and stops short. Her eyebrows draw together over the glasses perched on the end of her nose. Her hands settle on her hips. “What’s going on? Why aren’t you guys in class?”

“He’s gone.” Mike looks ten years older.

The lady’s eyebrows slowly climb her forehead. She glances at me, clearing expecting answers from the only person with any visible composure.

I choke on the words and have to clear my throat. “Jim died.”

With a sharp intake of air, she presses a hand to her heart. “No.”

I nod miserably over the top of Gage’s shoulder. I never met Jim, but it is obvious how much he meant to everyone.

Gage:

Pulling my fractured emotions together, I straighten up from Sam’s embrace and turn around. Mrs. Wilson, the head librarian, comes into focus as I dash my arm across my face.

Mrs. Wilson wipes a tear from her cheek. “Why don’t you all go to the back room and take some time to compose yourselves. I’ll let the office know where you are.”

Mike shakes his head. “Thanks, but I think I’ll go to class.”

Sam studies me for a second. I don’t want to be left alone with my thoughts right now. I hope she sees how much I want her to stay.

Samantha:

I should go to class. It’s my first day. I didn’t know Jim. I don’t know Gage that well, but the sadness lurking in his eyes haunts me. I can’t imagine being alone right after finding out my best friend died. “I’ll stay.”

“I can stay,” says Mike with a longing glance at the door.

“It’s okay, really.” I gesture to the door. “Go to class. I’ll stay with Gage until he’s ready to… Well, I’ll just stay with him.”

Mike looks at Gage, who nods. He gives us a tight smile and disappears into the hallway.

“I’ll be in my office,” says the librarian. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Gage’s strangled smile makes my heart ache as he says, “Thanks, Mrs. Wilson.”

She walks across the library, leaving me alone with Gage. We stare at each other for a few awkward seconds.

Gage:

“Thank you.” My voice stumbles over all the feelings welling inside me. “I really didn’t want to be alone right now.”

“I can imagine.” She looks around. “So where is this back room, anyway?”

“It’s that way.” I point in the opposite direction of Mrs. Wilson’s office.

“Okay then.” Sam wraps her hand around my arm. “Lead the way, and then you can tell me all about Jim, if you’d like.”

Her compassion and the warmth of her hand on my elbow keep my thoughts from diving into the what if scenarios I drowned in all weekend. She is the anchor I need to stay present. She reminds me that there will be good things in the future, despite current sorrows. Knowing how fleeting life can be, this is the sort of friendship I will treasure the rest of my days.

To be continued…