I Can Fix That
Disclaimer: I don't own Sam, Katherine, Trout Walker, Linda Miller, Hattie Parker... Yeah. I own NOTHING. Not even the dialogue. Not even the scenes. Not even the story. That all belongs to Louis Sachar!
Author's Note: This is the SECOND Sam/Kate fic*! I feel special! PEACHES AND ONIONS FOREVER!!!
**crickets chirping**
You can read the story now.
~*~
Part One: Sam's Story
"Onions! Fresh, sweet onions!" I called as Mary Lou followed me up the road. The cart Mary Lou was pulling was filled with the onions I had picked that week. Mrs Collingwood came running up to buy the ointment I made to cure baldness. After telling her to rub it on Mr Collingwood's head every night, Miss Katherine Barlow, the schoolteacher, approached to buy onions like she did almost every day.
"Hello, Sam," she said as she fed an extra onion to Mary Lou.
"Hello, Miss Katherine." I smiled at her, but she looked upset. "Is something wrong? You seem distracted."
"Oh," She returned my smile, "Just the weather. It looks like rain clouds moving in." She looked up at the sky where, just like she had said, dark clouds were gathering.
"Me and Mary Lou, we like the rain," I told her.
"Oh, I like it fine. It's just that the roof leaks in the schoolhouse," she said, patting Mary Lou's head.
I smiled again and said, "I can fix that."
"What are you going to do? Fill the holes with onion paste?" I laughed and shook my head.
"I'm good with my hands. I built my own boat," I said with a bit of pride, "If it leaked, I'd be in big trouble." Miss Katherine rubbed Mary Lou once again and looked up at me. "I'll fix your roof, in exchange for six jars of your delicious spiced peaches."
"Alright, Sam." She shook my hand. "It's a deal."
I fixed her roof, just like I had promised. Miss Katherine sat at her desk, grading papers, while I worked. Occasionally, we would shout to each other and had interesting conversations. If I took a break, she would read a poem, and sometimes I could finish it from memory.
It took a week for me to finish working on her roof, and when I was done, she seemed unhappy.
"Is something wrong?" I hoped that she was happy with the roof.
"No, you did a wonderful job," she assured me. "It's just that... the windows won't open. The children and I would enjoy a breeze now and then."
I grinned and said, "I can fix that."
The windows didn't take as much time as the roof had, and we didn't have as much trouble talking to each other. While working, I told her about my onion field, which she seemed to be interested in.
"My desk wobbles," she told me after the windows were done.
"I can fix that," I told her again. A few days later, after her desk had been fixed, she came to buy onions.
"The door doesn't hang straight," she mentioned to me while feeding Mary Lou.
"I can fix that."
Once again, I did what I told her I would do, and I fixed the door. Soon, the schoolhouse looked completely different. Nothing needed to be fixed; I had done everything. I was proud of my work, but I missed spending afternoons with Miss Katherine. I wondered if she missed my company, too.
I shook my head and laughed quietly. Why would she miss my company? But she did look unsatisfied, although she always told me it was nothing about the quality of my work.
It was raining, but I still stood outside, selling my onions. The rain reminded me of someting: the schoolhouse's roof wouldn't leak anymore. I had fixed it, for Katherine Barlow.
"Onions! Hot, sweet onions!" I yelled, but I knew no one would be outside. I wasn't really yelling to sell onions. I was yelling for Miss Katherine, hoping she would step outside and buy some onions to feed Mary Lou. I wanted to see her, desperately.
And there she was, running towards me. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but she looked as lovely as always. She threw her arms around Mary Lou's neck, and drops of either tears or rain rolled down her cheeks.
"Is something wrong?" I asked her.
"Oh, Sam," she sniffed and let go of Mary Lou, but kept her eyes down. "My heart is breaking."
I felt hot, stinging tears in my eyes, but I smiled.
"I can fix that."
She turned to look at me and I held her hands. Somehow, I knew what I was doing was right.
I looked at her a moment longer and kissed her. I didn't care if it was raining and we were both getting soaked. I didn't care if someone saw us. All I cared about was her, and I knew she cared about me, too.
~*~
The next day, no one bought any onions. I didn't care. Trout Walker could have learned to fly and I wouldn't have cared. All I could think about was Katherine.
I was surprised when she came running to me from the sheriff's office.
"Thank God, I found you," she cried and hugged me. "We've got to get out of here. Now!"
"What--" I began.
"Someone must have seen us kissing yesterday. They set fire to the schoolhouse," she said sadly, and added, "The sheriff said he's going to hang you!"
I stared at her. I didn't beleive it. Or maybe, I didn't want to beleive it. It just couldn't be true. I sighed, and said, "C'mon, Mary Lou."
"We have to leave Mary Lou behind," Katherine said.
I hesitated. I didn't want to leave Mary Lou. I loved that donkey just as much as I loved Katherine. "OK."
I untied my boat, waded into the water, and helped Katherine aboard. I rowed as fast as I could, away from shore, but no matter how fast I rowed, a motorized boat would always be faster. When we were about halfway across the lake, I saw the ugly smoke Trout Walker's boat spewed out all over the water. I rowed even faster, but I knew it was useless. I looked at Katherine one last time. She was the last thing I would ever see. In the few moments I had left, I whispered five words to her,
"I love you, Miss Katherine."
~*~
*The first is 'Secrets Left Untold' by Shae Elven Heart. Go read it NOW!
Author's Note: That was depressing. I always cry while reading that part, but I cried even more while writing this. I'll be putting up Kate's POV soon. I know it is pretty much how she saw it in the book, but maybe I can add more of her thoughts and feelings, so check back soon and I might have it up.
Please review, I'm not that good at writing sad stuff and it would be greatly appreciated if you could tell me how I can improve! Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own Sam, Katherine, Trout Walker, Linda Miller, Hattie Parker... Yeah. I own NOTHING. Not even the dialogue. Not even the scenes. Not even the story. That all belongs to Louis Sachar!
Author's Note: This is the SECOND Sam/Kate fic*! I feel special! PEACHES AND ONIONS FOREVER!!!
**crickets chirping**
You can read the story now.
~*~
Part One: Sam's Story
"Onions! Fresh, sweet onions!" I called as Mary Lou followed me up the road. The cart Mary Lou was pulling was filled with the onions I had picked that week. Mrs Collingwood came running up to buy the ointment I made to cure baldness. After telling her to rub it on Mr Collingwood's head every night, Miss Katherine Barlow, the schoolteacher, approached to buy onions like she did almost every day.
"Hello, Sam," she said as she fed an extra onion to Mary Lou.
"Hello, Miss Katherine." I smiled at her, but she looked upset. "Is something wrong? You seem distracted."
"Oh," She returned my smile, "Just the weather. It looks like rain clouds moving in." She looked up at the sky where, just like she had said, dark clouds were gathering.
"Me and Mary Lou, we like the rain," I told her.
"Oh, I like it fine. It's just that the roof leaks in the schoolhouse," she said, patting Mary Lou's head.
I smiled again and said, "I can fix that."
"What are you going to do? Fill the holes with onion paste?" I laughed and shook my head.
"I'm good with my hands. I built my own boat," I said with a bit of pride, "If it leaked, I'd be in big trouble." Miss Katherine rubbed Mary Lou once again and looked up at me. "I'll fix your roof, in exchange for six jars of your delicious spiced peaches."
"Alright, Sam." She shook my hand. "It's a deal."
I fixed her roof, just like I had promised. Miss Katherine sat at her desk, grading papers, while I worked. Occasionally, we would shout to each other and had interesting conversations. If I took a break, she would read a poem, and sometimes I could finish it from memory.
It took a week for me to finish working on her roof, and when I was done, she seemed unhappy.
"Is something wrong?" I hoped that she was happy with the roof.
"No, you did a wonderful job," she assured me. "It's just that... the windows won't open. The children and I would enjoy a breeze now and then."
I grinned and said, "I can fix that."
The windows didn't take as much time as the roof had, and we didn't have as much trouble talking to each other. While working, I told her about my onion field, which she seemed to be interested in.
"My desk wobbles," she told me after the windows were done.
"I can fix that," I told her again. A few days later, after her desk had been fixed, she came to buy onions.
"The door doesn't hang straight," she mentioned to me while feeding Mary Lou.
"I can fix that."
Once again, I did what I told her I would do, and I fixed the door. Soon, the schoolhouse looked completely different. Nothing needed to be fixed; I had done everything. I was proud of my work, but I missed spending afternoons with Miss Katherine. I wondered if she missed my company, too.
I shook my head and laughed quietly. Why would she miss my company? But she did look unsatisfied, although she always told me it was nothing about the quality of my work.
It was raining, but I still stood outside, selling my onions. The rain reminded me of someting: the schoolhouse's roof wouldn't leak anymore. I had fixed it, for Katherine Barlow.
"Onions! Hot, sweet onions!" I yelled, but I knew no one would be outside. I wasn't really yelling to sell onions. I was yelling for Miss Katherine, hoping she would step outside and buy some onions to feed Mary Lou. I wanted to see her, desperately.
And there she was, running towards me. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but she looked as lovely as always. She threw her arms around Mary Lou's neck, and drops of either tears or rain rolled down her cheeks.
"Is something wrong?" I asked her.
"Oh, Sam," she sniffed and let go of Mary Lou, but kept her eyes down. "My heart is breaking."
I felt hot, stinging tears in my eyes, but I smiled.
"I can fix that."
She turned to look at me and I held her hands. Somehow, I knew what I was doing was right.
I looked at her a moment longer and kissed her. I didn't care if it was raining and we were both getting soaked. I didn't care if someone saw us. All I cared about was her, and I knew she cared about me, too.
~*~
The next day, no one bought any onions. I didn't care. Trout Walker could have learned to fly and I wouldn't have cared. All I could think about was Katherine.
I was surprised when she came running to me from the sheriff's office.
"Thank God, I found you," she cried and hugged me. "We've got to get out of here. Now!"
"What--" I began.
"Someone must have seen us kissing yesterday. They set fire to the schoolhouse," she said sadly, and added, "The sheriff said he's going to hang you!"
I stared at her. I didn't beleive it. Or maybe, I didn't want to beleive it. It just couldn't be true. I sighed, and said, "C'mon, Mary Lou."
"We have to leave Mary Lou behind," Katherine said.
I hesitated. I didn't want to leave Mary Lou. I loved that donkey just as much as I loved Katherine. "OK."
I untied my boat, waded into the water, and helped Katherine aboard. I rowed as fast as I could, away from shore, but no matter how fast I rowed, a motorized boat would always be faster. When we were about halfway across the lake, I saw the ugly smoke Trout Walker's boat spewed out all over the water. I rowed even faster, but I knew it was useless. I looked at Katherine one last time. She was the last thing I would ever see. In the few moments I had left, I whispered five words to her,
"I love you, Miss Katherine."
~*~
*The first is 'Secrets Left Untold' by Shae Elven Heart. Go read it NOW!
Author's Note: That was depressing. I always cry while reading that part, but I cried even more while writing this. I'll be putting up Kate's POV soon. I know it is pretty much how she saw it in the book, but maybe I can add more of her thoughts and feelings, so check back soon and I might have it up.
Please review, I'm not that good at writing sad stuff and it would be greatly appreciated if you could tell me how I can improve! Thanks!