Thursday Meetings
Chapter 1 "Shay Day"
Today was Thursday, or as Carly and Spencer liked to call it, 'Shay Day'. 'Shay Day' was created so Carly and Spencer could get to bond with one another without the interruption of Carly's friends, Sam and Freddie. Although both Spencer and Carly love Freddie and Sam very much, the two were over at their apartment so much that the siblings needed time to reconnect.
The siblings chose Thursday because Freddie had his A/V club and Sam was always busy on Thursdays. Once, when Carly asked Sam where she was going, Sam just chuckled and said, " You know, places to go, people to see. I can't be around you all the time Carls." Though Carly felt like there was more to it, she let it go. She accepted that parts of Sam's life were off limits.
So every Thursday afterschool, Spencer would pick up Carly and take her somewhere fun. When she saw the silver car pull up to the school curb, she gave her friends their usual good-bye hug and climbed into the passenger seat of Spencer's car.
"How was your day kiddo?" asked Spencer.
"It was fine," replied Carly.
"Ready for our awesome, spectacular 'Shay Day'?" Spencer asked in his over-the-top, theatrical voice. Carly, her mind wandering to things other than 'Shay Day', glanced out the window. She watched as Freddie went back inside the school and Sam walked to the bus station a few blocks behind them. Spencer turned his head to see what she was looking at, and saw the girl with long blond curls and the boy with short brown hair walking away from their car. He cupped his hand around his little sister's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. Carly, without turning her head, asked,
"Do you think they're ok?"
"Why? Did something happen?" Spencer inquired.
"No. I just don't want them to think that we want to get rid of them or anything."
"I'm sure they don't think that. We've had 'Shay Days' for months now. It's only one day out of the week. Plus if we wanted to get rid of them all we would have to do is stop buying food," Spencer reassured his sister. Carly was still not convinced. Spencer sighed and went on,
"Carly, It's good for friends to get a short break from each other sometimes. That way you can each explore different things. I'm sure Freddie has a lot of fun in his A/V club. It's good for him to get some guy time. He hangs around you girls so much, I'm sure he welcomes the break."
"What about Sam?" Carly asked concerned. Spencer looking in his rear-view mirror and watched the tomboy sit on the bus bench, picking her fingernails. Sam never told him where she went to on Thursdays, but he figured it out a long time ago. He knew more about Sam's past than Carly did. When his mother was still in the hospital, she wrote him a letter explaining everything that he needed to know. He never confronted Sam to tell her that he knew what happened and wanted to help her. Instead, he allowed the girl to come over whenever she wanted and fed her whenever she was hungry. He also bought more clothes than Carly needed, so she would always have something to lend Sam. It was his only way to help her, because she would rather suffer than ask for help. This always secretly worried Spencer.
"Well, she's a tough girl. She can handle herself. Besides, I bet she just goes home and takes care of her cat and hangs out with her mom. She does have other family beside us," Spencer lied.
"I know, but I wish she would just tell me so I'll stop worrying."
Spencer wanted to comfort his little sister and just tell her where Sam was going. But he knew that it was not his secret to tell, and, with time, Sam would tell Carly. So he continued his act of knowing nothing.
"She'll tell us when she's ready just give her some time, she'll come around"
Carly smiled and hugged her big brother.
"Now, guess what I have planned for our 'Shay Day'?!" Spencer asked in his usual excited tone.
"What?" Carly asked, trying to match her brother's enthusiasm.
"Laser Tag and Glow-in-the-Dark Putt Putt!!!!!"
"Woo Hoo" Carly exclaimed. She was putting on a good face for Spencer. This was their day and she didn't want to be a downer. Spencer, with one last glance in his rear view mirror, started the car and drove down the street, heading towards the Putt Putt location.
From the bus bench up the block from the school curb, Sam watched the silver car drive off. A few minutes later, the bus arrived and she stepped through the open doors, flashing her pass to the driver.
As soon as the bus drove past the school, Freddie Benson walked out of the front doors and stepped onto the sidewalk. He watched the buss go farther and farther into the distance, and he pulled out his cell phone and pressed 1. He put the phone next to his ear and waited for someone to pick-up.
"Hey Catlin, do you think you could give me a ride today?"…. "Really? Thanks. Yeah I'm just at the school"… "See you in a few."
He hung up the phone and looked back at the brick building. Then he glanced down the street to where Spencer drove off with Carly and where Sam's bus had just made a right turn. He sighed put this hands in his pockets. It had been about a year since he had been to an A/V club meeting, and he missed his friends there, but he didn't have a choice.
An old, beat-up station wagon pulled up in front of Freddie. He got in and they drove away from the school.