Insert proper disclaimer here.
I was trying, trying futeily, to have fun. This was not the time or place to be talking to Sammy. I wanted to, I couldn't help it. I couldn't help but be thrilled when she took a break when I did, but I knew that something was off. I focused more on talking to Danny and Billy, while remaining completely aware of the girl next to me.
I was actually succeeding in talking to Danny and Billy that I had almost driven Sammy out of my head when I heard a commotion. It was Sammy. She had shouted for help and dove into the water.
I saw a body lying on the pool bottom. The person was wearing a green bikini. My heart raced as I realized that it was Marissa. Everyone was panicking, watching Sammy and Brandon pull Mar—I looked up to see someone exiting the cabana. It was Marissa. That would mean...
"Heather? Heather are you all right?" Brandon was asking Heather urgently once they broke the surface.
I thought I was going under. Sammy, the girl I liked, the girl my sister loathed, had just saved Heather's life. I raced to my lounger to get my phone. I dialed home fast. Our mom answered on two rings. I told her that Heather was OK, but she had nearly drowned. Then, I got up to go see how she was doing.
She was fine. She was yelling because she had just discovered who her rescuer was. Sammy looked embarrassed and bemused. Like she had no idea what to do. I didn't know what to do either. I knew that I needed to stay with Heather. And even though she was a pain, she was my sister. I needed to know that she was going to be okay.
I looked over at Sammy again and smiled. I told her thanks and then told her that I knew Heather was a pain, but still. As we left I couldn't help but think about Sammy and what she had done. What she had done, saving Heather's life, made me like her even more. I didn't know that was possible. I already liked her a lot, but now…still, Sammy hadn't known that the girl on the bottom of the pool was Heather, but still…she didn't freak out like Heather had. She didn't regret saving Heather's life.
I suddenly felt guilty for pulling away from Sammy. I didn't know why things were so weird between us today; they just were. Sammy sensed it too. Maybe, maybe she was there. Maybe she did like me and had finally accepted it. Sammy would not be the type of girl who threw herself onto a guy. That was one of the many reasons why I liked her.
I kept thinking about Sammy as we went to the doctor's, then back home as Heather cried and threw tantrums while our mom told her, both of us, that we needed to thank Sammy. It wouldn't be a problem for me; Heather was another story.
After finally getting to bed at 10, I jolted up quickly. I had forgotten to call Sammy. Then, I began to get an idea…
The next morning Mom made Heather write a thank you note to Sammy. Unforututaly Mom had to go to work and didn't read the note. She trusted Heather far too much.
Finally, after Heather wrote the note I hopped on my skateboard with it and headed to Senior Highrise. A police car was zooming away as I rode up the walkway. I had no idea what to do. I cou;dn't just waltz in and ask for Sammy Keyes. She wasn't supposed to live there. I tisked to myself and kicked off again, past an old lady sitting fornly on the bench. Then, I heard my name.
I turned around to see the old lady looking at me. I shook my head, knowing that Sammy was 13, not 80. The lady called my name again and began to laugh. Everything clicked into place as I heard her laugh.
"Sammy?! What in the world…" I stopped and sat down on the bench.
"Yeah, I know," She said and began to laugh. Man, this girl was amazing, dressing up as an old lady…
"Why are you wearing this?"
"Ah, that's a long story," She said, using her old lady voice. I looked at her and waited. She told me about this guy, Buck Ritter, who she had scared to death and then passed off three thousands dollars to her. Sammy, because of her low income, took it. She didn't know that she shouldn't, well she did, but the idea of having money began to consume her. She found out that the money was actually counterfeit. I shook my head, wondering if getting caught up in these sorts of crimes was common for her. Yes, yes they were.
"And now I'm in some serious trouble with Grams." I nodded again, and did what I had wanted to do for some time now. I took her hand and just looked at her. I couldn't help it though; Sammy was dressed up as an old lady. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but not in these circumstances. Anyway, I began to laugh.
"I came here to give you this," I finally said, handing her Heather's letter.
"Oh?" sammy said, surprise coloring her tone as she opened the letter and then gasped.
The note said 'I hate you!'
"How nice," Sammy teased and I leaped off the bench, realizing the time and said that even our mom said Heather had to thank Sammy. I turned around and said to fix those Granny lips of her's and promised to call her later.
The awkwardness was gone. I knew what had happened yesterday. Now all I had to do, all we had to do, was to wait for the right moment.