Yay, a multi-chapter Toby/Sami AU! This should have weekly updates, seeing as I'm going to use it for my SAT vocab word assignments…. Don't judge. Well, here's chapter one. Oh, and when you finish reading, drop a review. They're always nice to read.
Sami stepped out of her grandfather's pick-up truck, looking aghast as she took in the area. A small, two-story farm house stood proudly in front of her, showing off a front porch decorated in rocking chairs and multiple potted plants. Off to the left, she could see corn stalks raised against the blue sky. She knew there were other vegetables plotted, Grandpa had told her so, but she couldn't see them past the corn. It was scary how different this place was from Arborland.
She sighed, walking to the bed of the truck to grab her duffel bag. Duder had bilked her out of going to the beach, she was sure of it. Her parents had given their daughter the choice of going to either: the beach with Duder and his friends for a week or visiting her grandparents in Georgia. "Sami, Grandpa and Grandma aren't going to be around forever," Duder had scolded his twin when she brought up going with him to the beach. "Besides, you hate Jim and Kevin. Why put yourself into that kind of misery?" Finding no flaw in his argument, Sami had relented and told her parents she would visit Grandpa and Grandma Reese.
Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she made her way up the front steps and through the door. As she made it into the kitchen, she found her grandmother stirring away at a pot on the stove. "Hey, Grandma, where can I put my stuff?" Sami asked, shifting the strap of the bag.
Grandma Reese turned away from the stove. Her blue eyes lit up at the sight her granddaughter. "Sami-Sam!" she cried, rushing forward to envelope the teen in her arms. "How have you been?"
"I've been fine," Sami replied, forcing a smile. The least she could do was emit an air of cheerfulness for her grandmother's sake, instead of letting on how angry she was that Duder had tricked her. She had always hated that she was a choleric soul, but she couldn't help that it was so easy to make her mad. "So, where can I put my stuff?"
Grandma Reese beamed. "There's a guest room ready for you upstairs. It'll be the first door on your right."
"Thanks," Sami muttered as she made her way to and up the staircase. She opened the door to the room tentatively, not sure what to expect. A twin bed on an iron frame was pressed against the wall, decorated with clean white sheets and a cream colored duvet. A white rug took up most of the floor space, hiding the dark wood floor underneath. A dresser was on the wall opposite of the bed. There wasn't a mirror, but that was alright with her. She was sure there was one in the bathroom. She wasn't so narcissistic that she always had to see her reflection.
With another heavy sigh, she started transferring her clothes from her bag to the dresser. When she finished, she made her way back downstairs, noting how quaint the décor was. It was cute, in an old-timey fashion, and wasn't at all ghastly. Sami could feel her regret about coming here slipping away, though she still had qualms about being so far away from the city.
"Samantha, come here please!" At the sound of her grandfather's voice, she wandered back into the kitchen. The elderly man sat at the kitchen table, sipping a glass of sweet tea. "There you are," he said pleasantly. "I was going to take you on a tour of the farm, but I figured you'd rather be with someone your own age." At the look of confusion on his granddaughter's face, he continued. "During the summer, the grandson of our friends in town stays with us and helps us out. He's already out in the fields working, moving the corn to the granary, so I figured you could meet up with him there."
"Alright," Sami said sweetly, swearing inside her head. She had been hoping to finish reading the lampoon about Stephanie Meyer that Meredith had loaned her.
Grandpa Reese's eyes narrowed. "Samantha, I know that you're almost grown, girls today have no respect for themselves. Yes, he's a handsome lad, but you don't need to act like a hus-,"
Grandma Reese slapped her husband softly across the back of the head. "If she's almost grown, I'm sure she doesn't need your homily about being modest and virtuous." She winked at Sami. "The storehouses are behind the cornfield."
"Yes ma'am. Thank you," Sami said. A faint blush rose on her cheeks from what her grandfather had implied. She walked out of the house, taking in the simplicity of the farm. It held no decadence, only the beauty and honesty of hard work.
When she arrived at the granary, there was a dark red pick-up truck parked in front of the opening. Curious, she crept around vehicle that impeded her view of the door. Vision suddenly clear, she saw a boy about her age walking out of the building, toward where she was. "Um, hi," she called, moving toward him. He stopped and, for the first time, she got a good look at his, well, good looks. He had short, curly, ebony hair that fell across his forehead. His eyes were wide and just completely gorgeous. They were a golden hazel color, framed by the longest eyelashes Sami had ever seen on a male or female. She felt like she could stare into them until her demise and be perfectly content.
"Hello," the boy drawled. Sami thought she might have melted slightly at the southern twang to his voice. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Reese's granddaughter. Samantha, isn't it?"
"I go by Sami," she corrected him. She hated how breathless she sounded. Usually, she would have been able to fabricate a name and storyline to feed to him until she felt like telling the truth. But those eyes made her want to be completely truthful. It was like they eradicated all of her walls.
"It's very nice to meet you, Sami," he said, smiling. He offered her his hand. She took it shyly, returning the handshake. "My name's Toby Phillips."