"I'm telling you Flare, it's a bad idea." Sam said shaking his head.
He and Flare were at their lockers exchanging textbooks and notebooks for their next class.
"Sam, don't you think you're over reacting?" Flare laughed rolling her eyes. "I'm just helping him with his Geometry homework."
"I know you Flare. You're clearly doing this in order to get close to Fred."
Flare giggled and toyed with her blue streak of hair. "Well...maybe I am. So what?"
Sam shook his head again and rubbed his forehead. Ever since last year Flare had a huge crush on Fred and nothing Sam said deterred her. It wasn't that he was jealous or anything, but Flare had to be one of his best friends and Fred had a slight reputation for breaking hearts.
They started walking together, heading to their next classes. Sam had AP European History while Flare had had Geometry class.
Sam put a hand on her shoulder. "How many times do I have to warn you, popular guys break hearts? Fred just isn't the right one for you."
Flare scoffed and shook his hand off. "Geez Sam, what a great thing to say about your supposed best friend."
"You know I didn't mean it like that," Sam adjusted his glasses. "But there has been a rumor going around that he dumped his last girlfriend with a text message. And that was after he "accidentally" forgot that he was going out with her in the first place.
"You know I don't listen to rumors." Flare pouted looking away. "Besides, we have Geometry together and all I've seen is him being funny, charming, and totally cute."
They reached his room as the warning bell rang and Flare waved goodbye to him and hurried off to her class down the hall. Sam went into the room and took a seat near the front. The teacher walked in and starting taking attendance. He was just about to officially start class when the vice principal knocked on the door and gestured for him to step out into the hall.
They shared a short conversation and the teacher came back in with a student in tow. At first Sam merely glanced up in mild interest, but then he did a double take and his jaw dropped. She was wearing sexy yet casual clothing, and her ink black hair was in a messy braid thrown over shoulder with bangs covering her left eye.
Her eyes met Sam's for a brief moment. Her lips twitched up in a small smirk and she winked at him. Sam felt his heart jump inside his chest and he quickly looked away again.
"Class, people welcome miss San-Li. She's going to be joining us for the rest of the term." The teacher announced gesturing to her. "San-Li you can sit down next to Sam in the front."
Sam jumped at the mention of his name and his pencil fell off the desk. He knelt down to pick it up and slender fingers with bright red polish touched his at the same time. He snatched his hand away quickly with a large blush. San-Li chuckled and placed the pencil on his desk before sitting at the desk next to his.
For the rest of the class he had trouble paying attention because he kept stealing glances at her.
Flare was writing down what the teacher wrote on the board when she felt something touch her elbow. She hide a small smile and looked at the note Fred just passed her. She made sure that the teacher was distracted before writing a reply and passing it back.
She normally tried to pay attention in class out of respect for the teacher, but Fred had a habit of passing goofy notes to her when he got bored. Which was often. Which probably explained his grade in the class. But that didn't matter, once they were going out Flare would be able to convince him to keep his grades up with study dates.
The final bell rang and Fred quickly shoved his stuff into his backpack while Flare packed her stuff neatly. He patiently waited for her to finish and they walked out of the class together.
"So are we still on for our little study date today?" He asked.
"D-date?" Flare blushed feeling her heart race.
"Yeah, you know," Fred shrugged with a charming smile. "You helping me with my homework?"
"Oh, yeah. Right." Flare felt both disappointed and relieved at the same time. "Is your house after school okay with you? I know you have practice today so is five okay?"
"Better make it five-thirty so I can shower. I totally reek after football practice. "
Flare giggled and he shot her one of his absolutely charming smiles. She absolutely loved how candid and charismatic he was. Sam was totally wrong about him.
"So..." Flare smiled shyly up at Fred. "Do you want to eat lunch together?"
"Sure I-" Fred's phone vibrated and he stopped to answer it. A wide split across his face and he gave Flare an apologetic shrug. "Sorry maybe next time. I think Imma go off school grounds for lunch."
"Oh." Flare sighed and awkwardly played with her blue streak. "Um, you know that's against school rules right?"
"Only if they catch me." Fred gave her a jaunty wink and walked away. "Later, Flare. I'll meet you out front at five-thirty and then we can go to my place together."
"So um," Sam said shyly as he put his stuff in his locker. "Maybe we could get together sometime and I can catch you up on everything we learned so far in class this semester?"
"Sounds good to me." San-Li smiled and popped her gum. "I could totally use the help. Should I get your number?"
"S-sure!" Sam said eagerly taking out his cell phone and turning it on.
"You actually turn yours off during class?" She laughed. "Dude, just put it on silent."
They traded phones and quickly entered their numbers into each others' phones. Her phone vibrated with an incoming message and she quickly took it from him. Her smile grew as she texted back a reply.
"Sorry Sammy-boy, I know I said we'd eat lunch together but I have to step outside of school grounds for an hour." She said handing him back his phone.
"Oh okay." Sam said trying not to sound too disappointed. "But you know that's against school rules right?"
"Aw you're worried. How sweet nerd." San-Li laughed and playfully nudged his arm. "Laters."
Flare got her food and looked around the cafeteria for Sam. He waved at her from their table and she smiled fondly. He had that familiar excited expression on face which meant that he probably learned something interesting in class.
"Hey I know that expression." Flare laughed as she sat down. "So tell me Sam, what amazing discovery have you made today?"
"I met someone." Sam said excitedly.
Flare blinked in surprise. "R-really? Wow, I was not expecting that. Who is she? What's she like?"
"Well, technically I don't know much about her yet." Sam admitted with a shrug. "But she seems really cool and she's smart and really pretty."
"Aww you have a crush!" Flare clapped her hands excitedly. "Tell me more. What does she look like."
Sam started describing her and her smile quickly faded. Her mind flashed to over a year ago, right before she met Sam actually, when she was late coming home and got her wallet stolen by some girl in the alley. The girl smiled the whole time and acted friendly, even as she pulled out a knife and demanded that Flare hand over her wallet. A couple weeks later the girl and some other teens were arrested for theft and attempted burglary. The girl was supposedly sent to juvenile detention.
"Sam wait!" Flare interrupted laying a hand on his arm. "This girl's name wouldn't happen to be San-Li would it?"
Sam smiled and nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Sam, listen to me. You shouldn't have a crush on San-Li. She's bad news." Flare said urgently. "Really bad news. I think she belongs to street gang."
"That can't be true." Sam frowned. "She seems like a really nice person. Besides, I thought you don't listen to rumors. Did you see her with a gang?"
"I haven't." Flare admitted. "But she did steal my wallet like six months ago. She even held me at knife point!"
"That sounds kinda crazy, Flare. San-Li doesn't seem like someone who would do something like that." Sam mumbled with a small frown. "Maybe you're mistaking her for someone else?"
"No, trust me. I remember San-Li." Flare sighed and touched his arm. "I'm sorry Sam, but I don't think San-Li's good for you."
Sam's frown deepened. "That's funny, I say the same thing to you about Fred and you never seem to believe me."
"That's completely different Sam." Flare pulled her hand away and crossed her arms. "I know Fred and I know he's a good person."
"And I know San-Li's a good person." Sam folded his arms too. "I spent nearly the entire class talking to her and I know for sure she isn't a bad person."
Flare stood up with an annoyed huff. "Fine. If you want to be so stubborn I guess you'll have to find out the hard way that San-Li isn't good for you."
"Just like you'll find out the hard way that Fred isn't good for you!" Sam said angrily.
"Ugh!" Flare angrily stormed out cafeteria. Sam was wrong on both accounts. She just hoped that Sam would figure that out before it was too late.
Sam was still irritable as he waited for San-Li in the front after school. The rest of school had been awkward since he and Flare were still mad at each other and they shared classes together.
"Hey you, waiting for me?" A voice said behind him.
Sam grinned when he turned around and saw her. "H-hey San-Li. Ready to go? I can walk you home if you want and we can study there."
San-Li bit her lip and rocked back and forth on her feet. "Actually, about that-"
"Sam, stay away from her!"
They both turned and saw Flare angrily coming towards them.
"Flare what is wrong with you?" Sam said angrily stepping in from of San-Li protectively.
"I'm sorry for being rude Sam, but you're one of my best friends and I don't want you getting hurt." Flare said casting a look at San-Li.
"Um, I'm sorry, but do you I know you?" San-Li said with her hands on her hips.
"Really?" Flare raised an eyebrow. "You mugged me and you don't even remember me?"
"Um.." San-Li looked her up and down slowly and a look of realization came over her face. "Oh! The blond with the blue streak! How did I forget about you?"
"So... you do know her?" Sam's shoulders sagged a little. "Um... how?"
"I told you she stole my wallet!" Flare continued to glare at her. "Are you going to try and steal Sam's next too?"
"Actually no. I'm not." San-Li reached into her backpack and pulled out a tattered wallet. "I did a lot of bad stuff in my life and got sent to juvie, but recently I met someone who inspired me to start a new leaf and all that. So here. Sorry I stole it."
She tossed Flare her wallet who looked confused and surprised. Sam gave a sigh of relief and smiled triumphantly at Flare."
"See? I told you she isn't bad person." He said smugly. "You'll never see Fred apologizing for all the girls he stood up."
"That's no where near the same thing!" Flare yelled angrily. "So take that back!"
"I bet those girls wish they could take back going out with him!"
"Since when did you become such a jerk!?"
"The same time you turned into a stupid, love sick teenage girl!"
"I am lovesick teenage girl!"
San-Li stepped back a little ways away and watched the two fight with mild amusement. It wasn't the most exciting thing in the world to watch, but it was entertaining. Two strong arms wrapped around her from behind and a pair of lips brushed against her neck.
"Hey sexy, I haven't seen you since lunch." Fred crooned in her ear.
San-Li chuckled and leaned up to kiss him. "So I hear you've been standing up other girls. That wouldn't be because of me would it?"
"Technically. I never said yes to going out with them in the first place." Fred winked and looked behind her at Sam and Flare. "What's going on between those two?"
San-Li chuckled and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Believe it or not I think they're fighting over us."
"Really?" Fred laughed. "That's weird."
"Yeah and I think the blond has a little crush on you." She teased playfully.
"Too bad I'm already taken." Fred squeezed her waist affectionately. "Wanna go back to my place for some... quality time with each other?"
San-Li smirked and traced a finger down his chest. "I thought you had a study date."
"I dunno, my tutor seems a little busy at the moment." Fred chuckled and gestured to a still arguing Flare and Sam who hadn't even noticed them.
San-Li smiled and leaned back up to kiss him again. "Then what are we waiting for?"
A/N- Sorry for the hiatus, but I had school work to do