The ghost of Belleview Academy.
Chapter 2- Second chances.
Its English Lit now. Her favourite class. She sits in her spot, the left hand side at the back. The rest of the class file in and after a moment the teacher walks in.
"Good afternoon everyone, get out your copies of 'Pride and Prejudice' please."
Samantha's copy is tattered and worn. She read this years ago, when she was eleven, before the move. The teacher, Mrs Gracey, tells the class the page and starts to read. Part way through she stops and asks:
"Who can tell me the names of the Bennet sisters?"
Nobody moves, all deep in thought, searching for the answer. Samantha's head raises and looks round the room, almost admiring the way her classmates can stay this ignorant about a book they've been reading for three weeks. Truly remarkable. But her face is blank and expressionless. And this is the truly tragic thing. She could be thinking the most painful, harmful thoughts about herself and no-one would ever know.
Some brave soul answers, gets most of them wrong but at least he tried. And the lesson progresses, the same format for her day as usual. When worksheets are given out the pupil doesn't see her so she has to get on from the front. But nothing new there, the day passes quietly.
On the walk home, a boy knocks into her. He's about ten or eleven, a full six or seven years younger than her but she's the one that goes flying. He's strong and, to her parents' dismay, Samantha doesn't have the natural strength the rest of her family posses. She lands in a bush a little way from the path and the boy comes rushing over to her, worried.
"Oh my god are you ok? I am so so sorry I wasn't looking where I was going."
Samantha looks up, mud splattered across her pallid face. The boy standing in front of her had dark brown hair, eyes the colour of chocolate, a dark t-shirt with a peeling Rolling Stones logo, jeans and dark converse. His eager face is frowning, obviously thinking he's hurt her. But she's been through way worse than this. Her parents make her go on army assault courses to 'toughen her up'. It doesn't work. She pulls her copper hair out of her mouth and gives a small, shy smile.
"I'm fine, I wasn't looking either. I'm Samantha. You look new, just moved?"
Her voice is quiet, gentle, with a subtle Southern lilt to the words, making them flow differently to other people. She sounds a bit posh, like she's used to the easy way of living but nothing could be further from the truth. Her parents where away a lot of the time, serving in places all over the world, so she lived with her grandparents on her mother's side. They spoke correctly and after awhile she picked it up. It became natural to speak like the people who raised her.
The boy smiles and offers his hand to help her up. This is oddly touching, not many people have that amount of manners these days. He was raised right as her grandmother would say.
"I'm Frankie. Yeah I just moved me and my family. Have you lived here long? You don't sound like you're from here."
This makes Samantha smile again, a bit more confidently this time. Frankie pulls her to her feet easily; she does weigh very much at all. Once on her feet she towers over him, he only comes up to her ribs. She rests a hand on his shoulder, like her Grandad does to her whenever she sees him. He cranes his neck back.
"Samantha, that's a nice name. Can I call you Sam?"
"Sure why not. And no I'm not from here, I moved over from Britain when I was twelve, five years ago now."
"….. So you're ……. seventeen now?"
"Yes Frankie, I am."
"Do you know where Sanito Lane is? I was meant to meet my mom there but I got a bit lost."
"Yeah I do, shall I walk you there? Make sure you don't get lost?"
He grins at her, pearly white teeth shining in his face.
"YES PLEASE SAM!!"
Samantha smiles and starts to walk, her hand still on his shoulder. She is walking slowly, so Frankie's legs can keep up. After a few moments of walking in silence Frankie pipes up.
"I won't make you late will I? I don't wanna get you into any trouble."
Samantha smiles reassuringly at him, something she only ever does for her family. She doesn't usually have anyone else to smile at.
"No you won't don't worry. I usually go to the library after school for a while or a museum or something and my mum will ring me when I need to be home."
Frankie looks shocked, the thought of doing more work after school clearly appalling. The look on his face is very funny, so she bites the inside of her lip to keep from laughing, which would probably insult him and end the only conversation she's had with someone remotely near her own age that she isn't related to in over five years. And that would be a tragedy.
"It's not all that bad. A lot of the time I go walking round the town; there are lots of things to do here. You'll like it here."
Frankie smiles; relieved and a bit taken aback that she enjoys herself in such a manner. But she's used to causing shock so it doesn't affect her.
Once Frankie recovers enough he tells he about his family, he had three brothers, Kevin Joe and Nick, he moves about a lot and had been home-schooled for a few years. Today was his first day at Belleview, he is eleven, so in seventh grade. He loves music and wants to be in a band one day. It really is endearing to watch him talk so trustingly to a complete stranger. She wonders if his mother will be happy about that.
As they turn onto Sanito Lane they immediately spot a woman with the same deep brown as Frankie but her hair has tight curls. She has a kind face and very few wrinkles, which you would expect looking after four boys. She is in a buttoned up over-coat, which is a deeper brown than her eyes, a few shades away from black. Once she sees her son she stands up from the wall she was leaning on and walks over to meet them, a relieved smile on her face.
"Frankie, I was so worried, I thought you'd got lost, or been kidnapped or beaten up."
She hugs him, ignoring his protests, and kisses the top of his head. Then her eyes travel up away from her struggling son and reach Samantha's face. She pulls back, still smiling and puts an arm around Frankie, who looks relieved to be free of his mothers embrace.
"Frankie, who's your friend?"
"Mom, this is Samantha, I ran into her and said I was lost and she walked me here. Sam this is my mom. Can Sam stay for tea? She's really nice and I'll bet she has good table manners."
Samantha blinks in surprise. She'd known this boy for twenty minutes and already she was being asked round for tea? She doesn't know how to react, she's never meet anyone like Frankie before. His mother smiles at her over excited son and holds out her hand.
"I'm Denise. It's nice to meet you Samantha, thank you for looking after Frankie on his first day. If you want to come to tea, I think the family would make you very welcome. We'll all like you, I know we will."
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree obviously. Samantha thinks about for a few seconds. She's never done something so…… impulsive since she came to America. The move knocked all the liveliness and spirit out of her. This could b a chance to get it back. And you only get a few second chances in life, that's what grandma always said.
"Yes, I'd love to. Just let me text my mum and I'll be ready."
ok this is this story is the first time I've tried to write in third person and it is really really hard. seriously. but this ep is for Lizze!!! who is ill poor Lizzle. get well soon chick. xxxx
Katzzle out xxx