Chapter 14

He wasn't sure how far he had gone when he heard Sam's scream. Jake whirled, dropping his backpack and running back. She screamed again, then again.

As he came around a bend in the road, he saw her kneeling on the ground, screaming and crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his breath coming in great gulps.

"Jake!" Sam screamed. "Jake."

"I'm here, Brat," Jake gave her shoulder a shake. "What's wrong?"

"It's Jake," Sam screamed. "It's Jake. Oh Jake."

Jake looked down, passed Sam to see the turtle. The turtle was flattened on the pavement, obviously run over by a passing vehicle.

"Maybe it's not him," Jake knelt next to her. Even to him it was a hollow hope. The turtle sure looked like the one she had named after him. What was left of it anyway.

Sam shook her head, her screams now becoming sobs as she cried for her turtle. Jake heard a vehicle coming and realized how vulnerable they were sitting in the road.

"Come on," Jake picked her up, taking her to the shoulder of the road where there was some shade. Sam tried to resist, but Jake was stronger. Once he sat down, she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed for her dead turtle.

Jake normally didn't like displays such as this, but he realized how softhearted Sam was and how terrible she felt about the turtle's death.

He held Sam on his lap while she cried. Jake could feel the wetness of her tears soaking through his shirt, but he didn't move. He continued to hold her on the shoulder of the road until she had cried herself out.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Jake's deeper voice still surprised her sometimes. That he was sympathizing with her surprised her even more, especially after what he had said today.

She could only nod, still too overcome with her sorrow over the dead turtle. Then she started thinking that just like Jake the turtle, Jake the human was leaving her too. That got her crying again, surprising Jake.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Jake had thought she was over the crying.

"You're leaving me too," Sam wailed. "Just like Jake."

"I'm not leaving you," Jake insisted with a long suffering sigh. "Brat, I'm not moving to Timbuktu. I'm going to another school."

Sam shook her head as she continued to cry.

Gosh, he had no idea what else to do. Jake had a thought of the teasing he'd have to endure if his brothers came by to see him comforting Sam over the loss of a turtle. Then he was ashamed of himself. His friend was more important than any teasing he would receive. She was genuinely upset about the turtle.

"I am sorry, Samantha," Jake murmured to her as he propped his chin on top of her head.

"He was a good turtle," Sam sniffled.

"He was a fast turtle," Jake said.

"You said you didn't think our friendship was worth the trouble," Sam surprised him. She felt him jump.

Jake sighed, his arms still around his friend and his chin still propped on top of her head. "Yeah I did, but I didn't mean it."

"You said it."

"I'm sorry," Jake apologized. "I shouldn't have and I didn't mean it, really."

Sam didn't say anything, but Jake could hear her sniffle.

"Haven't you said something about me that you didn't mean?" Jake asked.

"No," Sam shook her head.

"Oh come on, Brat," Jake insisted. "You never called me an idiot or a moron?"

"Yeah, I did," Sam conceded. "But I meant it."

Jake choked back a laugh.

"Well I didn't mean this," Jake promised. "Remember our bet?"

Sam nodded.

"I mean to collect," Jake told her. "My mouth is watering just picturing the huge steak, the lobster tail and all the fixin's that I'm going to have."

Sam smiled against his chest. She hated to admit it, but she felt pretty secure in his arms like this.

Jake hated to admit it, but she felt pretty good in his arms like this. She was so small, but she seemed to fit against him.

Jake felt himself stir and he stiffened. Oh no! Now what was he supposed to do? His sex education teacher had warned them all that this sort of thing could and would happen to them and there wasn't much they could do about it to not do it. Adam had assured him that all of this was normal, but he certainly didn't want Sam seeing it.

"Maybe you better go on home," Jake suggested.

Sam looked up at him, hurt on her face. Oh terrific! She thought he wanted to get rid of her. Well he did, but not for the reason she thought.

"Your Gram will be worried," Jake said.

The hurt left Sam's face. She glanced at where Jake the turtle was still laying in the road.

"I'll take care of him," Jake promised.

"You promise?" Sam asked, wiping her eyes.

"I promise," Jake held up his hand in a vow. "I'll bury him under the tree here."

Sam met his eyes and then nodded.

"Go on, it will be all right," Jake told her.

Sam crawled off of his lap. Jake remained where he was, not wanting to stand up right now.

"You'll call me if your mare starts to foal?" Jake asked.

Sam nodded. She went to her backpack and picked it up. Then she looked back at him. It looked like she was battling with something.

Suddenly she rushed to him, throwing her arms around him again, almost knocking him over in her enthusiasm.

"Thank you Jake," Sam's breath was warm against his neck. That didn't help his problem one bit.

"You're welcome, Sam," Jake told her, very sincere.

Sam started walking away from him, then broke out into a run. He knew she didn't want to see him pick up the squashed turtle from the road.

With a sigh, Jake started digging a hole near where he was sitting and then went and took the turtle from the road, placing it gently in the hole, before covering it with the dirt.