Chapter 25
Sam and Jake didn't speak the next day, even during their classes. Jake could feel Sam's eyes on him when his back was turned to her during their English and Spanish classes, but he didn't turn around. When the classes were over, he got up and left the room.
While they had been in school, it had snowed. The students were engaging in good natured snowball fights as they headed for the buses or their vehicles.
Sam spied Jake walking towards his truck. She bent to pick up some snow.
"You're not going to put that down my back are you?" Jen shrugged up her shoulders.
"No, I'm going to throw it at Jake," Sam told her. "He's been acting like a jerk."
"Go for it," Jen encouraged. "Hurry though. You don't want to miss the bus."
Sam packed the snow together and then took aim at the back of Jake's head. She watched in satisfaction when the snowball hit him right above the collar of his coat.
Jake turned, intent on getting back whoever it was, a small smile on his face. Until he saw it was Sam. His face blanked out quickly.
Sam took a few steps towards him, holding her arms out to her side, making herself a bigger target.
"All I wanted was a friendly snowball fight," she told him with a smile.
"Your friend ain't here no more," Jake responded, turning away from her, going to his truck and getting in, leaving Sam devastated as she watched him drive away.
It had happened so quickly that Sam rewound the scene in her head several times before she realized what Jake had said and then done.
"What happened?" Jen asked when Sam started back.
"Nothing," Sam was shaking as she picked up her backpack and headed for the bus.
Jen looked at Sam, then to where Jake had been, then back at Sam, not believing it for a minute. Something Ely had done had upset Sam.
"Something happened," Jen said as she slid into the seat next to Sam.
"Jake's an idiot," Sam murmured.
"It's about time you realized that," Jen told her.
Sam's head snapped around to look at her.
"I've been trying to tell you that for years," Jen continued. "He's a jerk who takes out his problems on you. You're well rid of him."
"He's a jerk," Sam nodded.
"A moron," Jen said. "He never really was a friend to you."
"Now wait a minute," Sam told her. "He's acting like an idiot now, but there were times…" She broke off when she saw Jen's grin.
"You brat," Sam laughed. "You did that on purpose."
"Well, yeah," Jen laughed too. "Call him later and apologize."
"Apologize!" Sam yelped. "I didn't do anything. He's the one who got all weird about Kit."
"Doesn't matter," Jen shrugged. "Just apologize. You'll thank me later."
"I will not apologize for something I didn't do," Sam shook her head.
"Okay," Jen said. "Think about it though."
Sam nodded and sighed.