Chapter 25

Kendra had spent the afternoon worried sick about Sam, at the end of lunch a group of kids had come in talking about a fight. The minute one of them had said ' The English chick' she had known Sam was involved. She was already regretting not warning her friend properly now she was kicking herself.

"Come on, " said Trisha, "It's not your fault. If it's anyone's its mine."

"But they were said someone had gone to the nurses office. What if she's hurt?" Kendra sounded as desperate as she felt.

"Okay, let's take a stroll past the nurses office," suggested Trisha who knew how deep the other girl's feeling for their new friend were.

That's what they did and when they found out that it was Trevor and Adam in there and not Sam they both heaved giant sighs of relief.

"What did she do?" whispered Trish as they made a hasty retreat before anyone saw them.

"I don't know," replied Kendra, "Emily's pretty bad ass, she must've taught Sam how to look after herself."

"So quit worrying." said Trish with a reassuring smile, she saw her art teacher. "Miss Ryan. Do you know where Sam Prentiss is?"

"Mr Fisher's office." The art teacher was in a hurry so she didn't stop.

"See she has to be fine or she wouldn't have been sent there first."

Kendra leaned weakly against the nearest locker.

"You need to tell her," said Trisha, her friend had it bad.

"But I don't know if she's..."

"Maybe she isn't," agreed Trish, "She's going to realise sooner or later. I did and Sam is so much better at reading people than me. "

That was true.

"You were worried I wouldn't want to be friends when you told me you were gay. No matter what Sam is still going to be your friend."

"You think I should just tell her?" asked Kendra chewing her lower lip. Okay I will just maybe not today.

The bell forced them to separate. The rest of the day passed in a blur.

Kendra ran most of the way home and went straight to JJ's apartment, she knocked on the door.

Sam herself answered the door. Kendra couldn't help herself she grabbed Sam in a bear hug.

"Are you okay? Really okay?"

"Yeah," laughed Sam, "I'm fine...I got suspended though."

"WHAT!" Everything that Sam didn't know came crashing back down. Kendra swallowed, "I should've told you..." She stopped when she saw JJ walk out of the kitchen.

Sam lead the dark skinned girl to her bedroom. She closed the door, "I know something is going on." Kendra had sat down on the bed and was staring at the floor.

"I don't know where to start."

"How about the beginning."

"I'm not sure where that is," admitted Kendra slowly, "There's always going to be people who don't gay people or black people, so I'm used to the looks and snarky comments..."

Sam resisted the urge to prompt her friend, this obviously wasn't easy.

"...it got worse when Coach Hoover came and took over the football team. The team was average before him now it's a contender for the one of the best in the state. He has this take no shit from anybody attitude. A couple of the guys on the team adopted it but they were winning. All the athletes have to keep up good grades, but some of those guys are all brawn and no brains. Anyway some of them talked their friends into doing their homework for them or..."

"Or what?"

"Or kids were encouraged to do it for school spirit. All I know is Trish did Adam's once then when she refused things started to go missing. When her own homework vanished for the forth time in one week and she ended up in detention she gave in."

"Wait, she does Adam's homework for him?"

Kendra nodded.

"And what about you?" asked Sam. Kendra sighed.

"One of the guys on the team asked me out. It was when I was first coming out...he didn't take the rejection well and he spray painted the word 'Dyke' across my locker," she snorted, "He didn't even spell it right. Him and some of his friends have had it in for me and my friends ever since."

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Coach Hoover made him clean it and it never went any further. It doesn't seem to matter what the guys on the team do they get away with it. If any of them got suspended they wouldn't be allowed to play plus there's an extra three game ban on top. And the Coach can't have that especially when the trouble makers are some of his best players."

"So that's why I'm the one who got suspended."

"Yeah and with both of them spouting the same story..." Kendra shrugged helplessly.

"They're going to get away with it," finished Sam, her friend had confirmed some of her hunches. Then she suddenly grinned.

"What's so funny?"

"JJ."

"What about JJ?"

"She was so pissed. I can't imagine how mad my mom is going to be." Sam chuckled. To be a fly on the wall.

"You think they can do something?"

"I'm sure they can," returned Sam, confidently.

"I am sorry that this happened to you because of me," said Kendra.

"I have a confession," said Sam sheepishly as she explained her plan.

The dark girl was speechless. The whole idea was crazy. Though she did realise that Sam had done it because she thought that she and Trish were in trouble. She did all this for us not caring about what could happen.

"I need to apologise to Trish too."

"You're certifiable," said Kendra grinning, "Damn girl, I knew there was a reason I liked you."

Sam grinned, "My mom would agree with you," she said not noticing the blush.

Kendra looked at her watch, "I need to get home I didn't tell Grandma I was coming here." She stood up needing time to think and space in case she put her foot in it again.

"Thanks for explaining all this. I can tell my mom and JJ now that it makes more sense." said Sam walking her friend to the door.

Kendra left quickly leaving Sam a little confused, before she closed the door the elevator at the end of the corridor opened and her mother stepped off.

Emily hugged her daughter, she had been frantic when she got JJ's message which had very little info other than she was going to get her from school.

"Samantha Bernadette Prentiss what is going on?"

"It's kinda a long story." JJ made Emily a cup of coffee and moved the discussion to the couch as Sam started talking about suspecting that students were being bullied. When Emily read the notes she looked like she wanted to shoot something.

"This ends now," said Emily, angrily.

"I have an idea," said JJ picking up her cell phone and speed dialling Penelope.

"You have reached the office of the Oracle. How may I share my wisdom?"

"Penelope," said JJ, "Can you hack into Sam's schools student records."

"Is the sky blue? "

"I want you to look at the academic records of the football team."

Emily and Sam looked at each other with matching grins. JJ was a genius!

TBC...

A/N. Hi guys. Hope you enjoy :) . Thanks as always for reading, reviewing, fav'ing and following. Have fun and stay tuned. T-Rex :)