Chapter 35
"How was your first day of school?" Dad asked that night at dinner.
Sam thought about what had happened at lunch and she frowned.
"Now it couldn't be that bad," Gram said.
"Some boys took my backpack," Sam told them.
"What?" Dad put down his fork.
"What happened, Samantha?" Gram asked.
Sam told them everything that happened and how Jake and his brothers had come to her rescue.
"'Lands," Gram shook her head. "Where were the lunchroom attendants?"
"Thank goodness Jake was there," Wyatt murmured, catching his mother's eye.
Gram nodded in agreement.
After dinner, they sent Sam up to her room to do her homework which consisted of writing her name to hand in the next day.
"Do you get the feeling that Sam and Jake…," Dad's voice trailed off.
"Wyatt, they're five and almost seven years old," Gram cautioned him. "There's a lot of time to worry about what might happen years from now. I for one wouldn't mind if the two of them became more than friends one day."
Wyatt blanched. "You're right, they're just kids. No sense in worrying about something that might not ever happen."
Gram gave him a look.
"They might not even be friends twenty years from now," Wyatt said.
No, they might be married, Gram thought to herself. To each other.
"Time will tell," is all that Gram said, taking a sip of coffee.
Sam settled into school. She liked Ann and they became friends. Ann's parents owned a ranch just outside of Darton called the Happy Heart Ranch. Ann liked horses as much as Sam did and they talked about them all the time.
When Jake's birthday rolled around, Mrs. Ely once again invited Sam to come over. This time Gram knew ahead of time and took Sam shopping to buy Jake a gift.
Sam found a lot of things she'd like to have, but she was sure Jake wasn't interested in plastic play horses or stuffed animals. She wandered up and down the aisles, looking for something she thought he would like.
Finally, she stopped in front of a radio controlled car and pointed at it. Gram looked at the price, seeing it was on sale and nodded. Sam carried it up to the checkout and Gram promised to wrap it up for her to take to Jake. Sam was so excited. She bet he wouldn't make fun of her gift this year.
The day of Jake's birthday, Sam met them at the bus stop as she did every school day. She had her pink My Little Pony backpack slung over her shoulder.
"If you want to hang with us Sammy, you have to lose that wussy backpack," Quinn teased her.
"You just want it for yourself," Nate told him.
Quinn hit him. Nate hit him back and Adam stepped in between them before they got out of control.
"Happy birthday," Sam said to Jake.
"Thanks, Brat," Jake responded.
"Mom says she'll pick you up on her way home, Sammy," Bryan said.
Sam nodded.
"Did you wrap your carrots again, Sammy?" Adam joked.
"No," Sam shook her head. "No carrots."
"Radishes?" Quinn asked, causing the other four brothers to snort.
"No," Sam put her hands on her hips. "It's not food."
"No food?" Nate asked.
Sam shook her head.
They could hear the bus coming and the boys picked up their backpacks.
"I got it," Quinn said. The others looked at him. "Underwear."
Bryan, Nate and Adam burst out laughing. Sam blushed and shook her head. Jake gave Quinn a disgusted look.
"Those ones with Batman on them," Adam choked out as he laughed.
"No, no, Barbie," Bryan said which made Nate, Adam and Quinn almost fall over with laughter.
Jake was never so thankful as to see the bus. He jumped on when it stopped and opened the door. Nate picked up Sam so she could get on the first step and Sam followed Jake, sitting in the first seat while he went to the back. Nate, Bryan, Quinn and Adam followed Jake to the back.
The bus continued on its route, picking up students along the way. Sam could tell by the laughter coming from the back that his brothers were still teasing Jake. She turned in her seat to see him looking out the window, doing his best to ignore them.
He felt her eyes on him and he glanced at her briefly. She felt bad for him to be teased on his birthday like that.