Seconds later she heard footsteps and then laughter. It wasn't hard to guess to whom the footsteps and laughter belonged. Sure enough, Carolyn and her stuck up friends came walking around the corner. They were laughing and talking about Jake. Of course they were. Who else would they be talking about? Samantha sighed and looked away. Carolyn mentioned something about Jake's parents being out of town and then there was more laughter. That laughter could only mean one thing.
Samantha wasn't stupid. Everyone knew that when parents were out of town, a wild party was sure to follow. But it didn't matter anyway. She would never be invited to that kind of party-not at Jake's house-or any house, except maybe Randi or Jimmy's. She told herself that she didn't care, but her tears contradicted her.
She tried to look away again, but made the mistake of looking back just as Carolyn made eye contact. Naturally Carolyn was oblivious to Samantha's expression and flashed her perfect (make that perfectly annoying) smile. "How's it going?"
Samantha smiled and brushed away her embarrassing tears. "Fine." she lied. It was the biggest lie she'd ever told. She wasn't fine. She wasn't fine at all and never would be.
She knew that she should go find Dong (he had her grandpa's car and a license after all. How did that happen?), but she couldn't make herself move. Maybe if she just sat in the hallway long enough he'd come looking for her. He was bound to notice that she was missing, eventually. Or not…
Instead she sat there, tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked at her watch. Still another hour or more before the dance would be over. Too bad she hadn't thought to go to her locker and get a book. Something, anything to read. She could at least pretend to study instead of looking stupid. But what sixteen year old girl went to a high school dance to sit in the hallway in study? No one, that's whom.
She thought about Randi and Jimmy, wondering where they were. Surely they were wondering about her. She'd been with them practically the entire dance, doing her best to stay away from Farmer Ted. God, what a stupid name. It had to be the dumbest name in the history of names. But then again, Ted wasn't exactly the brightest person in school either. Amazingly she wondered what he was doing at that very moment. And then she wondered why she cared. Knowing him, he was probably hanging out with his stupid friends, wondering where she was so that he could hit on her again. That was the last thing she needed.
The tears came again, easier this time and she didn't care. No one was around anyway and even if someone saw her, she was sure that they would just blow her off.
Once again she head the sound of footsteps and she quickly looked away. They came closer and closer. Maybe if she pretended to look in her purse, whoever it was wouldn't notice and simply walk on by. It worked on Carolyn and her friends. And Samantha was practically invisible anyway, so it wouldn't take much effort.
But then the footsteps stopped. She continued to look away, down the hallway that seemed endless. She could feel someone standing beside her but she couldn't look. She didn't dare. She waited for the familiar voice, the one that would save her by telling her that he was ready to go. That annoying thick accent from whatever county he was from.
A gentle hand went to her shoulder. "Hey, are you all right?"
But it wasn't Long Duck Dong's voice at all. Not even close. She turned her head and her breath caught in her throat. For standing beside her, a concerned look on his face, was Jake.
Jake Ryan.