05-Never Left Behind
After the that little scene in the courtyard of Shelby High School Samantha had walked away from her friends considering their wordless stares to define disloyalty and disbelief. They had all seen her in class because they all had a class with one another at one point or another in the day. But, Samantha looked more concentrated on her work than normal. At lunch she was no where to be seen and when Roberta, Teeny, and Chrissy waited for her after school they realized they had just wasted a whole half hour of their lives.
"You guys think she's taking this too seriously? We really didn't say anything. Literally." Teeny said, scared and shaky.
"That's the whole point. We didn't say anything. We should of thought about how Sam would have had reacted. She expects us to be there for her no matter where the world takes her. You know that she takes our friendship and trust more seriously than any of us do." Roberta said.
Teeny played with her fingers nervously. She didn't want to loose Samantha. She knew how it felt and she never wanted that feeling to come back.
"So, are we just going to let her ignore us?" Chrissy asked, sounding like she needed something to eat.
"I say we let her come to us. Not because she should bow down to us or anything." Roberta started.
"Because that would make her feel worse." Teeny said making a point.
"Right. Just to let her have some time to think. Maybe she needs that."
~~~***~~~
Samantha sat at her desk reading and re-reading the letter she had received from Natalie Harper. She thought about it and thought even more about why Teeny, Roberta, and Chrissy had reacted the way they did. She took into consideration the fact that maybe this information came too fast, too soon, and way too unexpected. She never thought that maybe it would be hard on them if she did stay in New York. But, it wasn't like she was going to stay in New York. She just wanted to go for those three weeks. But, a lot can happen in three weeks and a person's mind can change only so fast. Who knew what there was in New York for Samantha? There could be more there for her than she would have anywhere in Shelby, Indiana.
"I hate having to say sorry." Samantha said to herself.
She knew that she had to say sorry to them because she had overreacted.
"Samantha." A soft voice called from behind her. Samantha turned around to see Angela, her younger sister at the door.
She smiled. "Hey, Angi."
"Are you going to go away Samantha?" Angela asked.
~~~***~~~
The next day at school Roberta, Teeny, and Chrissy were all talking about other approaches to how to deal with Samantha when suddenly she came and sat down with them.
"Sam." Teeny started.
"It's okay Teeny. You don't have to apologize. It's my fault." Samantha said, her eyes looking down at her hands.
Teeny felt like it was her duty to be the good friend and say something to make her feel better just for the heck of it. Just like in the movies. But, she held back, realizing that this wasn't the right moment.
"I'm sorry I walked away from you guys and ignored you yesterday. I never meant to overreact. I just, supposed that maybe you guys didn't want me to go or didn't want to go with me or even didn't want me to fulfill my dreams. I know how much you guys care about me and my writing and I shouldn't of had acted how I did." Samantha knew that her words were dumb and pathetic but at least she had said something. She felt relived that it was all out.
"You know we care about you and your writing, Sam." Teeny said. "And we're going to New York with you."
Samantha remembered how awesome her friends were and looked up at them unafraid and in disbelief.
"What?!"
"Yeah. We asked our parents and all and they said it was no problem that we could go." Roberta said.
"Amazing I got through with it. I thought my mom was about to burst and give me another one or those sex plant lectures." Chrissy said her face askew.
"Why would she bring that up? It's completely opposite than going to New York with friends." Roberta asked laughing.
"Don't know. She just does sometimes out of nowhere." Chrissy said.
They all laughed at Chrissy as she gave them a sour expression.
"Thanks you guys." Samantha said. "I don't think I'd be able to do it without you."
"No problem." Roberta said. She and Chrissy got up and started walking to class.
Teeny turned to Samantha and without saying anything they both held hands, their bracelets touching in resemblance of an everlasting friendship.
After the that little scene in the courtyard of Shelby High School Samantha had walked away from her friends considering their wordless stares to define disloyalty and disbelief. They had all seen her in class because they all had a class with one another at one point or another in the day. But, Samantha looked more concentrated on her work than normal. At lunch she was no where to be seen and when Roberta, Teeny, and Chrissy waited for her after school they realized they had just wasted a whole half hour of their lives.
"You guys think she's taking this too seriously? We really didn't say anything. Literally." Teeny said, scared and shaky.
"That's the whole point. We didn't say anything. We should of thought about how Sam would have had reacted. She expects us to be there for her no matter where the world takes her. You know that she takes our friendship and trust more seriously than any of us do." Roberta said.
Teeny played with her fingers nervously. She didn't want to loose Samantha. She knew how it felt and she never wanted that feeling to come back.
"So, are we just going to let her ignore us?" Chrissy asked, sounding like she needed something to eat.
"I say we let her come to us. Not because she should bow down to us or anything." Roberta started.
"Because that would make her feel worse." Teeny said making a point.
"Right. Just to let her have some time to think. Maybe she needs that."
~~~***~~~
Samantha sat at her desk reading and re-reading the letter she had received from Natalie Harper. She thought about it and thought even more about why Teeny, Roberta, and Chrissy had reacted the way they did. She took into consideration the fact that maybe this information came too fast, too soon, and way too unexpected. She never thought that maybe it would be hard on them if she did stay in New York. But, it wasn't like she was going to stay in New York. She just wanted to go for those three weeks. But, a lot can happen in three weeks and a person's mind can change only so fast. Who knew what there was in New York for Samantha? There could be more there for her than she would have anywhere in Shelby, Indiana.
"I hate having to say sorry." Samantha said to herself.
She knew that she had to say sorry to them because she had overreacted.
"Samantha." A soft voice called from behind her. Samantha turned around to see Angela, her younger sister at the door.
She smiled. "Hey, Angi."
"Are you going to go away Samantha?" Angela asked.
~~~***~~~
The next day at school Roberta, Teeny, and Chrissy were all talking about other approaches to how to deal with Samantha when suddenly she came and sat down with them.
"Sam." Teeny started.
"It's okay Teeny. You don't have to apologize. It's my fault." Samantha said, her eyes looking down at her hands.
Teeny felt like it was her duty to be the good friend and say something to make her feel better just for the heck of it. Just like in the movies. But, she held back, realizing that this wasn't the right moment.
"I'm sorry I walked away from you guys and ignored you yesterday. I never meant to overreact. I just, supposed that maybe you guys didn't want me to go or didn't want to go with me or even didn't want me to fulfill my dreams. I know how much you guys care about me and my writing and I shouldn't of had acted how I did." Samantha knew that her words were dumb and pathetic but at least she had said something. She felt relived that it was all out.
"You know we care about you and your writing, Sam." Teeny said. "And we're going to New York with you."
Samantha remembered how awesome her friends were and looked up at them unafraid and in disbelief.
"What?!"
"Yeah. We asked our parents and all and they said it was no problem that we could go." Roberta said.
"Amazing I got through with it. I thought my mom was about to burst and give me another one or those sex plant lectures." Chrissy said her face askew.
"Why would she bring that up? It's completely opposite than going to New York with friends." Roberta asked laughing.
"Don't know. She just does sometimes out of nowhere." Chrissy said.
They all laughed at Chrissy as she gave them a sour expression.
"Thanks you guys." Samantha said. "I don't think I'd be able to do it without you."
"No problem." Roberta said. She and Chrissy got up and started walking to class.
Teeny turned to Samantha and without saying anything they both held hands, their bracelets touching in resemblance of an everlasting friendship.