chapter nine:
Samuel's phone buzzed in his pocket at 6:15. he stirred a little and tried not to wake up
Marissa. He laid her to one side of the couch and got up. he brushed himself off and stared at
Marissa. Her fiery hair was strewn across her face and one leg of her jeans was normal and
the other on her calve. he smiled at he untidy sleep state and kissed her forehead leaving a
note next to her. Sam walked out the door and headed 8 blocks down to his house on Tangle
wood Boulevard. His phone buzzed, he knew who it was already because its the only person
he knows who gets up this early.
"Hey uncle Tim! what sup?" Sam asked with a smile.
"Nothing much little buddy, I'm at your house because your mom is on a business trip with her
partner Jack" he replied.
"cool, what about dad?" Samuel questioned.
"your dad is at the building site."
Sam nodded. his dad was an architect for Blue Badge Builders (BBB). He really didn't know
how his parents had time to even see each other when they were so busy, that's why Sam
was always taking care of Riley. Riley was Samuel's 2 year old brother who was born with a
rare heart defect. But the little boy powered through it and lived his life like a normal toddler.
Sam walked up the stairs to his house and opened the door to see Tim Jameson his uncle.
Samuel looked at the familiar unshaved man with suspenders, a bow tie, and bright red
converse shoes.
"Come ere' little buddy and give old uncle Tim a hug" He said pulling His nephew into a bear
hug. Sam grinned and broke away to grab RIley, who was clad in baby overalls.
"How's my Little bro Riley?" Sam asked making googly eyes at Riley.
"Reeeeeeeeeeal good Sammy" He said with long pauses in between.
He then grabbed one of Sam's dreadlocks and putting it between his 7 little teeth.
"Whoa dude, hair ain't for eating" Sam cried prying his drippy dreadlock from the little chubby
hands. Then they all sat on the couch, and watched TV until it was time for Samuel to leave
for school.
"Here we go again..." Marissa's iPod blasted so loud she could here it from her room.
"Ahhh" Marissa screeched, tumbling off the couch onto the hard floor. She groaned and
picked herself up. She slouched over to her room and hit the stop button. The clock on her
wall read 7:15, 45 minutes till school. She jumped in the shower and while she was doing her
hair she realized Samuel was gone. she looked around the house and even under her bed
but he was nowhere to be found. However she did find a folded up piece of notebook paper
under he plaid quilt. She unfolded the paper, and examined the contents,
Dear Marissa,
You are amazing and beautiful and I want to spend as much time as
possible with you. I thought I should leave a note in place of myself
because I can never leave you with nothing. All my love, my heart forever
belongs to you.
Sam
Marissa sighed, Man does this guy know how to pull the heartstrings of a girl. She folded the
note into her pocket and grabbed her bag. She was about to run out the front door when she
backtracked a little and walked into the kitchen.
"eating would be a nice idea." She said while grabbing a granola bar and water. She checked
the clock one more time then biked over to Mckinley.
When Marissa pulled into the parking lot, she spotted a red pickup truck at the other end.
Hannah got out of Cameron's truck and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. Ever
since the first time he showed up at her house, Cameron and Hannah had been carpooling to
school everyday. They saw Marissa and waved, and then continued into the school together.
"Hey cam?" Hannah piped up braking their current conversation on school lunch.
"What is it Hannah?" He said looking her in the eye
"Um I was wondering if after school you want to get coffee or something...to talk abut
choir!" She said quickly covering up her attempt to ask out Cameron.
His face fell slightly at the sudden addition to the sentence but he replied
"Sure, I'll meet you in the parking lot, then we'll go to the Lima Bean."
She blushed heavily and nodded, screaming at herself in her head for being so stupid.
She continued down the hallway with Cameron, but at room 103 they split up and Cameron
met with Ellis.
"She asked me out." Cameron said glumly.
Ellis looked shocked at his sullen expression.
"isn't that what you wanted?" Ellis basically screamed at him, jumping up and down to get to
his height.
"Yes, but she just wants to talk about choir" He said putting his books to his face.
"It's a start Cam Cam, just remember she still asked you" She said before skipping off.
Cameron thought about what Ellis said for a minute, and then continued sulking for the rest of
passing time.
"Hey Ellis!" Matheus called, patting the seat next to him.
She sat down and sighed.
"Hey girl, why the frowny face?" Matheus asked, concerned.
"It's just. Our choir class has more drama than an Effing soap opera!" She said putting her
head on her desk.
"eh it's getting better. Except Emily Vasquez of course."
Ellis bolted up
"what about Emily?"
"I heard fromMiki who heard from Alex who heard from Bryce, that he and Emily are dating
again." He said
Ellis thought back to her first day of eighth grade.
Ellis walked into the bathroom to here a horrible retching noise coming from the stalls.
"Hello?" Ellis called to the mystery girl.
The only response she got was a painful sob from the stall. About five minutes later Emily
came out of the stall, shaking.
"Ellis, you can't tell anyoneabout this. I just want Bryce to think I'm pretty."
Ellis nodded, she knew she should tell a teacher but she obeyed as Emily wanted.
"Your secret is safe with me."
As Ellis flashed back to reality she wondered how Matheus knew about Emily's problem.
"Wait a second, how did you-" Ellis began
''I found a note in the hallway between her and Marissa" he replied.
They continued to discuss in quiet until the bell rang. Mckineleigh walked down the halls of
the school unnoticed. She realized everyone of her friends had found a match and she was
left drifting through the hallways, alone. She walked into art and started on her lesson on the
board.
"Paint the world through your own eyes. Express you actions through art"
Mckinleigh realized this was just the lesson she wanted to teach the world. Sh painted and
painted the whole hour, gathering a crowd in the process. When she finished, she admired
her work and left it on the rack to dry.
A/N I know Marissa was the one with the eating disorder, but this is all fake, And Riley and
Uncle Tim aren't real either.
And the next chapter is gonna be about the smaller characters because I figure Alex And
Mckinleigh Deserve to shine too. :D
Review please!