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Climbing out of the dumpster proved to be harder than I thought. At first I really didn't want to touch the walls, so I tried jumping and getting a grasp on the ledge. But after cutting my hand on a rusted piece and slipping back into its stinky depths I decided to avoid further infection I would have to endure more nastiness. A trade for a trade. I pulled myself to the ledge and rolled out landing on the pavement hard.

Coughing I sat up and blinked some dizziness away. I took a look at my appearance and wrinkled my nose. Oh. Ewww. And peeled probably the most cliché thing off of me...a banana peel. In movies, it was funny. In real life, it just plain sucked...and stunk.

Peeling off a few other unmentionables from my clothes, I stood. Generally, you would find me furious, but the ball of fury that usually threatens to choke me wasn't there. Instead, it was replaced with a different lump, one that was really hard to swallow.

It was hurt.

Not physical pain, but something different. Something that made my heart hurt. I hated it and tried to mask these feelings with my hate for Rachel. I'd rather feel that ball of fury than this lump of hurt.

I sighed and found my discarded bag and its contents scattered across the grass. Gathering it all, I started on my long walk home.

x-x-x-x

I threw my bag over the eight foot tall chain fence and jumped, grabbing onto it. Once I had a grip and my feet found holes I started climbing. Stupid school, who would want to get into it so bad you had to put up a fence? I grumbled and muttered some things that would make Gram blush and shove a bar of soap down my throat at the same time.

I also began wondering if it was possible to Fed Ex a person to the top of Mt Everest. Probably not. But it put my mind at ease thinking about Rachel trying to get out of a box and rolling all the way down the mountain.

Yeah, that made me smile.

I swung my legs over the top and started my way down. My jeans got caught on the top link and I cursed again.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." I tugged at the hem of my jeans furiously. This was just getting ridiculous. "Let go you bastard!" I yelled tugging hard again. They ripped and I lost my grip on the fence.

Oh crap.

I braced for impact and when it came it was a lot softer than I thought...and noisier. Someone grunted from underneath me and I scrambled to my feet.

"Oh, it's just you." I said staring down at Jake.

He stood to and brushed himself off. "That's the thanks I get?" He wrinkled his nose and looked up from his clothes to stare at me his mouth agape.

"You stink. What the heck happened?" Worry creased his forehead and I snatched my bag off the ground embarrassed.

"I decided it was a nice day for dumpster diving," I pushed past him and began walking. I heard the sound of his boots pounding on the pavement as he jogged to catch up. He jumped in front of me and was about to grab my arm but pulled back deciding it was best not to touch the stinky person.

"I didn't know you picked up a new hobbie."

I wanted to punch him.

"Well next time I'll be sure to let you know so you can join me." I shoved past him again and he flinched away. I guess I really did stink...I was just getting used to it.

He jumped in front of me again and I glowered at him. "Sam, really."

I knew what he meant but didn't say. What really happened? But I didn't really have the guts to tell him, it was embarrassing.

"Never know what treasures you'll find in a dumpster," I shuddered remembering those 'treasures'. His gaze rested on my hand and he grabbed my wrist.

It still had rings around it from the jock that was carrying me. I was sure I'd get bruises, great. Jake examined my wrist a vein starting to stand out on his forehead. Oh crap, he was pissed. He flipped my hand over to find the cut. I stared at it too.

"Whoa, that's bleeding more than I thought," I stared at the gooey red stuff in amazement. I sure did put a hurtin' on it. Maybe I would get out of writing...

Jake turned with my wrist still in his hand and started dragging me towards the parking lot. His grip wasn't as tight at the jocks but it still hurt, because it was tender.

"Hold it," I tried to free my wrist but Jake wasn't letting up. "Wait a minute!" I yanked again and he stopped but didn't let go or turn around.

"Sam, just please be quiet and come with me." He said his voice strained. He was uber pissed.

I sighed and nodded even though he wasn't looking. But being Jake he knew and started walking again, his grip on my wrist loosening until is was just a tender presence. He led me to his truck and I started to climb into the bed until he stopped me.

"What are you doing?" He asked his brows furrowing.

"Um, getting in the truck?" As if it weren't obvious. What did he think I was doing? For somebody smart he was kinda stupid.

"You aren't riding in the bed." He said starting to tug me down. I tugged back.

"Dude, you seriously aren't going to make me walk home are you?" I asked taken aback. What a jerk.

"No you idiot, get in the truck, as in the cab." He dragged me down and I wrinkled my nose.

"Ew, that's gross." I knew he could smell me. Jake was like a freaking dog.

"It can be cleaned Sam, just get in." He opened the door and shoved me inside.

That lump of hurt started to fade a little. Maybe he wasn't a jerk.

x-x-x-x

Jake turned his truck into Three Ponies. I cleared my throat, maybe he forgotten I was in the truck, he hadn't really talked much.

"Er, Jake?" He parked his truck and shut it off. I rolled the window back up, they were the manual windows, were you had to twist that annoying knob thing. "Oops," I got some goop mixed with blood on it.

Jake hopped out of the truck and opened my door. "Just don't touch anything."

I still didn't get why we were here and not at River Bend.

"Fine...sorry." I hopped out of the truck and saw some figures emerge from the barn. Oh, great. Just what I needed, the Ely clan to get a whiff of me.

"Hey Jake! About time you got home...whoa." Quinn jogged up and halted. He made a face that said 'uh oh' and if it wasn't made for me I probably would have laughed.

"Sammy, you stink babe." He said coughing a bit. Brian and Nate came up behind him and looked at me shocked.

"Jeez, Jake. What did you do to the poor girl?" Nate asked. Jake's jaw clenched and grabbed my wrist again pulling me towards the barn.

"Oh, hey! Can we help hose her off?" Brian called earning a menacing glare from Jake. They all followed anyway.

He let go of my wrist and grabbed the hose. I held up my hands flinching.

"Wait! You aren't really going to hose me off are yo-" I was cut off by the water. It got in my mouth and I gurgled the rest of my sentence. I ducked and cowered trying to get away from it.

I spit water from my mouth once again. "Stop!" I screamed, trembling. The hose was shut off and I stood there trembling and breathing heavily.

"Hey, Sam? We were just messing around...," Nate said his tone softening.

Jake handed me a towel and I took it with shaky hands, wiping my face. I looked down at the dirt wishing the hot sting in my eyes to go away.

"I know," I whispered. Still looking at the dirt. "I should get going." I started walking away towel in hand but was stopped. Jake had me by the nape of my neck for the second time today.

Though I didn't look at him I could feel his hard gaze burning into me. "Don't be stupid." That's all he had to say for my shoulders to slump and follow him. He led me in the house and up the stairs to his bathroom.

"Wait here." He left again coming back with a change of clothes. He set them on the bathroom counter and turned the shower on. "Get in." Then he left, shutting the door behind him.

I complied, shucking off my dirty wet clothes. They landed on the linoleum with a splat. The shower felt like a dream, never would I have thought a shower would seem so nice. But after taking a trip to the dumpster, it was nice to know cleanliness still existed.

After shampooing about five times and washing my body with men's deodorant soap I felt cleansed. I shut the shower off and found a towel, quickly drying off and putting on the clothes Jake had given me. The sweat pants hung low on my hips threatening to fall off and his baggy Darton t-shirt smelt like him. Much better than my dumpster clothes.

Steam followed me out of the bathroom and I padded downstairs. My hair still dripped getting the back of the t-shirt wet but I didn't have a pony tail so I just let it be. All I really cared about was that I was clean.

Jake sat in the kitchen waiting for me. He had a first aide kit out on the table and I rolled my eyes. He beckoned me over and pushed out a chair for me to sit on. He held out his hand and I knew he wanted mine. Sometimes it was like this, us communicating silently. But it worked. He put some anti-bacterial cream on it and put a piece of gauze over it before he started wrapping it.

"So, are you going to tell me?" He asked his focus still on my hand.

"Just let it go, Jake." I sighed watching his hands work on mine.

He tensed and I felt a fight coming on. "Like hell I will." I saw his gaze flicker to my wrist which was starting to turn purple and bruise. He lifted his gaze to mine and I quickly looked away.

"Sam."

"Jake."

I could still feel him staring at me but I looked at my hand instead of him. He sighed.

"Please." His voice sounded concerned and slightly pleading. Not like a pathetic pleading, but a sincere kind. Jerk.

"Rachel just had some jocks throw me into the dumpster," I shrugged. "It's nothing." But for some reason it still stung, it didn't feel like it was nothing. Jake probably knew that too.

He let out a breath and took my hand gazing at the bandage and bruise. "I'm sorry."

Hot tears welled in my eyes once again and I blinked hard forcing them to go back where they came from. Why was I sitting here crying like a little girl? I should be doing something about it instead.

"Yeah, well. They will be too." I said gruffly pulling my hand back.

Jake sighed. "Don't do anything stupid."

"But stupid is what I do best." I grumbled and he shook his head.

"They aren't worth it, Brat. Besides, don't tempt me." He stood up and went to the fridge. He grabbed two bottles of water and handed me one.

"Tempt?" I asked having a hard time opening the bottle.

He took it from my hands, opening it for me and looking down at the hard wood floor.

"Well, I kind of want to kill them." He said to his feet. I couldn't help but smile, even if he was like a big protective idiot.

"Down mama bear." I teased and the corner of his lip twitched. It was quiet while we both sipped from our bottles of water. I swallowed hard and played with the paper wrapping on the bottle. "And thanks...," I said, barely audible.

Jake grunted and shifted in his chair, it creaked. "Sure."

"Sammy! You're clean!" Quinn burst into the kitchen popping the bubble of silence. He lifted me from the chair and squeezed me in a big bear hug. "Mmm, you smell delicious."

"I smell like a dude." I grunted, the air being squeezed out of me.

"Put her down, idiot." Jake said from the table. Quinn put me down and made a face of mockery towards Jake.

"Don't be selfish little brother." He smiled at me. "So usually I would ask how your first day was but..." he trailed off and I rolled my eyes.

Yeah, it didn't take a Quinn to know the answer to that one.

"I should get going...," I started and Jake pushed up from the table.

"I'll take you home," he grabbed his keys and hat. Quinn picked me up and dashed out the door.

"I'm coming!" He yelled nearly knocking my head on the door frame.

"Quinn!" I screeched, Jake yelling after him at the same time.

By the time we got to the truck I was giggling uncontrollably. It was ridiculous; leave it to an Ely bozo to make you feel better.

Jake slid into the driver seat and Quinn threw me onto the middle seat. I scrambled up right in time for him to climb in beside me and slam the door.

Jake's hat shadowed his face but I could still see him rolling his eyes at my giggling and Quinn's idiocy. "Ready children?" He asked sarcastically, putting the truck into reverse.

"Aye! Head yonder that direction to ye River Bend place...," Quinn said failing miserably at trying to sound like a pirate. He just sounded stupid.

"Aye, Captain Idiot," Jake replied, mirroring my very thoughts.

I didn't even notice that lump anymore.

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