Chapter 18
Jake was standing at the bus stop with Quinn and Bryan for the first day of school. They saw Sam's Gram's big yellow Buick heading their way.
"How come Sammy gets a ride to the bus stop yet we have to walk?" Bryan grumbled.
"She's what? Eight?" Quinn said to him. "I'm sure her folks don't want an eight year old walking that far by herself in the morning."
"We did," Bryan reminded him.
"Yeah with four brothers," Jake responded.
"Hey, Sammy," Quinn greeted her when she had kissed her Gram and come out of the car. "Still carrying that wussy pink backpack, huh?"
Sam rolled her eyes at him. The three Elys laughed.
"It's cute," Sam told them.
Jake looked at her, remembering when she had told him that her turtle she had named after him was cute. Then she had said he was cute sometimes. Their first and only kiss had happened that day.
After Jake had talked to Kit about it, he didn't feel as weird as he had. He didn't consider Sam his girlfriend, just still his friend, despite that they had briefly kissed. Kit had thought it was normal.
They heard the bus in the distance and the boys grabbed their backpacks from the ground where they had laid them. Quinn tried to get in front of Sam, who tried to push him back. When she couldn't move him and he just laughed at her, she stomped on his foot.
"Ow," Quinn jumped up and down in pain.
"Humph," Sam gave him a satisfied look. She was the first one on the bus when it stopped. She ran to the back, taking the seat that Quinn usually sat in.
"Hey, that's not fair," Quinn told her.
Bryan and Jake chuckled. Bryan scooted onto the seat next to Sam. Quinn gave his twin a look as if he were a traitor. Bryan put his arm around Sam's shoulder and grinned at his twin.
Jake slid onto the seat in front of them, Quinn next to him.
"I'll remember this Sammy," Quinn turned in his seat to tell her. "I think I liked it better when you sat in the front seats."
"Babies sit there," Sam sniffed, lifting her head.
"Well gosh knows, you're eight so you're not a baby anymore, right?" Quinn scoffed.
"I'm not a baby," Sam protested.
"Stop it," Jake muttered at Quinn.
"Sticking up for your girlfriend again, huh Jake?" Quinn teased.
Jake gave him a look.
"Quinn," Bryan warned him under his breath.
"Well he is," Quinn said with a shrug.
Sam punched Quinn's shoulder.
"Ow," Quinn pulled away from her.
Jake gave him a sarcastic grin. "You taught her to hit properly," he reminded his brother.
"Why didn't you warn me not to?" Quinn asked.
"I did," Jake gave his brother a lopsided grin.
"Oh yeah, you did," Quinn laughed.
"Sammy, you need to forget everything I taught you," Quinn turned around again.
Sam hit him again. "Okay."
All three Elys snorted.
"Something tells me you're not going to listen to me, Sammy," Quinn said.
"Really?" Sam tilted her head at him.
Jake's mouth twitched. Quinn saw it and grinned. This is why Sam fit into their family so well and why they all loved her like a sister.
"Pretty sad when I have to graduate the sixth grade in order to feel safe again," Quinn pretended to grumble.
"Maybe you'll flunk," Sam told him.
Jake burst out laughing, along with Bryan.
"Oh no, trust me," Quinn responded. "I'm graduating so I won't get hit anymore. It's incentive."
"I can still hit you when I come visit Three Ponies," Sam pointed out.
"That's right, she could," Bryan said to his twin.
"What makes you think you're invited?" Quinn teased.
Sam's face crumbled. Bryan saw it.
"Quinn!" Bryan called his brother's attention to Sam's reaction.
Jake turned in his seat to see what was going on.
"Sammy, I'm just kidding," Quinn promised.
Jake gave Quinn a look that would have made anyone else nervous.
"You idiot," Jake muttered under his breath.
Sam's bottom lip was trembling.
"Sam, you're always welcome at Three Ponies," Bryan told her.
Sam met his eyes, then her eyes flicked to Jake's. He nodded.
"Sammy, I'm sorry," Quinn told her. "I was only teasing you."
She looked at Quinn and nodded slowly.
When they arrived at school, Sam got by Bryan and went down the aisle first. The Elys watched her go.
"You can't tease her like that, Quinn," Jake said.
"We're the only siblings she has," Bryan put in.
"My gosh, did you see her face?" Quinn shook his head as they got off the bus. "I felt horrible."
"Good," Jake gave him one last look and headed into the school.