Chapter 5 by: horse-nerd!


Sam pulled off one of her gloves and took Ricky's hand and shook it. She smiled at him.

"Hi I'm Sam," she let go of his hand and pulled Jake up beside her. "And this is Jake."

Ricky grinned at them. It wasn't a friendly grin either…it made Sam's skin crawl.

He reached his hand out for Jake's. Jake took it and shook it briefly.

"How's it going man?" Ricky asked nodding at him and then shoving his hands in his pocket. He smiled at Sam again. Sam ignored him and watched a pale dark haired girl walk up to them. She wrapped her arms around her tiny body so it looked like she was hugging herself.

She glared at Ricky and Jake but smiled hesitantly at Sam. Not knowing whether to offer to shake her hand or not Sam just waved. She introduced herself and Jake again.

The girl nodded. "Allie." She introduced herself then proceeded to chew on one of her fingernails. Another girl hopped out of the van. She pushed her blonde hair back and put on some big dark shades. She was also pale and a little freckled. She walked up and knocked Allie out of the way so she stood between her and Ricky.

"Move it freak."

Allie glared at her and spat a fingernail in her direction. The blonde screeched and jumped away from her bumping into Ricky.

"Bite me bitch." Allie said before stomping off back towards the van. Ricky whistled and laughed. "Feisty."

The blonde let out a snort and Sam could just imagine her rolling her eyes. "Freak."

She finally looked at Sam and Jake. She pulled her shades down to the tip of her nose and looked Sam up and down then Jake…though she took her time with Jake. She smiled and pushed her shades back up her nose.

"Well hello. I'm Tara." She reached her hand out to Jake and he took it politely and shook it.

"Jake." He dropped her hand and grabbed Sam's. Sam reached out her spare hand. "Sam." Tara looked at her and scoffed before spinning on her heel back towards the van. Ricky smiled and shrugged before following her.

"Well…this should be one hell of a summer." Sam said sarcastically making Jake laugh. He watched small Allie grab a handful of bags. Tara pushed past her knocking her over and scattering her bags. Jake sighed and walked over to help. He reached for her hand but she shoved it away.

"I got it." She said standing up and brushing herself off. Sam grabbed a few of her bags. Allie didn't protest.

"Jake I'll help Allie. Why don't you see if Tara or Ricky need help?" Sam said as she started leading Allie to the bunkhouse.

Jake grunted in response but none-the-less walked over to the van to see if they needed help.

Sam watched as Allie walked beside her. The girl really was tiny…in a frail way. Her eyes had dark circles and her face seemed sunken in. One word came to Sam's mind. Malnourished. She smiled at the thought of Gram shoving pies and cookies down her throat. Hopefully her time here will do more than help her criminal habits…

Sam kicked open the door to the bunkhouse then walked inside. Allie walked in and paused beside her still holding her bags.

"Well I guess you get first pick." Sam said nodding towards the bed. Allie shrugged one of the bags higher on her shoulder and walked towards the far end of the bunkhouse. She choose one of the beds furthest from the others and by a window. She tossed her bags on it than sat.

"Good choice." Sam set her bags on the bed also and stuck her gloves further down her pocket.

"Well um…I'm going to see if they need anymore help." Sam began to walk towards the door but stopped. "Make yourself at home…you're going to be here a while." She smiled at Allie who gave her a half smile then looked down. Sam walked out of the door. Something about Allie seemed off. She didn't seem like a criminal. No. She seemed more like the victim.

Sam shook off her thoughts and almost began laughing at the site of Jake. Tara walked behind him bag-less. Instead Jake was carrying them all. She jogged over to him and grabbed a few. He rolled his shoulders and smiled at her appreciatively.

"Thanks." Sam shrugged and motioned for him to walk past. He did and Tara began following but Sam stopped her and shoved a bag into her stomach. Tara pushed her glasses up to reveal glaring green eyes.

"What. The. Hell?" She enunciated every word like Sam was stupid.

"Listen and learn. Jake is not your pack mule and we are not your servants…you can pull your own weight. And you can start…" Sam shoved the bag at her again "by carrying your own bags." Tara huffed and snatched the bags from her before stomping off after Jake. Sam stifled a laugh and headed towards the van. Ricky sat in the back but jumped up when Sam walked up.

"Alright let's get these bags." Sam said grabbing a few and handing them to Ricky.

"Nice gloves." He said as Sam stretched to reach more bags. She quickly spun and pulled them out of her back pocket. "Seriously they look hot."

Sam scrunched her eyebrows together and handed him another bag. She ignored his comment and grabbed the last of the bags herself.

"C'mon the bunkhouse is this way." She led him back to the bunkhouse. Jake met her halfway and took the bags from her.

"Hey handsome wanna take some of mine too?" Ricky called from behind them. Sam rolled her eyes. When she looked up at Jake his jaw was set hard and his eyes were tense.

"Jake relax. Their just a couple of punks ignore them." She whispered walking close to him so their bodies touched. She watched him unclench his jaw but his eyes were still tight.

"Hey sweetie how about you? You're empty handed…well from what I can tell back here that is…" Ricky called again. Sam sighed and pushed Jake forward and she stopped in front of Ricky. He smiled.

"More like it." He said.

Sam smiled at him. "Ok first, don't call me sweetie…its Sam. Second—and also your first lesson in manners—you never ask a lady to carry your bags."

Ricky smiled more and laughed. "Whatever you say…Sam."

They walked into the bunkhouse and Sam lead him to the opposite end from the girls. She turned to see he didn't follow her. Instead he plopped himself right next to Allie. She glared at him and shrunk away.

"Ricky you're over here." Sam said pointing to the bed she was standing next to. He leaned back in Allie's bed and she jumped away from him. He laughed and stretched.

"I like it right here thanks." He winked at Allie. She glared and shoved him off the bed. He landed on the floor with a 'humph'. He sprang upright and glared at Allie.

"Watch it b—" Jake cut in by grabbing Ricky by the arm and dragging him over to the bed Sam was still standing by.

"Let go of me!" He yelled as he shrugged Jake off. Jake walked back over to Allie's bed and grabbed the rest of his bags throwing them onto his bed.

"She said you sleep here." Jake said pointing at his bed. Ricky clapped his hands together and bowed.

"Yes Chief." He shoved his bags off the bed and sat down.

"Ugh, seriously Ricky grow up…" Tara said before sitting up. "Isn't this…inappropriate?" She asked motioning to the room.

"It's the only accommodations we have…we weren't expecting boys this year." Sam said. Ricky waggled his eyebrows at her. Tara flopped back down onto the bed.

"Then he can sleep outside." She said waving her hand towards Ricky.

"Ah, don't be hostile baby." Ricky said as he stretched on his bed.

Tara scoffed. "Hardly. I just thought you'd be more comfortable with others of your kind…" She looked over at Sam and Jake. "Say Sam? You wouldn't happen to have any pigs would you?"

Jake snorted and Sam smiled. Ricky grabbed a pillow and threw it at Tara knocking a magazine out of her hand.

"Hey watch it! That's Vanity Fair. This crap goes about six bucks a pop…I don't want any crinkles or tears in my six dollar mag." Tara threw the pillow back and brushed her blonde hair back. She looked at Sam again. "So how about those pigs?"

Sam smiled and shook her head. "No pigs."

"Bummer. Sorry Ricky but you're going to be a lonely piglet."

"You know what Tara suck it. Hey and I thought you guys were suppose to be our leaders? So aren't you suppose to like punish us or whatever?" Ricky said sitting back up.

"I think little squabbles are hardly worth our time Ricky." Jake said.

"Oh and about the 'inappropriate' thing...if it becomes a problem—a real problem—," Sam looked at Tara who rolled her eyes and went back to her magazine. "—then he can bunk with the cowboys."

Tara perked up. "Cowboys? Seriously?" Sam was about to say something when Jen burst into the door.

"Sorry I'm late dad was kind of pissed after he picked me up this morning meaning extra—"

"Jen!" Sam interrupted her and nodded towards the HARP kids.

"Oh, ha-ha oops." Jen blushed and stuck a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Um, hi everyone I'm Jennifer but you can call me Jen." She waved to everyone in the room. "Well I can clearly guess which on of you is Ricky…" She said looking at the only unfamiliar boy sprawled out on the bed. She then pointed to the blonde. "I'm guessing Tara?" She pointed next to the frail dark haired girl. "And Allie?" They nodded and waved.

Jen gave Jake and Sam a triumphant smile. "See studying does do some good."