"Hey, so what did you want to talk about regarding Sam and the school that Haley told you about?" Lucas asked Brooke after they plopped themselves on the couch. The dishes had been taken care of, Jamie had been put to bed and Sam was working on the paper Haley had set for her on Les Miserables.
Brooke sighed and took a sip of water before narrating what Haley had told her. "So, thanks to the prep school that Sam attended in New York, she is far ahead in every single one of her classes. Haley said that she was studying literature at a senior level and she went and spoke to some of the other teachers who took classes with Sam. They all said that Sam was really disinterested and lacked focus because she already knew the material. She fears that if Sam continues school this way, she will lose interest in academics because she isn't challenged at all. Now, Hales being Hales, also spoke to the office and they informed her that Faircroft Prep hasn't yet transferred the details regarding Sam's credits yet. They have been facing some server issues and it will take them a few more days to resolve the system errors. She said that based on that and what we have seen, we have two options - A) Allow Sam to skip a grade or two based on what the credits say, or B) Transfer her to another school. Haley recommended the Oppenheimer School for the Gifted. That is basically Tree Hill's prep school. It's private and getting a scholarship in the middle of the year is impossible as the accounts and admissions close at the start of the year. So, all their scholarship funds must have already been expended, but we could try. Haley's eyes became the size of basketballs when I mentioned the name Faircroft Prep. It is like the Harvard of High School, I believe."
"What? Wow. Uhh, what do we do?" Lucas asked Brooke, feeling out of his element. What if he made the wrong choice for his daughter that cost her her entire future? No pressure!
"I think we should wait and consult Haley after Tree Hill High receives Sam's transcripts. Then we can see what even the circumstances decide. Private schools don't accept students in the middle of the school year. We might have to wait for the next year and deeply look into the scholarship fundings. Each private school has their own requirements and budget for these things. If they have a full roster, they might not take Sam either as seats are always limited at these places. It was so hard getting Sam into Faircroft. Our girl is being a real good sport for leaving that and moving to Tree Hill. We took her out of the city and threw her into a really slow life where as great as it is, opportunities are far fewer."
"What if we pay the full fees? Do you think they will take her in?" Lucas asked.
"I don't know. We'll have to go and enquire, but paying that fee will be insane. Private schools can be more expensive than college!" There was a sadness in Brooke's voice. Of course she wanted the absolute best for her kids. Who didn't. Yet, there were some things which were out of her hands. "I have savings for Sam for college, in case she doesn't get a scholarship. We could use that money to pay her tuition, but we will be back on square one for her college."
"Let's wait for those transcripts to arrive," Lucas sighed. "Hey B, thanks for involving me in all these conversations. I know that I'm only here so that you get Sam's custody, but I am really grateful that you are involving me." Having said that, without realising what he was doing, Lucas lunged towards Brooke to hug her. Brooke immediately stiffened, not anticipating the hug. She felt a hundred awkward emotions as Lucas wrapped his arms around her. Lucas felt her stiffen in his arms and jerked away.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly as he silently berated himself over being that stupid and invading Brooke's personal space that way. Of course, she would be averse to touching. She had been privy to so many unsolicited touches as she tried to get food on the table.
"No, no. I'm sorry. We're friends after all, right?" Brooke replied awkwardly and gave Lucas a weird smile. "Also, I know that you care for Sam as your own. I won't hide things from you anymore. I swear.
"Yeah, no more hiding…" Lucas said as he wondered if he should bring up that he had spoken to Peyton. You never lied in a relationship, but his relationship with Brooke was fake. So, technically, he didn't owe her any explanations. Still, sometimes, their dynamic did not feel fake and Brooke had just promised not to hide anything anymore. Without realising what he was doing, Lucas began to stare at Brooke intently, making her a little uncomfortable.
"What? Is there something on my face?" she asked, rubbing it, trying to flick away imaginary dirt.
"No, uhh, sorry. I just went somewhere else in my head," Lucas replied.
"Peyton?" Brooke smart-mouthed.
"Actually, yes. I took your advice and called her to tell her about the book," he replied truthfully. He hadn't appreciated Brooke's tone.
"What!" she screeched, flabbergasted that that had happened.
"Yeah, it was your idea, remember?" Lucas replied with a judgemental tone of his own.
"Yeah," Brooke immediately mellowed down. "You didn't mention Jamie or me, right?"
"No. I got her blessing to publish the book and she said she'd come for a signing if I stopped by LA on the book tour," Lucas replied.
"Okay," Brooke said icily, having nothing better to say.
"B, you said it was the right thing to do!" Lucas yelled.
"Yeah, I know. It was. Sorry," she apologised, looking at her toes.
"Why is Peyton such a sore wound after all these years? You haven't seen her in four years," Lucas asked. He couldn't understand how Brooke could be so angry at her for doing nothing. "She really hasn't done anything to hurt you in a long time. Yes, we cheated, but it's been too long for you to hold on to that."
"Don't you get it, Luke? Can't you see? Our son didn't know you for two years so that she could be happy with you. I lived in women's shelters, almost died and recuperated all alone so that she didn't have to break her relationship with you. I know how much heartbreak can kill you. Not being with the boy you love, because his circumstances, aka, a baby with another girl, makes him pick someone else, can crush your soul to dust. Lucas, I was alone because she got you! I was so scared and lonely and I became a bloody stripper. I took off my clothes on stage in front of hundreds of people. I fellated men on an almost daily basis so that she could live the textbook fairytale because she won. It literally became a fairytale book. You wrote it. It was all fated from the time you almost hit her with your car. Lucas, do you even know why I broke up with you in High School?"
"Yeah, you told me that you stopped missing me. I can never forget that," Lucas replied.
"I lied. Peyton told me that she loved you. She told me to my face that she loved you, my boyfriend at Nathan and Haley's rehearsal dinner. And then you told me about the kiss in the library at the wedding. And despite telling you to stay away from her during Nathan and Haley's second wedding, you were drawn to her, instantly. What the hell was I supposed to do, Luke? The two people that I trusted the most. My best friend and my boyfriend. They did that to me. Peyton asked me, staring right at me to prove to her that I loved you. Why did I have to prove it to her, Luke? I only needed to prove it to you. But, no, that wasn't enough for us. I wasn't enough for you. She loved you and you loved her or you wouldn't have let her kiss you. If you loved me, you wouldn't have kept it a secret. I wouldn't have kept our child a secret and maybe, I wouldn't be giving blowjobs to buy food to feed my family."
Lucas didn't know what got into him. Hearing Brooke's confessions, he lunged across the couch and grabbed her. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. His chest burned. He had never known that Peyton had said that to Brooke. He held Brooke tightly in his arms, not knowing how else to share the pain. Brooke stiffened in Lucas' arms. She felt strange being enveloped so tightly by someone. Yet, she found herself melting. Finally, someone was holding her. She did not have to carry herself. Her heart was weary. Her feet were tired of struggling to put one foot in front of the other.
"Why did you lie, Brooke?" Lucas asked, his head buried in Brooke's chocolate tresses.
"Luke, I did give you enough context. I explained that you always picked Peyton. You went to her after your accident, after Keith. You needed her to make you feel better. Not me," she replied through choked tears. "What was I supposed to do? Don't you remember?"
"Actually, that breakup is hazy at best for me. I just remember that overwhelming feeling of numbness that overtook me. But Brooke, you're okay with me now. You have kind of forgiven me. We are friends. Why can't you be friends with her too? Besides, who knows? Had you told us that you were pregnant, maybe she would have helped out. Maybe she would babysit Jamie sometimes. You know that I would step up."
"Are you kidding me? Don't you remember what happened to my prom dress? If she learnt that I was pregnant, she would rip every single strand of hair on my head, make a voodoo doll out of it and stab it." Brooke replied, painting a gory picture.
"Okay," Lucas said, patting his thighs, knowing that the conversation regarding Peyton was not going to go anywhere. "I'll speak to Haley about keeping us in the loop about the transcripts and then we can figure out what we can do for Sam. Then once they arrive, maybe we can go to Oppenheimer and inquire."
"Yeah," Brooke replied and stood up to greet Lucas out of the door.
"Hey Sam," Claire greeted as Sam pulled out her books from her locker. It was only her second day, so the school was still a maze to her.
"What do you want, Claire?" Sam asked, looking up to the sky as if she was praying to the Divine for patience to get through this conversation.
"We know your little secret?" Sam asked, unsure about what the girl could have found out in one day.
"Just what Coach Scott is to you," she said, narrowing her eyes.
"Okay.." Sam gulped.
'Here it goes,' she thought to herself. 'You can start with the Orphan Annie comments.'
"Oh, I so own you," Claire grinned to herself.
"Come on, let it go. It's more common than you think," Sam whined. She really didn't want to get teased about being a foster kid.
"What, the kind of relationship that you have with Mr. Scott is common?!" Claire's eyes bugged out on hearing that. She couldn't believe that Samantha could think it was normal to sleep with their teacher, no matter how hot he was or the fact that he was barely a few years older than them. In Claire's case, it was only four.
"Yeah, I mean, people who are in these situations and relationships don't like to talk about it, but come on. I find it really hard to believe that I am the only one at this school," Sam tried to explain.
Claire's eyes widened another time. Her hands were crossed defensively across her chest. She expected Sam to squirm and agree to whatever her demands were. Never in her wildest dreams had she expected Sam to retaliate that way. "Listen here you! This is my school. If you don't do exactly what I say and stay away from people whom I tell you to stay away from, your little secret is going to be out in front of the whole school. If you want to keep your fairly common relationship," she said between air quotes, "a secret. Shut up, suck it up and oops." Claire jabbed Audrey so all her books fell. "You are such a klutz, Samatha! Look what you did? Why don't you grab those for her?" With a giggle she looked away from Sam as if she was invisible. Sam shook her head angrily as she bent down to pick up Audrey's books. Here, she shoved them hard in her arms, slammed her locker door shut and walked away with no idea where her next class was.
"Hey, someone seems angry!" Lucas chuckled when he saw Sam storm around the hallway reading room numbers.
"Sorry, I'm trying to get to World History but I don't know where the class is!" Sam blew off some steam. "Also, can we please pretend like you don't know me during school?"
"Sam, what's wrong?" Lucas asked, getting serious.
"It's nothing! This school is a maze! Every hallway looks the same. I just want to get to class!" she cried.
"Okay, let's get you to your class then," Lucas offered. "Come, I'll walk you."
"No, I'll get to my class on my own. Can you just give me directions?" Sam pleaded.
"Sure," Lucas replied curtly. He was not liking Sam's attitude or tone. "Try going up one floor and turn left at the first corner."
"Thanks!" Sam said and turned around to go in the direction Lucas had instructed. He watched her scamper away and wondered if he should have asked her what had her that irritated. He decided to bring it up when he drove her back from school.
The rest of the day, Sam tried to keep her head down and dodge Claire and her cronies. She even avoided sitting with Jack at lunch to ensure that she did not come in Claire's sight. Then came the dreaded time, after school where she had to wait for Lucas to finish practice with the boys. She really needed to find herself an after-school activity. She contemplated where she could wait for her foster father and chose the library. It was the easiest way to avoid Claire and the drama she brought with her. Sam sent a text to Lucas, 'Finishing homework at the library. Text me when you're done.' Lucas read the text and felt a pang but he had students to coach and discipline. Sam could wait. Blowing his whistle, he tried to deafen the worrisome thoughts circling his mind and get his head in the game.
Sam walked around the quiet hallways of the high school without an agenda. She wanted to look around and explore the place. She wanted to find history and a bit of the Tree Hill magic her fosters always talked about.
She looked at the trophy cases. There were way too many from when Nathan and Lucas were on the team. Sam was surprised to find one by the name of Brooke Davis! It was tiny in comparison to all the big basketball ones, but it was the history she had been looking for. "Best Original Choreography" at the Secret Sparkle Classics. Sam imagined herself in a cheerleading uniform and immediately snorted. At that moment, she missed her old school with the rigorous academics. She missed skateboarding in Highbridge Skate Park. The city had such a pleasant mix of people. Everyone in Tree Hill seemed to have been cut out of the same cloth. Heck, she even missed her uniform.
"Hey," Jack said upon seeing her.
"Oh, hi. What are you doing here?" Sam asked.
"I had to borrow a camera. I'm in the photography club. I've got a new assignment for the school paper. 'Is the cafeteria serving what kids throw up instead of making a fresh meal?'" he said while moving his arms like a camera lens as if he was a director pitching the plot twist of his movie. Sam couldn't help but giggle.
"What are you up to?" Jack asked. "Besides skipping lunch."
Sam was surprised that he had noticed. "I was looking at what after school activities the school offered."
"You want to try out for cheerleading?" Jack asked with a judgemental look on his face. Sam was confused until she saw where he had found her… the trophy case with cheerleading trophies. "What if I do?" Sam asked sassily.
"The girl skips lunch to avoid Claire Young and then wants to spend every moment with her by joining her squad," Jack said in the funniest chirpy voice which made Sam burst out laughing.
"My, uhh, my mother was a cheerleader," Sam said, though she felt something strange in the pit of her stomach. The truth was that she had no idea what her actual mother had been into when she was in school. All she knew was that she was currently a waitress.
"Does Mommy want you to follow her footsteps?" Jack asked curiously.
"Thankfully, no." Sam replied with an eye-roll.
"What did you do at your old school?" Jack asked. He was interested in this new girl.
"Study a lot and babysit my brother," she replied.
"Interesting. Now, let's find you a fun after school activity. Have you ever used a DSLR?" he asked and placed the heavy camera in Sam's hands.
"Isn't photography just pointing and clicking?" Sam asked.
"If you use an iPhone, essentially yes. But with this, you can really focus. Let me show you." Saying that, Jack picked up the camera from Sam's hands and pointed in towards her. Sam immediately blushed. She hated being photographed. Brooke tried to do it all the time and she always shut her down. Sam found herself ugly. Yet, this time she found herself absent-mindedly running her hand through her hair to fix imaginary bumps. She gave an awkward smile as Jack played around with the lens for a few moments before clicking the button.
"Here, see," he said and pointed the camera screen towards Sam. Shocked was an understatement. For the first time in her life, Sam found herself looking beautiful.
"Wow." That was all Sam could get out.
"We could go to the dark room and print it if you'd like," Jack offered. Without waiting for a response, Jack took her hand and led her down the stairs, towards the basement. Sam hadn't been down to the basement. How well did she know Jack that she would follow him to the basement? She had only known him for a day. What if he was a psycho stalker like the one in Brooke's stories. Apparently, Tree Hill was crawling with those. Yet, the thrill of the newness of the guy in front of her won her over and she shoved her concerns down her throat, gulped hard and let Jack lead the way. The dark room was, as the name suggested, dark. There was a single red bulb lit to show where everything was. Jack began to mix some chemicals in trays before he placed the photo paper in the chemicals and developed the image. Sam watched him work quietly until she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.
"Sam, I'm at the library and you're not here. Where are you?" Lucas asked stiffly.
"Shit! I'll meet you at the car!" Sam said and began to grab her bag.
"Hey, I'm so sorry, but I have to head out. Umm, yaa, sorry, by!" she replied awkwardly.
"Just wait one minute. If you open the door right now, the photograph will get destroyed," Jack begged. Sam relented, but waited in awkward silence for the minute.
As soon as Jack announced that he was done, Sam flung the door open and rushed out. "Wait, don't you want to see the picture?" Jack asked but he only ended up asking that to himself because Sam was already sprinting up the stairs of the school.
"Hey, where were you?" Lucas asked sternly.
"Sorry, let's go," Sam said as she opened the passenger door and got in. Lucas took a minute to take a deep breath before getting into the car. However, he did not drive. Sam waited for him to turn on the ignition until she felt the awkward pause of actions and looked up at him quizzically.
"What's going on, Champ?" he asked, turning to face her.
"What do you mean?" she asked. She knew better than to admit anything. It was always better to answer a question with a question.
"Why were you so rude in the hallway today and why did I not find you in the library?" he asked. Sam realised that she had hurt him. Her shoulders sagged as she looked down.
"I'm sorry. I was just really late and stressed about being tardy and I'm not used to asking for help. I do things on my own. And the only reason you didn't find me at the library was because I decided to explore the school. I found the trophy case with yours and Brooke's trophies," she lied. Although, it was only half a lie. Some of her reasons were true.
Lucas' demeanour changed on hearing that. "Hey, you're not alone anymore. You can ask for help. Sam, I'm an adult and I can't get through a day without help. Skills helps me at work, Brooke with you and Jamie and Haley and Nathan have been taking care of me since college. Plus, I wouldn't have gotten through the last few months without my mom. Don't hesitate to ask for help. It's a new town, new school, new lifestyle. It's okay to need time to adjust."
"Yeah, but please can we keep the father-daughter mush to a minimum at school. It's weird when your foster dad, who is barely a few years older than you, is ogled by all the straight girls and gay guys!" she begged.
"I am not ogled by anybody," Lucas chuckled.
"Luke, don't pretend to be oblivious. You know how those cheerleaders stare at you during practice, begging for your attention," Sam painted the picture clearly.
"How would you know, you were only there for one practice, a practice you were too busy chatting with my star player. Also, don't hang out with Q," he ordered.
"What! You can't do that. You can't tell me whom to hang out with. I'm fifteen, remember!" Sam yelled. She had never been in such a situation before. No foster parent until Brooke had cared about her friends and since Brooke got her clean and moved her to a prep school, she had dropped all the friends she turned tricks on the streets of New York with and had settled for happy Liz. It wasn't too hard to let go of her old friends, they were always high anyway. Liz cared about her. But, now she also had a dad! Weird.
"Yes, exactly! You're fifteen, hanging out with fifteen year old boys. I know how fifteen year old boys think and no way are you hanging out with them!" He laid the law.
"Oh is it. What exactly did you think about at fifteen?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and grinning at seeing the discomfort on Lucas' face. He didn't answer her, but shifted gears and smoothly slid out of the school parking lot. Sam giggled as she hooked her phone to the car bluetooth and began to play some music. Lucas couldn't help but smile. Sam was getting more and more comfortable around him and their living situation. She was easing up and nothing could make him happier.
"Did you get that?" Claire asked Nikki once Lucas' mustang was out of sight.
"Oh, yeah," she replied cynically as she saved the video.
"Since Sam was playing it so cool about her relationship with Mr. Scott, it's time to have some fun tomorrow," Claire replied with a skeevy look on her face.
It was quite simple really. Claire, Nikki and Audrey began their plan as soon as they reached school the next day.
"I have a secret about the new girl, Samantha Walker. She is sleeping with a teacher at this school," they whispered to their group of friends, who whispered it to others and very soon, the entire school was buzzing. The story got wilder each time it got repeated. There was a version that it was a BDSM relationship and one where Sam had been kicked out of her previous school because of her relationship with her teachers there.
When Sam entered class that morning, she could feel the gazes of her peers bore into her. It was obvious, Claire had told everybody that she was Lucas' foster daughter.
Sam kept her head low as everyone whispered around her. By lunch, the stares were getting ridiculous. People were whispering stuff as she walked the halls judgmentally and Sam was frankly, shocked. She thought that her previous school would have been the worst because everyone at that school was rich and elite. Tree Hill had a mixed bag of people, but no, the whispers and nods here were way worse.
At lunch, Sam slumped at the table where Jack was sitting and immediately put her head down, but not before registering Jack's eyes widen to the size of basketballs.
"Sam, do you know what everybody is saying?" he asked her. His voice was deep with concern.
"Yeah, I'm sure Claire told everybody about my relationship with Lucas and now she is spreading that news all over school. I usually get laughs or pitiful stares. Tree Hill is acting absurd," she replied, seeing everyone gape at her, surprised that she was still in school.
"What! You admit it! You're sleeping with, wow, you just call him Lucas, but you're sleeping with Mr. Scott!" Jack screamed, so shocked at her admittance. He was loud enough for everyone to hear. Sam heard the quad go radio silent as everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her.
Sam couldn't believe what Jack said. "Wh-what?!" She whimpered as she struggled to keep the tears down. She would not cry. No way would she cry. She would keep her emotions in check. She knew how to. She never showed vulnerability to a foster parent.
"That's what everyone is talking about. That you are sleeping with a teacher at THH and you admitted it, Mr. Scott," Jack said, struggling to get the words out. He had found Sam cute and then, beautiful in the picture he had taken of her. He liked her, but now, he wanted her as far away from him as possible.
"YOU!" Sam screamed, turning to face Claire. She dashed towards the table she was sitting at and lunged at her. Both Sam and Claire fell on the grass as they began to pull and scratch any piece of hair and flesh they came in contact with. A circle gathered around them as they shouted swears. The crowd did not dare to join or stop the girls who were at each other's throats, ready to kill.
"Hey! What the hell is going on! Stop it! Stop it!" Haley yelled as she broke up the crowd to find her niece brawling.
"Sam! Claire! Principal's office right now!" She yelled and with the help of some boys, tore the girls away from each other. "What the hell is going on!"
Both girls began to scream their versions and excuses at the same time which Haley knew would result in a headache.
"You know what, save it for Principal Rimkus. Now, come on!" She yelled, the only sound now was the clicking of her heels in the direction of the Principal's office.
Haley knocked on the door and opened it. Her assistant must have gone for lunch.
"Principal Rimkus," she called, but was surprised to find Brooke and Lucas sitting at her desk. "Hey, what's going on?" She asked, momentarily forgetting Sam's indiscretions as she closed the door behind her.
"Sam's transcripts came and Principal Rimkus called us to discuss things. I tried to reach your cell, but you must have left it in the staff room. Can you join, Brooke just got here," Lucas explained.
"Wait, Mrs. Scott, what did you need?" The principal asked.
"Oh, these two were trying to kill each other at the quad," Haley said and opened the door to show Sam and Claire.
Brooke and Lucas gasped, taking in Sam's appearance. Her hair was dishevelled, she had a busted lip and her clothes were torn. Claire didn't look any better but neither parent focused on that. Brooke was out of her chair in a second as she sprung to Sam's side.
"Baby, what happened?" She asked. Sam was shocked to see Brooke, but the shock got shadowed by the gratitude to have the one person who loved her there when she needed her. She felt Brooke's maternal love and care wash over her and she allowed a stray tear to leak out of her eye.
Haley quickly shut the door behind all of them and stood by the Principal's side.
"What is going on?" Principal Rimkus bellowed. She had paid attention to the appearance of both girls and she was not happy with what she was seeing.
"Ma'am, Sam is sleeping with Mr. Scott and I have proof!" Claire declared.
"WHAT!" Came the surprised gasps from Lucas, Brooke, Haley and Miss Rimkus's mouths.
Claire misunderstood the surprise to be in her favour as she plastered a smug grin on her face and pulled out her phone. She went to the videos that Nikki had filmed. She played the video that showed Sam talking to Lucas in his car affectionately before the two rode away.
"Wait, that's your proof?" Haley asked as she tried to stifle her laughter.
"What? She was in Mr. Scott's car and he was driving her away!" Claire explained. She looked at everyone incredulously. She could not believe that all the adults were having a hard time putting two and two together for what was so blatantly obvious. "Mr. Scott, is that not you driving Samantha away? What else would it be for!"
"Yes, that is me driving my daughter home," Lucas replied with amusement.
"Miss Young, meet Brooke, my fiance and the only person that I am sleeping with," he said which made Brooke emit a throaty sound before snorting and smacking Lucas' shoulder. Yet she raised her left hand and waved hello to Claire, giving her a glimpse of the shiny rock she wore on her ring finger.
"You already know my daughter, Sam whom I drop and pick up from school and take her back home," he continued to explain.
"What but you're not old enough to be her father," Claire was angry. It was like everyone in that room was mocking her.
"Miss Young, Mr. Scott and Ms. Davis are doing a kind and noble deed by adopting Ms. Walker. They are giving her love and stability and a good safe home." Principal Rimkus spoke.
"Wait, Young. Don't tell me, are you Abby Young's sister?" Brooke asked.
"Yes," Claire mumbled.
"Do you know who I am, Claire?" Brooke asked. She had the upper hand now. "I'm sure your sister has mentioned me."
"Y-yes, Claire stammered. Her sister's past has made it clear to her, you did not mess with Brooke Davis.
"So you know better than to bully my daughter!" Brooke replied, pissed. "I used to be a bitch for the sake of being one, but now I'm a bitch for the sake of my friends and family. You do not want to test that!"
"Principal Rimkus, as Student Body President, I was required to memorise school policies so I could advocate for student rights. Just like I did when Bevin was being bullied by a girl named Abby Young. The policy stated that bullying was not tolerated and bullies would be expelled immediately. If I remember correctly, Abby Young had to be sent to live with her grandmother because no other school would take her in. All because she bullied Bevin so that she would give up her space in my squad so that I would take her instead. Has the policy changed?"
"N-No, Miss Davis," the principal mumbled. Both Haley and Lucas gawked. Principal Rimkus was stone, an emotionless authoritarian who was unfazed by everyone and everything. Everything except Brooke Davis being a bitch for the sake of her friends and family. The lady who called the shots was getting schooled in her own school and it was a sight to see.
"I expect the policy to be implemented immediately," Brooke dictated.
"No!" Claire shrieked and burst out crying.
Brooke's heart melted a little seeing the teen weep. She looked at Sam who was looking at her with a pleading expression on her face. Every other adult in the room remained silent.
"Okay, because Sam is being generous and kind, don't expel her. But I do want her suspended for a time you deem fit, Principal. I want her parents called down here and explained what she has done and before her suspension begins, I want an assembly called where she will personally apologise to Sam in front of the whole school for spreading such horrible lies and she will promise never to bully anybody ever again."
"As you say, Miss Davis," Principal Rimkus said. She would give Lucas a raise if Brooke asked for it then!
"Is it okay if we have this meeting tomorrow? I want to take Sam home. These cuts and scratches, although not deep enough to need stitches, are bleeding."
"Yes, not an issue," she replied. "And Ms. Walker, I truly am sorry for what happened to you, that too on your third day at this school. I assure you that we do not condone this behaviour and it would be a privilege to have a bright mind like yours graduate through our halls if you choose to continue studying here."
"Huh?" Sam asked.
"We'll talk about all that later, honey. Uhh, Luke, if it's cool, can I borrow your car to take Sam home? Hales, can you give Luke a ride to mine after your work?" Brooke arranged.
"Sure thing," Haley replied as Lucas fished his pocket for his car keys.
"Bye Claire and never ever mess with Samantha again," she warned for the last time before stepping out, followed by Sam, Lucas and Haley.
"Sam, I am here to tell you that things will get better and that High School is full of insecure kids who are just gonna make fun of you for no reason. They used to make fun of me for being smart and dressing weird. This, I get it. Listen, the thing is, no matter how different you are, you'll always find someone who accepts you," Haley said, looking at Brooke and Lucas with deep love and gratitude.
"Yes but Whoa, what was that? Who was that?" Sam asked. Her mind had been blown. She had never seen Brooke behave that assertively ever, except when she was on Sam's ass about homework or following rules or her drug abuse.
"Honey, are you okay? Did she hurt you? Do you want to talk about how you feel?" Brooke asked with concern.
"I was upset when it happened but then, the way you took that girl's case!" Sam remarked. "Who knew Mam Bear had claws!"
"Okay, let's go, little heathen," Brooke laughed and nudged Sam towards the parking lot. "But seriously, you can tell me anything and don't worry. We will get this cleared up by tomorrow."
"Yeah, but then tomorrow I'll become Orphan Annie," Sam whined.
"You're not an orphan. You're my girl!" Brooke said casually, but it made Sam stop dead in her tracks. Brooke didn't notice that the teen wasn't following her, but Sam took a moment to appreciate Brooke and the happy feeling she felt spiralling in the pit of her stomach. Before Brooke could reach the exit, Sam sprinted over and followed her out the door and into Lucas' car. It was ridiculous, thanks to Claire bullying her, so much came into perspective for Sam! She fell in love with her parents all over again.
Brooke drove Sam home in silence, giving the teen some space to collect her thoughts. She had already asked Junk and Fergie to pick Jamie up from school and babysit him since she did not know how long the meeting with Sam's Principal would last. Besides, both Junk and Fergie together made one adult. So, she could fully focus on Sam. Once they were home, Brooke quickly got the first aid box out and she and Sam sat in the kitchen while Brooke silently tended to her scars. Then she went up and drew her daughter a bath. Sam listened and followed Brooke's silent suggestions. She soaked in the bath, enjoying the bubbles that Brooke had added using Jamie's bubble bath. Once she had rinsed, Sam came down to find Brooke waiting for her with a meal.
Sam sat besides Brooke and took quick hungry bites of her lunch when Brooke began to press her for the story. She told her what Claire had said and though Brooke was angry, she wasn't surprised. Claire was not original and she had already ensured that she never looked at Sam, let alone mess with her again.
"Baby, you know that you can come and talk to me, right? I am here for you. I don't want you to hide from me that you're getting bullied or anything else that is going wrong," she pleaded for her daughter to let her in.
"I know! It's just that… I can deal with them. I know how to. I have my whole life. Besides, what do you know about how it feels to be bullied?" she asked.
"Sam, I know. I know that you're tough, but sometimes it is better for an adult to handle the situation. If that girl wants to get into college, she will back off. And for what it feels like, trust me Sam, I know."
"What? How would you know? You were the most popular girl in school. Who would bully you?" Sam asked, sure that she had caught Brooke in a lie.
"Not at school. Yes, you're right. I was never bullied in school. But I was here, in this very house," Brooke confessed.
Sam's eyes widened and her mouth closed immediately. Brooke did not want to linger on the topic of her bullying any longer, so she switched instantly. "Umm, your transcripts from Faircroft Prep finally came in. You're too smart for the freshmen class, like we knew. So we were trying to figure out the best course of action for you. There is another Private School for the gifted, but we aren't sure if they will let you join mid semester. We are trying to get you in there, hoping that the Principal has an in, or in the very least, we will bump you up a few grades, get you into classes that you haven't done already, which can challenge you."
"Oh, wow. Okay," Sam said, surprised that they noticed how bored she was. "How did you know?"
"Haley. She spoke to your other teachers as well," Brooke replied. Sam smiled but remained quiet. "Do you want to take a nap or anything?"
"No, I just want to watch some TV. Umm, will you watch a movie with me?" Sam asked.
"Sure," Brooke smiled. She sat on the couch and Sam plopped herself down and lay her head in Brooke's lap. Brooke smiled and began to caress her hair as Sam turned on some movie.