It had been two days since Samuel’s blow up and Austin had managed to get people to stop the staring and rumors... with some carefully worded threats. Well, it may have worked. Neither Samantha nor Austin was sure of its helpfulness because Samuel had not been in school since their fight. Which meant the two frenemies were forced to talk, much to their displeasure.
Austin was walking down the hall during his break when a hand grasped his arm and pulled him into a nearby classroom.
“Okay, I’m seriously worried about Sam.” Samantha paced through the desks. “He hasn’t missed school before. Sure, he's gone home early once or twice but he has never missed a full day.” Austin’s eyes shared the concern of Samantha. He didn’t know what to say so he just frowned. “And he’s not answering my calls or texts.”
“Wait, you have his number?” Austin’s eyes widened. That seemed unfair, he wanted Samuel’s number as well.
Samantha smiled menacingly, “Don’t you?” She knew the answer just by the question, but the satisfaction of a win above Austin in Samuel’s friendship was too hard to ignore. “Anyway, not the point. I just wanted to know if you had heard anything, but now I see you haven’t.”
Samantha turned to the door before Austin opened his mouth, “What are we going to do? We have to make sure he’s ok.”
Samantha turned back to face him her face held an amused look. “We? No. I’m going over to his place so check on him. You are going to sit here like a good puppy and wait.”
“You’re going to his place? Then I’m coming too. And I will pull rank if I have to. Samuel is my friend as well you know.”
“Oh, you’re going to pull rank? Yeah right. I’ve known you for like 5 months now and you have never done that before. You’re afraid of what Sam might think, aren’t you?”
Austin grimaced, “I don’t like to, but I will if I have to, and it seems like I have to now. I’m going with you.”
Samantha clenched her fists; she knew she was beat. “I hate you. I hope you know that.” She swiveled on her heel and stomped towards the door, “Meet me in the front of the school right after classes are over.”
Their high school, St. Scholastica, was in the town of Dunbural. The school allowed students from all over Lyria to attend, but it only provided transportation to and from, Dunbural and its 4 surrounding towns: Kixshire, Meayvis (Samuel’s town), Pordigen (Samantha’s town), and Gutifani. Each town had its own school bus, so in total there were 5 buses. Students from other areas of Lyria had to find another mode of transportation. Austin, being a Mayor, had a personal chauffeur that drove him where he needed to go in a large black van with tinted windows for privacy.
“I seriously can just ask him to drive us there, it's no biggie,” Austin pleaded as Samantha dragged him towards the buses.
“That will bring attention to us and Sam, something you know he doesn’t want. So that’s a fat no,” Samantha repeated for the third time. She stopped in front of the Meayvis bus, “Just stay here and let me do the talking.” Austin rolled his eyes.
“Hello, Samantha. I didn’t pick Samuel up this morning. Did he come in later?” The bus driver was a stout woman probably in her mid-40s.
“No Ma’am. I was actually wondering if we could get a ride to his place since it’s on your route. We wanted to check-in,” Samantha spoke, respect filling her voice.
“I’m sorry sweetie. It’s frowned upon to take students without their friend who rides that specific bus. I know you’re just being kind, but I don’t think I—”
Austin had enough, if this was the only way they could see Samuel he sure as hell wasn’t backing down. He stepped onto the bus, “Excuse me, Ma’am. I’m Austin Mayor, a friend of Samuel, I heard you were going to give me and Samantha a ride to see our friend. That is so kind of you.” Austin smiled.
The bus driver just stared. She couldn’t say no to a Mayor, not to mention the fact that he had just complimented her. She smiled and bowed her head, before agreeing to take them.
Austin followed Samantha to the back of the bus. She pointed to a seat, as she took the one across the aisle. “Like hell, I’m sitting directly next to you. And by the way, I had it handled.”
Austin smirked a smug look on his face, “No you didn’t. You’re welcome.”
Samantha groaned. “There’s only like 7 kids who live in Meayvis, so the trip won’t be too long. Just sit silently for the duration. If you can manage that. I know how hard it is for you to shut up.”
Austin gritted his teeth. He was doing this for Samuel. For Samuel. He kept repeating that to himself, just so he wouldn’t blow up at the annoyingly prissy girl across from him.
The bus dropped the two off at the end of Samuel’s street, but Samantha didn’t continue, “We can’t go yet.”
“What?” Austin turned to the girl who was in such a rush earlier, “Why?”
“Because Sam’s gonna kill me for bringing you here. God, why did I listen to you? You’re a huge fucking jerk you know that.” Samantha paced, her hands shaking, “But it’s not like I just can’t bring you now.” She hesitated. “Wait! Follow me.”
Samantha took off down a different street, Austin following closing behind, each step causing his confusion to grow. Samantha stopped suddenly, causing the boy to run into her and with an ‘umph’ they both fell to the ground.
“Great now we need band-aids too,” Samantha pointed to her knee which had blood dribbling out of a long cut. She stood up, leaving Austin sitting on the cement, and walked into the store in front of her. Quickly, the Mayor boy picked himself up, dusted off his pants, and followed suit. He traced the store for Samantha only to find her by the upper wall looking at hats.
“What are we doing here,” Austin grimaced as Samantha held hats to his head.
“I think Sam will be less mad if we disguise you so no one can tell you’re, well you know, you.” Samantha threw a hat at the boy and navigated her way to the sunglasses. “You’re in your uniform, so we don’t have to worry about your clothes, so we’re just gonna hide your face and hair since it’s the most obvious part of you. It’s creepy how much you resemble your dad.” She placed a pair of sunglasses in his hand, grabbed a pack of band-aids, and pushed him to the checkout counter. He eyed her, confused. “What did you think I was paying? Yeah right, money bags, it’s your disguise so you’re paying. And it’s your fault I cut my knee, so you have to pay for those too.” She smiled, prideful as he just shook his head and handed the cashier his credit card.
The two exited the shop and Austin put on his disguise. Samantha hesitated, still unsure about bringing him, but she knew she had no choice. She jogged down the street, Austin once again having to follow blindly.
Samantha started to slow to a halt in front of a 2 story, white family home surrounded by a white picket fence. Austin, prepared this time, managed to stop himself before he ran into her again.
“Is this his house,” he asked, already knowing the answer.
Samantha didn’t as much as nod as she opened the gate and dragged herself to the front door. Austin stood behind her on the patio as she raised her hand to knock only to drop it again. Samuel didn’t want his parents to know about Austin, and yet here she was delivering the boy on a silver platter.
“I’m wearing a disguise,” Austin spoke like he had read her mind.
Samantha nodded. She raised her arm again and knocked hard on the door. Nothing. She knocked again, still nothing. She sighed. Great now she really was about to let Austin into Samuel’s whole world, something she had been grateful to help keep him out of.
She turned to the ridiculously disguised Mayor, “They aren’t home. Follow me.” She strode off the patio and out of the gate. Since she didn’t have the key to the personal entrance in the Wilson's backyard they would have to enter through the front.
Austin followed obediently deciding it was best for him to not ask questions and just go along with it. Samantha turned the corner and walked toward the entrance of a large cement building.
“Come on slowpoke, I don’t have all day.” Samantha entered swiftly through the glass sliding doors as Austin stared at the large sign: ‘Knock Out: Boxing Center and General Gym’.
Comments (1)
See all