Chapter 23- Nia

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"Sam can we please take a break?" Sam and I had been studying for what felt like forever, and if I have to solve one more equation I'm going to scream.

"But we only have a few more problems left," Sam said next to me.

We sat a table  in a secluded corner of East Chapel's library. This was quickly becoming one of my favorite places in the school, over the past few days I've found myself making excuses to leave study hall to come here instead.

"Please," I pouted doing my best attempt at the E.J puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, " he sighed, giving in. "I guess we can stop for a few minutes." He set his own and calculator to the side.

"Thanks again for helping me," I said to him.

"Don't worry about it," Sam replied. He reminded me of a big teddy bear, from his fluffy brown hair and his his bushy eyebrows. Unlike Nick and Marcus, he didn't have the same athletic build as Nick and Marcus, he was much skinnier. I'd noticed he was also pretty clumsy. He ran into a table and chairs when we first came in.

I suggested, "You should think about becoming a teacher."

Sam chuckled. "I don't think so. I'm going into engineering."

"That's too bad." Sam would make an amazing teacher, he's patient and kind, and he breaks down the material in a way that's easy to understand. I'm far from mastering trigonometry, but in the short time I've worked with Sam I'm starting to understand it a little more. "You'd be great at it."

"Thank you." He smiled. Sam yawned, stretching his arm over the back of my chair.

And I don't exactly know when or how the lines got confused but suddenly Sam leaned forward and tried to place his lips on mine.

Before he could kiss me I turned my head to the side causing his lips to graze my cheek. He pulled back abruptly.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized his face had turned bright red. "I just thought--I thought we were--I don't..." His spluttering only made the situation more awkward, and instead of being angry I just started to feel bad for him.

"I'm sorry if I was sending you mixed signals Sam." I hadn't meant to seem flirty--at all. Maybe I should be more careful with the compliments I give."But I don't like you that way."

"Oh," he said embarrassed. "Well, is it someone else? " He asked his face still red.

"Well, there is someone I like," I replied hesitantly.

"Who is it?" I don't think now is the best time to tell him I have feelings for his best friend.

" I won't tell anyone," said Sam.

Ultimately I gave in. "You have to promise you won't get mad at me."

"I won't." He raised his left hand. "Scouts honor."

Taking a deep breath, I said, "It's Marcus."

Sam looked at me speechless his eyes wide.

"Are you mad?" I asked biting my lip nervously.

"No, it's fine." He gave me a tight smile. "I should have known."

"How?" I asked curious.

"Because it's alway Nick or Marcus," he explained. "It wasn't as bad when he was still with Whitney, but now that he's single, every girl wants a chance."

Oh. I should have figured that there would be a lot of girls with their eyes on Marcus, but it's something that I had tried to ignore. But fuck, every girl.

"I mean he never pays them any attention, so I'm sure you have a chance with him," Sam said trying to make me feel better.

I told him, "I hope this doesn't change anything, Sam. I still want us to be friends."

"Totally," he smiled. "But we should finish this, then we can head to class."

He hates me now. I'm sure of it.

Sam said he wasn't mad at me, but he was standoffish for the rest of our study session and when we walked to class together. And he's usually so talkative when we walk from trigonometry to my chemistry class, but today he couldn't wait to get away from me once we left class. I can't say I blame him.

And it's not like I could tell Marcus about my problems, because hello, it's partially his fault. If I didn't like him so much, I would give Sam a chance. At least I hope I would.

I had become so tense with pent up emotion, I practically collapsed next to Lavender on the gym floor. She had decided to dress out for once.

"What's up with you?" she asked looking up from examining her long nails. "You look like someone kicked your dog."

"Sam tried to kiss me," I said pulling my knees up to my chest.

"Seriously," she asked shocked. "Did he succeed?"

"No," I shook my head. "I turned away just in time."

"I don't want to say I told you so," Lavender smirked. "But I told you so."

"No, you said Thomas, not Sam."

"What's the difference," she shrugged. "I told you guys were looking at you, and you didn't believe me. Do you believe me now?"

I didn't want to, but since that conversation at lunch I've noticed guys have been looking at me. And not in the same way as the girls, who regarded me with slight interest, but the guys were...leering at me. It made me feel like I was under a microscope even more than I was.

I groaned, "I guess. But I told him that I liked Marcus and now I think he hates me."

"Of course he does. Not only did you friendzone him, but you told him that you like his best friend. That's a double rejection."

"I know, I feel awful," I said resting my head on my knees. "But I didn't want to lie to him."

"A small lie wouldn't have hurt him," she said.

"Do you think he's going to be mad at me forever?"

Lavender scoffed. "No. Boys have short attention spans he'll be drooling over the next girl before you know it."

I hope so.

"Do you think him and Marcus will fight?" Lavender asked as she stretched. "That would be so fun to watch. It'd be like Batman versus Robin."

I rolled my eyes at her last comment. "No. He promised he wouldn't tell."

"Maybe it would be a good thing if he told Marcus then we can cut out all this B.S."

I sighed, "Maybe."

This whole guessing game of 'Does he like me? Does he not?" is getting annoying. I just want to know if he likes me so I'll know if I'm wasting my time.

"Everyone listen up," Coach said calling attention to the front of the gym. He looked down at his Ipad that stayed glued to his side. "I have a few announcements from Dean Nelson before we get started today."

He scratched his ruff beard before going on. "There's an art show this weekend in the art wing. Also you can buy your prom tickets from student council in the cafeteria today."

I nudged Lavender in the side. "Are you going?" I whispered.

"To the art show," she replied. "I was thinking about it, but I wasn't sure because I had planned on having a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon this weekend."

"No, silly. I meant prom, are you going?" I clarified.

"Oh," she laughed. "As fun as it would be to watch my fellow Caucasian brethren dance off beat to whatever shitty playlist the DJ comes up with; I'm going to have to give a hard pass. Are you going?"

"I don't know I was planning to at my other school, but I don't have a dress," I said. "Or a date."

"Maybe Marcus will ask you." She did a little shoulder shimmy when she said his name. "If you two ever stop this weird dance you're doing and get together. No offense, but it's really starting to stress me out. I'm not used to so much excitement in my daily routine."

I apologized, "I'm sorry that I'm disturbing you with my teen angst."

She sighed smoothing her platinum blonde bangs so they laid perfectly on her forehead. "Don't worry about it, my journal has been filed with tons of juicy gossip lately. It'll be fun to go back and read it a few years from now."

"I'm glad I could help."

After Coach gave announcements we did a few stretches before he made us play volleyball. And it is not the sport for me. I prefer the yoga that we did last week. Lavender didn't have much fun either. She spent the whole game complaining, when she wasn't running away from the ball.

"That was the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life." Lavender complained as we sat down at our lunch table.

"Maybe even the worse than the time that I wore knee high Converse."

"It wasn't that bad, Lavender." It was bad, but not knee high Converse bad.

She huffed, "Well maybe not, but it sucked."

As I was putting the dressing on my salad, Stacy came up to our table. It was weird seeing her alone. Besides that day in her art class, I hadn't seen her without Whitney or Crystal by her side.

"Hi, Nia," Stacy said holding her tray. She smiled, "Lavender."

"Hey, Stacy what's up," I said.

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Uh, can I sit with you guys?"

Lavender and I exchanged a look. "Won't you get in trouble with Whitney if you sit with us?" Lavender asked her.

"Lavender!" I can't believe she said that. It's easy to see that Whitney has some weird hold on Stacy, maybe even Crystal too. But she didn't have to be so rude about it.

Stacy laughed it off. "It's okay, Nia. I'm not offended. And yes, Lavender, she will be upset," she told her. "But I'm not interested in what she thinks anymore, and if I have to listen to her bitch about her stupid prom dress for one more day I'm afraid I might snap her neck."

"If that's all it it takes, then no you cannot sit with us," Lavender said.

"She's just kidding," I said to Stacy. "Aren't you, Lavender?"

She rolled her eyes, "Of course, have a seat. Tell me more about this throttling Whitney thing," she said patting the spot next to her. "I'm intrigued."

"There's not much to tell," Stacy said sitting down next to Lavender. "I just don't want to be friends with her anymore."

Taking a sip of my water, I asked, "Can I ask why?"

"She's just..."

"A raging self-centered lunatic," Lavender answered for her.

"Basically," Stacy laughed. "There's a lot of other things to, like she's inconsiderate, and jealous, and she's judgmental. And I hate her."

"All very valid reasons to not want to be her friend," Lavender agreed.

"I'm glad you got out of that toxic friendship," I told her. "You deserve better." Stacy smiled brightly for the first time since I've met her. Now that she wasn't being bogged down by Whitney, she could finally be herself.

"Now that you don't have to worry about being judged. Are you going to dye your hair again?"

"I was thinking about it, but I don't know what color I want." She twirled a piece of hair around her finger. "Maybe something pastel. I've never done that before, if you can believe it."

I said, "You should do purple or pink, that would look great on you."

"I think you should go with blue," Lavender advised drinking from her soda can.

"Why blue?" Stacy asked her.

"Because it's my favorite color, duh."

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