I think Sam is mad at me.

He ignored me during English and when we got out of class he blew past Nick and I without saying a word.

"What's his issue?" Nick asked as we watched Sam disappear down the hall.

"I have no idea," I replied honestly. "He didn't talk to me during class." And when I tried he just glared at me. I don't know what I could have done to make him mad at me.

"He had his tutoring session with Nia today maybe something happened then."

I put my books in my locker. "Maybe, but I don't know what she could have done to make him ignore me."

"You sure about that?" he asked with a raised brow.

"What are you trying to say?"

"You haven't told him that you and Nia are almost, but not really, a thing," he explained. "Maybe she told him."

She wouldn't do that, at least I don't think she would.

"But wouldn't he want to talk to me about it if she did tell him?" I asked slamming my locker shut.

"You find out the girl you like, and technically saw first, is into your best friend. Not to mention, you like her back and didn't tell him about it. If I was him, I'd be pissed too."

"Wow, Nick way to make me feel like shit," I said leaning against my locker. "I was planning on telling him."

"It looks like you may not have to now," he said.

I groaned. "Fuck, I didn't want him to find out like this."

"Maybe it's a good thing."

"How?" I asked him.

"Well, think about it, assuming he already knows about you two. Now you and Nia can get along with the dating process, because I'm going to be honest, you're brooding more than usual, and it makes me want to punch you in the face."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Thanks for being honest."

"What are friends for?" He smiled punching me in the arm.

"Two tickets, please." Nick said to the girl selling prom tickets. She sat at a single lunch table with a large sparkly banner hung on the front with the words "Prom Tickets Sold Here."

"That'll be one hundred and fifty dollars," she said holding her hand out. She had make-up caked on her face, and she wore her hair in a braid. I recognized her as one of the girls from the cheerleading team, I don't remember her name, but I do remember Whitney calling her some choice words behind her back.

"How about you, Marcus?" she asked me.

"Oh, what?" I asked snapping out of my fog.

"Do you need to buy any prom tickets?" she asked.

"Oh, no. I'm not buying any." I hadn't even thought about it.

Her mouth dropped open slightly. "But you are going, right?"

It sounded like a question I wasn't supposed to say no to. "Uh, I'm not sure."

Honestly, I haven't been thinking about prom at all unless Whitney or someone else brings it up. But the more I start to think about it the more dreadful it seems. All my classmates jammed into the gym, dancing (or trying to) and drinking punch that will get spiked at least five minutes in, just doesn't sound like a good time to me.

"Thanks for the tickets Jackie," Nick told her.

Jackie blushed. "You're welcome, Nick."

I waved goodbye to Jackie before Nick and I headed towards our table. I couldn't help but to look over at Nia's table. She sat with Lavender and Stacy. For the first time in years, Stacy was smiling and carrying on a conversation with someone without Whitney around to police her actions.

Whitney was not going to like that.

"Are you serious about not going to prom?" asked Nick, as we sat down.

"I don't know," I sighed. "I don't want to but everyone makes it seem like it's some big deal."

"Well, if you do decide to go, you should ask Nia," he said, exposing a mouth full of chewed up hamburger. "If Sam, or Whitney, doesn't kill you first."

"He's not going to kill me." I can't say the same for Whitney. I'm surprised she hasn't tried by now. "But where is Sam anyway?"

Nick shrugged. "I don't know. Probably buying a pair of brass knuckles or something."

"Could you shut up?"

He laughed continuing to eat his lunch.

"What the fuck is she doing?" Whitney asked slamming her tray down on the lunch table. She glared over at Stacy.

"Chill out, Whitney. She's just sitting with them for today," Crystal said trying to calm her down.

"I don't understand why she's sitting with them at all," she said angrily. "It's not enough that Lavender's an emo freak, but we have way too much work to do."

"Lavender's not emo, she's alternative," Crystal said flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. "And a lot of the pieces she wears are really high fashion. She posted a pair of boots on Instagram the other day that my mom's stylist has been trying to get his hands on for months."

"Like I care," Whitney sneered. "And when did you start following her on Instagram?"

"Well, I..."Crystal started but Whitney dismissed her with the wave of a hand.

"You know what save it. She probably needs as many follows as she can get. But I hope Stacy doesn't expect me to pick up any of her slack while she socializes and paints her little pictures in the art room."

"What is your deal Whitney? You don't own Stacy, she can sit wherever she wants," Nick asked her.

"I know that," she replied. "But as a good friend I'm supposed to guide her and help her make the right decisions."

"She seems like she's making the right decision to me," he said under his breath.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing," Crystal said trying to diffuse the situation. "He didn't say anything."

Nick and Whitney glared at each other across the table. Nick has alway been the only one to stand up to her. I think that's why she hates him so much.

Nick and I spent the rest of lunch in a tense silent, while Crystal and Whitney jabbered on about student council stuff. Sam never showed, but luckily he can't miss practice.

"Hey, Sam's here." Nick nodded towards the locker room door.

Pulling my t-shirt over my head, I turned towards the door. Sam was coming straight towards us the huge grin that he usually had plastered on his face was missing and replaced with a frown.

"Hey, Sam," I said as he put his stuff in his locker next to mine.

"Hey," he said tossing his stuff in his locker.

"Can we talk later?" I asked slipping on my sneakers.

Quickly changing into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, he said, "I'll see you on the field." He pulled his sneakers on and left the locker room.

"Yikes, he's actually mad at you," Nick said coming up next to me. "I was just joking, but damn, I've never seen him not smiling before."

I slammed my locker door closed. "Let's just go out on the field."

I struggled to catch my breath as my back slammed into the grass. Sam tackled me for the  tenth time since we had started. He wasn't holding anything back this practice. And God, was I starting to feel it. My back was just going to be one giant bruise in the morning.

"Nice tackle, Sam!" Coach called across the field. I sat up trying to catch my breath.

"What the fuck, Sam," I wheezed. "Why'd you hit me so hard?"

He didn't respond he turned his back to me. Is he serious?

Standing up, I yelled, "Hey, I asked you a question!"

"Yeah, I heard you," he replied turning around.

"Then why didn't you answer?" I asked following him to the benches.

"Maybe I didn't want to," he said taking off his helmet. He stood next to the water cooler.

I took off my helmet, placing it under my arm. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Oh, acting the way you always do," he laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "It means that you walk around here with this giant stick up your ass all the time, and guess who has to deal with it, me. Maybe I want to go one day without dealing with your whiny ass."

I gaped at him in shock.

"I'm going back to practice," he huffed.

"Good, you need it," I said spitefully.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me." I stepped closer to him. "Maybe I wouldn't be so whiney if I didn't have to watch you struggle through practice every fucking day. Really Sam how have you been on this team for almost three years and you still can't do the simplest of drills. It's pathetic, really."

I didn't mean to be so mean to him, but he called me whiney. I knew he would get mad, but I didn't expect him to hit me.

"Fuck you," He fumed pushing me.

I pushed him back. "Fuck you." Struggling against each other, we fell to the ground.

"Hey! Hey! Break it up!" Coach yelled coming over to us. Nick and a few other guys pried Sam and I apart. Sam was breathing heavily and sometime during our fight his nose had started bleeding.

I struggled against Nick's hold. "Calm down," he said still holding me back.

"I want both of you out of my practice right now," Coach fumed. I've never seen his neck so red. "And you're suspended from practice for a week."

"What? You can't do that," I protested.

"I don't think now's the time for you to be telling me what to do, Garret," he growled. "Now get the hell off my field before I decide to sit both your asses out for the season."

Sam blew past me to get to the locker rooms. I followed behind him sitting on one of the benches in front of the locker.

I rested my head in my hands. A whole week. I can't afford to miss a whole week of practice, but I also can't sit out for a whole season. Shit, this has been the day from hell.

"Why didn't you tell me about you and Nia?" I looked up and Sam was staring down at me with a piece of wadded up toilet paper hanging out of both of his nostrils.

"Sam, I wanted to," I said.

He sat next to me on the bench. "Well, I wish you would have before I tried to kiss her."

"You did what!" It wasn't my fault that his nose was bleeding now, but it would be.

"Don't worry she turned away before I could," he explained. "She likes you."

I let out a breath of relief. How shitty would that be if Sam got to kiss her before me? "Did she say that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, she did."

I smiled. She likes me. Finally. "Don't gloat too much I'm still out of a prom date."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad," I apologized trying my best not to grin, but she likes me.

He pulled the bloody tissue out of his nose and threw it in the trash. "It's fine. I wish you would have told me before I made a fool out of myself, but I'm fine."

"Sorry," I chuckled.

"Stop apologizing. So are you going to do it?"

"Do what?"

"Ask her out, dummy." He ran a hand through his hair. It was slicked back with sweat.

"I was planning to yesterday, but we got interrupted. That seems to be happening a lot lately."

"That's it, you're just going to ask her. You're not going to do anything special?" Sam asked disappointed.

"Uh, I guess so," I said. "I hadn't really thought about it." I wouldn't know the first thing about doing something special for her.

Sam groaned. "I swear all the pretty girls are wasted on you. You can't just ask her out."

"Then what should I do then," I asked him. I would love to do special for Nia, she's special, but I don't know what to do. I know she likes books and trampolines, and E.J, she likes E.J alot.

Sam grinned, "Don't you worry I have the perfect idea."