In Your Arms Read online

  Alex suddenly popped up in another window.

  Alexiscool: Hey, what are you doing? You talking with anyone else?

  SamIam: Yeah. Guess who just started IMing me?

  Alexiscool: Well, based on the fact that you are grinning like a kid with candy, I’d say it was Phillip.

  SamIam: Am I really? Good thing he sits behind me then. Well, he just started chatting, except he’s mainly asking about Michael and stuff, nothing too exciting.

  Alexiscool: At least he’s talking to you. Well, Michael and I have been talking and did you know that he played the violin? That’s so cool, isn’t it? I wish I could play an instrument.

  SamIam: You do, dummy.

  Alexiscool: Well, okay you and I play the piano, but you’re much better at it than I am. I can only play a few things…

  SamIam: That’s because I practice and you only dilly dally. You never practice…well, you hardly practice.

  Alexiscool: Fine, fine. I guess you’re right. Anyway, I’m asking him if he wants to hang out after school. You don’t think he has to be home right away, do you?

  SamIam: Probably not. Just ask, that’s the only way you’ll really know. Where are you going to hang out?

  Alexiscool: The Coffee House, you know.

  SamIam: Just don’t hit on the waiter this time.

  Alexiscool: What?! Sam, that’s so horrible. I’d never do that to him. I like this guy.

  SamIam: Well, you know how you get around cute guys…all flirty and stuff.

  Alexiscool: I’m offended.

  SamIam: Come on, you know you do it.

  Alexiscool: All right, yes, I know I flirt with cute guys, but not when I’m around Michael. Sam, I really think I like this guy.

  Sam was really surprised by Alex. She hadn’t expected Alex to fall so quickly for this guy. Now she just hoped he felt the same way about her.

  msr1995: Sam, hey. I have a question.

  SamIam: Wow, you’ve got it bad. I’ve never seen you like this.

  msr1995: What? Sorry, did I interrupt?

  SamIam: Sorry, wrong person. Talking to someone totally different.

  msr1995: Alex?

  SamIam: What? Oh, no, no. Not Alex, it’s my brother. Not Alex. You had a question?

  msr1995: Yes, what would you do if you thought you liked someone, and you thought that person liked you? Would you ask that person out?

  SamIam: Well, if that ever happened to me, then I would have to say that I would tell that person in a heartbeat, only if I knew for sure how he felt about me.

  msr1995: So how would you tell that person, I mean tell them that you like them?

  SamIam: Michael, does this mean what I think it means?

  msr1995: What do you think it means?

  SamIam: Do you like Alex? I mean you don’t have to tell me, but I’m just wondering.

  msr1995: Well, I suppose. It’s just that I’ve never met someone so intriguing. So do you think I should ask her out? I mean I don’t want to make it awkward between us or you and Alex.

  SamIam: No, no, it wouldn’t be awkward. I think it would be rather cute actually. I definitely think you should ask her out.

  msr1995: Thanks, Sam, I’m glad Principal Norton chose you to show me around.

  Sam didn’t know what to do, maybe she should have told Michael not to ask Alex out. If her best friend was about to be asked out by their newly made friend, she would be the third wheel. What about lunch time? Would they be making out in front of her? No, that wasn’t Alex, and she was sure it wasn’t like Michael either. They were both concerned about public displays of affection.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: You still there?

  SamIam: Yeah, sorry. I just caught up in talking with Michael and Alex.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: Oh. You can go back talking with them if you’d like. I’m just fooling around.

  Did Phillip actually sound sad? Sad about her talking with Michael and Alex? She wanted so desperately to ask him if he was jealous. He couldn’t be though, he was with Tracy.

  SamIam: No, Michael is talking with Alex now. He just wanted some advice, you know, about whether he should ask Alex out.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: Really? That’s so great. I mean, great for them.

  SamIam: Yeah, I think it will be cute. I think they complement each other very well.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: That’s good to hear.

  SamIam: What? That Michael is going to be dating Alex?

  PhilyCheeseSteak: Yeah, well, you know….Hey, did you notice the time? Almost time for Bio.

  SamIam: Ugh!! Don’t remind me. I can’t stand Ms. Hatchet and her brainlessness.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: Ouch! That’s rough.

  SamIam: I’m just being honest. You can’t tell me you actually think she sounds intelligent when she teaches the material.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: No, I can’t argue with you there. We’d better log off. Mrs. Gonzales is putting up her ‘O’ magazines.

  SamIam: See you in Bio, then.

  Sam was confused by Phillip. Had he been jealous when he found out she was talking to Michael? Was that why he was so happy when he found out Michael liked Alex? No, it couldn’t possibly be the reason.

  It was only a conversation online, Sam. She couldn’t possibly know what emotion Phillip was feeling when he reacted to her news about Michael or anyone else’s emotions for that matter. Well, of course she knew what emotions Alex was feeling, but Alex didn’t count. They knew each other too well.

  Sam pushed the thoughts out of her mind. We’re just friends. He has Tracy. It wasn’t jealousy or relief he was feeling. Sam picked her things up and met Alex by the door.

  “Oh, my gosh, Sam, I can’t believe what just happened!” Alex gushed.

  “What? Let me guess. Did it have anything to do with Michael?” Sam asked with a smile.

  “Of course it did. It had everything to do with him. Well, we were chatting online and then right after the bell rang he met me at my chair and asked if I wanted to get something to drink after school. I didn’t even have to ask him!”

  “Wow, that’s wonderful, Alex,” Sam said, enjoying her friend’s happiness.

  “So, how’d your conversation go with Mr. Love-Of-Your-Life?”

  “Hey, watch your voice. Do you want the whole school to find out?” Sam protested.

  “Well, I said it in code, didn’t I?”

  “Whatever. It went well. For a moment there, I actually thought he was jealous.”

  “Jealous? Of what? Of who?”

  “Well, I was talking with Michael for a bit and completely forgot about our conversation, so when he IMed me to see if I was still there, I told him I was talking with Michael. And he sounded jealous. He was like, ‘oh, you can go back and talk with him if you want.’”

  “Hmmm, that does sound kind of bummed. It could be jealousy. You can say he was jealous if it makes you feel better.”

  Sam was smiling as she entered Ms. Hatchet’s classroom. “Do you realize we aren’t late for once?”

  “Yeah, it’s kind of weird,” Alex answered.

  Both girls sat down in the back. Michael arrived a few seconds later and handed a slip of paper to Ms. Hatchet, a standard form for all new students to give to their teachers. After a brief conversation with Ms. Hatchet, Michael made his way back to Alex and Sam.

  “Hey, you made it on your own,” Sam said. “Sorry we didn’t wait for you.”

  “No it’s okay. Phillip showed me here,” Michael said.

  Sam looked up and noticed that sure enough Phillip had been a few steps behind Michael.

  “Hey. Did someone say my name?” Phillip said as he sat in his seat in front of Sam.

  Sam couldn’t help but smile. He was hot, especially when he smiled at her. What was she thinking? No way did Phillip think she was hot or even remotely pretty. Besides, he was dating the most popular girl in school, not to mention the fact she was considered the hottest. Sam and Alex had never seen it though. Tracy wasn’t that pretty. Take off all
her makeup and she became a plain Jane. There were many more naturally pretty girls in the school, who they could both see would grow to be beautiful, charming women as their confidence and maturity evolved.

  “What are you smiling at?” Phillip asked.

  “What?” Sam stopped smiling. “I’m not smiling. I mean I wasn’t smiling.”

  “Yes you were,” Phillip insisted.

  “Fine, yes, I was smiling.”

  “I know, but about what?”

  “Mr. Corinodi, please stop talking,” Ms. Hatchet snapped.

  “Sorry, Ms. Hatchet,” Phillip replied sheepishly. “I didn’t even hear the bell ring.”

  “All right, class, because of Mr. Corinodi’s incessant talking, you will be taking a pop quiz. Please put everything away except a pencil,” she told the class as she began passing the papers out.

  The class began to groan as they flipped through the supposed pop quiz. “Three pages is not a pop quiz,” Sam whispered.

  “You have a nice smile,” Phillip whispered back.

  Chapter Four

  “So I definitely got an F on that pop quiz. How can a three-page test be considered a pop quiz?” Sam complained as she, Alex, and Michael made their way down the stairs to their lockers.

  “Me too, and no, that cannot possibly be considered a pop quiz. Well, at least not a quiz. It was a pop something though,” Alex agreed.

  “Hey, Alex, come get me when you’re ready,” Michael said as he walked down to his locker. “See you tomorrow, Sam.”

  “See you, Michael,” she called then turned back to Alex and wiggled her eyebrows. “So, you and Michael, how’s that going?”

  “Sam, I haven’t even gone out with him yet. I’ll let you know later. I’ll IM you, just make sure you’re on tonight.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t miss hearing all the details for anything. Just promise me you’ll fill me in. You know me, I have to live vicariously through you.”

  “Ha ha. Yeah, Sam, I promise. Talk to you later,” Alex said, shutting her locker.

  “Bye, Alex,” Sam called after Alex, who had practically ran to catch up with Michael. She hadn’t even had a chance to tell her about the last thing Phillip had said to her, about her smile, but she had nearly convinced herself that she’d misunderstood him anyway.

  She slowly made her way down the hall toward the front entrance, where her car was parked. As she began to walk down the hall, she noticed Phillip’s best friend, Josh McFadden, talking with his buddy. Billy Lederman, by their lockers. They seemed upset about something.

  “Samantha!” Principal Norton said, stepping in front of her and distracting her. “I’m glad I caught you. I was afraid you had left already.”

  “Nope, still here, Principal Norton,” she said.

  “I just wanted to know how things were going. You know, how things were working out for Michael. Is he learning the ropes around here?”

  “You bet he is,” Sam said. Sam had always felt a little sorry for Principal Norton. He tried so hard to be “cool”, but it never really worked out for him. “You know, Principal Norton, I’d love to stay and chat with you, but I really need to be getting home.”

  “Thank you, Samantha, for updating me on his situation,” he said with a corny salute.

  Again, Sam couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man. It was doubtful he even realized how dorky he looked. “Bye, Principal Norton,” Sam laughed as she slowly walked away.

  Josh and Billy were still standing near their lockers talking. Sam couldn’t help but catch a bit of their conversation.

  “I told you I don’t have any more money to spend on it,” Josh told Billy.

  “Can’t you borrow some from Phillip? Steal some money from him?” Billy replied, sounding a little desperate.

  “No, man, he’d ask questions. Besides, he doesn’t even know I use them. No, my only hope is stealing them back,” Josh said angrily.

  “Not so loud, Josh,” Billy warned. “What are you going to do about it, then?”

  “I have a plan. I’ll tell you after practice.”

  Sam knew better than to look at them as she passed. She knew what they were talking about. She saw it in their eyes, their look of fatigue, their extreme mood swings and even in their heightened performance on the field. Steroids.

  Sam guessed that Josh had run out of steroids and money to purchase anymore. Someone must have confiscated them. Sam was surprised he didn’t get expelled for possession. Probably the confiscator didn’t know they belonged to Josh.

  What was his plan anyway? He didn’t have any money, he obviously couldn’t borrow that much money from Phillip, or anyone else, for that matter. What exactly was Josh up to?

  * * *

  “So tell me what it was like,” Sam said over the phone later that night.

  “What are you talking about?” Alex asked jokingly.

  “You know what I’m talking about, so just tell me. I’m dying of suspense over here.”

  “Well, all right, we just went to Jerry’s Pizza for a drink and some pizza,” Alex replied.

  “And?” Sam urged.

  “We just talked, about classes and other stuff. He asked me out again. Can you believe it, Sam?”

  “Yes, I can believe it. I think that is just so cute. I knew it from the moment I saw you two meet. You were MTB,” Sam said.

  “Stop being such a dork, Sam. You so did not think we were meant to be. You thought he was weird and you thought I thought he was weird. You never imagined us together.”

  “Okay, fine. I admit it was a little sudden. But now, you two are so cute together. I just wish you could say the same about me.”

  “What, you and Michael?”

  “No, dummy, me and, you know.” Sam didn’t want to say his name.

  “Oh, you mean you and dream boy, your prince charming.”

  “Yes, okay.”

  “You know, I’d better start my homework. My mom was kind of mad I came home late.”

  “All right, Alex, see you tomorrow then.”

  “Bye, Sam,” Alex said then hung up the phone.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: Hey, Sam.

  Sam heard her online messenger go off as she hung up the phone. It couldn’t possibly be Alex. Sam got up and sat down at her desk. She could hardly believe it when she pulled up the flashing box.

  SamIam: Hey, what’s up?

  PhilyCheeseSteak: Nothing, I just had a question about Bio. Did we have to do all of the questions on page 214 or just the even numbers?

  SamIam: All of them. You think Ms. Hatchet would actually let us just do the only even numbered questions?

  PhilyCheeseSteak: No, I guess you’re right. What was I thinking?

  SamIam: It’s okay. We all have those days, besides I like to think you asked me that question just to talk to me.

  Sam couldn’t believe what she’d wrote. Why was she being so obvious?

  PhilyCheeseSteak: You’ve discovered my plan!

  SamIam: You don’t have to sound sarcastic.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: I wasn’t trying to be sarcastic, you really did point out my true intentions.

  SamIam: Sure.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: You don’t believe me?

  SamIam: No. Why should I believe you? You give me no reason to.

  What was she doing? Why did she have to be such an idiot? Why did she have to argue so much with him? Why couldn’t she stop?

  PhilyCheeseSteak: I want to be your friend. Is that enough reason just to talk to you?

  SamIam: Yes, but I wasn’t sure we were friends. You know you only just started talking to me. For all I know this could be some plot to embarrass me in front of the entire school.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: I would never do that, Sam. I really do want to be friends again. When I saw you the other day in detention, I remembered how much fun we used to have. I don’t know why we ever stopped talking in the first place.

  SamIam: You became popular. You began dating Tracy. I wasn’t socially acceptable, I suppose. />
  PhilyCheeseSteak: Let me make it up to you now. Let’s put the past behind us. Can we be friends again?

  SamIam: If you’re sure this isn’t some evil plot to humiliate me.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: Hahaha. I’m sure.

  SamIam: So what’s up?

  PhilyCheeseSteak: I believe you asked me this already.

  SamIam: So I did. But now I’m asking as a friend and I expect an honest answer, no BS about Bio.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: I just got home from practice, nothing else after that. I’m eating a PB & J. Is that friend material enough for you?

  SamIam: Yes. Don’t you have a game coming up?

  PhilyCheeseSteak: Yeah, against South Christian High. If we win, we’re in the finals.

  SamIam: That sounds cool. I never was one to appreciate football. I just never understood the premise of the game. It’s just throwing a ball and tackling other players, all to try and score points. Just like hockey.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: I’ll just have to explain it to you the next time we get stuck in detention, that way maybe I’ll see you at the game.

  Talking online with Phillip was much easier than talking with him in person.

  SamIam: I’d better go. I still have work to do. I spent the afternoon talking with Alex about her date, so I didn’t really have time to finish my work. You probably have homework too, especially if you just got out of practice.

  PhilyCheeseSteak: Yeah, tons. So I’ll see you tomorrow?

  SamIam: Yeah. See ya, Phillip. Nice talking with you.

  Sam sat back in her chair, completely flummoxed. He actually seemed sincere about wanting to be friends again, and she didn’t know what to think about it. Something still seemed off here. As much as she wanted it to be true, she’d seen too many teen movies where the popular boy paid attention to the uncool girl as a joke to believe in it now that it was happening to her. Maybe if he broke up with Tracy…

  * * *

  The next morning, Sam noticed that Alex’s motorcycle was already in the parking lot when she arrive. For once, she wasn’t incredibly late, so she walked inside toward her locker, but Alex was nowhere in sight.

  “Hey,” Alex said from behind her. Just as Sam turned to face her, hands covered her eyes.