Little Journeys

Becoming Sam (Chapter 2)

"Wake up sleepy head! You have school!" Luke's shouting wakes me up suddenly.

I groan and roll over, sleepily grabbing my pillow and throwing it in the general direction of Luke.

"Go away" I mumble.

"Late night again? You know you'll never graduate if you continue like this you know."

"I wasn't out partying you know" I try to defend myself peering towards the now fully opened door.

"Could have fooled me you know. You should probably try and explain that to mom. Soo where were you then?" He asks.

"Um Kayley's" I lie.

"Oh that hot chick?"

"Yuck, you're really such a pig Luke. Does Ivy know how you talk about women?" Luke suddenly sheepish at my mention of Ivy. "And if you can pass school I'm pretty sure I can. Can't be so hard" I reply sarcastically.

"Ouch."

"Besides, you and Ivy went out almost every night. You used to sneak out, I heard you. So does mum know about that?"

"Me and Ivy are made of steel. Where as by the looks of you you're clearly not" he snorts.

"Just leave me alone Luke!" I shout, Luke leaves and slams the door behind him.

It was true that I had been out all night but Luke always assumed the worst in me. I would lie about where I actually was to though, not that he would believe me even if I told him. The Kayley lie was the best I could do on the spot. He already though we were hooking up anyway so what's a little extra lie. I don't think too much about what I had said as I roll over sleepily and go back to sleep.

Eventually I get up, shower and quickly grabs a piece of toast before running out the house. My mom shouted something alone the lines of 'where have you been?' but I didn't hang around to listen to anything else she might preach at me. I didn't want to hear how amazing Luke was when he was in senior year. I shut the gate behind me before running up to the familiar figure of my friend Jess. She turns towards me as I pant out of breath from my dash out of the house.

"You look awful Sam" she says looking at my dishevelled look.

"Oh thanks" I say sarcastically staring directly at Jess.

"I didn't mean it like that. Just you look really exhausted, perhaps you should take a sick day off and chill out somewhere."

I shake my head. "I'm fine. I've just been up studying all night" I lie again. Lies were becoming way too easy for me.

"Maybe you should drop some classes?"

I shake my head again. "No way. I need the extra credit" a second lie.

The extra classes did help but I could get into college without them. The extra classes just helped occupy my busy mind. I also enjoyed my studies although most people didn't realise that or even believe me if I was to tell them apart from my teachers.

"You are crazy you know, I'm failing all my classes at the moment..." Jess continues talking about something. She was right about one thing, I was exhausted, I barely heard what she was talking about. "...and Kayley will be there of course..." The name Kaylie snaps me out of my daze.

"What did you say?"

"There's a party coming up and Kayley will be there" she repeats looking at me curiously. Maybe she though I was going crazy, or maybe I actually was.

"Oh cool. We'll be there I'm guessing?" I ask to make Jess feel better to that fact that I'd actually been ignoring her for the last ten minutes.

"Of course" she says with a grin.

I really needed something to take my mind off of things and apart from school this was the perfect opportunity to do just that. Did the fact Kayley would be there make a difference? I asked myself...maybe. I did want something to occupy my mind or maybe that should be someone.

We finally make it to school with a whole two minutes left until the bell rang. Why did everyone think I was uncapable of making it to school on time. I look around at the crowded halls. I knew I didn't see her here anymore but there was a time that Ivy would walk the halls with me. My eyes do spot someone familiar who I had lied about only that morning. Kayley stands across from me. She was a little older than us but she occasionally helped out with some classes. She had several people hanging around her. She was popular and she was gorgeous. Her dark curls falls around her face. How the hell was I supposed to pretend that were actually hooking up. Sure she was gay but that didn't mean she'd ever look in my direction. Maybe these lies might actually catch up with me one day. The bell rings and I quickly walk past her on the way to class.

"Seen Kayley recently?" Luke asks across the dinner table.

I frown at Luke and shake my head. I knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to make me look bad in front of our parents.

"Get into college yet?" I retort smirking.

My parents were just happy when we were happy and they were fairly chill about what we did but I knew there were two things they worried about. Luke not really going anywhere in life and my 'chosen' lifestyle and my apparent all night partying but unfortunately they often listened to Luke more than they should, most of what came out of his mouth was a complete lie but I was used to it. Having some reputation at school helped me a little bit. It meant I hung around in more popular social circles, even Kayley's social circle occasionally.

"How's Ivy?" My mum suddenly cuts in, she probably knew we would end up saying something we regretted if we continued.

"She's good" Luke replies.

"That's good but I just wish you two would become an item already" mom says in a sickly way. This whole conversation suddenly takes a sick inducing turn.

"Oh mom" Luke says sweetly looking over at me. He knew I liked Ivy and played on it. "I know you'd like Ivy as a daughter in law" Luke continues so innocently.

"She is such a lovely girl that one. She is always welcome and I'm sure would love to see her more" mom says smiling. She just thought I thought of Ivy as a sister but she was so wrong.

I make a fake retching sound at the conversation. "Honestly you've tried it once and she rejected you! Face it you're not good enough for her!"

"And you are? What do you think that your little crush on her will develop into anything more? You are truly delusional!" Luke shouts back at me.

"Luke! Samantha!" My dad shouts above us and we both shut our mouths immediately.

After a few moments my mom breaks the silence. "Why are you like this Samantha? You're so angry all the time now. Is this the result of being with this Kayley girl Luke has told us about?"

"For the last time I have never and will never date Kaylie!" I shout throwing my cutlery down and storming out.

"Ahhh!" I scream out in frustration slamming my hands on my steering wheel .

Why did my brother have to be such a dick toward me all the time. Always pleasing mom and dad but taking digs at me at the same time. Perhaps I should just play up to this image everyone has of me. Perhaps I should actually just sleep with Kayley already, everyone thinks we are anyway. Perhaps I should forget everyone including Ivy. Of course I was delusional, of course he's right. She will obviously end up with him, everyone expects it. My parents, Luke and even her own parents have occasionally commented on it but the only person that doesn't see it is Ivy herself. Maybe I might get to be bridesmaid at their wedding. I laugh out loud at that thought.

"And so does anyone have any reasons why these two shouldn't be wedded" I laugh mocking a ministers voice.

"Only one. She should be marrying me" I sigh.

Yeah I had serious issues. Well if they have this image of me maybe I would give them the Same they all expected. This year wasn't over yet.