SAM'S POINT OF VIEW
Samantha. Rosa is pregnant. We would love it if you visit her and your soon to be step brother or sister. Love Dad.
I stared at the message. I badly wanted to visit. I can't lie, I was excited to have a step sibling. I was going to go. About my hair, I could just day that it was a cute new haircut. I changed into girl clothes in my car and set off to the airport. I got permission from Ms. Trall. She's such a cool principle.
I finally arrived and saw Dad and Rosa. I stayed for four hours or something, then left. Since the school was in North Dakota, I would be in Minnesota on the way, so I might aswell stop there until around five thirty.
I jumped out a cab and saw a girl pass by on the sidewalk. She was the exact definition of what Tom described as his best friend. She looked tough and had her dark red hair up in a messy bun.
"Hey, I know this is weird and you probably aren't, but I was wondering if you were Ranie, Tom's friend? I'm Sam. We're kind of...dating." I walked up to her and she looked me up and down. She clenched her teeth and put her hands around my neck and pushed me against the brick wall.
"Break up with him. He's mine. If you don't, trust me, I'll hurt you. I will always be watching you. I know someone that goes to that stupid boarding school of yours." She threatened me.
"F-fine. Fine! Just. Let. Me. Go." I agreed, not being able to breathe. She narrowed her eyes at me, but let me go. "I'll break up with him."
I went back to the cab and sat inside. Then, the man started it up and I asked him to take me to the airport. No. I didn't want to do it, but I had to break up with Tom. For some reason, I actually believed her. I went to school and straight away went to sleep.
The day after, I walked up to Tom, who was in the gym, doing press ups.
"I need to talk to you, Tom." I told him.
"Yeah?" He stopped working out and walked to me. We both sat in the bench and I looked at my lap, avoiding any eye contact.
"So, the thing is, I can't be with you. I don't know why, but we just don't fit together."
"Yeah, yeah. Urm, yeah...we should." He said, but didn't look like he believed himself.
"Yeah, okay...so, I need to go." I told him as I walked out the gym. Actually, I didn't need to go anywhere, but I had to avoid this situation.
I ran up the stairs, burst into my empty room and went into the toilet and cried my eyes out.
KAYLA'S POINT OF VIEW
I hummed a tune when I heard a Taylor Swift song blasting through my room. Oh, it was just my ringtone. I checked to see who it was. My sister. Ugh, she never called me. I picked it up and held it to my ear.
"Ranie, what do you want?" I asked my sister. She was nothing like me; she was a tomboy and had dark, red hair.
"So, do you know a brunette girl with short hair? Sam, her name is." Ranie told me. Huh? Sam, I knew, but he's a boy.
"I know a brunette called Sam, but he's a guy." I replied.
"I'm pretty damn sure she's a girl. Now, you know Tom, apparently Sam and Tom are dating. Make sure Sam breaks up with him, okay?"
"Uh, why?"
"Duh! I like him!"
"No, I won't break up a couple! He deserves someone better than you! Like Sam. It's weird to say that, 'cause all this time I've thought that he's a dude, but I don't understand, is she in disguise? I don't understand at all."
"Ugh, Kayla, you don't understand anything. Just break them up!"
"Bu-" She hung up the line, so I walked over to Sam's room. I heard sobbing and sniffing coming from the bathroom.
"Um, Sam?" I called. No response. "Don't worry, I know your secret."
"Huh?" He-I mean she- replied.
"I know you're a girl. Why're you sad?" I asked her.
"How'd you know I'm a girl?"
"Just...forget that. I'm asking again, why're you sad?"
"I broke up with Tom."
I thought for a while. Tom deserved someone better than Ranie. He deserved someone that actually cared about their grades and someone that didn't spray paint bad words on walls. After chatting to Sam about ignoring my sister and getting back together with Tom, I went downstairs to talk to him.
"Hey, I heard that Sam and you broke up. I also heard that she's a girl." I sat beside him.
"Yeah, I think it's 'cause of Matt. He likes her." He responded. I furrowed my eyebrows and sat there, deep in thought. If Matt liked Sam, she might like him back, which will mean that her and Tom won't get back together, and he might start liking Ranie. Oh no. We need Matt to either not like Sam anymore, which is way too long, or...get him to like someone else. Someone like...me.
"Er, are you just gonna sit there in silence?" Tom asked me, chuckling to himself.
"Huh? Urm, oh sorry! I was just thinking."
"Of what?"
"That, er, you and Sam should get back together again."
"Yeah, but it seems she likes Matt now."
We talked for a bit, then I went to my room. I changed into my favorite dress and tried to look my best.
I strutted down to Matt's room and took a deep breath before knocking in the door. Matt came to open it and looked amazed when he saw me.
"Wow, you look great! What's the occasion, Kayla?"
"Occasion? Occasion?! Does there have to- um, oh thanks... I'm just going to the theatre." I mentioned the theatre because I heard from Selena that he loved the theatre. I guess it is a pretty cool place.
"Theatre? I love the theatre! Can I tag along?" He smirked as his eyes lit up.
"Course!" I giggled and squealed. I guess my plan was working. He escorted me out the dorm, down the stairs, out the school and into the theatre.
"If you look like this whenever you go to the theatre, remember to tell me." He winked jokingly at me and grinned. I smiled back. "So, what are we watching?"
"Lion King is on in five minutes." I told him, squinting at a small piece of paper. We both took a seat and realised that there were only, like, seven other people in the audience. A lovey dovey couple that were sharing a drink, a young girl with her parents and two identical girls that I suspected were twin sisters. Then there was us. So nine people in total.
I looked over at Matt after two minutes of awkward silence.
"So, do you like football?" I asked him. I loved it, but if he hated it, I didn't mind telling a lie or two.
"Yes! I love the Red Sox!" He responded.
"Oh, so you're from Boston?"
"Yep. And you?"
"Minnesota."
"Okay then. So, do you like football?" He said it as if he already knew the answer.
"Actually, I do. I used to always watch it with my dad until he- You know what, this is supposed to be an evening of happiness, not sorrow."
He nodded and gave me a reassuring smile, looking into my eyes. My eyes began prickling with tears. He hugged me and held my head to his chest as I took deep breaths. This wasn't just a way for him to like me, I really, truly missed my parents. At home, it was just Ranie and me, not including my best friends, Penny and Shane that were always there for me, from start to end.
The music started up and the curtains opened. We watched the performance together, me on his shoulder. Halfway through, he put his arm around me and kissed my head. I softly smiled and gave him a huge hug, burying my head into his shoulder. By the end, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
***
"Kayla! Kay! Kayla! Get up already!" Sam yelled, as she shook me. I slowly opened my eyes, to find I was in Sam's room, on her bed. "Hurry up and go to your room! I need to sleep!"
I jumped up, rubbed my eyes and crawled over to my room, saying goodbye to Tom, Matt and Sam. I twisted the doorknob and entered my room. Selena was sitting there, looking at me. She looked me up and down and frowned.
"Where have you been, Kay? And dressed like that..." Selena scowled at me.
"I, er, was at the theatre." I looked down, as I slumped onto my bed.
"Alone?" She asked me, squinting at my clothes.
"Not exactly," I told her. "I was with Matt..."
"Matt? Matt Riley?"
"Uh, I guess so. I didn't tell him to come, he wanted to, so I let him. I couldn't say no, could I?"
She furrowed her eyebrows, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"You know what? Do what you want, I don't care!" She jumped into her duvet and hid her head under the covers. I changed into my pyjamas and went to sleep.
Knock, knock, knock.
I yawned and rubbed my eyes after hearing someone knocking on the door. I struggled to crawl out of bed, but after minutes of hard work, I managed to open the door. Oh, god. It was my ex, Dylan. What did he want? At this time of morning, too!
"I want you back, Kay." He mumbled. I was frozen. At first, I broke up with him because he wasn't serious about our relationship, but then got back together. That time, he was so clingy and rude to everybody, so I dumped him again.
"Why should I?" I cocked an eyebrow and loudly yawned.
"Because I feel empty without you. Losing you was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I'm feeling lonely and upset. Trust me, I'm a whole different person from before." I squinted at him, then chuckled.
"No, you're not. I see how you act with other students. Same old Dylan the villain. I will never go out with you in a billion years." With that, I turned around and slammed the door in his face.
"We will be together soon." He yelled. I sighed as I jumped back to bed. Ugh, Dylan, take a hint!