Chapter Three

After I made dinner for dad and myself, I headed back upstairs to my room. My cell phone rang.

"Sam!" Spencer shrieked into my ear.

"What was that for?!" I snapped.

"I'm sorry. Why are you so mad?"

"Because people scream into my freaking ear." There was silence for about a minute. Then, he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Sam." He repeated.

"Yeah, me too." I sighed.

 My friendship with Spence goes way back to elementary school. Everyone use to call us brother and sister since they thought we had a very similar resemblance. Yet, Spencer and I hated each other. We didn't get along at all. One time in second grade, he wouldn't let me use his markers (which were the very cool ones back then), so I got upset and broke a pencil over his head. We both ended up staying after school the next day for that little 'incident'. Another time, in third grade, I spread super glue on his seat and when he sat down for class, he got stuck. He literally yelled, "Help! I think I'm stuck to my chair!" The whole class lost it, laughing. I don't know what happened after that because Spencer is too embarrassed to tell me what happened. He's such a softy. Kind of like me, but not entirely. In fifth grade, that all changed. Our teacher had us work as partners for a project. Of course, we didn't get to chose our own partners, so I got paired up with Spencer. He and I didn't like it at first, but then we somehow got into the topic about music. I told him some of my favorite music artists and he liked the same ones. Once we found out we had at least one thing in common, we kept talking and found out more things we had in common.

 

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"So, what are you doing for the evening?" Spencer asked.

"Nothing, why?"

"Want to hang at my place?"

"Yeah, sure. Just give me ten minutes and I'll be over, okay?"

"Okay, see ya."

"See ya." He hung up and I jumped off the bed to get ready.

 

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 I knocked twice on Spencer's front door. While I waited for someone to answer, I looked around, hoping to find something new. Same fresh mowed, green lawn, planted round bushes neatly trimmed on both sides of the door, and beautiful bright flowers lining up a stone path to the front steps where I stood.

"Well, hello there." The voice startled me from my thoughts. Blake, Spencer's brother, laughed viciously. "Day dreaming about me, cutie?"

"No and why would I ever day dream about a butt ugly idiot anyways while I have better things to be day dreaming about?" I snapped at him. I pushed through the doorway, passing him. He closed the door behind him and faced me.

"Ouch, that hurt." Blake teased, placing a hand over his chest like he was crushed. He cracked a smile when I rolled my eyes.

"Just tell me where Spencer is."

"How should I know?" Blake shrugged.

"One, you're his brother and two, you live with him. Now tell me where he is." I answered his stupid question.

"Okay, okay. In the living room."

"Thank you." I said, irritated.

"No problem, sweets." Blake laughed.

 I made my way to the living room. I entered and spotted Spencer; his short blonde hair neatly combed back revealing his face, brown eyes glued to the TV, sitting with his long legs stretched out on the coffee table in front of him, and his arms behind his head for support. "Hey!" I yelled, slumping down next to him.

"Oh, hey!" Spencer greeted back, pulling his legs onto the couch into a pretzel and placing his hands in his lap. "Was my dumb brother being annoying again?"

"Correct." I rolled my eyes. Spencer sighed.

"When will he ever leave you alone?" He questioned, pressing the off button on the TV remote, then standing up. I imitated.

"Hi, princess and the frog!" Blake shrieked as he walked into the living room, filling in the space between us.

"Give me a break!" Blake widened his eyes and held up his hands as if to surrender.

"No, more like give me a break. I live with this idiot." Spencer started to make his way towards the stairs. I followed.

"Hey now! Don't leave me down here all by myself!"

"You're seventeen years old! Grow up! You act like a five year old!" We went into Spencer's room and shut the door behind us. He laid down on his bed, feet planted on the floor and his eyes staring up at the ceiling.

"Wow, he really got you ticked."

 "Yeah," Spencer muttered. I sat down next to him. "He just gets me so mad. I feel like I'M the older one. You're lucky you don't have any siblings." I frowned.

Oh Spencer. If only you knew. "I actually wish I had a sister sometimes."

"A little sister?"

"Yep," I sighed, standing up. I walked over to his CD collection. "Let's see: Sum 41, Hollywood Undead, and Green Day." I tweaked Green Day out of the stack, placing the CD into Spencer's radio.

"Holiday." Spencer said.

"What?" I shook my head at him.

"Holiday. It's the name of the song." He laughed.

"Knock knock, may I come in?" Blake chirped, opening the door anyways. Spencer leaped up from his bed in anger.

"Get out." Spencer almost fully shut the door, but Blake's foot jammed it. "What do you want?!" Spencer yelled.

"Nothing, just checking in." He grinned.

"Okay, bye stupid."

"Have fun you two." Blake laughed, walking off.

"Like I said-stupid!" I laughed. We both laid down on his bed, next to each other. "So," He began. "what do you want to do?" I turned my head towards him.

"I don't know. What do you want to do?" I reversed the question.

"I want you to tell me something."

"Hmm?"

"You have to be honest, okay?" He asked, quietly.

"Okay?"

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, sitting up and tilting my head at him. He also sat up and mirrored my position.

"Like, when I called you on the phone earlier. You were upset."

"Oh, I wasn't upset." I lied.

"Yes, you were. I could tell!" Spencer exclaimed.

 "No, I wasn't, Spencer." He doesn't know anything about what happened in my past and what I need to deal with now. It's not that I don't trust him, it's just that I don't want him to feel sorry for me or feel the need to constantly be there for me.

"Fine, don't tell me then. I'm like your best friend and you can't even tell me why you were upset?" He whined.

"Spencer, I didn't come over here to be yelled at. I wasn't upset, but now I am."

 "I'm sorry, Sam. I just want to help you." He wouldn't let it go. I stood up and walked to the door. "Where are you going?!" He complained, jumping off his bed and grabbing my arm. If he was going to make me say why I was upset when I didn't want to, I have no reason to be here. When I'm ready to tell him, I will. Just not now and not tonight.

 "Home." I pulled away and stormed down the stairs. Spencer came after me like we were a couple in a argument and was trying to apologize to me. I bumped into Blake. "Move." I demanded. He shook his head.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Just move, Blake!" He moved out of my way and I was actually quite surprised.

"Sam, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you." Spencer came rushing down the stairs.

"Dude, you pushed her? Don't tell me down the stairs..."

"No,"

"That's what you said!" I heard their voices getting quieter and quieter as I kept walking. Spencer didn't chase me.

 

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 The cold rain was slapping against my face as I walked. All I had for sight were the dim street lights, lighting my way. I pulled my thin jacket tighter around me and stuffed my freezing, hands into my pockets. I felt like crap. One because I just had a argument with Spencer whom I don't like being mad at and two, here I am, walking home in the rain. Bright headlights blinded me as I was only three minutes into my walk. The car slowed down and pulled over right near me. I started to pick up my pace, trying to keep cautious.

 "Hey!" The voice yelled. I didn't turn around. I kept on walking. "Slow down!" I started to pick up my pace even more. "Sam, it's me, Mr. Rogers!" I halted.

"Mr. Rogers?!" I yelled back, squinting my eyes from the rain.

"Yes, don't worry! I'm not a stranger!" I started walking back to him slowly, just to be sure. As I came closer, I spotted a shiny red sports car.

"Wow," I muttered.

"What?" He asked, pulling his thin brown eyebrows together.

"Nice car." I gestured my hand towards the car.

 "Thank you." He grinned. "Anyway, Sam, what are you doing walking on the street at nine o'clock at night in the rain?" I didn't want to say that I literally just had a fight with Spencer and walked out on him while he was trying to chase me. I didn't want questions to answer for him, so I shrugged.

"You know, just taking a nice pleasant walk in the rain. The usual." He shook his head, obviously not convinced.

"Alright, Sam. Get in the car."

"Why?"

 "Because I'm giving you a ride home, come on." Mr. Rogers opened the passenger side door for me, then walked around to the drivers side. I didn't object. I got in the car, shutting the door and shivering as the warmth hit my skin. "Seatbelt." He reminded. I pulled on my seatbelt, buckling it in.

"Thanks so much, Mr. Rogers."

"No problem." He laughed. He started to drive as I told him where I lived. "I couldn't believe it was you at first."

"Huh?" I asked, confused. He laughed again.

"Walking. I couldn't believe Sam Parker would be walking in the street in the pouring rain at nine o'clock at night. I thought it was someone else until I came closer." This time, I laughed.

"Yeah, I would've thought the same if I saw you walking out in the rain."

"Now that would be funny." Mr. Rogers chuckled, probably imagining me finding him out in the rain hitching a ride. We both laughed. "Are you warm enough?"

 "Yes, thanks." Right when the song on the radio ended, we pulled up in front of my beat up house. I was disappointed that I had to leave. I didn't want to see dad and be by myself tonight when I was having fun. I sighed.

"Is everything okay?" Mr. Rogers asked, his eyebrows forming into a worried expression. I exhaled and smiled.

"Nevermind." I shook my head.

"You can tell me, Sam." I popped open the door and placed one foot on the grass, ready to go.

"It's nothing, but thanks for saving me two times already."

"It's the least I can do."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Rogers."

"Have a good night." He responded. I smiled, closing the door behind me and walking up to the front door. He waited for me to get in the house and once I did, he drove away.