Now you're with me, you must stay.(Natalie R-Smith) Chapter 1 - Sam

The day I met her must have been the first day of winter. I gazed out of the small gap in the window where the frost hadn’t quite cleared. I turned my iPod on loop just like most people that wanted to block out the immature year sevens that seemed to go crazy at the sight of snow. I hate snow; it was too cold for me. Me? I like the hot summer days where you can run outside and jump straight into the pool and lay for hours getting the best tan in the world. I was in my own world until the school bus squealed to a sudden stop and everyone was jolted forwards, then back in their seats, it was silent for only a second until the frozen doors forced opened and the noise rose again. Then I saw her, she was beautiful, but I didn’t recognise her. She was the new girl. There were only two empty seats left: next to me, or next to Jason Scott. Jason could get any girl he wanted, he was good-looking, funny and he was well liked. He was the most popular boy in school and, like I said, he could get any girl he wanted, so surely she would sit next to him instead of me and surely he would flatter her and within a week they would be together. This is what usually happened with any girl Jason decided would be the girl he really liked, but they always broke up again within another week. The girl walked up the bus scanning for seats; she found both of them and started walking up the aisle. I hoped she would sit next to me. As she was about to pass Jason, he grabbed her bag, I pulled out one of my earphones so I could hear what flattering comment he would come out with this time. “Alright newbie? Wanna seat?” he patted his lap and grinned. Okay, so not his best chat-up line; but more importantly he got her attention.
“No thank-you,” she whispered, I could tell she was nervous. Well who isn’t on their first day? “Awwww c’mon, I saved you one,” he patted on his lap again and some girls in the lower year giggled loudly behind him. The girl pulled her bag away and sort of ran to where I was sat. “Is this seat taken?”
I moved my bag out the way. She sat, and at first I couldn’t find my voice. After clearing my throat I managed a mere “hi”, and she looked quite relieved that I had spoken.
“Hey,” her voice was soft and quiet.
“I’m Sam,” I tried a smile.
“I’m Claire, I’m new.”
Claire. I said her name over and over again in my head. She had long brown hair that trailed down past her shoulders and the bluest eyes I had ever seen.
“Oh, where you from?” I kept telling myself ‘act natural’ but it was so hard because, well, I didn’t really have that much talking experience with girls.
“Up North. My parents split up and my Dad wanted to get as far away as possible, and we found this place.” “Oi oi, Sam’s got a guuurlfriend,” teased Jason from down the bus. People started to turn their heads looking for me. Jason pointed at us and shouted, “He’s with the new girl!”

Everyone stared at us.

“Shut up Jase,” I remarked.
“Oooo someone’s getting a little touchy-feely!”
I scowled at him, he smirked back, and everyone was still staring at us to find out if we were together or Jase was just having some fun.
“It’s not true!” I said to everyone, they shrugged off Jason’s immaturity and went back to chatting amongst themselves. “That’s Jason,” I pointed out, as if she hadn’t worked it out already.
“Yeah, haha,” she nodded. It was silent so she started texting, or she was probably just trying to make it less awkward. I felt like hitting myself for being such an idiot. Why can’t I be more like Jason? He talks to girls so easily and doesn’t breathe heavily... unlike me.
I turned my iPod down to control the noise of my breathing, and I peered over at her mobile, seeing who she was texting. ‘Unknown’ and it read, ‘Look let’s get this over and done with. I’ll see you tonight. C x’
Okay, so I know it’s wrong to read peoples text messages, but I was just curious. What was she going to get over and done with?
“Hmm,” I mused, not realising I had spoken out loud.
Biggest mistake ever.
Claire quickly shut her mobile and put it back in her bag, glaring at me out the corner of her eye. I tried to ignore it but I couldn’t, so I went back to staring out of the window. She even ignored it when it buzzed! What was she hiding?

Over the next week I didn’t see Claire at school, only briefly, and the only time we did talk was on the mornings and evenings on the bus. She liked to talk about me a lot; she must’ve known everything about me within a few days! And I felt guilty for barely knowing anything about her; maybe she just didn’t like her home life and talking about it since her parents had split up. I don’t blame her really. But I was still curious about the text message. I hoped she was ok, but I didn’t want to be nosey by asking, and I didn’t want her to get the wrong impression.

Okay so today I did something terrible. I shouldn’t have done it, but it was so tempting. I should have given it back to her straight away.
The bus skidded down the narrow streets, the immature year sevens squealed with delight as one of them opened a bag of Doritos. Claire and I nattered on as usual. But as her stop approached and she said “good-bye” she walked to the front of the bus, and out the corner of my eye I saw something on her seat, her black mobile sat there lost. I slowly picked it up and rested it on my lap, wondering if the thing I was about to do was right.

What’s the worst that could happen? I questioned myself.
No. No, I couldn’t. I quickly unzipped my bag and stuffed the mobile in. I sighed and fell back in my seat, relieved. If I’d read her texts I would ruin my chances with her, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to risk that...
When I got home, after raiding the fridge, I slumped on the sofa and started flicking through the channels. BEEP BEEP.
“What the-?” I stared at my backpack resting against the vibrating coffee table. I jumped up and grabbed my backpack to inspect it. Quickly, I unzipped my bag and routed around for the mobile. Geez! I really need to clean this out!

Finally I found the small mobile. Clutching it in my hand I slumped back on the sofa and chucked it up in the air and caught it.
“Hmm,” I wondered, “What the hell!” I flipped open the phone and clicked messages. ‘Please enter your password’ came up; I sighed and tried numerous combinations. I started to get frustrated as all of them were wrong. OK Sam think, what could it be?
That’s it! I typed in the numbers of her birthday.
“Yes!” I smiled.

I stared at the screen and scrolled down, it wasn’t wrong, was it? I was only checking that she was OK, I wasn’t stalking her or anything. They were all from ‘Unknown’; did I dare click on one?
The first one read ‘I’ll meet you tonight, usual place? M. x’. Ah! So she’s been meeting up with someone...
I scrolled further down; ‘Remember, don’t tell your Dad! We’ll talk tomorrow. M. x’.

Oh secret meetings? Then it hit me, why would she have a number in her mobile under ‘Unknown’ if she knew them well? Why would she be meeting up regular and ‘Unknown’ not wanting her to tell her Dad? She had a secret boyfriend. Why didn’t I think of this before! Course a girl like that would have a boyfriend, what was I thinking. I closed the mobile and placed it gently on the coffee table, “Ugh!” I rolled over on the sofa and pushed my head into the cushions, just as my Mum got home.

“Sam”
“What?” my sulky tone muffled in the cushion.
“How many times have a told you about doing that to the cushions? You’re going to ruin them!” she nagged. I got up sighing and slung my bag over my shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah, I know, sorry” I mumbled and made my way upstairs, not realising that Claire’s mobile was still on the coffee table.



Chapter 2 - Claire

“Claire? Claire where are you?” I heard her whisper my name, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see her, it didn’t seem right...
I stepped out of the shadows with my fake smile.
“Mum!” I tried to act surprised but really I wished she’d stayed back at her house. It wasn’t home anymore. Not to me anyway. She held me tight in her arms and swayed from side to side.
As she pulled me away she sweetly said “I’m so glad you came honey,”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I tried a nervous smile. I didn’t want to go home.
“How have you been? Been missing me?”
“Yes of course.”

She stared longingly at me for a moment before saying excitedly, “I have a surprise for you!”
“Really?”
She rummaged through her handbag and pulled out a small glittering key.
“Your new house key!”
I stared at it, not sure what to say.
“Mum, thanks but, y’know, I’m really, actually, fine here with Dad.” I twisted my fingers around
each other nervously,
“But honey, I thought this is what you wanted?”
“Yeah, last year! Things are different now...”
She took my hand, placed the key on my palm and held it there.
“Look, I don’t know what that Dad of yours has been saying about me, but I know this is what you want. So I’ll come back in a few days, make sure you have your stuff ready. Okay?”
“Mum-“
“Okay?” she kept pushing me, this isn’t what I wanted.
“What about Dad?”
“Leave him to me” She winked, squeezed my hand and she was gone. Her heels clanking loudly on the floor as she disappeared into the shadows. I sighed, I wasn’t moving again, and I loved this place. I couldn’t leave people behind like this. Dad, what would he think, waking up one morning realising I was gone?
Sam. What would he think? Would he miss me...?





Chapter 3 – Sam

“Sam?” Called mum as I jogged down the stairs,
“Yes?” I asked, rushing around the house trying to find my books.
“Who’s mobile is this?” I ran to the living room to find mum inspecting Claire’s mobile.
“Just a friend’s” I tried taking it from her, but she quickly moved it as I tried to grab it. She raised her eyebrows at me, I half-laughed and took it from her,
“She left it on the bus.”
Mum followed me out of the living room “Ah, a girl? Is she nice?”
“Mum we’re just friends! Can you leave it, Please?” I said annoyed, as I routed for my books on the microwave,
“Okay, okay! Go to school you’re going to be late.”
“I can’t find my-“ Mum pushed my books into my hand.
“Bye!” I shouted as I ran through the door.

On the bus, it was the usual. Jason flirting, year sevens shouting, but something wasn’t right.
As Claire hopped on the bus, she sat down next to me but wouldn’t look me in the eye. Something was wrong, and then I remembered. Her mobile! I rummaged through my backpack,
“Here” I smiled and handed it to her. “You left it on your seat yesterday.”
“Thanks” she whispered. Was Claire crying?
“Claire?”,
“Yes?” She sniffed, turned away from me, and gazed out of the window.
“What’s wrong?”
“Look, Sam. I need to talk to you...” She stared me straight in the eye.
“Claire?” She looked as though she would burst into tears any minute.
“I, I saw my mum last night” Claire stammered.
“I thought she was up North?” Oh dear, I could tell this was going to be bad.
“Well yeah, s-she was. B-but she wants to take me back. Tonight!” I squeezed her hand, “Sam, I really just don’t know what to do!” She held back her tears.
“Do you even want to go?”
“I don’t know” she rested her head on my shoulder,
“-and the worst part is, my Dad doesn’t even know. She said she would tell him Sam, but she hasn’t. She’s left it for me to do!”
“Look Claire, tonight after school you have to tell your Dad, see what he says, maybe you can work something out? Do you even want to go?” God, I hoped she didn’t.
“Do you think I should?” She asked me a little unsurely.
The school bus pulled to a stop and we stepped off holding hands, I didn’t want to let go.
“No Claire, of course I don’t, I-I really like you” I smiled as we started walking to school.
“I like you too Sam” she smiled back and looked down a bit embarrassed, “Oh, how am I going to get out of this?”
“If you’d like, I’ll come with you to talk to your Dad?”
“Thanks” She smiled even more.

That evening I went with Claire to her Dad’s house, it was small but cosy. It was nice. “Daddy? Where are you?” called Claire, as she pulled me through the narrow hallway holding my hand.
“In the kitchen” he shouted back. Claire looked at me a little unsure,
“It’s Ok” I smiled. We walked through into the kitchen, and got a big whiff of chicken stew. Mmmm.
“Hi Claire, how was your day? Who’s your friend?” He asked while staring at me.
“It was fine, this is Sam, my friend from school”
“Ah Sam, hello” he reached over to shake my hand, Claire smiled and let go of my hand quickly, which made me laugh, her Dad laughed too. “You staying for tea Sam?” Claire's Dad asked nicely.
“It’s Ok thanks, um, actually Claire and I would like to talk to you for a moment if that’s OK?” Claire started to nervously twist her fingers together, and her Dad raised his eyebrows.
Was this the right thing to do?
“Right, let’s go sit in the room then.” Claire’s Dad walked slowly into the small living room, trying not to look at me, I hoped he wasn’t getting the wrong idea.

“Sit” Claire ordered me to do as I stood at the door not sure what to do with myself.
“Well?” Her Dad asked impatiently as he folded his arms and glared at me, “What’s happened?”
“Daddy... Mum’s back” Claire had water in her eyes, I took her hand to comfort her, “She wants me to go live with her, she said that I should have my stuff ready for her to come and get me tonight.”
“Oh no she won’t!” He bellowed, making the room echo. He jumped up and rushed to the phone and started dialling. Claire burst into tear.
“Hey, it’s Ok” I hugged her. We sat there for half an hour listening to her Dad arguing down the phone. By 5 ‘o clock he had finally finished his call and started dishing up tea, he came into the living room and passed both Claire and I a bowl of hot stew. “Thank-you” I said quietly and I took my bowl and Claire’s out of his hands, “No, thank-you Sam, this would have been a lot worse if Claire hadn’t said anything.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “You’re a good kid,” he said, and he walked back to his chair and dug in.

It was lovely. When we had almost finished the door bell rang and we all froze. I looked from Claire to her Dad, it rang again. Her Dad jumped up and placed his bowl on the coffee table holding it down to stop it rattling before walking cautiously to the door. Claire and I peered round the door to see who it was. As soon as he opened the door, Claire’s small mum started shouting past her Dad “Claire! Claire! Are you ready?” As she began to walk in she was stopped in her tracks by Claire’s Dad’s thick arm. He glared at her, “What on earth do you think you’re doing? Barging in here, thinking that you can just take her away?” He said sternly.
“I have my rights too y’know!” She argued back.
“In the holidays only!” he threw back at her, and she took a step back, “I’m sure the court made that very clear for you!” he lowered his tone.
“I just wanted to see her, that’s all...” her voice was now quiet, and Claire stepped through, leaving me behind to watch helplessly.
“Claire! Got your stuff?” She asked excitedly, trying to hug Claire.
“No mum, I haven’t.” Claire stared her in the eye as she took a step back. “I’m not going, I see you in the holidays, and that’s it.” She took her mums hands, “I can’t go, I’m sorry.”
Her mum hugged her tight, “Oh Claire, please come with me, I just want you to be happy.” Her mum held Claire at arm’s length.
“I am.” Claire looked down, “I’m happy here.”
Her mum glanced at me, she started to look guilty. “Well I see you have made friends that are more important than your old ones, who you have known for years! They all miss you y’know.”
“Mum Pl-“ Claires eyes started to water.
“Oh no, don’t you dare start to cry. I should never have come here, it’s obvious you don’t love me.” Her mum was being such a bitch, I couldn’t just stand there helpless like her Dad.
As Claire burst into tears I ran over, hugging her tightly. Her eyes closed tightly as the door was slammed shut, we were left in the silence of cold happiness that it was over and Claire was staying. In the distance there was a soft clanging of what sounded like a key hitting the hard floor.

Claire was staying, I smiled to myself. As soon as I let go of Claire her Dad rushed in to make up for his absence. Until the phone startled us all and he half-ran to answer it.

She stood there in the hall smiling at me. “Thank-you” she whispered as a tear fell from her eye. I walked over, wiping the tear away with my thumb and gently kissed her. She’s staying and that's all that matters.

The End

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