One

Keys. God, where were my keys? And how could I misplace only one shoe? I stumbled through the room, desperately trying to escape before the girl in bed woke up and spotted me. Okay, shirt, pants, phone... I patted my pockets and found my keys. Okay, the only thing I was missing was my other shoe. Where the hell was it? I tripped over something on the ground and smiled to myself.

There it is, I thought. Reaching down I slipped it on.

I exited the room quietly, shutting the door behind me as I jogged downstairs. The house was a wreck. The end-of-summer bash had clearly been a success, but I wouldn't be around the deal with the aftermath. Now all I had to do was find Blair...

I spotted her on the couch, stretched out over some guy that had a line of drool seeping from his mouth. I gagged before shoving her awake.

She came to and groaned. "Oh my God..."

I nodded. "Yeah, that was my first thought too."

"What time is it?"

"Time to go," I answered before actually checking the time. "But it's almost noon."

I pulled her off of the couch as she grabbed her phone and followed me out of the house. It wasn't long before the Missouri heat scorched my back while we trudged over to my car. When I sat in the driver seat I pulled down the sun-visor and inspected the damage of last night.

"Remind me why we did this again?" I asked.

Usually high school parties weren't my thing.

Blair wiped excess makeup from under her eyes. "Just because you're a year older than everyone else doesn't mean you're too good to socialize with your fellow classmates."

I raked my fingers through my hair and pulled out of the yard.

It wasn't that I considered myself "too good" to hang out with my senior class, I just felt out of place. Being held back a year made it to where I would be turning nineteen in a just few weeks while most of my peers sat on the edge of seventeen. Not to mention that I didn't particularly like many of them anyway.

"I can't believe you slept with Brittany," Blair said.

"It won't happen again," I admitted.

"Bad?"

"No."

She just smirked. "I know, I know. Like you always say, 'If you go back you're asking for trouble'."

"Exactly."

Blair was the kind of friend that came along once in a lifetime. We met when I had made my great escape from my childhood home and moved in with my older brother, Shawn, almost two years ago. At the time of moving I would've never guessed that in the tiny town of Baldwin, Missouri lived a girl who would be willing to put up with all of my nonsense and stick around for the fun of it.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when my phone rang in the center console.

"I bet that's your girl from the party," Blair teased.

"Shut up," I countered, looking at my screen. "It's my brother."

"Uh oh."

I slid to answer. "Hey Shawn, look I'm-"

"Where are you?" he asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

"I'm on my way to drop off Blair and then-"

"Did you forget something?"

Why did he keep interrupting me? And what was I forgetting?

"Um... no?"

"You're supposed to be at Rosie's, you know, for the meeting?"

"Meeting?" I wondered.

"Yes Sam, the meeting with our new roommate! I told you this over a week ago."

Crap, I thought. I had totally forgotten that Shawn had wanted me to join him for lunch today. But he really just wanted me to meet the girl. It wasn't that important. At least not to me. She was a friend of his that apparently needed a place to stay until she got back on her feet. Financially, of course.

"You were serious about that?" I asked.

"Yes!" he hissed through the phone. "Now get over here."

I groaned. "But Shawn-"

"Now, Sam."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but Blair's coming too."

Blair clapped her hands in excitement.

"Whatever," he finished and hung up.

"So where are we going?" Blair questioned.

"Rosie's," I answered. "For lunch with Shawn and his friend. You know, the girl I told you about that's gonna be moving into the loft."

"I bet you're excited about that," she taunted.

I shrugged. "I'm not, but I won't protest. It's Shawn's apartment."

"She might be cool."

"We have to share a bathroom," I answered. "And it's been just me and Shawn all this time... I don't really want anyone to mess that up."

Blair sighed. "She won't be around forever. It'll probably only be for a few months."

I remained silent, hoping she was right.

It wasn't long before I pulled up into the diner's parking lot. Blair gracefully fell into my stride as we stepped out of my car. My converse kicked up loose gravel as I hooked my sunglasses onto the collar of my t-shirt. In a small town like this, Rosie's Diner was a go-to. Of course, on a Sunday at noon it would be nearly empty. Walking inside the smell of a burning grill and the sound of cutlery filled my senses while I searched for my brother.

Blair spotted them before me. "That's the new roommate?"

I saw Shawn, and then the woman sitting next to him. They were in light conversation, a smile plastered on both of their faces. She laughed at something he said and then both pairs of eyes looked up and saw us. Shawn waved us over.

"She looks like a Victoria Secret model," Blair assessed.

"Don't be weird," I ordered. Though I couldn't help but agree with her.

When we made it to the table Shawn wasted no time initiating introductions. "Sam, this is Megan. And that's Blair, Sam's friend."

"I'm her best friend, Shawn. Get it right," Blair stated. She shook Megan's hand first as I waited impatiently.

Then ice blue eyes met mine. I slipped my hand into hers and noticed the softness of her grasp. Long, dark waves flowed over her slim shoulders as her gaze seemed to look into my soul. Having all of her attention made me aware of my disheveled appearance. She reminded me of a rose in a bush of thorns. Of all the places she could've ended up, why here? All of a sudden I felt lucky.

Shawn laughed to himself. "Jeez, you two look horrible."

"Thanks, you're too sweet," Blair answered.

Megan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Late night?"

I laughed. "Very late night. Just taking advantage of the freedom before school tomorrow."

"School?" she asked. "I thought the semester didn't start for another two weeks?"

Shawn looked up from his milkshake. "They're not in college."

"Seniors," I corrected. "At Baldwin high."

"Oh." Was that disappointment? She stirred her water. "My mistake. You just look older."

Well technically I was, but she would find out soon enough.

"I hear that often," I answered. Shawn eyed me from across the table, telling me to continue the conversation. I stumbled on my words. "S-So... You're recently graduated? What's your degree in?"

My brother silently approved.

Megan nodded. "History. I have a focus in education."

A teacher. Or at least that's what she was going for. "Any luck finding a job?"

"Not yet, but I've applied at a few schools around here. I'll start again tomorrow."

Shawn included himself. "I was hoping that if I bought you and Blair lunch you two would be willing to help us move some of Megan's stuff in today."

I looked at Blair and nodded, but she gave me an uneasy smile.

"Come help us?" I asked.

"I would... but I have this thing to do..."

"Come."

"It's the last day of summer," she whined quietly.

I pinched her under the table. "Please?"

"Fine." She gave in. "I'll help."

"Awesome," Shawn said, looking over to Megan.

Lunch proceeded with small talk as I tried to figure out why Megan had chosen us in the first place. Apparently it had been Shawn's idea after running into her at the bank the other day. They had got to talking and then it came out that Megan had been living down here for a few months already with a friend. Now that friend was moving to California, leaving Megan on her own. Shawn then offered the loft at his place until Megan finally figured out what she was going to do.

Shawn stood from the table after clearing the bill. "Alright, we'll follow you."

Megan nodded and we left the diner.

It's not that I didn't want to help, because... well okay no. I didn't want to. But I hadn't planned to spend my last day of freedom moving someone into our apartment. A decision I basically had no say-so in. But I couldn't deny the fact that helping Megan, who was extremely hot, didn't have its appeal.

"I can't believe I got sucked into this," Blair whined.

I rolled my eyes. "Like you had anything better to do."

"I had plenty of better things to do."

"Like?"

"Like..." She thought. "Sleeping. I could be sleeping right now."

I looked over to her. "Yeah, you're gonna need a lot of beauty rest before school tomorrow. You look awful."

"Have you seen yourself?"

I laughed. "But really, thanks for agreeing to help us."

"Did I really have a choice?"

"No, but you played nice anyway."

"Yeah well, you owe me one," she said.

"I'll bring you coffee tomorrow morning before class."

"Deal."

* * *

The next morning, when six-thirty came, I had to give myself a pep-talk. My eyes were heavy as I trudged to my bathroom to start getting ready for school.

I barged through the door and startled Megan who was already brushing her teeth.

"Jesus," she stated after wiping her mouth.

"Sorry," I dead-panned.

But I wasn't sorry, because Megan stood there in nothing but a long t-shirt and night shorts. Suddenly I was wide awake. Her hair was a mess too, but I thought it made her even more appealing.

"I'll let you get dressed."

She brushed past me and I couldn't help but watch her leave. I pulled myself out of my trance and got ready.

It wasn't until I was in the kitchen fixing coffee when I heard Megan descending the stairs. She had changed into dark jeans and a button up, indicating an early start to her day. She was probably getting ready to job search again.

My eyes lingered just a bit longer than usual before I forced them off of her.

"Are you finished in the bathroom? I have to do my hair," she asked.

"Uh, yeah," I answered. "I'm about to leave."

She joined me in the kitchen, lingering around the island as she rummaged through her bag. "It's your last, first day," she claimed. "Are you excited?"

"I'd be more excited if it was my last, last day," I dead-panned.

She laughed, her pink lips pulling into a smile. How could someone laugh this early in the morning? I found myself admiring her smile.

"I get what you mean," she paused. "but it'll be over before you know it. Appreciate it while you can." Then she turned to head for the bathroom. My eyes ran over her one last time before she disappeared around the corner.

When she was gone I grabbed my things and left. As much as I didn't want to go, it was the first day back. The one day out of the whole year you just couldn't miss. Any other day after was fair game for skipping.

It didn't take me long to make it to Blair's. She climbed in and grabbed her cup I had fixed her. "You remembered the coffee. I'm so proud."

"Like I would forget."

"You forget a lot, Sam."

"True, but I didn't," I countered. "Besides, if I would've forgotten you wouldn't have let me live it down."

"You're right about that."

We finally drove up to our high school. The sight of the student parking lot made me gag. Literally. I wasn't mentally prepared for summer to be over. I wasn't ready for early mornings every day or sitting through boring classes with the same old boring teachers. I wasn't ready to deal with high school drama and gum under the desks. Smelly bathrooms and loud hallways made me cringe. Just the thought of getting out of my car made me want to scream.

I pulled into a parking space. "I say we ditch town. If we leave right now, we'll have a few hours on them. And by the time they notice we'll be long gone."

"Sam, you're being dramatic."

"No. I'm being strategic."

"Just one hundred-and-eighty more days of high school. You can do this."

"It just sounds worse when you say it like that."

She grabbed her backpack. "The first week is always the hardest."

She wasn't breaking, which meant ditching town wouldn't happen. At least not today. I decided to stop stalling and rip the bandage off already. I grabbed my stuff and exited my car.

The parking lot was always chaotic on the first day back. Friends were reunited after months apart. Girls gossiped in between the cars while the guys showed off their rides and bumped music, attempting to heighten the mood. Freshmen filed off of the bus, some of them eyeing the older kids with envy and fear. It all seemed a little too cliché for me. A little to high school.

I groaned as soon as my hand touched the double doors to enter the building. Blair shoved me inside. Even the smell of the place made me regret leaving my house. Slamming lockers and chatter filled my ears. Someone threw a paper plane down the hallway and nailed someone in the back of the head.

Then I stepped in gum.

I looked down. "You've gotta be kidding me."

I picked my foot up, revealing a line of stickiness that connected my shoe to the floor. My hands clenched into fists.

Blair retrieved a piece of paper out of her notebook and grabbed it, doing her best to defuse the situation.

"Oh, it's just gum. See, all better." She threw the paper into a bin.

"Is it wrong to wanna fight everyone on the first day?"

"Very wrong," she answered. "Okay, so it's homeroom first to get our schedules. After homeroom meet up with me by the office so we can compare."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I know the drill."

"You better not leave, Sam."

"I'm not," I claimed, even though the idea sounded attractive.

She grabbed my shoulders. "Just think positive."

"That's really hard."

"Just uh... Oh! Maybe you'll have a hot teacher. That's always a plus. Or maybe someone will pull the fire alarm and you'll get out of a class." She was trying really hard to make this better. "Just pray for the best."

"And prepare for the worst."

"Go," she ordered. "I'll see you in a bit."

And with that I headed to homeroom. Students shoved their way through the halls but most of them avoided me. That's what I liked. Majority of people here knew me or knew of me, and knew well enough not to stand in my way.

Making a name for myself had been unintentional but easier than breathing. I was Sam Carson. The five-year senior who drove a vintage Camaro and didn't take shit from anyone. And now I was one of the top dogs, which allowed me to breeze through the crowded halls with ease.

Only a few upperclassmen were brave enough to greet me before I made it to my classroom. We received our schedules and I tried my best not to puke.

Four classes. Four hours of my life I would have to spend in this place every day for the next year. And to top it all off, American History was my final class. A junior-level class I had failed last year and was being forced to retake. First the gum and now this? I was sure this was foreshadowing for the crap yet to come.

Thirty minutes later I was standing near the office waiting for Blair. I people-watched while doing so, laughing at the freshmen attempting their best not to get lost. I almost felt bad for them.

Then Blair was in front of me. "Lemme see your schedule."

I handed it over.

She assessed my classes. "Nice, we have English and Math together. Ew, why'd you take Environmental Science?"

"Because it's easy."

"You could've taken Physics with me."

"God no. That just sounds horrible."

Blair shook her head. "You're still not considering college."

"Nope. Now let's get this day over with."

We turned to head to our first hour and saw a crowd of students looking over each other's shoulders. What was going on? Was there a new student? A fight? Blair and I hurried to join them.

That's when I saw what all the fuss was about. It was Megan, in those jeans that I liked and her button up talking enthusiastically with the principal himself. She looked exited, her hands waving as she apparently cracked a joke that made the man laugh. He looked down at the paper in his hands which I assumed was her résumé. I should've figured she would apply here at Baldwin. She seemed desperate enough.

"Holy..."

"She's hot."

"Think they're gonna hire her?"

"Oh I hope I get her as a teacher. Can you imagine..."

The whispers managed to bother me, which I didn't like at all. That's when Megan shook the principal's hand and turned towards us. She seemed shocked with all the attention, but her eyes found me and she threw me a small smile and a wave. I forced myself to wave back in return. This caused mayhem in the group of boys that were surrounding me.

"You know her?"

"Of course Sam knows her. She knows everyone."

"How did you meet her?"

"What's her name?"

Eventually I couldn't take it anymore and walked away, Blair hot on my tail.

"Wow," she started. "Well, that was weird."

"It won't be a problem unless she actually gets hired," I answered.

"And if she does?"

"She won't."

The possibility of Megan landing a job here at Baldwin was slim. There was no demand for history teachers. At least not at the moment. And I hoped it stayed that way. Seeing Megan at home was one thing, but seeing her at school. Well, the thought of that made me uneasy.

But if my luck ran out and she did get the job, she would most likely teach the underclassmen. Really when you thought about it, there was nothing to worry about.

"I'm just saying," Blair started. "You should prepare yourself for the possibility."

"And why's that?"

"Because, I have a feeling," she answered.

"And?"

"And my feelings are always right."

* * *

The next few days consisted of thinking a lot about Megan and praying she didn't get hired at Baldwin. Blair's intuition had managed to freak me out, because lately my life had been pretty good. I knew that things only sailed smoothly for so long until waves began to form. Eventually a storm would brew in the distance, and when it hit it would hit hard and knock me off my feet.

This was proven true Thursday evening when I walked into American History and spotted our guidance counselor in the teacher's chair.

"Where's Mr. West?" someone asked.

"Permanent leave," she answered.

That's all we got? No juicy details?

"What happened?"

This became the question she would never answer, as if it was some sort of taboo to let us know where our teacher had gone. He had obviously been fired, but for what? I figured we had a right to know, but she thought otherwise. But if I knew anything about Baldwin High, it was that word traveled fast. If she wouldn't tell us what happened then one of the students would.

I heard the news as soon as fourth hour was dismissed because the halls were filled with gossip. The sound of chatter reminded me of a hornet's nest. And usually high school gossip made me sick to my stomach, but today was different.

"He was wasted."

"How drunk?"

"He tried to start a fight, with a student."

"No way."

"I heard after that he puked in the trash can."

"Well I heard he puked all over the principal."

I should've found this funny. Things like teachers getting fired for being intoxicated didn't happen often. I should've been containing my laughter over this whole mess of a situation, but I couldn't. Instead, I found myself worried.

Of all teachers, it had to be my History teacher? Not even a week after Megan had put in her application? Was the universe trying to screw with me? Was this the storm in the distance that I felt coming?

I was too distracted to notice Megan at the counter when I got home from school. It wasn't till after I had thrown my bag down that I spotted her at the island, mindlessly twisting a fork into her noodles. It didn't take her long to look over her laptop as I attempted not to look so distraught.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hi," I answered, opening the fridge and grabbing a soda.

"How was school?"

The thought of Mr. West resurfaced. I shook my head. "Uh, horrible. You know, the usual. Any luck with the job thing?"

"No. Apparently there isn't a demand for history teachers."

I should tell her what happened. I should tell her my teacher got fired and that she should expect a call. I should tell her, but instead I found my feet carrying me to my bedroom. The desire to leave the scene was almost desperate.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Y-Yea," I paused. "I um, I'm just tired."

Before I could make it to my room she called out. "If you're hungry, I ordered take-out and there's extra."

My eyes traveled to the Thai food sitting on the counter, but my appetite was nonexistent. I blamed it on the whole 'Megan might be my teacher come tomorrow' thought.

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry right now," I declined. "I'm going take nap."

I closed my door behind me and noticed the pounding in my chest. This had to be the storm. Things had been great for so long, almost all summer, and now the tables were turning.

I threw myself onto my bed and stared at the ceiling fan. My body was exhausted but my mind was restless, and even when I wasn't a strong believer in God, I prayed for the best and prepared for the worst.

* * *

The slamming of the front door startled me awake. My body was damp with sweat from my previous nap. I glanced at the clock and realized the afternoon had passed and Shawn was now home from work.

Before I could revive myself from bed Shawn barged through my door. "Have you really been sleeping since you got home from school?"

My silence proved me guilty.

"Did you at least do your homework?"

"I don't have any homework." Or at least I thought so.

"Bull."

He exited my room and gave me a few moments of privacy before I did the same. I raked my fingers through my hair and straightened my shirt. Megan was sitting in the living room with the local news on play while Shawn paced through the kitchen looking for something to eat.

Then the news anchor's voice caught my attention.

"A Baldwin high school teacher was fired and detained by police today on an account of attempted assault and public intoxication. Authorities say that Gerald West, an American History teacher, got hostile with a student while under the influence on the job..."

When I pulled my eyes away from the TV Megan and Shawn were already staring me down.

"Did you know about this?" Shawn asked.

"Uh," I stammered. "I knew he had been fired but I figured the drunk thing was a rumor."

Megan was still looking at me with an irritated expression on her face. I knew I should've told her, but there had been this hope that if I avoided the subject it would erase the possibility of her becoming my new teacher.

I tried to loosen the tension. "Looks like the demand for history teachers just went up," I joked.

She didn't find it funny.

Then my phone rang. It was Blair.

I slid to answer. "Hey-"

"So you weren't gonna tell me your history teacher got fired? You know what this means, right? Megan's gonna be your new teacher and... Oh my God. Megan is going to be your teacher, Sam. Do you realize-"

"Blair," I interrupted. "Please shut up."

"I'm assuming you're not happy about this."

"Why would I be happy about this?"

I could hear Blair laughing. "Cause at least you'll have something nice to stare at."

"I hate you."

"So were you the one to tell her?"

"Not exactly." I walked away from the living room. "I uh, she just heard it on the news."

"Damn."

I peered back over to Megan and saw her reach over to her own phone that was sitting on the coffee table. It was ringing. Oh God, that could only mean one thing.

"Blair, I think she's getting a call from school," I panicked.

"Holy... Yes! Wait, tell me what she says!"

I watched in silence from afar, studying her reactions that were now animated by whatever the person on the other side of the phone was saying. She was smiling really hard. So hard that I noticed she had the prettiest set of teeth. Then she began rummaging through her bag and nodding away. Oh this wasn't good.

"Sam? Sam, what's happening?!"

Megan nodded one more time and mouthed a 'thank you' before hanging up. That's when I heard her tell Shawn. "I got the job."

My heart sank to my stomach. I closed myself in my room and sat on my bed.

"Samantha, answer me!"

"She got the job," I stated. My voice was hollow.

"Oh man." I could practically hear Blair smiling. "This is... this is gonna be awesome."

"Shut up."

"Just wait until she finds out you're in her class! I can already see her face-"

"Blair," I interrupted. "That's enough. It's not funny."

"Oh come on Sam, it'll be fine. Not everyone can say their hot roommate is also their high school history teacher."

I lied flat on my back and continued to stare at the fan again. "This has to be some kind of sick joke, right?"

"If it is, I think it's hilarious."

"I'm hanging up now."

"Alright fine," Blair said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I ended the call and tried not to think so hard, but it was impossible. Megan would be sitting in my final hour tomorrow and I couldn't bring myself to exit my room to warn her. Maybe I should keep it a surprise. Play it off and make a joke out of it. I definitely wouldn't let her see that it intimidated the hell out of me. That would only give her the advantage.

I guess Blair's gut feeling was right after all.

* * *

The hallways were buzzing even more than usual come Friday morning. Of course, I already knew why and it was managing to annoy the hell out of me. It was Megan. I knew it was because every two seconds I would hear someone mumble "the new History teacher" and "yeah, the hot one".

The atmosphere seemed thick with hormones, but I decided to avoid the classroom until my last hour. I already knew what waited for me and I wasn't the least bit excited about it.

On the other hand, it seemed to be the only thing Blair cared about.

"Megan's all anyone is talking about right now," she stated.

"And you're just as bad as everyone else."

As I packed my bag from third period I silently thought about what she would say when she saw me. Would she even say anything or would she act like I was just another student? It was hard to believe she wouldn't react at all, but I knew it would definitely be awkward. I hated awkward.

When the bell rang my stomach dropped. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to go to my final class. I wanted to skip. To leave campus and just go home.

I walked out of class with Blair and took the long way around, and she could tell I was avoiding the inevitable.

"Are you trying to be late?" she asked.

"I'm trying to coax myself to actually go," I admitted.

"Well, being tardy to her first class would probably put you off on the wrong foot."

"I'm sure she'll understand."

Then the tardy bell rang but I still hadn't found the courage to turn down her hallway. I needed to go. I knew that. But God, I'd rather gouge my eyes out.

Blair tugged me down the hallway. "You can't run away from your fears."

"I don't have fears," I lied. "I just don't like uncomfortable situations."

"That's funny, because your life is basically an uncomfortable situation."

We made it to the classroom but the door was closed. Oh this was great. Blair was right. What a great first impression I was about to make.

She smirked. "Tell me how it goes?"

"Goodbye Blair," I dismissed.

She knocked three times before darting down the hall and away from me. I wanted to puke as I waited. I could definitely make it if I ran now but my feet were glued to the floor. I could hear footsteps on the other side. My heart was hammering at the image of Megan standing in the doorway. The handle of the door twisted. I held my breath.

Before I could think anymore she appeared in the doorway. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant pony-tail. Her make-up was subtle and professional. I could smell a hint of perfume as I forced my eyes to remain locked on hers. She stood above me only about an inch since she was wearing heels. Then I noticed I was staring.

"Sam?"

Her smooth voice pulled me out of my trance. I felt like I had been slapped in the face by an angel. Where the hell was I again?

"Y-Yea," I stammered. "I'm sorry I'm late-"

"Please tell me you're not in this class."

"I'm not in this class," I dead panned.

"Really?"

"No, of course I am. Why else would I be standing here?"

"But it's a junior level class..."

I allowed all of my weight to rest on my right leg as I crossed my arms. "You think I don't know that? I failed it last year and now have to retake it."

She looked back quickly and then opened the door. "Come on I have to take attendance."

"Does this mean I'm technically not late?"

"You're still tardy Sam. Now take a seat," she ordered. I enjoyed her demands a little too much.

So I did, gazing up at her and taking in the situation. She had everyone on her hook. All eyes watched, poised and alert, as if this wasn't history class but rather a rare meteor shower. No one wanted to miss a thing. I found myself doing the same.

"Samantha Carson," she called out. Her gaze locked with mine.

I smirked even though the sound of my full name made me sick. "Just call me Sam."

"Sam," she repeated with a sigh. She forced her eyes off of me to continue.

She finished roll call and closed her folder, then leaned over her podium to assess the class before speaking. "As you all know... I will be replacing Mr. West. My names Miss Adams, and this is my first year teaching by myself, so you'll have to bear with me."

"Don't worry," I included. "We're not hard to please."

The class got a kick out of my comment but Megan didn't seem to like it. I considered my response untimely, but sometimes I just couldn't help myself.

"Good to know," she answered disdainfully. "I don't have a plan for today so consider it a free period. But come Monday be prepared to jump right back in."

This got the class even more excited.

I watched Megan strut to her desk, along with some of the boys in the class before I turned away. I hadn't even had the chance to relax and prop my feet up before I heard my name.

"Sam, can I have a word with you?"

Already? Jeez, it hasn't even been five minutes.

I stood and walked over to her desk. "Yes, Miss Adams?"

"Don't say my name like that," she ordered.

"Like what?"

"Like you're in some amateur home video."

This time I had to look around to see if anyone had heard that comment.

"Look, I know it's gonna be weird, but it is what it is. So don't be that student," she claimed in a hushed voice. "It's enough that I live with you at the moment. The last thing I want is for things to get even more awkward than they already are because you give me a hard time in class. We're not friends. At least not here."

I was taken back by the mouthful of words she had for me, but unfortunately I understood where she was coming from. I just hadn't expected her words to sting so much.

I just nodded. "Not friends. Got it." Then I returned to my desk without another word.

And suddenly I realized I wasn't prepared for the worst.