Learning to Soar (White Dove Book 3)

by Maya William

  My courage abandons me, and I don’t dare look him in the face.

  A shadow moves at the door, and when I glance over, my jaw drops to find a woman standing in the doorframe.

  “Natalie,” Samuel exclaims, surprised as he releases me and strides toward her.

  A toothy smile spreads over her lips. “Baby, what are you doing?” she asks, her voice an octave higher than usual.

  Baby? What? …Oh!

  How could I be so stupid! Big Guy, why didn’t you tell me? She’s his girlfriend, right?

  “Don’t,” Samuel warns, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the studio.

  What should I do? I don’t want him to find me falling into a million pieces once he returns. This is so darn embarrassing.

  Quickly, I run to my backpack, change into my street shoes, and yank my hoodie out. Several things come flying out of my bag in the process.

  Please, not now, Big Guy!

  I drop to my knees and pick up my cell phone, happy to see my stupidity didn’t crack the screen, then move to collect my wallet, which landed near the door of the studio.

  My head snaps up when Samuel’s words reach me. “She’s just a girl I’m teaching how to dance.”

  Ouch! Just a girl, sixteen going on twelve, right, Big Guy?

  The words keep echoing in my head, creating a crack in my heart and tears in my eyes.

  “Oh, really! Baby, I wasn’t born yesterday,” she answers, “unlike her.”

  What?

  “Natalie, stop it. She’s Zach and Abigail’s little sister. They asked me to teach her how to dance for the ball at her school.”

  Triple ouch! Little sister?

  I can’t stand to listen to another word.

  Grabbing my wallet, I close my backpack and decide to leave through one of the sliding doors to the small garden. Lucky for me, I find an unlocked door at one of the classrooms located on the other side and hurry toward the front of the building.

  “Leaving so soon?” Melissa, the receptionist, asks, stopping me from reaching the exit.

  Just hold it in a little longer, Samantha, you can do it.

  “Something came up. Darcy and I plan to catch a movie,” I lie while trying to sound calm. I even manage to put a smile on my face.

  Her brow furrows, and her eyes narrow, my act probably not as perfect as I thought. “Have fun, sweetie.”

  “Thanks. See you soon, Melissa,” I manage to answer before my voice cracks.

  I reach the door, step outside, and run toward the parking lot while digging my hand inside of my bag, searching for the car keys.

  A few more seconds. We can do it!

  Internally, I keep encouraging myself, but the darn keys are nowhere in my bag. I could have sworn…

  Shift!

  My hand flies to my forehead. They probably flew out when everything else did. In my haste to escape, I didn’t take inventory of my personal belongings and…

  I glance back at the dance studio.

  Yep! I don’t plan to go back inside to get them.

  “Samantha!” Samuel’s voice sounds close.

  No! No! No! I can’t face him right now, or his girlfriend.

  Cowardly, I hide between the dumpster and the fence, holding my breath because of the stench, and hope he doesn’t hear the beating of my uncontrolled heart.

  Melissa’s voice joins his. “She said she had plans with some friends.”

  I pull my feet closer to my body in a fetal position, hoping the little hiding place is good enough.

  “Let the little whore run off,” Natalie sneers. “We can have dinner before you leave.”

  Is that what I became because of a simple kiss?

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Melissa immediately replies. “She’s not a wh—”

  “Natalie, don’t you dare call her that!” Samuel growls at Natalie, cutting Melissa off and silencing her. “I already told you, I won’t have dinner with you! Now, Melissa, did she happen to mention which one of her friends?”

  “Darcy,” Melissa replies. “They were going to catch a movie.”

  “Really? Then why’s Zach’s car still parked here?” he demands, not believing a single word Melissa said. “Damn, my phone’s still inside. I need to find her.”

  Darn it! I didn’t think my lie through.

  “You don’t need to do that!” Natalie yells, the voices moving away. “If she’s left, you don’t have to…”

  The crunch of the parking lot rocks sounds farther away. I move out of my stinky hiding place and look beneath the cars, checking for feet on the other side before I stand.

  With my bag in hand, I pull my cell phone out and put it on vibrate mode. Then, not in the mood to deal with Samuel and Natalie, I run away from the parking lot in the opposite direction from my house. My main goal is to create a big gap between them and me.

  I’m such a chicken! The irony is, less than ten minutes ago, I thought I had the courage of a lion.

  While walking, I replay the whole scene in my mind, mentally kicking myself for jumping to conclusions. Why didn’t I guess about Natalie?

  Probably, my crush blinded me, and my lack of experience with boy and girl relationships didn’t help.

  My mood must reflect in the weather, because rain begins to fall, dampening my hair.

  Big Guy, would you please cut me some slack?

  I pull my hoodie up and run to the first place that offers protection. When I reach a bus stop, I don’t recognize my surroundings.

  Looking up at the sky, my stomach plummets. Nightfall will arrive soon.

  Why did I drop the darn keys? I really miss Zach’s car.

  Luckily, a McDonald’s sign lights up down the block, which seems like a safer place than the street. Not wanting to get robbed on the same day my heart was broken, I run toward it.

  Once inside, I desperately search for the farthest seat from the public eye. Ironically, it happens to be in the kid’s area, near the kiddie games.

  Numbly, my brain tries to focus, pushing aside the hurt in my heart while searching for a way to go back home. No matter how much pain I’m currently in, I refuse to call my brother and interrupt his date with my friend.

  Oh, nuts! If Samuel knew about Knightley asking me out, he for sure also knew about Zach going out with Darcy tonight.

  I pull my cellphone from my backpack to figure out my next move. A knot forms in my throat when I find nine missed calls from Samuel.

  Yep, he won’t be happy.

  Frankly, who cares? Clearly, he wasn’t happy after getting him in loads of trouble with his girlfriend with that kiss.

  The message icon shows at least ten texts, all from Samuel’s chat. My finger hesitates on top of it, while an internal struggle happens inside my mind. A part of me is curious, yet the hurt allows me to move away. Let him assume I’m purposely ignoring him.

  Anyways, after the nine calls, he already knows I am.

  Desperate, I raise my head in time to see a car similar to Samuel’s entering the parking lot. With my gaze fixed on it, I follow it to where it parks.

  Please, Big Guy, let it not be him.

  My eyes slam shut when the door of the restaurant opens, and his big frame steps inside.

  How did he find me?

  The answer to my question literally rests in my hands.

  My phone.

  The explanation Lyra gave me a few weeks ago about the phone features runs through my mind, stopping when it reaches the tracking device.

  Stupid tracking device! A girl needs some personal time to mend her broken heart.

  Pulling my hoodie farther up to conceal my face, my gaze follows him. His head moves from one side to the other, scanning people’s faces.

  I need to hide; I can’t face him right now.

  Desperately, I scan the restaurant, searching for an alternate exit. But keeping up with my bad luck streak, they all happen to be in the common area, where Samuel can easily spot me.

  My eyes land on the
kiddie game, and a lightbulb switches on inside my mind. Taking advantage of Samuel talking to a cashier, I grab my backpack and climb it, situating myself in a place out of sight, then immediately turn off my phone.

  For safe measure, I remove the battery and the chip inside as well, remembering how Isla taught me when she changed the screen of my phone.

  If this doesn’t disable the tracking device, then I’m certainly, well…screwed.

  I hold my breath as Samuel goes to the restrooms, then moves through the restaurant area. He even searches beneath the tables.

  In my hiding place, kids glance at me strangely.

  “This is only for kids,” a small girl, around four-years-old says, putting her hand on her hip.

  I need to come up with something.

  My finger flies to my lips. “Shhh! I’m playing hide-and-seek with a friend,” I whisper the partial lie, “and I might be winning.”

  Her eyes narrow.

  I point at Samuel, internally hoping this plan doesn’t backfire on me.

  She turns and eyes him. The way he continues to search plays right into my story.

  “But you’re not a kid,” she whispers back, turning toward me.

  Technically, according to Archie and the rest, I’m sixteen going on twelve.

  “I know, darling, but I want to win,” I plead, putting my hands together. “Can you help me?”

  She bites her lip, then steps back. “Mommy said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

  Well, you started the conversation! But her mom’s right, and apparently my corrupting ways like to target teenagers, like David.

  “Your mommy’s right, hon! How about you don’t tell anybody I’m here? Please?”

  “Okay!” Appeased by my explanation, she moves to the next kiddie module.

  Glancing through the cracks of the game, I find Samuel pulling his cell phone out.

  “Dammit, Samantha!” he shouts. “Where the hell are you?”

  People’s heads turn toward him.

  I believe somebody just realized I turned off my phone. Finally, I did something right!

  Seeing him this desperate tie my stomach in a knot, but I barely hold it together by a thread and a little bit of adrenaline. There’s no way I can face him right now.

  Please, Big Guy, help me!

  The manager comes and asks him to leave after his not too polite shouting.

  Finally, the air returns to my lungs when Samuel leaves. I pull my legs tight to my body, deciding to move to the next problem at hand.

  How to get home?

  Obviously, I don’t plan to move into a kiddie game or a McDonald’s for that matter, although the idea of avoiding Samuel forever does sound tempting.

  I make a mental inventory of which of my friends I can ask for help. Abigail, of course, is out of the question. I don’t want to interrupt the double date between Kellan, Barb, Zach, and Darcy. I could call Lyra, but I don’t want the I told you so look. Perhaps Joy, but she’ll kick Samuel’s butt if she knows how much I hurt. Oliver will want to know the whole story, which leaves…

  Archie!

  Now, time to face the terrible choice of either assembling my phone and calling Archie, which risks Samuel discovering my current location, or asking a stranger to loan me their phone to call my friend. My dilemma quickly ends when I realize I don’t know Archie’s number by heart.

  Well, there’s only one way out of this mess.

  Quickly, I put the chip and battery back in and turn my phone on, praying Samuel’s not looking for me right at this instant. The moment it comes to life, I quickly search for Archie’s number and press call.

  “Samantha?” he answers on the first ring. “Where are y—”

  “Can you help me?” I cut him off.

  “Sure, but—”

  “I’ll send you my location. Please come and get me, and don’t tell Samuel,” I blurt out.

  “He’s about to go crazy,” he answers.

  “Please,” my voice finally cracks, and tears begin to fall.

  “Fine,” he agrees, not too happy with my terms.

  “Thank you, search for me at the kiddie game,” I rush the words and hang up without waiting for an answer.

  Then, I open the messaging app and send him my location.

  The moment I know he received it, I dismantle my phone again and wait in my little hole for Archie to arrive.

  Boys are trouble

  My nails provide the distraction I need while waiting for Archie to arrive.

  They now not only lack nail polish, but they look damaged after removing it without acetone. Once Barb notices them, she’ll give me an earful after all the hard work she put in. But, on a positive note, it kept my mind busy and provided a numb sensation instead of breaking down.

  “Samantha, come out, come out, wherever you are?” Archie’s voice travels through the slide on the kiddie game.

  Grabbing my backpack, I take the fastest route by scooting into the slide and landing in the pit of balls.

  “Aren’t you a little old for this?” Archie’s smile quickly disappears the moment his eyes land on me. “You look like shit.”

  “Language! We’re in a kid’s area.”

  Archie lifts his eyebrow, and his lips form a tight line.

  After all the swearing I’ve done, I’ll spend the rest of the week praying.

  “You lost!” the little girl shrieks from her parents’ table, a French fry in her hand, silencing Archie and earning some curious glances from her parents.

  Archie’s head snaps toward the girl, his mouth opening and closing several times, before he turns to me.

  I lift my shoulders and quickly drop them.

  He sighs and shakes his head. “Come on, Samantha, time to go home.”

  As we walk through the restaurant, heads turn when we pass by their tables, making me realize I really do like like…what Archie said.

  A few feet from the exit, I stop and grab Archie’s arm. “Is Samuel with you?”

  Somehow, I know deep down Archie went ahead and told Samuel he knew where I was. And I wouldn’t put it past Samuel to track Archie’s cellphone.

  His gaze turns toward the door. “No,” he answers a few seconds too late, his free hand suspiciously pulling his phone from his shirt and unlocking it.

  Yeah, right. Natalie might say I’m a baby, but like her, I wasn’t born yesterday.

  “Can you give me a couple minutes to refresh myself? I don’t want to go home looking like a mess,” I request to give Archie time to get rid of Samuel.

  Also, I want to avoid the family asking unnecessary questions, and my current appearance won’t help me.

  “Sure.” Archie lifts his phone to his ear and offers me a weak smile.

  Inside the ladies’ room, my reflection answers all the questioning looks I got from the diners.

  My still damp hair is a complete mess, the top part loose from my ponytail after running my hands through it several times. The little makeup I wore is smudged around the edges and left black trails on my cheeks from the tears I shed.

  And here I thought I kept it together. The red blotches on my face beg to differ.

  After removing my wet hoodie, I stuff it into my bag, then let my hair loose and finger-comb it, trying to get most of the water out before I weave it into a braid. I wash my face to remove any trace of makeup.

  Once done, I look like my old, natural self with some red splotches, which will hopefully disappear by the time we get home.

  When I step out of the bathroom, Archie sits at one of the tables, waiting for me while typing something on his phone.

  “Thanks,” I mumble, bringing his attention to me.

  “You’re more than welcome.” He puts the phone away and hands me a bottle of water. “Ready?”

  I nod.

  We step out of McDonald’s. When we arrive at his car my heart drops to the pit of my stomach. Zach’s car keys lay on top of the hood.

  My small control cracks, and the te
ars overflow again.

  I never won the hide-and-seek game. Samuel knew I was here the whole time and waited for me to come out.

  Right then, I want to return to my little hideout and die there.

  The whole way back, poor Archie has to deal with crazy little Samantha. My sobs break the silence, but I refuse to give him any explanation, and it’s kind of him not to ask for one.

  Even if he did, I don’t believe I could provide it.

  The moment he parks the car, I open the door and flee toward the house, not waiting for him to kill the engine. Once inside, I run up the stairs and lock myself in my room to continue with my pathetic crying until there are no more tears to shed and consciousness leaves me, allowing me to enter a world where the pain in my heart doesn’t feel so bad.

  Loud whispers on the other side of my door wake me. Judging by the lack of light coming from my window, it’s either too late or too early.

  I rise and tiptoe my way to the door.

  “Just let me see her,” Samuel’s pleading voice comes from the other side of my door.

  On instinct, I back up a couple steps as the memories and the pain in my heart come crashing down.

  “She doesn’t want to see you right now,” Kellan’s determined voice replies. “She finally calmed down a couple hours ago.”

  For a moment, I picture Kellan as one of the party bouncers outside my door, not allowing any unwanted people inside.

  “I need to make sure she’s all right before I leave,” Samuel protests. “Please, Kellan, she’s ignoring me.”

  “Zach and Abigail’s orders were very specific,” Kellan explains, “not to let anybody inside, which also means you.”

  Yes, it does!

  “I can’t leave like this. I need to make things right.” I picture Samuel running his finger nervously through his hair.

  Another crack runs down my heart.

  “And get on Abigail’s bad side? You want her to shoot me?” Kellan responds.

  “Honestly, Barb wouldn’t allow it.”

  “If she thinks I deserve it, she would.” Kellan chuckles. “And she’ll side with Abigail on this one. The little dove managed to get into everybody’s heart.”

  You’re wrong, Kellan, only some of them.

  “Well, then, tell her I overpowered you,” Samuel suggests.