“So what should I wear to school tomorrow, Eggsy?” she asked while surveying her closet. Eggsy was lying upside down on her bed looking more like a bearskin rug than a dog.
“Fine, be that way, but if I don’t wear the right thing I’m blaming you.”
Sam heard laughter behind her and whirled around to see Devon standing in her room trying to cover his huge grin.
“Devon!” she yelled.
Eggsy leapt off the bed and tackled Devon.
After he escaped the dog’s incessant licking, Devon greeted Sam. “Well, it looks like you two have been getting on.”
“He’s alright,” she muttered unable to hide her smile.
“Do you want help picking out your school clothes, or does Eggsy have it covered?” he teased.
“Shut up.”
Devon burst out laughing. “That was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Oh, whatever! Take your mangy mutt so I can have my bed back.”
Devon ignored Sam’s protests, and gave her a big hug. “I knew you’d grow to love him. He’s just like me. Irresistible.”
Sam rolled her eyes as she tried to push Devon away, but secretly she was happy to have him back. And being in his arms wasn’t so bad either.
Devon
Not seeing Sam for two days had just about driven Devon crazy, not to mention that every hour he’d spent in London was filled with mind-numbing software lectures. He’d wanted to text Sam, but he felt funny about it with her father always around. They’d even shared a hotel room so Mr. Connors could spend his down time working with Devon on Cor-Tec.
The weekend was an utter nightmare. It was a glimpse into Devon’s future—or lack of one—and it made him want to stab his eyes out. Devon was an outdoorsman. He wanted to major in environmental studies. So being locked in a building staring at a computer screen for two days straight made him want to scream. And that was only a weekend. Soon he would be spending every day like that.
That thought brought the old suffocating feeling back to his chest. But when Devon came home to find Sam chatting with his dog, his heart nearly melted. His stress instantly vanished and he could breathe again.
Devon was so happy to see Sam that he had to remind himself that she wasn’t actually his girlfriend when he crushed her in a massive hug. He’d wanted to kiss her. He wanted to do so many things. Stupid rules.
Instead he spent all night hanging out in Sam’s room with Eggsy. He loved what she’d done with the place. It was so bright and airy. It kind of reminded him of being in the clouds—which was ironically how he felt when he was with her. Devon especially loved the white twinkling lights Sam hung above her bed. She said it was so she could pretend she was sleeping under the stars and he felt his heart swell too big for his chest. A girl that liked to sleep under the stars? Could she be any more perfect for him?
They lay under her starry sky for hours while he filled her in about his dreadful trip to London and answered her first day of school questions. The poor thing had the jitters and it just made him want to hug her.
“There’s no need to be nervous, Sam.”
“Easy for you to say. You’ve gone to Eddington all your life. And you’re a boy.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Being the new girl sucks. Girls are evil. Haven’t you ever seen Mean Girls?”
“No, but being the new girl, means all the blokes will be keen for ya.”
“Yes, which is exactly why all the girls are going to hate me.”
“You know, I think they’d hate you less if you have a boyfriend,” he suggested.
“That’s not true.”
“Think about it. If you have a boyfriend, you’re not a threat to steal their blokes.”
“And I suppose you’re volunteering as tribute?”
Devon laughed. Sometimes he didn’t understand half the weird American slangs she used. “Yeah, why not. It’s almost like I’m your boyfriend anyway.”
“An almost boyfriend sounds complicated.”
“Good thing we have all your rules.”
Sam threw a pillow at him and dramatically flopped back on her bed. “This sucks! I wish I was just going back to Stanton tomorrow. And that I had a pizza.”
“Pizza?”
“Yes, it’s my back to school tradition. Or at least it was. Megan and I would stay up late and eat a whole pizza and write down goals for the year.”
Devon felt that fizzy feeling in his chest again. Sam was giving him one of those wistful smiles that made him want to lasso the moon for her.
“Well, we can’t break tradition, now can we?” Devon said taking Sam by the hand and pulling her out of bed.
“Where are we going to get a pizza at this hour in the-middle-of-nowhere-Ireland?”
“We’re not, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make one.”
Sam
Sam was sitting on the metal counter of the industrial kitchen that she hadn’t even known existed until a few minutes ago. This house really was ridiculous. How did you hide a kitchen this big? Although, Sam supposed it was meant to be hidden. Devon told her it was where the chef and staff prepared all the family’s meals and they hated when he snuck in and raided it. Which apparently, he did often, because he certainly knew his way around.
Devon looted the pantry, while Sam looked up a pizza recipe. Then they created their masterpiece.
“It looks like a pizza,” Sam said optimistically.
“Hopefully it tastes like one,” Devon said after placing it in the oven.
He had flour on his forehead and Sam desperately wanted to wipe it off, but she didn’t trust herself. She’d already felt butterflies every time their hands touched while arguing over where to put the toppings. And now he was smiling at her—one of his just for her smiles—and whenever he did that she just wanted to grab him by the dimples and kiss him. No, the flour stays. She didn’t want to risk turning her almost boyfriend into the real thing the night before school started. She had enough to worry about.
Devon took a swig from a bottle of red wine and handed it to her.
She looked at him feigning horror. “Drinking on a school night?”
“I know we have school tomorrow, but what’s pizza without red wine.”
“That face was because I don’t drink wine with pizza,” she teased. “I’m more of a pizza and beer kinda girl.”
“Grand, pizza and beer it is,” Devon sang.
He returned from the massive walk-in refrigerator with a cold bottle of beer for Sam, which she happily drank.
They took the pizza and a few more beers back to her room and ate it in her bed. The pizza actually turned out well. “You know, this almost feels normal,” Sam said, finishing off the last slice.
“You say almost a lot,” Devon replied. “What’s with that?”
“You sound like Megan. She thinks it’s because I’m afraid of commitment.”
“Are you?”
“God, I don’t know? Aren’t we all?”
“No. I’m not.”
Sam didn’t like the way Devon was looking at her now—all hopeful gray eyes and perfect mouth. That was the kind of look that precedes a declaration.
“Thanks for tonight, Devon. It’s late. We should get some sleep. Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day.”
Disappointment flickered across his face, but he converted it to a polite smile.
“Right. Goodnight, Sam.”
“Goodnight, Devon.”
Eggsy groaned when Devon tried ousting him from Sam’s bed. “Come on, ya traitor.”
Sam watched them leave her room. And once the door was shut, she felt a crushing loneliness. Maybe Devon and Megan were right. Maybe she was afraid of commitment and this was her future—endless hours of being alone because she could never get past almost. She wished she could talk to Megan. But for tonight, she was alone with her thoughts.
18
Devon
Devon groaned. “Stop worrying about thin
gs before they happen.”
He was driving Sam to Eddington and so far she’d spent the whole trip spewing enough worry to shake even his confidence. “I’ve already promised to walk you to your first class. We have the next one together, and then lunch. It’ll be fine.”
“But—”
“But nothing. You look grand. You sound grand. Everything’s going to be grand!”
“Fine!” she huffed.
They drove the last few miles in silence.
When Devon pulled into the lot at Eddington, he headed straight to his designated spot. All the students who drove on campus had special permits and got their own personal parking spots. The athletes always decorated theirs with their jersey numbers and such. Devon hadn’t had time to paint over his spot. He wondered bitterly if someone else wore his jersey number now. But before Devon even got to his spot he could tell something was wrong. Maybe everything wasn’t going to be grand.
“What’s that?” Sam asked as they pulled up to his spot.
There were a bunch of students gathered around his parking spot and at first he couldn’t tell what they were pointing at. But when they got closer his mouth fell open. Someone had spray painted all manner of foul words across his spot. His name was crossed out and an effigy wearing his old jersey was sitting in a chair with a noose around its neck.
Devon choked on his anger, the muscles in his jaw bulging as he silently drove past the crowd.
“Was that supposed to be you?” Sam asked, sounding appalled.
“I imagine so,” he grumbled.
“What the hell? I know you quit the team, but this is ridiculous.”
“It’s just a first day prank.”
“What happened to everything will be grand?” she asked.
“It will be, for you.”
“Maybe you should tell the administration about this.”
“Let it go, Sam. It’s just a bunch of blokes blowing off steam.”
“But they hung a mannequin that was supposed to be you. That’s some messed up voodoo shit, Devon!”
“I let them down. I get it. If the shoe were on the other foot I’d have been helping them degrade some other poor bloke’s space.”
She just stared at him open-mouthed while he drove to the back of the lot to find an empty parking space. Devon parked and opened the back hatch so they could grab their books.
“Look,” he said gently putting a hand on Sam to stop her from walking toward the school. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea for us to walk up together.”
“What? Because of that?” she asked gesturing in the direction of his old parking space.
Devon nodded. “I know you’re already worried about starting at a new school. I don’t want to make things harder for you.”
“Fuck ‘em,” she said taking Devon’s hand and lifting her chin a little higher. “Friend rule number one. Friends always have each other’s backs.”
Devon squeezed her hand and felt his chest open a little further. He laced his fingers with hers and they strode up to Eddington together.
Maybe things were going to be just grand after all.
Sam
Things were not grand.
All during Sam’s first period class she felt like she was in a bad dream. The kind where you’re giving a speech in your underwear and everyone is pointing and laughing. She may not have been in her underwear, but everyone was definitely laughing at her expense.
They were all whispering about her. Saying her name just loud enough for her to overhear. She knew that game. She’d participated in it. But she’d never been on the receiving end. It sucked. She kept hearing words like slut and bitch. And she heard Devon’s name mentioned with hers a lot. Everyone definitely thought they were dating, or at least a packaged deal. There went Devon’s boyfriend theory. Almost boyfriend or not, Sam knew she had a target on her back.
She excused herself to the girls’ lavatory halfway through class and hid in a bathroom stall trying not to cry. She just needed to get it out. God, she hated this. She was every typical teen movie right now. She could see the credits—Samantha Conners as, girl crying in bathroom. Sam dabbed away the few tears that slipped out and texted Megan.
SAM: Today blows.
Megan instantly Facetimed her. “Are you in a bathroom?”
“Yes,” Sam hiccupped. “Keep your voice down.”
“Okay, Moaning Myrtle.”
“Could you just not right now? I’m having a really shitty day.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I feel like I’m on the set of Mean Girls! Every person in my first period class has literally been whispering about me and saying I’m a slut. I’m just waiting for someone to say On Wednesdays We Wear Pink. At least then I’ll know I’m stuck in a nightmare. This can’t be my life now, Meg!”
“Is it really that bad?”
“I’m calling you from a bathroom stall!” Sam hissed.
“Okay! Okay! Just calm down. I’m so sorry, Sam. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Me too.”
“Maybe if you tell your dad about it he’ll let you come home?”
“Doubtful. He’ll just say something lame like give it time, or hang in there.”
“He does love those motivational posters.”
“Ugh! What am I gonna do, Meg?”
“Just ignore them. If they don’t see how awesome you are, they’re blind. And you’ll be back in Boston in no time. So who cares what they think, right?”
“You’re right.”
“I’m always right.” Megan smiled.
“I miss you, Meg.”
“I miss you too! Call me if the natives get restless.”
By the time Sam made it to lunch she was checking her back for kick me signs. Thank God she had Devon, because she didn’t think she could face the lunchroom alone. It was like walking into the belly of the beast. Sam knew the students weren’t audibly booing her, but it kinda felt like they were as she and Devon walked through the rows of tables. She felt hundreds of eyes swivel, watching them until they found a seat.
“This is not grand,” Sam whispered once they were seated.
“I know. I’m sorry,” Devon replied. “I have a feeling it’s all my fault.”
“Are you sure this is just about you quitting the soccer team? Did you maybe murder someone and forget to mention it?”
Devon smirked. “Sadly, no. I have a feeling this is Sophie’s doing.”
“Why?” Sam asked while tearing her sandwich into tiny pieces for no reason other than that she needed something to do with her hands.
“Sophie made a couple rude comments about you being my girlfriend in first period.”
“And did you correct her?”
“Yes, of course. But I don’t think she believes me.”
Sam sighed and shoved a straw in her can of soda, taking long slurps. “I mean why does she care anyway? You said she broke up with you.”
“I don’t know. But maybe we shouldn’t spend a lot of time together while we’re on campus. Seeing us together will only piss her off and feed the rumors.”
“You heard the rumors too? Everyone definitely thinks were dating!” Sam was still nervously slurping her soda, when Devon gently pulled it from her hands.
“Sam, you’re shaking. I don’t think you need the extra caffeine right now.”
“It has nothing to do with caffeine! You can’t abandon me, Devon! They’ll eat me alive!”
“No one’s going to hurt you, Sam. It’s all just talk. You said your old school was kinda like this, no?”
“Not this bad. And I was never the one being picked on.”
“The first day is always the worst. They’ll find someone new to pick on soon enough. But for now let’s lay low.”
Sam had calculus after lunch. And of course, Sophie and Tess were in her class. Sam already hated math. Why not make the nightmare complete and throw in a few of Satan’s blonde Barbie spawns?
Things just kept get
ting worse. Sam was late to class, so the only seat available was right in front of Sophie and Tess, and apparently a third one, named Molly, who had matching perfect blonde hair. God! Maybe Sam could just dye her hair blonde and they’d think she was one of them.
Halfway through class, Sophie leaned forward and poked Sam with a sharp pencil. “Psst.”
Sam tried to ignore her.
“Psst! It’s Samantha, right?”
Sam peeked over her shoulder.
“I’m not gonna bite you,” Sophie whispered after a dramatic eye-roll.
“What do you want?” Sam asked.
“Are you really dating Devon James?”
“No!” Sam said a little too loudly. A few other students looked at her.
“Good. Because that would be a bad idea. Devon’s not a good guy. And you’re new here. I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt.”
Jesus! Was Sophie threatening her? Wasn’t that the kind of thing people said on the Sopranos? Then Sam’s defenses kicked in. Who was Sophie to talk shit about Devon? Devon was the only good person Sam had met so far—although saying so seemed like suicide at the moment. She wussed out and instead muttered, “Well, there’s nothing to worry about because we’re not dating.”
“It’s just that it seems you two spend a lot of time together,” Sophie added a few minutes later.
Really? Sam thought their conversation was over.
“I sorta have to. I’m staying at his family’s house. Our parents are friends. It’s a long story.”
“So you’re not dating him?” Sophie asked again.
“No!”
Tess chimed in. “Then why did I see you two shopping for lingerie?”
“It was just a joke.”
“And I saw you dancing with him at my cousin’s wedding,” Molly added.
“We went as friends,” Sam replied.
“But my boyfriend said you told him you were dating Devon,” Tess continued.
Sam scoffed. “Who’s your boyfriend?”
The Almost Boyfriend (The Boyfriend Series Book 2) Page 11