The Precious One ✔

Chapter 9

I walk through the cafeteria fearfully. I have every right to be afraid. This is going to get uncomfortable.

Jenny is upset that me and Chris are going on a date. Blake is angry that I rejected him. I'm going on a date with Chris on Friday, so seeing him is going to be a little awkward. I found cocaine in Sam's room as well as that photo, which will make eye contact impossible. And my brother Ned is completely oblivious about all this.

"Hi" I take a seat at the table with my tray in my hands.

Only Ned looks up at me, Jenny and Blake just continue their conversation loudly about high school gossip. Chris And Sam are nowhere in sight.

"I got a detention can you believe it" Ned flashes me his slip.

I can't say I'm surprised. I love my brother but he sure does get into trouble a lot.

"For what?" I raise a brow.

"Smoking on school grounds" he shrugs "I'll try to get out of it though"

Suddenly I spot Sam walking over to the table. I immediately stand up and walk over to him. This is my chance to ask him about the girl in the photo. I don't care if it gets awkward.

"Hey Sam" I greet, causing him to furrow his brows at me before coming to a complete stop.

"Carter" he blinks.

"Can I talk to you?" I ask.

"Aren't we talking already?" He folds his arms.

"Uh yeah...I mean uh not here" I put my hands behind my back.

He nods cautiously "okay"

We walk through the cafeteria, which leads us to the football field. We take a seat on the bleaches where some other people sit.

I push my brows together "Who is she?" I lower my voice.

He blinks "Who?"

I shrug "the girl you see when you look at me?" He's taken back by words, causing him to freeze "at the party your wallet fell open, and I saw her picture...Who is she?"

He looks down and sighs "Angel...my... ex-girlfriend back in the Bronx"

I look like Sam's ex-girlfriend. Why does he still keep a photo of her if she's his ex? I guess he still likes her. It's also completely none of my business so I shouldn't let my curiosity get the better of me.

"What happened to her?" I struggle to ask.

"Does it matter?" He shoots me daggers.

Immediately I regret asking. Oops.

I shake my head slowly "no I guess not"

There's a moment of silence. Don't push your luck, Elise. If he doesn't want to talk then he doesn't have to talk.

Sam sighs "she's in juvy...charged with grand thrift and assault...two and a half years she got"

"Oh I'm sorry" I look down in sadness.

"Why?" He turns to me.

I look up at him "Why am I sorry?" I blink "it just sounds...hard that's all"

"Well she was...hard" he leans back, placing both hands behind his neck "she's was a giant pain in the ass, she was obnoxious, angry, violent, she could be a real bitch at times..." he then smiles "she challenged me, told me to get my shit together when I really really needed someone to tell me to get my shit together, she was fun, adventurous, she knew how to have a good time, that chick was fearless, she would go on the highest ground she could find and just stay there as long as she could....she used to say that when you're up that high all the problems in the world just seem so small....and she had a lot of problems...which a lot of people would leave her for..."

"But not you?" I raise a brow.

It's obvious she broke up with him. It sounds like he still loves her a lot.

"I could never leave....even if I wanted to" he admits.

"Sounds like you really loved her" I half smile.

"Yeah well it doesn't matter now" he looks down "She dumped me right before she was sentenced"

"Why?" I force myself to ask.

It's obvious that this girl is someone he has been trying to repress. Maybe he needs to talk about it.

"Why?" He laughed without humour as sitting up straight "I've been asking myself that for a long time...I guess she felt better when she was dealing with her shit alone"

Sam, I'll call him Julius Caesar. The Roman politician and military general. He was always all business, but his personal life was a mess. He had several suspected children and lovers, even I tend to lose count. He was assassinated by Brutus and fifty-nine other men, he was stabbed twenty-three times, with only one being lethal - the second wound to the chest.

"Why do we look so alike?" I wonder after a minute of pure silence.

He glances at me "I was hoping you could tell me" he smiles "do you have any family in the Bronx?"

I shake my head with a smile "no I can't say that I do"

All my family are in California. I wish I had some in New York to make sense of all this.

"Then it remains a mystery" Sam shrugs "I guess you're just identical strangers that's all"

"Is there really no difference?" I ponder.

He shakes his head "You sound very different... she talks like a rough-spoken New Yorker...whereas you're more..." He snaps his fingers multiple times as looking at the field ahead.

"Californian?" I raise a brow.

"Ladylike" he smiles "...Angel was broken....you're so...innocent...that's what separates you two the most....she was an artist you know" he glances at me "....she loved to interpret the world around her to show people what she sees...and she was great at it"

She loved to interpret the world around her to show people what she sees. That's beautiful. I guess Sam is a good guy, he's just been through a lot.

"Well she sounds-" I start.

"Insane?" Sam raises a brow.

"Pretty great" I half smile.

She sounds like a good person who's just had a hard time in this world, kinda like Ned.

He nods "she was" Sam smiles at me "I really don't know why I'm telling you all this...I haven't talked about Angel to anyone...you must be pretty special...Ned's lucky to have you"

I've been around broken people a long time. All I hope is for them to have someone to talk to.

I nod slowly "thank you"

He then stands up slowly "I'm going to rejoin the others, are you coming?"

It's so peaceful here. If I go back to the cafeteria I may risk upsetting Jenny and Blake. They both need a little time to calm down a bit.

I smile as shaking my head slowly "Nah I think I'll just stay here for a bit"

"suit yourself" Sam nods as leaving my sight.