A Story Worth Telling

Chapter 4

Finally the bell rang to signal to all the awaiting students that school is over. Feeling more anxious by the second I head towards my locker to put away things I don't need to take home and making sure I have my book still in my bag. I'm a bookworm what can I say? Silently thinking to myself I start to head towards the main doors and out into the parking lot preparing to walk home in the same familiar silence as always until I see a black car roll up in front of me. Curiously I step away as if I was in the way waiting for the car to pass so I can keep going. However before I can do anything else the window rolls down to reveal Alex in the drivers seat and Chase beside him.

"Hey Sam, remember our plan to hang out?" Chase asks me gesturing to the back seat telling me to get in. "Well yea but I figured you know I'd just meet you guys there?" I start to say back to him unknowingly turning it into a question. I mean why would they chance someone seeing me with them that's like commuting social suicide I'm no one special. "Nah don't worry about it Sammi. This way we'd get to have an even longer time hanging out together." Chase tells me as I slid into the backseat getting comfortable. Noticing the nickname given to me my head pops up with a surprised and somewhat confused look on my face. "Sammi?" I ask him. Noticing the look on my face his small grin widens into a full blown smile as he chuckles while saying, "Yea Sammi. I figured since we're going to become best friends eventually I ought to give you a nickname because let's face it 'Sam' seems to be so overused I mean everyone knows Sam is short for Samantha and I'd like to be the only one who has a unique name only I can call you."

Thinking over what Chase just said, I feel a slight smile tug at my lips. Sammi. I kind of like it. However before I can retort back I notice in the corner of my eye Alex looking more stiff as he grips the steering wheel turning his knuckles turning white. "Well if you can have a name for her than it should be fair I do as well don't you think Shorty?" Alex asks to no one in particular until I realize he's asking me as he glances my way every now and then while keeping his eyes on the road. "Shorty? How in the world do you get Shorty from my name?" I ask with a slight annoyance in my voice at the name.

With a sly smirk on his face, he parks and starts to get out along with Chase with me following last. Walking to my side he nonchalantly places his elbow on top of my head at a slight angle as if trying to use me as an arm rest and says, "Because Shorty your short and in a cute way. Like I said if Chase here can give you nickname it seems fit I can as well."

I scoffed at this while pushing him away with a slight glare on my face as well as trying to conceal the blush slowly appearing on my cheeks and I turn towards Alex. "I am not that short alright? So don't you dare call me Shorty ever again." I tell him angrily. I've always hated my height, always being shorter than the average girl by just a couple inches. Trying to be intimidating so he'll get the message I deepen my glare while folding my arms over my chest. However I apparently look hilarious as both Chase and Alex start laughing at my stance. "Okay laugh it up while you can I'm going to be alone, this was a mistake." I say turning on my heels and start walking towards the park entrance to get away from them both and possibly continue my book, hopefully under a nice shady tree so the sun won't be a nuisance.

"Wait, Shorty I didn't mean anything by it!" I hear Alex shout towards me. With just a few strides he's already by my side and he softly grabs my arm turning me so I can face him and he continues. "Come on don't be mad at me Shorty I think it's cute. Your height isn't anything to be ashamed of." I know he's being sincere but I swear I'll slap that cute look off his face if he calls me that one more time. 

Wait cute?

"It's okay I guess, but please stop calling me Shorty." I plead with him with a hopeful look in my eyes hoping he will listen to me. Unfortunately I have a feeling he won't ever give up the name as I notice he starts to smile. "Sorry no can do from here on your my Shorty." He tells me while coming slightly closer to me almost too close.

As I look into the hazel swirls in his eyes I'm at a lost for words. I feel like it's just me and him alone knowing that's not true because unfortunately our staring moment is interrupted by Chase. "Hey look there's a nice area over there we can sit don't you think Alex?" He asks pulling us both out of the small trance we had on each other. Shaking the feeling off I start walking with Alex closely behind me as we tread towards the area Chase pointed out. Sitting down on the ground I rest my back on the tree feeling Alex sitting beside me as Chase sits down across from us.

The next few hours consisted of the normal standard questions you ask someone you want to learn about like, what's your favorite color? What's your likes and dislikes? Your favorite animal? Tell me about your family. All kinds of questions like that. Pretty soon I find myself having a nice, relaxing time with the both of them. My giggling comes to an abrupt stop however as Chase asks me the one question I am too scared to answer in fear of being humiliated. "Have you had your first kiss?" I look at him with wide doe-like eyes trying to comprehend why on earth he would want to know the answer to that and as I struggle to come up with an excuse or some sort of lie as to not look like a complete loser in front of them, I notice in the corner of my Alex's fist start to clench tightly against his legs. I wonder why.

"Uhm my first kiss?" I ask in a whisper hoping I somehow heard him wrong. "Yeah, your first kiss! I mean come on Sammi your pretty don't tell me you haven't had it yet?" He asks. Slowly as my head ducks down letting my hair cascade down my face to hide my embarrassment, Chase's eyes start to widen as realization hits him. "O-Oh. You haven't had it yet, have you?" He asks me in a soft voice. Feeling my eyes start to water just slightly I slowly shake my head and keep my head down. After a short second I feel someone's hand find its way to mine as he holds it and squeezes gently. Looking up I follow the arm up to see Alex looking at me with a soft expression on his face. Gently he brushes my hair to behind my ear and says, "It's okay Shorty."

Immediately after hearing that stupid name my head jerks back and I glare at him once again. "What did I say about calling me Shorty?!" I hiss at him as he chuckles bringing me into a side hug shortly after feeling Chase throw his arms around us while shouting, "Group hug!"

Only after a few more minutes I noticed the sky start to slightly turn from the bright blue it once was to an orange and red shade telling my the sun is starting to set. "Well this has been fun really guys but I have to head home before my mom starts to wonder I'll see you tomorrow." With that I stand up and start heading towards the exit of the park and begin my walk home. Only about 10 minutes later I arrive at my house and head inside.

"Mom! I'm home!" I say hearing my mother's feet shuffle against the carpeted floor and then see her round the corner coming from the kitchen. "Hey sweetie how was school and why are you home so late?" She asks me. "School was...different and sorry mom I kind of lost track of time at the park with some friends." I say with a slight smile trying to forget how much fun I had while being with Chase and Alex. Especially Alex. "Friends? Are you finally opening up and making some new friends? Oh, honey that is great!" She says coming my way to give me a hug. " Yeah it is, I met two today and I feel like this is going to be a fun friendship." I tell her while smiling. Fun indeed. Never in my life did I ever think I'd make friends let alone two of them being Chase and Alex. Two of the most popular guys in my school.

Telling my mother good night after a short talk I head upstairs to my room getting ready for the night. As I start to close my eyes waiting for sleep to come to me I am slightly startled by the short tone my phone makes alerting me that I got a text message. Weird the only person that texts me is my mom. Stretching towards my night stand I grab my phone unlocking it seeing it's from an unknown number

Hey Shorty, it's Alex. Letting you know I'm going to be at yours around 6:30 to pick you up for school. Night.

Having a slight confusion rush through me I wonder how Alex got my number. Not wanting to dwell on it too much I put my phone back while trying to get some sleep. I'll just ask him about it tomorrow.