They sat on the stone wall outside the entrance to the school eating ice cream and red snakes. Sam was so content just sitting there enjoying the sun and her friend’s company.
“Oh God, here they come again.” Dena remarked toward the oncoming group of girls. One of them picked up a handful of stones and threw it at the pair, narrowly missing them. “They make me so mad up on their high horses thinking they’re God’s gift to the world,” she spat. Sam nodded wistfully, wondering why.
The group walked off leaving a glazed and mesmerized expression on Dena’s face. Sam looked towards the direction of her gaze and realized the cause of her distraction. Jenson Ackles was the boy all other boys revered and all girls were in love with.
“Dena, he’s not worth it. You know that.”
“I know, it’s not hurting anybody though. A girl can dream...”
Sam caught her attention and rolled her eyes.
“C’mon, we’re late!” Dragging her friend off to their next class.
Sam came to with car horns ringing in her ears.
“Get off the road!”
“Alright, alright!” She shouted, hurrying off the road and quickly regaining her balance on the pavement. Blinking a couple of times, she walked off.
The smell of cigarette smoke was overwhelming as she opened the door to reveal the culprits of the stench.
“You could do so much better for yourself you know. You could be one of us you know, just got t’ prove yourself you know?” She held out the packet to Sam, raising her eyebrow. Sam smirked, anticipating the potential the situation presented. She lifted her hand out to accept one, put it in her mouth and lit it. It tasted smoother and more powerful than she had ever imagined.
She planned it to happen while Dena was arriving home. She wrapped her hand around the dark hair at the back of his neck and kissed him. It was too easy. She shifted slightly so out of the corner of her eye she saw Dena’s horrific expression as she turned into the entrance of her driveway. Not being able to bear the treachery written across her friend’s face, she closed her eyes, kissing him harder. The girls emerged from the shadows laughing, grabbing Sam’s handing and pulling her away down the road.
The bath water was cold this time.
“Shit, shit, shit...” Sam sunk her head back under, wishing she had never remembered.
“Dena, I’m sorry, I hate how horrible old Sam was to you, I hate her for hurting you so much... If I could take it back I would...”
Dena’s eyes welled up with tears as she reached across the table to hold Sam’s hand and whispered,
“Sam, of course I forgive you. I forgave you as soon as you’d done it because I knew the Sam I knew would have never have done that...”
“Dena! I had just crushed your dreams and desires for Jason...”
“Jenson.” Dena interrupted.
“...whatever, my point is I was such a bitch... he was your world and I’d stolen him from you.”
“Sam, do you remember walking off with those girls?”
She nodded, looking searchingly for some means of redemption.
“Well, you see, you looked back, and in your eyes I saw the most amount of regret and pain that I have ever seen in my life. So you see, I knew you were only acting out of the other girls’ spite and maliciousness.” She smiled. “My Sam could never do that. I forgave you there and then.” She wiped Sam’s face of unknowingly spent tears.
“Dena, you are the kindest, most beautiful and graceful soul I have ever met. Thank you... thank you.”