Chapter 1
Samantha Collins was excited and nervous for her ten-year reunion, as she walked down the halls, the same gloom surrounded her as she made her way towards the gym. She could already smell the mix of mold and sweaty gym socks coming from the open gym doors. The old high school gym at East Shores High School hadn’t changed with the fresh coat of paint covering the walls with an eggshell glow trying to give the room a facelift without success.
Walking into the gym a large ” Welcome back Class of 2010" hung over the stage. Around the perimeter there were rectangular tables arranged each with fresh cut flowers. The middle was clear for the dance floor, a few people were already rocking out to the latest ‘it’ song. Up on the stage a young man had a headset clinched between his ear and shoulder while making adjustments on his laptop. Disco lights were set up on either side of him as the lights flashed to the beat of the music. All around the room was decorated with streamers and balloons in baby blue and white, the school’s colours.
As Samantha nervously stepped into the gym, she scanned the room looking for her best friend Natalie. Keeping her head low as she fidgeted with her purse, she stepped into the shadows just inside the door. Hoping her fellow classmates wouldn’t make a large spectacle of her being there, Samantha ran her hand through her long brown hair and took in a deep breath. Looking around the room she was glad that her choice of a simple yellow and pink summer dress with her tan wedges blended with what the other girls were wearing. Her nerves weren’t for her fellow classmates as much as they were for the man who broke her heart. Just the thought of seeing her ex-boyfriend Brett after all these years made her stomach turn. That day ten years ago kept her up at night, the day he chose to stay and not follow her to Hollywood.
Samantha glanced around the gym when she noticed him standing just in front of the stage talking to a group of other guys. She could feel her face flush as she remembered the way his arms felt wrapped around her, his breath on her neck as he whispered, “I love you” and kissed her just below the ear lobe. She smiled slightly, flashing back to the day they met so many years ago, in what felt like a different world. Samantha would never forget that day, almost thirteen years ago.
It was her grade ten year; 2nd period Science class. She always hated that subject and so she picked a seat near the back of the classroom beside her best friend Natalie whom she had known since kindergarten. Samantha’s mid-length brown hair and piercing blue eyes was a contrast to Natalie’s long blonde curly hair and green eyes.
As she took her seat and glanced around to see who else was in the class, a group of guys walked in. There was one in the group that she didn’t recognize but he caught her eye as he strolled in. Standing around 5′8", sandy brown hair and big brown eyes, he was lean but not overly muscular and when he smiled the dimples on his face sent shivers down her spine.
“Who’s that?” Samantha asked Natalie and she leaned over to whisper in her ear.
Samantha had never seen him before, and she knew she would have remembered that adorable face.
“Who? Oh him. Yeah, he was in my first period class. Apparently, he’s new in town and his name is like Bryan, or Brent or Brett, yeah that’s it, Brett.” Natalie was busy opening her books and getting ready for class to even glance at him. “I guess he’s kinda cute.”
“Kinda cute?” Samantha looked around to see if anyone had heard her, “I think he’s absolutely adorable!”
“Yeah, I guess, if you like that type.”
Mr. Scott walked in and placed his satchel on top of the front counter. Samantha had Mr. Scott as a teacher last semester and even though she hated the subject he was a cool guy. Not too stern and liked to have fun with his students. He was never one to wear a suit and tie to work but more laid back with polo shirts and dress pants. His hair was always neat, and he was a good looking man with 2 day stubble on his face. Mr. Scott was one of the younger teachers they had at the school, around his early 30′s.
“Ok, everyone grab a seat and let’s get started.” He walked up to the blackboard and wrote his name with chalk. “Good morning, everyone. My name is Mr. Scott, and this is Grade 10 Science. Now I know most of you probably are not fans of this subject but I’m hoping that by the end of the semester I’ve changed your mind, even if it’s just a little.”
Samantha wasn’t listening to a word he was saying. She was staring at the side profile of the new boy in town. Brett sat on the other side of the room, a row in front of her. She didn’t realize how long she had been staring until Natalie elbowed her.
“You need to stop staring. You’re gonna scare him away.” Natalie said with a giggle. “I think you have a little drool on the side of your mouth.”
Natalie reached her hand out pretending to wipe the nonexistent drool off her friend’s face when Samantha swatted her hand away. Samantha had to force herself to take her eyes off Brett and at least pretend to focus on the teacher.
East Shores High School worked on a two-tier semester system. First semester which ran Sept - January had 4 subjects and the second semester ran February - June with another 4 subjects. So, she had until the end of January to work up enough guts to talk to him.
However, every morning when Samantha walked into the classroom all ready to say “hi” and introduce herself, she chickened out. Natalie proceeded to tease her about it as the days turned to weeks.
“Come on, it’s not that hard. Just go up to him and say, ‘Hi, I’m Samantha and I’m in love with you.’” Natalie said it with a sultry tone and batting her eyes.
“Stop it.” Samantha hit her friend. “It’s not that easy, you know.”
“Well, it’s not that difficult either.” Natalie rolled her eyes at her friend as she opened her books to the current chapter they were working on.
Natalie didn’t know what it was like to be nervous around boys or anyone for that matter. She was always more outgoing, sociable and had more confidence in herself than Samantha did. Although Natalie didn’t have a current boyfriend, she had been on a few dates and always made it look so easy. Samantha wished she could have that type of faith in herself.
She would ask Natalie almost everyday if there were any rumours of Brett dating anyone. Natalie became so annoyed that one day she finally turned to her friend and said, “Look, if and when I hear anything you will be the first person I tell. So do me a favour and stop asking.”
It was now the last week of November and Mr. Scott was handing out an assignment that he wanted the class to complete in pairs.
“This project will be worth 30% of your final mark,” Mr. Scott said, “So make sure to do your research and put a good effort into the presentation.”
Of course, Natalie and Samantha looked at each as if to say ‘we will be partners’. When Mr. Scott surprised them by announcing that he was going to mix things up and he would randomly choose who would be working with who.
He split the classroom in half and placed their names in a jar. Natalie and Samantha were on the side that had their names put in the jar which meant there was no chance they would end up together. He then walked over to the other side of the room and asked each person to pull a name and that would be their partner.
“Mr. Jones, if you will do the honours and be our first pair.” Mr. Scott said as he leaned the jar towards David.
David reached into the jar and pulled a folded piece of paper out. He unfolded it and read, “Lisa.”
Lisa looked up from her phone that she had hidden in her lap under her desk and smiled at him.
One by one Mr. Scott and his name jar went to each of the students. Finally, the moment arrived when he reached Brett’s desk. Brett looked like Mr. Scott had woken him from a nap, when he sat up in his chair.
“Ah, good morning Mr. Nichols. Would you like to pick your partner please?” Mr. Scott said in a joking tone.
“Sure, why not.” Brett said as he gave Mr. Scott a half-crooked grin.
No one had picked Samantha’s name yet. Natalie was picked by Shane who seemed like a decent kid. He wasn’t super popular, but he wasn’t a nerd either. They had known Shane since grade 6 when he transferred in. Natalie was happy by the choice in project partner because as she put it, “I am not looking for a boyfriend, just someone to get a good grade on this thing. But he is cute so I can definitely work with that.”
Samantha rolled her eyes at her friend.
Now it was Brett’s turn, and he was about to choose his partner. What would the chances be that she, Samantha Collins, would be lucky enough to be paired with him? She held her breath with anticipation, and she watched every move he made.
Brett reached inside the jar and pulled out a piece of folded paper. He looked down at the name and read, “Samantha.”
She had to stop herself from screaming with excitement. He looked around the classroom to see who his partner was. Samantha smiled and raised her hand to give him a little wave. Brett smiled back with a little nod.
That was how it all started. For the next week they worked side by side during class time and after school they met at Samantha’s house. They were able to quickly agree what to make their project about and who would do what. Brett was not the type of guy to sit back and let someone else do all the work. He participated just as much as Samantha if not more at times. He was pretty smart and Samantha liked that she didn’t have to pick up the slack for him.
Thursday evening was their last chance to work on the project since it had to be presented on Friday. Samantha was not looking forward to this at all. She enjoyed spending time together and getting to know him. They would sometimes talk about things they liked and dislike and he talked about what it was like to grow up in Victoria, B.C. The more time they spent together the more her crush grew.
“There really isn’t much to tell,” he said on Tuesday afternoon while they were gluing pieces together to create a brain. “I guess I had a pretty average childhood.”
“What do your parents do?”
“My dad is an architect and my mom is a nurse. My sister and I sometimes had to stay with the neighbour after school when they were both working but it wasn’t too bad. They had small kids, so we had friends to play with.”
Samantha had found out that Brett had a sister that was 3 years younger than him, her name was Sharon.
“Do you miss your old place?”
“There are some friends that I miss but other than that not really. What about you? Any stories to share?”
She grinned at him, “Well I have a brother named Christian and he is 4 years older than me. I used to dance and take gymnastics growing up. Last year I injured my ankle and once it healed, I decided not to go back so instead I started taking piano lessons. It’s not bad, I like it.” She paused for a moment as she reached across him to grab the glue bottle. “Let’s see what else. I always wanted a dog but my parents would never let me have one. I’ve had the same best friend since kindergarten, her name is Natalie and she lives 3 doors down. I guess that’s about it, oh and I love horror movies.”
“What kind of dog would you want?”
Brett had stopped what he was doing and listened very closely to every word she said.
“I would love to have a husky, I think they are beautiful dogs. How about you? Ever have or want a pet?”
“I had a fish when I was smaller but I think he only lasted about a week.”
Samantha giggled as Brett made a face imitating what the fish would have looked like floating in the bowl.
“I wouldn’t mind a dog one day either,” he continued to say “and I don’t think I care what kind. Any dog would do.”
“A true animal lover.” She said as she smiled at him.
“So do you have a boyfriend?”
“Excuse me?” His question had caught her off guard. She never thought for a second that there was a chance he could think of her in any way but a science partner.
“Sorry. I, I...”
“No, I don’t.” She looked at him shyly, “I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never had a boyfriend.”
“That’s great.” Brett had a little excitement in his voice, “What I mean is there is no reason to be embarrassed. I’ve never really had a girlfriend either.”
“Never really?” Samantha asked him, puzzled.
“Well last year I had asked a girl out and we went to the movies. Things seemed to be okay and we went on a few more dates. After about 3 weeks and 4 dates she never talked to me again. She stopped returning my calls and would avoid me at school. After about a week of this I finally caught her coming out of class. When I asked her what was going on she said she didn’t think I was cute enough and it was time for her to move on. Then she turned and walked away.”
“Oh, that is horrible. That really sucks.”
“Yeah, it did. So now I guess I’m a little more cautious about dating. In fact, I haven’t been on a date since.” He laughed lightly as he ran his hand through his hair. “But I’m sure when I really like someone it will work out better next time.”
“I’m sure it will. You just have to find the right girl.” She started to reach out to touch his hand and as she realized what her hand was doing, she slid it to the right and grabbed a pen sitting on the table.
“Maybe I already have.” His eyes locked on hers as they stared at each other.
Samantha broke the stare finally, “I guess we should get back to work. We don’t have much time left in the week.”
Their conversations throughout the week seemed to flow so effortlessly. There were never any awkward silences or moments that made either one of them feel uncomfortable. It was like they had known each other for years.
By the time Thursday rolled around, Samantha was feeling a little uneasy that after their presentation Brett would not give her the time of day. She wished she had the courage to tell him that she liked him but just couldn’t muster up enough confidence.
Her doorbell rang just after 6:00 the night before they were to present. She opened the front door and he stood there with his beautiful smile that made her knees wobble.
“Good evening, hopefully I’m not late.”
“Nope right on time. Come on in.”
They made their way through the front hall and down the stairs to the basement. They had been working on the project all week in the rec room where there was plenty of table space. Samantha had a 2-storey brick house complete with kitchen, living room, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and an in-ground pool. They had lived there all her life and she loved her house. It might not have been as big or fancy as some others on the street but she didn’t care. It was perfect for her family.
“I can’t believe this is the last day for us to work on this.” He said as they descended the steps. “This week has really flown by.”
“I know what you mean. We should be able to finish up tonight, we don’t have much left to do.” She tried to hide her disappointment as she spoke.
The room was a large open concept area with the bathroom and laundry room to the left. The left side of the basement held a pool table and a large rectangle wood table with 8 chairs around it. On the right was a “L” shaped couch, coffee table and big screen tv. It felt warm and inviting. It felt like a home.
They got to work right away and over the next 2 hours they talked and giggled as they glued and taped. It was creeping past 8pm when Brett attached the last piece to their presentation board.
“There,” he said as he stepped back to admire their project, “all finished! What do you think?”
“I think it looks perfect. We are definitely getting an A.”
For a short moment they held one another’s gaze and just before it began to feel awkward Brett turned towards the table.
“Well, I can take some of this stuff home with me tonight so that you’re not lugging everything to school by yourself.”
“Yeah, thank you, that would be really helpful.”
As they started to prepare everything for transportation, Brett glanced over and said, “So are you going to the Christmas Formal in 2 weeks?”
Samantha was caught a little off guard by the question. Over the past week the subjects of people or events at school never came up. She tried to hide her surprise, “Ummm, actually I’m not sure yet.”
Samantha wasn’t lying. She didn’t know if she wanted to go because she didn’t have a date. Nobody wants to go to a dance like the Christmas Formal without a date. Even Natalie had some guy from the football team named James ask her the day before.
“Do you have a date?” He stopped what he was doing and looked over at her. But before she could even respond he quickly added, “Because if not, I was wondering if you would like to go with me?”
She was stunned. Not only did she spend the past week with the cute new boy but now he stood in her basement asking her to the dance. Was this a dream? If it was, she didn’t want to wake up.
“I would love to go with you.” She said, trying not to sound overly excited.
“Ok, great. Then it’s a date.”
A date! Yes! Her wishes had been answered. She had a date with Brett Nichols.
She was pulled out of her daydream when a voice called out, “Hey Samantha, nice to see you.” David Stone, a fellow classmate, wrapped her in a hug. “I saw your last movie and you were fantastic. Can’t wait to see what you have in store next.”
“Umm, thanks. It’s nice to see you too.”
“Let’s talk more inside. I really got to the men’s room.”
“Sure.” And with that David was gone and Samantha slowly stepped further into the gym.
