Chapter 6 - Red

*Samantha’s Point of View*

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It's been two freaking weeks that I am avoiding Red, and it is so freaking lonely for me. But I know that it's for the better. I just have done many unpleasant things to her since we were little. And she deserves to have friends here at school, and she deserves to live a peaceful school life.

Sh*t, I'm feeling so out of the world. It's like I don't want to wake up every morning. I don't want to hang out with the girls. I just wanted to f*cking die. I am so f*cked up. What's with that nerd that I can't get her off my mind and my heart?

When we're still in elementary school, I was really obsessed with her. Damn, I even begged my mom if I could bring her home. But Mom said no, for she will be mad at me and her parents will also be mad at me.

So, what I did was... I got angry. And from that moment on, I make things that can make her cry. I’m just so stupid way back then. Well, until now, I guess. Definitely.

She's just so irresistible and so freaking cute, and she got everything. She's just perfect for me, even though I'm the only one that can see it.

I was playing with my phone when Becca came inside the room.

"Hey, Sam! Feeling ever so gloomy today, every day?" Becca greeted me and took her seat beside me with her usual wide smile.

"Hello, Becca! I'm totally fine," I stated sarcastically, and she giggled.

They just keep telling me to talk to her and make friends with her. But I can't. I feel so guilty for treating her badly. And I just know that she will never talk to me. I'm a totally f*cked-up b*tch.

"Oh, sure you do. Because ever since you have talked to her. You have never talked to her again." She said in a whisper, but still so f*cking loud. This girl is really getting on my nerves.

"I'm totally fine with it, Becs. It's just that I promised that I wouldn't bother her again." I answered while putting my phone inside my purse.

"Oh, come on, Sam. Just say a simple 'Hi' to her. Promise, it will not kill you." She insisted, and she roamed her gaze around the room.

Where are the other girls anyway? If Charlie, Morgan, and Cass are here, they will shoo her away.

"Becs, I'm fine-----" I replied, but she cut me off by calling the attention of Red. Sh*t, remind me later to kill this girl.

"Hey, Lawrence!" She called her out. Red turned her head in our direction, and she arched an eyebrow like saying, "what?"

"Sam here wants to say Hi!" She let out, and with that, my eyes widened in shock, and I'm shaking my head vigorously.

I looked at her, and we locked our gaze. She smiled, and wow, she's just so effin' gorgeous.

I was lost in words as well as lost in the world. And I think that I'm blushing like a tomato right now.

Then she averted her gaze to the newcomers inside the classroom, which are my three idiotic friends since Becca the moron is here already.

"Hi, Sam!" The three of them greeted me and went in our direction since they sit behind us.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Wow, Rebecca Clarke, it's a good achievement that you are early today." Charlie let out and patted Becca's head like a dog.

"Haha, thanks, Charlotte's web." She replied, and they both laughed. And I don't know why they laughed. I told you, idiots and morons can get along well together.

"Hey, Sis! Did you get a good sleep last night with this rotten egg?" Becca greeted and asked Cassidy.

"Hi, Becca! Umm, yep, I did." Cass replied to her while grinning.

"Are you referring to me as a rotten egg, you, dung face?" Morgan said to her twin and taking their seats behind us.

"Well, hello too, my twin sister," Becca greeted jovially.

"So, what's new today? Any achievements with our little Samantha here?" Morgan asked my seatmate curiously.

"Hmmm, yeah." She answered and stood up to go to Charlie's seat.

They are talking, well... whispering. They are having a freaking meeting like I'm not here. Like, what the actual F?

And after their meeting, they high-five each other. What good friends I have, right? I thought I could lean on someone when I needed help.

"Rebecca Clarke, go back to your seat." Our teacher in English came in, and as fast as a wink, Becca is here beside me. Well, this teacher is so freaking strict.

"Alright, everything in place? Then good morning, class! Yesterday we discussed..." She greeted and started her discussion.

---

For the whole morning class, I just kept stealing glances at Red. And sometimes, Becca nudges me because some of our teachers are about to call my attention. Damn, I have called a lot of times already. It's like four or five times. They want me to focus my attention on their boring lectures.

Well, I'm just wondering. Why did Red color her hair red? She looks great with a blonde. But she still looks good in red. Well, she looks beautiful in whatever clothes she wears, and damn, maybe she looks so amazing without those clothes.

Sh*t, what am I thinking already? I have such a perv mind here. These idiots and morons have infected me with this.

"Hey, Sam! Wanna hang out later this afternoon?" Cassidy asked, and it made me escape from my wild thoughts.

We are here at the cafeteria while having our lunch at our usual table.

"Um... let me check," I replied as I looked at my phone's schedule.

"Well, bad news. I can't. I will have dinner with dad later." I replied and put back my phone in my purse.

"Wow, you suck," Morgan let out, and I just nodded my head at her apologetically.

"No, dude, she licks." Becca butted in, and I don't know what she meant by that.

"Hahaha, right! At last, Becca, you got that one right." Charlie agreed to Becca, and they all laughed. And I just stared at them without any clue.

And when they saw my innocent expression, they stopped laughing and looked at me. Then Morgan leaned near my ear and whispered,

"Lesbians like us don't suck, Sam, we lick," and with that, I got choked on my food, and I think that my face is as red as Red's red hair. Wow, that's a lot of red right there.

And thinking of Red, I love Red, no, just red. Alright, it's still red or Red. Fine, Red.

And again, they laughed their asses out.

"Whew!... That was good entertainment. Yeah!" Charlie muttered while catching her breath.

"Alright, so, what about tomorrow, Sam? Since it's Saturday. Don't tell me that you can't because you have to get your clothes at the laundry shop again?" Becca stated, and she's a little serious by now.

"Well, yes. You're right, Becs. I will get my clothes at the laundry shop tomorrow." I told them, and they all groaned.

"Come on, Sam, it's been a while since we hang out altogether. Like, our supposed to be 'Girls' night out', you can't possibly be that sad right now. She did smile at you this morning, right? So, maybe that gave you a little energy to have fun. Even just a little." Becca blurted out, and we all just listened to her.

"Yeah, that's right, Sam. It's been a while." Cass uttered with a puppy face.

"Hmmm. It's just last weekend that we didn't hang out, girls. And before that, we all did." I uttered and sipped on my strawberry juice. Well, I love strawberries because they're red. Alright, Red again.

"But, Sam, tomorrow's the first Saturday of the month, and we never failed to hang out on those dates. It's gonna be December." Morgan reasoned while playing with her French fries.

"Yeah, and we even failed to hang out altogether last weekend, and it's the last Saturday of the month," Charlie said while twirling her spaghetti.

"Well, who said that I wouldn't go hangin' out with you girls, tomorrow?" I began,

"Because as far as I remembered, I just need to get my clothes at the laundry shop, and after that, I'm free to go wherever," I added, and I saw their faces light up.

"You do? You do? You do?" Becca asked to confirm.

"Yep," I answered and chuckled.

"WELL, YEEE HAAAA!!! GIRLS' NIGHT OUT TOMORROW!!!" Charlie yelled happily.

"Alright! Then we should plan on where we will go." Morgan suggested.

"Hmmm, what about something unforgettable?" Cass let out and gave Becca a high five.

"Yeah, right," Becca cheered.

Maybe Becca's right that Red's smile gave me a little energy to have some fun. Because I've been lonely these past few days, perhaps I should take a break from this loneliness.

****

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*Claire’s Point of View*

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I'm here at Shay's house and sitting in front of her mirror while she braids my hair.

"Shay, I don't know what to do anymore," I wailed, and she went to find a seat and sat beside me. This is really bugging my mind lately.

"You know what, Babe. That's not a big problem. You're just gonna talk to her and try making friends with her. And by that, your worries will be gone." She suggested wittily.

"But, Shay, you are also aware that I have no guts to approach her, and I really don't know why. And I'm afraid." I replied and sighed.

I am bothered these past days. It's been two weeks since that day when Samantha apologized to me, and now, I can't get her off my mind, and even in my dreams, she appears almost every night. I don't know, but maybe she's haunting me. Geeez, that's creepy. But there's this part of me that something is missing and incomplete.

Sh*t, I really don't know what to do anymore.

"Oh, come on, Babe. That would be so easy. Just approach her." She advised me.

"Hahahaha, easy, eh? You, yourself, can't even talk to a girl and approach someone you like, and you are saying that it's easy?" I laughed at her, and she was out of words.

And suddenly, she made that knowing face, and I'm not feeling well about it.

"Oh, look what I've discovered. So, you mean that you don't have the guts to approach and talk to her because YOU LIKE HER?" She let out, and here we are again with this issue.

"No, no, no, it's not the same with your case. Mine is different, we...I uh----" I reasoned, but she cut me off.

"Yes, we have the same case here, Babe. We are cousins, so that makes us almost the same with our characteristics. And don't ever disown me as your cousin. We have the same eye color and the same smile. I just got light brown hair while you got blon--- I mean red. So, we're the same." She explained as she emphasized our features.

"But I have known this one for a long time, and you? You can't even talk straight, I mean, gay, with a stranger." I gave her my point that we don't have the same case here.

"Alright, alright. Then just talk to her, okay? I guess she's just avoiding you because she knows that you hate her." She finally surrendered.

"I don't know, Shay, I don't know," I uttered and sighed deeply.

Maybe she's right. Maybe I like Samantha. But I think not. Sh*t, I really don't know. She's undeniably gorgeous, hot, talented, but she's so annoyingly annoying.

"Maybe you'll know it when you see her." She stated and stood up to continue doing my hair, and I just sighed again.

"Umm, what are you gonna sing for your final minute, since it's the first Saturday of the month?" She asked, and well, every first Saturday of the month, I will sing together with my mixed music on stage before I exit. And the club people are waiting for it, and they love it so much.

"Uh... Sorry Not Sorry by Demi, why?" I answered.

"Alright, cool. That's great. And I'm done. It's just simply fabulous." She uttered, and she's finally done braiding my hair.

"Thanks a lot, Shay," I stated and checked myself in the mirror.

---

After arranging myself with the help of my cousin, I decided to go first to the club because I will still set up the sound system and my computer.

Shay will just follow since she will still go to her diner down the next block from here to check the deliveries that have arrived this morning. She has just opened that new establishment near her house so that she'll just walk to get there. By the way, it is named 'Shane's Diner'. You can take a snack there, take out, or make an order online and they will deliver it to you.

"Alright, Babe, take care on the road. I'll just follow right after I'm done there." She said and kissed me on the cheek.

Then I wore my helmet and hopped on Nikki, and I waved at her goodbye as I revved my bike. Finally, she walked down the street and headed to her establishment.

---

And I have arrived at the club exactly ten minutes after six, and my shift starts at seven, and maybe Shay will be here by six-thirty or seven.