Chapter 3
The more I opened my eyes inch-by-inch against that sunshine streaming through my window, the more I wanted to roll over and fall asleep again. But it was impossible with that annoying buzzing under my pillow. I must’ve fallen asleep with my phone. I was texting Josh, my boyfriend, until the early hours of morning. Maybe that was why I was exhausted. I checked my phone and saw I had three text messages, and one voicemail from an unknown caller.
Two of the text messages came from my best friend Kaycee, wondering when we could go shopping for the Homecoming dance. Kaycee, being the big spender that she is, insists on buying new outfits for every special occasion so we look our best. The other text was from Josh, who’d replied to my last comment. The mystery caller left a strange message. The person just said that it would be nice to talk. He made sure to leave his name out. Wrong number, I figured.
“Sammie? You up yet?” my dad asked outside my door. “Are you decent?”
“Yes, dad. And stop calling me Sammie. I don’t like it anymore.”
“Okay, Samantha.” I winced at my full name.
“No. Don’t call me…that, either. Just call me Sam.”
“You used to love being called Sammie. You were never too fond of Samantha, but you never minded before when I called you that. Why the sudden change?”
“It’s um…just a change, is all,” I lied, running my hands through my wild blond hair. It wasn’t ‘just a change’. Last night, I had a dream that I thought I got rid of when I was ten; the one where Joe would come back and sweep me off my feet. Back then, he was just a silly boy with glasses. But now, he was, there’s no other word for it, hot. I remember being a fan at sixteen, when Joe had that goofy Joehawk, hoping he’s notice me in the small crowd of thirty people, hoping we’d become best friends again. But we haven’t spoken since that day he left me. At first, I’d cry myself to sleep, but after realizing he was never coming back, I got over my little crush and found a real boyfriend, Josh.
“Well, get ready. We’re leaving in twenty five minutes.”
“Dad, I don’t want to work at the bakery anymore. Every time I’m there, I think of mom. And besides, tomorrow is my birthday. Can’t I have today off?”
“You’re supposed to think of her. She’s your mother. And no, tomorrow you have the day off because tomorrow is your birthday,” he said, stroking my hair and kissing the top of my head. “Okay,” he looked at his watch. “Twenty three minutes.”
I fell back on my pillow, and my dad laughed chuckling.
***
“Welcome to Sammie’s Treats. I’m Sam,” I repeated for what seemed the billionth time today. “Anything I can help you with?”
“Yes,” a prissy woman said. “I need two dozen low-cal chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing ready by Tuesday.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. If cupcakes were meant to be ‘low-cal’, they’d be made of healthy food like celery. And who wants celery on their birthday? Of course, I didn’t say that to her.
I shook away my ‘are-you-kidding-me’ look for a fake smile.
“Sorry, but the pre-order counter is over there,” I instructed, nodding my head towards my dad. “He can help you.”
The woman pouted, strutting to the end of the line at my dad’s counter. My next customer was a little boy with curly hair and dark eyes. He almost looked like…no! I need to get him out of my head.
“Hi there, little guy. What do you need?” I asked, smiling genuinely at him.
“My mom needs a cake that she ordered for my brother’s birthday tomorrow,” he explained sweetly.
“Is it this one?” I asked, bringing him a double chocolate cake with green icing artistically written in the words “Happy Birthday Danger.”
“Yep. Thanks, um…” he squinted at my nametag. “Sam.”
“You’re welcome, uh…?” I waited for him to tell me his name.
“Oh, you don’t need to know my name,” he said mysteriously as he smiled.
“Okay…um…have a nice day!” The little boy carried the heavy cake out to a black BMW where a big, scary man helped him inside. As they drove away, I tore my eyes away from where they had been parked, and continued doing my job.
At closing, I was waiting for Kaycee and Josh to pick me up. My dad was stacking chairs, humming to an old song on the radio. To block out the annoying “oohs” courtesy of my dad, I unraveled my ear buds and pushed Play on my iPod. A song by Lady GaGa called “Paparazzi” started playing mid-chorus.
Promise I’ll be kind
But I won’t stop until that boy is mine.
Baby, you’ll be famous.
Chase you down until you love me
Papa…Paparazzi.
I was swinging my blond hair around crazily to the beat, ignoring the person on the other side of the door. When I happened to lift my head and clear the hair out of my face, I saw the person. I screamed in surprise. The person was a guy, and let me tell you, he was attractive. After making a fool out of myself, I unlocked the door to say, “Sorry, we’re closed.” Without the glare of the lights, I decided he looked familiar.
“Samantha,” he said, hugging me. I froze, seeing Kaycee’s red convertible pull up. Josh was staring at us.
“Person space issue,” I muttered.
“Sorry.” He let go. Even his hug seemed familiar. “Wow. You look beautiful.”
“Uh, thanks?”
Kaycee honked her horn impatiently.
“Sorry, but I got to go. Those are my friends and I’m leaving with them, so…If you need anything, go talk to my dad,” I said, pointing to my dad, who was still humming the oldies. “I’m…sure he can help you out.” I tried to walk past him, but he wouldn’t move.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” he asked, smirking. After I shook my head, he took my iPod, scrolled through the several playlists and found one. “Listen to this for a hint.”
This guy has got to be kidding me. I took the ear buds and listened to the beginning of a Jonas Brothers song; Inseparable, to be exact.
I heard Nick’s angelic voice and couldn’t help but hum along until the chorus came. Joe’s voice flowed into my ears, my impatient grimace disappearing. My eyes inches upward to his face; his eyes were the same; his hair was the same color, but a different style; even his smile held that same joyful essence.
“Joe?” I mumbled.
“In the flesh,” he grinned, holding his arms out.
Kaycee honked again. Joe turned around, smiled, and waved at her and Josh. Kaycee’s face dropped, while Josh’s face contorted with jealousy. If I weren’t so stunned myself, I’d have been laughing at Kaycee’s reaction.
“IT’S JOE! JOE JONAS!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Oh, shoot,” Joe said, he just didn’t say ‘shoot’. “Help me out.”
“Go hide in back,” I said. He obliged. Josh looked like he was going to have a talk with me. And I was going to have a talk with Kaycee and an even longer talk with Joe.
