My Heart is Yours Read Online Free Page B

so.”

    “Do you think you guys will ever kiss?” Juliana
asked Sam.
    “I don’t know.” Sam answered. She stared at a spot
just over Juliana’s head of dark red hair. “I hope so.”

    The next day was the last day of classes. It was
lunch time and Sam was hanging out with John in the cafeteria. The
chatter around them was like a hive of bees.
    “You happy school’s over?” John asked her.
    “No.” She answered as she took a bite of pizza.
    “Yeah, stupid question. But aren’t you at least
looking forward to summer?” He handed her a napkin.
    “Kind of. But you don’t have summer work. I do.” She
said with her mouth full.
    “That’s because you chose to be smart and take
advanced classes.” He picked up a handful of fries and stuffed them
into his mouth.
    “I know.” Sam said, shaking her head. “How dumb of
me.” She grinned and shook her head again, her hair falling around
her shoulders.
    “Hey.” Jason sat down across from Sam. He didn’t
have a lunch tray. He probably didn’t have money again.
    “Hey.” She said smiling. She slid her container of
fries over to him. Their hands touched and they stayed together
like that for a moment. He smiled softly at her and picked up a
fry.
    Sam and Jason didn’t talk to each other much that
day, but Jason walked her home like he’d done every day since fifth
grade. The walk was only ten minutes or so but everyone insisted
that Sam have someone walk her home. She and Jason talked and
laughed and smiled shyly at each other as they walked the ten
minutes to her house. There seemed to be some silent agreement
between them to not talk about their almost-kiss.

    The moonlight shone in through the curtains in Sam’s
room as she sat on her bed listening to the music of Elvis Presley
singing, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” float in her room through the
living room wall. She opened the journal that she’d gotten for her
sixteenth birthday. There were about twenty pages left. She flipped
to a clean page and began to write.
     
    My seventeenth birthday was fun. John put together a
little party for me with the guys and Juliana and Derek. There was
a delicious cake. A few gifts. Jason and I almost kissed. That was
different…unexpected, I guess. Or maybe not. Except then, John
walked in. Just as our lips touched, my brother walked in. Great. I
thought that I didn’t like Jason but I really wanted to kiss him
today. Maybe I was just in denial. Why, though? I don’t know. Who
knows. Kissing him would’ve been a nice birthday gift, though. When
I saw him at school neither of us brought it up, though, Maybe it’s
better that way.
    ***

 
    N o one had mentioned
Sam’s seventeenth birthday again. It was now two months into her
and Jason’s senior year.

    One brisk night in November Sam was sitting on her
porch reading, a blanket draped over her shoulders. She noticed
Jason asleep on a bench in the park across from her house. This
wasn’t unusual. But Sam couldn’t stand to see him out there and
wanted to help him whenever she could. Jason’s dad was a drunk and
was always beating him up and kicking him out of his house. She
stood up, the blanket falling off of her shoulders.

    Jason felt a hand on his shoulder and someone gently
shaking him. “Jason?” It was Sam.
    He sat up. “Sam? What are you doing here?” She sat
down next to him. “I saw you from my porch. You can’t sleep out
here.”
    “Sam, you don’t have a jacket on.” He said. “You
must be freezing. Here.” He took off his jacket and draped it over
her shoulders.
    “Thanks.” She smiled and shook her head. “Jason, why
didn’t you just come to our house?”
    “The lights were off. I didn’t wanna wake anyone
up.” He looked down at his knees.
    “Don’t be ridiculous. Besides, it’s freezing
tonight. You can’t sleep outside.” She stood up. “Come on.” She
nodded toward their house.
    He stood up and followed Sam.

    Sam closed her front door behind her and