Sam, a simple high school guy, never knew what he was getting him self into during the afternoon of a cool November day. He was dared to ask Mikayla Kalmbach out. He had never talked to her; he didn’t even know who she was. But as soon as he heard the name something came over him. He was instantly calm and collected, he didn’t worry about what rude remarks she would say back or if she would humiliate him in front of the entire school all he said was “Is she in this lunch?” with a nod from his friends he went over to where they pointed and saw a girl sitting all by herself waiting for her friends to get out of line.
“Hey, umm. I don’t think I know you but are you friends with Mikayla Kalmbach?”
“Yes I am. Why do you want to know?”
“Well, I think she is in one of my classes and I just wanted to ask her about last nights homework because nobody else in the class understood what we were supposed to do.”
“Oh is that all? Then why did I see your friends pointing over here and then you getting up looking all dumbfounded and strolling on over here?”
“You were looking at where I sit?”
“No I was looking around the lunch room and that caught my eye so I looked trying to figure out what was going on.”
At this point Mikayla’s face was turning a light pink color, her foot was beginning to twitch back and forth like it always does when she gets nervous. She couldn’t help but smile when she figured out that Sam a member of the high school varsity football team was walking over towards her.
“Oh I guess that would make sense…”
“Yeah so what did you want help on? I am in your class as well and I understood it.”
“Uh. Well, I forgot the worksheet over at my table I was just wondering if she could help me… Not if she would.”
“Sam? That made absolutely no sense. Why wouldn’t you just bring the paper over here and if she said yes you wouldn’t have to go get it and look like a bigger idiot than you already are.”
That threw Sam off his feet. He took a few steps back to insure that he wouldn’t do anything to the girl. He had never been called an idiot by someone who actually meant it.
“Well I am sure you could go back to your seat and just text Mikayla for help.”
“Do you think she would mind me getting her number from you?”
“No not at all.”
Sam pulled out his phone; Mikayla took the phone and typed in the number. Little did Sam know that he would soon be texting the girl he was just talking to. As Sam walked away Mikayla couldn’t help but smile as her phone went off and it was from Sam.
“Hey Mikayla… its Sam from your third hour. I was wondering if you could help me on last night’s homework.”
“Yeah I can help you but I am not moving from where I am so you are just going to go back where I am sitting.”
“Wait your friend said that you were in line.”
“You never asked my name all you wanted to know was if I am friends with her.”
“So you are Mikayla?”
“Wow the idiot finally figured it out. I bet you feel stupid right about now…?”
Sam got back up and walked over to where Mikayla was sitting. Her smile was so big Sam could have sworn it was fake.
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“Because it was more fun to see you come back over here even more dumb founded than before...”
Mikayla had figured that he wanted to ask her something other than homework questions. She just didn’t want to get her hopes up so she kept thinking to herself that what he said was all he wanted.
“So about the homework? Can you help me or not?”
“What do you not understand?”
A quick glance into her eyes he sat down waiting for the ‘tutoring’ to begin. Realizing that he had only gone over there to fulfill a dare by his friends. He did not want to hurt her because she seemed like a nice girl.
“Mikayla? I have to tell you something,” Sam paused for a brief second. “I came over here to ask you out, not to get help on homework.”
She glanced up. “Why would you want to ask me out? I mean you didn’t even know my name until I told you. And you didn’t know I was me until I said something.” Piecing together the puzzle. Her head just couldn’t stay upright any longer. It plummeted down towards the table. Smack! Her head hit.
Slowly her head began to rise. Turned slowly over to Sam. Reading the expression on his face she could tell that he knew that he should just leave. So with a push from his legs he walked back over to his friends. Mikayla heard the laughing, why do they always have to do that to me? Why can’t they just leave me alone?

Next hour, Sam figured he should go try and talk to her about what had happened during the previous lunch.
“Sorry about lunch…” He paused. “My friends dared me to and they were saying that they would hurt me or worse if I didn’t.”
She didn’t look up. Just kept on writing the notes on the board down. With a single finger she said “Go away I am not in the mood to talk to you right now.”
So in return he walked away. Returned to his seat with the in carvings on the top and the recently added gum to the bottom of his desk. Stealing quick glances over at her wishing that she would forgive him and try to come up and talk to him. But he knew that it would not happen that way. They had different social standings; she would not and should not talk to him. At least that is how his other friends felt. He didn’t understand why things had to be the way that they are. How come there was such a separation with the families lived right down the street from each other. The same sized homes the same amount of cars. Everything but their grade point average and there friends were the same about them.
Mikayla stops her hand from dancing along the page. Her pen falls onto the notebook. Looking up she realizes that Sam truly was sorry about what he did to her, and that he might actually want to be friends with her. Except she couldn’t be friends with one of the most popular guys in her grade. She didn’t see how it would ever work; all of his friends hated her. No understanding of why.
With a flip of the page she begins to write,

Sam,
What you did was rude and stupid. But I see that you feel bad about that by the way you came over to me to try and talk to me about it and to say that you are sorry. So I forgive you. But why do you let your friends push you around like that? To me that would show that they are not very good friends to you. I would not honestly trust those people if the threatened you if you would not ask me out…
Mikayla


Getting up to sharpen her pencil she slipped the note onto his desk. Walking back around the opposite direction to get back to her desk so she wouldn’t pass him. A buzzing goes off in her pocket. It’s from Sam. Asking if he could talk to her after class gets out. Since there fourth hours are apparently right next to each others. Mikayla doesn’t see the harm in doing so.
After class ends she waits just outside the entrance for Sam to get away from his friends so that they could talk with out the harassment. Beginning to walk in silence. Occasional glances at each other waiting for one to spark up the conversation.

“About what happened in lunch? It was just a joke they didn’t mean anything by it. They probably thought it would be funny and not affect you as much as it did.”


Mikayla just kept walking, not sure how to phrase what she wanted to say without sounding really rude.
“I think that if we wanted to we could be friends. Because honestly other than our friends and grades I don’t see that much difference between us.”
That ticked her off and she couldn’t hold in her rage anymore. “How could you see anything similar between us at all? You don’t even know me! You have never paid attention to me at all until that stupid dare by your stupid friends.”
They continue to walk in silence a couple minutes later Sam got up the nerve to make a comment back “Mikayla. I know you live on my street, so that shows me that your family must have a little bit of money, I know that you are into sports because you practice in your driveway all the time. I know you have nice clothes. That’s another indicator that you have some money. So I really don’t see how you and I are that different at all.”
Mikayla was shocked. He said he didn’t know who she was, but he clearly did if he knows that they live on the same street and that she practices sports in her driveway. So had he been pretending to not know it was her to get her number? Or had he thought it was like her sister or somebody? But that wouldn’t make sense. She was an only child, everyone knew that.
Sam silently pointed that he had to go to class, and he turned into the room. She kept walking as though she had been alone the entire time.
Turning into her class she couldn’t help but notice a new piece of paper on her desk addressed to her. Not knowing who had written it she decided to open it.


Mikayla,
You say that I don’t know you, that I never knew you. But if I didn’t, then how would I know that you used to sleepwalk out of your room and then just sit on the porch screaming at all the cars that drove by like you were an old drunk? I’m surprised that you don’t remember me. Kayla, it’s me Sammy. You grew up when you moved to England for a few years. You forgot about me. I never stopped thinking about you. I missed you all the time, when you came back you weren’t the same. I have wanted to go over and try to talk to you. But you came back prettier than I remember and I was nervous. So yes, I pretended not to know it was you so I could get your number. It is easier to talk to someone who you think is amazing smart and beautiful when you can’t hear or see them.
Sammy

Her eyes couldn’t look away. A flood of memories came rushing back to her. Nobody had called her Kayla since her grandparents had forced her to go to a fancy finishing school in England. But how had this note gotten there? Sam was in the room next door. She looked up and noticed that there was a door connecting the two rooms. Sam was standing in the doorway watching her every move. A couple minutes till the bell, she got up and walked over to him, her smile growing. She finally knew why she thought she had known him for a long time. His arms stretched out and he gave her a long hug, thanking her for finally remembering their adventures, their experiences, for remembering everything.
She knew know why he had done what he had done. He didn’t want to hurt her. He just wanted an excuse to go over and talk to her. Still in the hug, she finally looked up at him, “Thanks.” That was all she needed to say. He knew exactly what she was thinking; thanks for bringing back my childhood.
“I will text you after school, maybe we can hang out sometime. I would really like to do some catching up with you.”
The bell rang. They let go of each other and went to their separate classrooms, each feeling like they were flying. They went and sat down. Mikayla was full of overwhelming memories from her childhood. I knew I remembered him from somewhere, now this all makes sense.
The hour went by quickly. Mikayla rushed out to go find Sam. Giving him a hug she whispered into his ear, “I knew I remembered you.”
Sam looked down and smiled, happy to have his childhood friend back. Now only if I can get her as a girlfriend, Sam thought while staring into her huge brown eyes. He wasn’t able to look away. “Will you be my girlfriend? I am being totally serious here, no dares or anything.”
Mikayla looked up with a twinkle in her eyes. “Do you even have to ask me that? Of course I will be your girlfriend!”