Welcome to Café Luxe

Sam leaned against her bedroom door as it slammed closed. Her eyes were wide open but wasn't focused at all. She sighed as she broke down on the floor, hugging her knees. She sniffed a little, holding back those hot tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

"He kissed me...," she was able to mumble, "Ian kissed me." She covered her mouth with both hand and suddenly, a tear that she missed holding back, came rolling down on her pink cheeks. "I liked him.. I loved him... and he kissed me," she wiped the tear off her cheek, "...but why can't I stop myself from crying?"

--o--o--o--o--o--o--
"Ah," Kirsten stretched as she stood up from her seat, "at last! Math quiz is over," she grinned to herself. She turned to the boy beside her, "how'd you do, Jean?" but before she could even say more, Jean released a depressed aura.

"I've done it again...," he mumbled like a mad man.
Kirsten forced a smile, "well, it can't be helped for a stupid person in an Excellent class."

"It's not my fault," Jean whined. He turned around and stared at the seat that remained empty the whole day. He sighed, "before she could even return with tea yesterday, Samantha never showed up right after, right?"

"Yeah...," Kirsten nodded in agreement, staring at the empty seat diagonally to hers. She turned around, this time, to face the boy sitting behind her, "I'm sure Luke can explain to us what happened," she raise an eyebrow.

Luke ignored them and tapped his books on the table, aligning them, as he stood up. He shoved the books into his sports bag that he used for school and took off as the dismissal bell rang. He slammed the door behind him as the whole class, including Mrs Saxton, fell silent.

"Something's wrong with Luke," a girl suddenly said.
"Yeah...," the other girls, apparently his fans, became depressed.
Kirsten furrowed her eyebrows as she stood up, "damn that idiot."
"Did something happen?" Mrs Saxton suddenly asked.
"We're not sure ourselves, Mrs S," Jean said truthfully, "but hopefully this won't affect Samantha."

"But they're always fighting anyway," Harvey suddenly said, "what's the point of worrying."
Christine suddenly sat up, "but to the point of making Luke that angry and Sam missing class? I don't think this is a normal fight," she clasp her hands, "poor, sweet Luke," she said dreamily.

"Yeah...," the other girls, aside from Mrs Saxton and Kirsten, agreed dreamily.

"Anyway," Kirsten made a thumbs-up, "I'm gonna find out." She grabbed Sam's homework for that day, "I'll be going then."
"I'm coming with you," Jean scrambled to get his stuff.
"I don't think so, stupid," she pushed him gently away from her, "I think Sam only needs to see ME."

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=
Luke pulled out an Apple Pie from the display and sliced it in 8. Suddenly, he was startled by a big 'bang' on the counter.

"Hey, Luke," Jean smiled as he leaned over the counter, "what's up."
"The sky," he replied coldly and uninterestedly, "now, can you leave me alone to work?"
Jean sighed and sat on the counter, "you know, my dear Luke, you're always alone. Aren't you lonely?"

Luke's eyes suddenly widened as he was slicing the pie. He remembered those times when she called him a 'loner'.

"I'm not lonely," Luke talked back.
Jean hopped down the counter and faced Luke, "Kirsten went to visit Sam," he suddenly says, "do you know what happened to her? It seems you know a lot about Sam anyway."

"I don't," Luke simply said as he remembered Ian's lips on Sam's. "I have no idea," he lied.

==o==o==o==o==
Kirsten rang the doorbell twice before Ian appeared to open the door.
"Oh, Ms Freeman," Ian suddenly said as if surprised. He stuttered, "I-I'm just here t-to visit....," he tried to cover up.

"Save it, Ian," Kirsten smiled, "I knew you and Luke live here. I just hope that other idiot Jean doesn't have any clue yet."
Ian laughed nervously, "Mistress is not feeling well right now..."

"It's okay," Kirsten practically let herself in, "I'm her best friend." She held up a cake that she bought from Café Luxe the other day, "by the way, Ian. Have you actually talked to Sam today?"

Ian shook his head, blushing a little, "no, I'm afraid not."
Kirsten smiled, "alright,"-she climbed up the stair-"to the left, right?"
"Left of the stairs, yes," Ian smiled as his eyes followed her.

--
"Hello," Kirsten sang the words as popped her head into the room without knocking, "special delivery to the girl who missed Math quiz." She stopped and looked around and spotted a figure sitting beside the window.

Sam remained silent as Kirsten sat on the bed, facing her. "Sam? You okay?"
"I'm fine," she croaked.
Kirsten suddenly cupped her cheeks to face her, "you're crying! Oh my God, what happened?" she gave Sam a big hug.

Suddenly, Sam sobbed uncontrollably, hugging Kirsten back, "Kirs, I'm so happy to see you. I can't take this anymore."

"Are you being bullied?" Kirsten asked as she hugged her tightly, "don't worry, I'll give that idiot a big lecture when he comes back..."

"That's not it...," Sam sobbed, "it's so....complicated and I can't take it anymore."
--
After a few minutes of talking and explaining...

"So, you're saying that a week after you confessed to Ian, he kisses you because you were crying because of your argument with Luke, who is the half brother of Ian...?" Kirsten held her breath.

Sam nodded.

"Well," Kirsten folded her arms, "obviously, this is really complicated that if it was me, I would skip class as well. And you say Luke saw you two kissing, right?"

"Yeah."

"Luke hasn't been really happy about the fact you were getting lovey-dovey with Jean in the tutor session in the first place," Kirsten said, "he was jealous thus forcing him to say those words."
"Why would he be jealous?" Sam asked, "he's my rival. He shouldn't be jealous and I WASN'Y GETTING LOVEY-DOVEY with JEAN."

Kirsten smiled, "Luke, as I can say this frankly, is a bit of a jealous type, haven't you noticed that?"
"Not really," Sam shook her head, her eyes still red.
Kirsten sighed, "well, let's leave it to the fact that Luke doesn't want anyone to go lovey-dovey with his rival."

"That's--"
"For Ian," Kirsten interrupted before Sam could reply, "I think you should go talk to him. I mean, it's not normal for a guy to dump a girl and kisses her, right?"
Sam could only nod.
"Plus, I think he has issues with his brother so he better fix it."

Kirsten sighed and hugged Sam, "this is probably it. Your memorable high school life."
Tears rolled down on Sam's cheeks, "but Kirsten, why can't my tears stop falling....?"

-------
Her room light was already turned off. The only source of light was probably the study table lamp. Sam did her homework on her study table as the clock ticked. It was already half passed 9 pm and three hours ago, Kirsten left her with a cheesecake which she ate as her dinner.

Thus, causing her to have stomach problems at the moment.

She closed her English book as she sighed, "finish," she muttered. Suddenly,there was a knock on the door. Sam spun her chair around but hesitated to stand up. After two knocks, whoever was outside her door didn't knock anymore.

She switched her side lamp on and turned off the lamp on the study table. She went to bed but didn't sleep. The lamp remained on as she observed the shadow that was visible under her door. Whoever knocked was still outside her door.

She closed her eyes but after a while, she glanced at the shadow under her door. It was still there. This time, her conscience couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and walked towards her door. She swung it open but all she saw was a tray of dinner on the floor.

But beside the door frame sat a boy in PJs. His head rested on his knee while the other leg was stretched out. She squat down and poked his cheek, "hey, you," she mumbled.

Suddenly, the boy opened his golden-brown eyes. He looked up to her, "your dinner....," he mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Geez, you're like a child," she suddenly chuckled, "you can't sleep here. Go sleep in your room, idiot."
Luke stood up and Sam did as well. He carried the tray and flashed a weak smile, "can your dinner and I come in to your room for a sec?"