Chương 2: The kiss
Sarah Samuels had fallen for John a long time ago but never had the courage to ask him out. She wanted to, but she was usually too nervous, and when she did manage to gather her courage, she never got the chance. She often saw John talking to another girl, Rose, which worried her. But this time, with the prom approaching, she resolved to ask him out no matter what. She didn't want to be the girl who missed prom—she had always dreamed of dancing with John.
Sarah had two sisters: Maddie, who was in middle school and had already found the boy of her dreams, and Agnes. "Sarah, you're in high school, and you still haven't asked John out?" teased Maddie.
"Shut up, Maddie! Mind your own business and stop annoying me!" Sarah shot back, frustrated.
Sarah was determined this time; she would finally ask John out.
Meanwhile, Ms. Roberts had arranged lab partners for the entire second-year class, pairing Rose with Sam. Rose was initially shocked to find herself partnered with Sam. Sam approached her with a smirk, saying, "How was my kiss?"
Rose initially responded with "ugh!" but then, remembering the kiss, she blushed.
"Oh, looks like you're falling for me," Sam teased.
"There's no way I would ever fall for you," Rose retorted, flustered.
After their lab period, it was lunch. "Let's have lunch together, Rose," Sam said with a grin.
"Obviously not. Just leave—I don't want to see your face. Stop following me, Sam!" she replied, irritated.
But Sam persisted, sitting across from her with his meal. "How about a deal?" he proposed.
"What kind of deal?" Rose asked, slightly intrigued.
"If I make you fall for me, you have to be my girlfriend," Sam said confidently.
"And if you lose?" Rose countered.
"I won't lose," Sam replied smugly.
"Tough luck," Rose muttered. "Let's see how you plan to do that."
Sam shrugged, still smirking. "So, what are you doing after school?" he asked.
"None of your business," Rose replied. "You said you'd make me fall for you, so figure it out yourself."
Elsewhere, Rupert was preparing to meet his friend Julia, who was waiting for him at a theme park. They enjoyed the rides together, but Rupert remembered his friend Sam's interest in Rose and decided to ask Julia about her since they were close.
At around 1 p.m., they paused for lunch. Rupert casually brought up Rose, asking Julia, "Is Rose your best friend?"
"Yeah, she is. We share everything, though she's been a bit distant lately. I wonder why she doesn't share as much anymore," Julia responded.
"Tell me more about your friendship with Rose," Rupert pressed.
"Sure," Julia began. "We met in middle school. Rose is incredibly talented—she's great at drawing, writing, singing. Her parents, though, never gave her a real chance to pursue her passions. When she was 13, she joined a computer course for JAVA, hoping to master it for her future. I was the only other person her age in the course. Middle schoolers rarely think about careers at 13, so we were pretty much on our own."
"We both excelled in the course and earned a certificate. One day, Rose told me she wanted to make a music video, but she couldn't do it at home because her parents wouldn't allow it. So, she used my place. She sang like a pop star and decided she wanted to pursue a career in music, even though it would be a tough journey. Her video on YouTube only got about 200-300 views, so she told me she needed a vocal coach. That's where John came in."
"John?" Rupert asked, interested.
"Yes. He's a pro at making videos and already has 2.5 million views on YouTube. He wants to start a branding business with Amazon, so he's taking courses to prepare. He knows his way around instruments and sings really well. Rose was thrilled to have him as her teacher, and she relies on him a lot."
"So, she's not interested in relationships?" Rupert asked.
"No, her focus is on becoming a pop star. Though I think John might have a crush on her, I doubt she'll reciprocate," Julia admitted.
"Good," Rupert replied, smirking. "My friend Sam's interested in her. He'd do anything to make her his girlfriend."
"Sam? I didn't think he was interested in girls!" Julia laughed.
"Neither did I, but he's serious about her. Could you keep me updated about Rose?" Rupert asked.
"Sure," Julia agreed. After a while, they decided it was time to head home.
The next morning, Julia arrived at school early, hoping to gather some information about Rose. She found Rose writing something in class and asked, "Hey, Rose! What are you writing?"
Rose quickly hid the paper, saying, "Oh, nothing, just jotting down some notes."
Julia smirked. "I know—it's a love letter for Sam!"
Rose rolled her eyes. "It's not a love letter. It's just a set of rules for him, that's all."
At that moment, Sam approached. Julia left, saying, "I'll leave you two alone."
"Yes, these rules are for you," Rose said to Sam.
"As you wish, princess," he replied with a smirk.
Later, at lunch, Sam asked, "Why did you tell me not to touch you? This is ridiculous!"
"Oh, so you're giving up already?" Rose asked, smiling slyly.
Her teasing made Sam angry. He grabbed her and kissed her in front of the entire cafeteria. Furious, Rose stormed out, leaving her lunch behind. John, concerned, grabbed her lunch and followed her outside, finding her crying under a tree.
"Hey, it's alright," John said gently, offering her a chocolate. She took it, and gradually, she started feeling better.
Sam, seeing John and Rose together, grew even more upset.
Realizing he had gone too far, Sam decided he needed to apologize. He made a dress for Rose—he was skilled at tailoring—and wrote a heartfelt letter. He wanted to meet her on Sunday to apologize properly. Rose told Julia about Sam's gesture, and Julia encouraged her to go. "It's just an apology," Julia said. "Don't be too harsh on him."
"Fine, if you say so," Rose agreed.
Rupert texted Julia to confirm Rose was going, and Julia assured him that she was. Rupert relayed the news to Sam, who was ecstatic.
"I'm so happy!" Sam exclaimed, jumping with joy.
Rupert laughed, patting his friend on the back. "Don't worry, Sam. I've got your back. Just, please, don't get this excited around me—I'm not Rose!"
They both laughed, and Sam, lying on his bed that night, thought, "She will be my wife someday, and that's never going to change."
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