Thanks for you continued support and interest in my storyline over the past months.
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Sam ran into the gym showers pulling his t-shirt up and over his head, tossing it aside to one corner of the bathroom. He shoved his shorts down to his knees and then hopping on one leg he grudgingly pulled at his left sneaker, but only succeeded in fumbling and falling backwards onto his bottom. "Agh!" he groaned.
Sam had a date with Josie. Granted it was only an innocent little breakfast with his favorite student, but to him it meant spending time alone�alone with someone he was fast falling head over heels in love with.
* * *
Josie slowly entered Sam's classroom, feeling a little awkward and full as anticipation as she waited for Sam to shower and change. The early morning sun filled the room was a luminous orange glow, making it feel warm and welcoming, instead of the usual cold and empty feeling that usually accompanied a classroom first thing in the morning.
Josie stood silently for a moment, clutching her bookbag tightly to her chest. She could smell a sweet aroma wafting by her and turned in the direction of Sam's desk where she spotted a white paper bag, which she assumed contained the French pastries that they would soon be consuming. Sam's briefcase was sitting on top of his desk, alongside a set of keys and a brown suede jacket.
Josie placed her bag down and moved closer to the desk. With one finger sliding on top of the desk, she moved slowly around until she was standing directly behind it. Josie sat down and continued to gaze at Sam's belongings. Curiosity finally got the better of her and she couldn't help but reach for Sam's jacket. The jacket felt soft under her fingers and hint of a smile formed on her face as she pictured Sam wearing it.
Josie looked in the direction of the door and then seeing no sign of Sam, slowly picked the jacket up and held it close to her. Suddenly Sam's manly aftershave consumed all her senses and Josie began to feel faint. She took a deep breath to settle her nerves and whispered, "Calm down, Josie." She then quickly returned the jacket back to its original position.
Josie rested her elbows on top of the desk, while her eyes wandered over his possessions. A pile of essays caught her attention next. She saw Sam's handwriting on top of the first essay of the pile and moved closer to read it. It read: 'Well thought out and very provoking, Zach. You've come a long way. Keep up the good work.' Josie smiled.
Sam's keys caught her attention next or more notably the Mets key ring which hung off them. Josie knew Sam was a huge Mets fan and she couldn't help but remember her little Mets joke the night at Delloser Hall. Sam seemed amused by it, even if Lara was not.
Josie picked up his keys and began to examine each one of them. She saw what must be the key for his black Jetta. A couple of keys appeared to be keys for classrooms and then there were another four keys, which Josie imagined would most likely be for his home. But four of them, she wondered? Maybe he had a front and back door key. Another could be for a garage, if he did indeed have a garage and the other one�.well�Josie was at a loss there. "Hmmmm�" she hummed quietly to herself.
Slowly it dawned on her. "Of course," she whispered sadly. "Lara." Josie pushed the chair away from the desk, as she suddenly felt queasy in her stomach. It would only make sense that Sam would have a key to Lara's apartment whether she lived in New York or not. And soon, Josie realized, he would be living there too.
Josie slumped down in the chair and sighed heavily. 'What am I doing here?' she asked herself. Josie suddenly felt the need to escape. She wasn't going to let herself fall in to the trap again that someone; especially someone like Sam could ever in her wildest dreams be attracted to her. He had a girlfriend: a beautiful, sophisticated, sexy girlfriend that he was moving to New York to be with. Sure not everything in their relationship was picture perfect, but Lara was still Sam's girlfriend and Josie knew in her heart of hearts, that she would never be that.
Josie bit down on her bottom lip, pondering over what she should do. "A note, I'll leave a note for him." Josie reached over the desk and grabbed a pen and piece of paper. She wrote:
'Mr. Coulson. I'm sorry but I couldn't stay. Sydney dropped by and we have to go and discuss prom ideas. You know how it is. Thank you so much for you kind offer and maybe I can take a raincheck? Josie.'
Josie read over the note. 'Raincheck?' she bellowed to herself. 'He won't want a raincheck.' Josie scrunched up the piece of paper and started again.
"Hey!"
Josie was startled and turned in the direction of the door. Sam had popped his head in sending Josie the biggest, most beautiful smile she had ever seen. He looked so incredibly sexy that Josie felt as if her insides were melting.
"I'm glad you're here. I thought maybe I had taken too long and you had to go." Sam glanced down to where she was writing and joked. "Doing homework, I see."
Josie just smiled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sit here at your desk. I was just�"
Sam cut Josie off shaking in head. "No, it's fine, Josie. Y..you look great sitting there."
Josie blushed, while Sam corrected, "I mean�well, I meant that you would make a great teacher." Sam suddenly felt his own cheeks burning. "I'm sure you could give me a run for my money."
Josie lowered her eyes and smiled. "Thanks."
"I'll be back in a minute. You don't mind waiting do you?" Sam asked.
Josie shook her head and smiled. "No, of course not."
Sam grinned. "Good." He then disappeared into the hallway and seconds later he popped his head back in. "Um, how do you like your coffee, Josie?"
"Oh�ummm?"
"Or would you prefer tea?" Sam asked. "Or juice, d..do you want some juice? I think we have orange or pineapple juice in the staff room."
Josie smiled thinking how incredibly sweet and gallant Sam was being. "Coffee's fine. Thank you."
"Okay. Be right back." And with that Josie could hear Sam's quick steps down the hallway.
Josie sighed and smiled blissfully to herself. All feelings of doubt that haunted her only moments ago were now replaced by tingly sensations of pure happiness. 'Okay,' she reasoned, 'I may never be his girlfriend or the love of his life, but he likes me. Whether as a friend, a colleague or just a young teenage student�.he likes me.' And for now Josie was content with that.
Josie tore up the piece of paper that she had been writing her note on and with newfound confidence got up and began to stroll around the room. Her eyes wandered aimlessly over the many posters and flyers plastered to the walls, until something caught her eye. That something just happened to be Sam's treasured hockey stick, which lay flat underneath the blackboard.
Josie looked at door and then back at the hockey stick. She moved closer to it and bent down to examine it. She chuckled quietly to herself as she remembered Sam's antics that day in the classroom when he impressively maneuvered the puck with his hockey stick, swiftly hitting it so it flew into the bin on the other side of the room.
Josie took the hockey stick into her hands and tried to mimic Sam's maneuvers. She then noticed the hockey puck sitting on top of the desk and feeling a little daring, tried to copy Sam again but this time using the puck. She laughed as she tried to juggle the puck with the stick, but only succeeded in dropping it again and again.
She placed the puck back onto the stick and this time succeeded flipping it once and catching it. "Woo hoo!" She boasted proudly. Josie was preparing to flip it again, when she was startled.
"I'm back," Sam said, as he pushed the door open with his left foot, while carefully trying to balance three large cups.
The puck was in mid air when Sam announced his entrance and when Josie turned in his direction; she inadvertently hit the puck, sending it flying directly at Sam.
"Whoa!" Sam said as he ducked, trying desperately not to drop the cups brimmed to the top with hot liquid. The flying 'missile' whizzed by him, hitting the wall in the corridor with a loud thud.
Josie clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. "Oh my God! I'm soooo sorry."
Sam took a moment to collect his thoughts. He looked at Josie, holding the hockey stick in her hand with an expression of horror on her face and then turned to see the puck lying on the floor in the corridor behind him.
He suddenly burst into laughter. Josie however, just stood motionless.
Sam placed the cups down onto his desk and with amusement twinkling in his eyes, and teased, "You just won't be happy until you knock me in the head, will you?"
Josie bit down on her bottom lip. "I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to touch your things. It's just�you made it look so easy that day, and I wanted to see if I could do it, too. I�I�" Her cheeks blushed scarlet.
Josie watched as Sam turned and headed into the hallway to retrieve the puck. She swallowed nervously as he returned to the room.
Sam casually walked over to Josie and stood looking down at her, smiling. Josie however couldn't bring herself to look up at him.
Amused, Sam tilted Josie's chin up with his left forefinger and said, "The problem, Josie, is that you were holding it wrong."
Josie lifted her eyes to his. "Huh?"
"You were holding the stick all wrong," he repeated. "Here let me show you."
Josie was still too stunned to say anything, but managed to turn and start to hand the hockey stick over to Sam.
"No, no." he said, sending her one of his sexy crooked grins, while he pushed her hand back toward her. "You hold it. Okay, now�grab it like this."
Sam stood closely behind Josie and placed his left hand over hers and gently moved it to the top of the hockey stick. "See, you put your left hand here�"
Josie took a deep breath, as she felt Sam's body close behind her. The wonderful smell of his fresh, clean soap enveloped all her senses.
"And you put your right here, like this�" He grabbed her right hand and placed it lower along the stick.
Josie turned and looked over her shoulder, staring directly into Sam's magnificent green eyes. The color of green was made even more intense with the sun's rays shining into them and Josie felt her heart quiver and her breath catch.
"See how you can grip the stick better this way?" he said, smiling down at her.
Josie simply nodded. "Uh huh." She didn't even notice where her hands were on the stick; she could only feel Sam's hands over hers and his body�his strong, beautiful athletic body pressed gently against her back.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion for Josie and she noticed everything about him: from the fact that his hair was still damp from his shower and had the appearance of just being combed back roughly with his hands to the prickly dark blonde hair of his unshaven face; the dark blue cotton shirt, which was left unbuttoned exposing a white t-shirt beneath, which hung just low enough to have a few chest hairs peeking through; right down to his blue denim jeans, which seemed to have been made for him, they fit him so perfectly.
Sam was oblivious to the reaction he was having over Josie. He was simply excited about Josie's interest in something he enjoyed. "See. Now when you hold it like this, you can swing it back and fourth and have better control over the stick. It's all in the wrist action."
Sam then grabbed the puck off the desk and dropped it onto the floor. He placed his hands back over Josie's and gently swayed her arms, so the puck slid from left to right on the floor. "See? You're a natural!"
With his hands still over Josie's, he did a swift move, which picked up the puck and then flicked the puck up and gently hit it, so it went flying across the room.
Sam stood back and smiling down to Josie, joked, "There you go. That was lesson number one on how to hold a hockey stick. Next week we'll go right into puck control�but then I'm not so sure I want you to be able to aim that thing�"
Josie laughed and felt her body finally relax. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said warmly.
"No, I mean thank you for not being angry."
"And why would I be angry, Josie? Because you took an interest in something that I'm passionate about?"
Josie shook her head. "No. Because I nearly took your head off�"
Sam chuckled. "Oh well. There are worse things that could happen. Maybe by getting rid of my head, you could help me get rid of my headaches."
Josie was suddenly concerned for Sam. "Do you get a lot of headaches?"
"Oh, nothing that a good nap can't get rid of." Josie looked up at Sam with concern still in her eyes. Sam made his way around his desk and sat down in his chair as he admitted, "I get migraines every now and then. Usually when I'm stressed."
"That's not good. I've never had a migraine, but I heard that they're really bad. Is it painful for you?"
"Hmm�Are you concerned for me, Miss Geller?" Sam asked with a hint of a smile forming at his lips.
Josie blushed. "Of course�y..you're my teacher."
Sam smiled, but said nothing. He was simply mesmerized by Josie's eyes twinkling back at him.
Sam suddenly noticed that Josie was still standing and then got up, walking across the room to grab another chair. He pulled it up alongside his and motioned to Josie to sit down.
Josie walked over to her chair and sat down. Sam sat back in his chair and grabbed the three cups. "Umm, I didn't know how you liked your coffee, so I made one with cream and sugar and the other one I left black. But I brought back some extra sugar just in case you like it sweeter."
Josie thought it was so endearing that Sam would go to that trouble for her and smiling back at him, she said politely, "Cream and sugar is fine thank you."
He handed the cup to Josie. "You're welcome."
Sam opened the white paper bag containing the croissants and handed one over to Josie with a napkin and then got out one for himself as well.
Josie bit into it. "Yum. They're so warm and fresh."
"These are the best croissants in Chicago. It's from a bakery near my apartment called 'Jean's Patisserie'. And they have the best pastries�if you have a sweet tooth that is."
Josie giggled. "I have several of them, actually."
Sam chuckled. "Then you and I are going to get along just fine, Josie."
Josie and Sam sat quietly sipping away at their hot beverage, when Sam broke the silence. "So, c�can I ask you a question?"
Josie nodded. "Sure. What is it?"
"I was wondering why you moved here so late in the school year? I mean it must have been difficult for you to leave your friends and pick up again in a new school?"
Josie choked a little on her croissant and then grabbed her coffee to wash it down. "Um�" She wasn't sure how to skirt around this issue and she absolutely hated lying to Sam.
"I really didn't have a choice in the matter," she said finally. "But I don't have any regrets." Josie looked deeply into Sam's eyes and spoke softly. "Coming here and meeting y�I mean meeting everyone here has been the best thing that I've ever done. I love it here."
Sam grinned. "Good. I'm certainly happy that you came here. It's always nice meeting someone who shares the same passion for literature that I do."
Josie smiled shyly and then Sam asked, "So how are things between you and Aldys? Are you back on speaking terms?"
Josie shook her head sadly. "No. She's still not talking to me. I didn't realize how much I hurt her. I feel so bad."
Sam turned a little in his chair to face Josie and his knee gently brushed against hers. He looked down at her legs for a moment, sucking in a harsh breath when he noticed that her skirt had ridden up to her thighs, exposing her soft, supple skin.
He breathed deeply before asking, "So what exactly happened between you guys? If you don't mind me asking, that is."
"No, I don't mind." Josie placed her croissant down and looked up to Sam. "It happened that night when you saw me at Delloser Hall. You see I completely forgot that I was supposed to meet Aldys at Nana's, you know the coffee shop ne�."
Sam nodded. "Yes, I know the one."
Josie sighed. "It completely slipped my mind and I and I ended up going to Delloser Hall instead. Aldys apparently waited for me for ages and then got really worried when I didn't show up. She called around everywhere trying to find me and then when I told her the next day that I had simply just forgotten, she wasn't too happy and really�I don't blame her."
Sam reached his hand across to Josie's arms and gently comforted her. "I'm sure everything will work out fine, Josie. Aldys will come around eventually." Sam sipped his coffee and then with a smile commented, "You know Josie, I have to admit I was a little surprised to see you at the club that night. And you seemed to be alone, too." Sam paused before finishing with, "Oh, except for those Rastafarians you made friends with."
Josie covered her eyes with her hands and blushed. "You saw me with them?"
Sam nodded, smiling. "Yeah. You seemed to be having a really good time, too."
Josie covered her eyes with her hands again, too embarrassed to admit to Sam that she remembered very little from that night. She slowly removed them and began to nibble at her croissant again. She then changed the subject by asking, "So have you always wanted to be a teacher?"
"Honestly Josie, I really couldn't imagine being anything else." Josie smiled at that as Sam continued dryly, "Although I know a couple of people who would be all too happy if I changed careers."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, but I never will. Not in this lifetime. I love being a teacher! I get up every morning and I look forward to the day ahead of me. I never know what's going to happen and its so exciting. Although, sometimes I feel like I'm hitting my head against a wall, but�"
Josie interrupted him, giggling, "So that's why you get all those headaches."
Sam arched an eyebrow and smiled. "Probably. Actually I owe a big thanks to my college professor, Professor Palm. He was such an inspiration to me. Not only was he my teacher, but he was also my mentor and my friend. We still keep in touch today."
Josie smiled. "That's sweet."
"Anyway, it's all worth it when I feel that I came make a difference and when I see that one student who suddenly gets it. Know what I mean?"
Josie nodded. "Yeah. I think I do."
Sam continued. "You know in my first year of teaching, I nearly gave up on the whole thing."
"Really. Why?"
"I came to South Glen South right out of college and I was full of idea's and hopes and dreams of how I can make a difference, but my first six months here were really brutal. I didn't feel like I was achieving anything and I had this one student in my 11th grade class that had made it all the way through high school and he couldn't even read."
Josie was shocked. "You're kidding?"
Sam shook his head. "I wish I was. Here was this guy that couldn't read a sentence, let alone construct one." Sam took another swig from his coffee and then continued. "I was really angry and I felt really let down my the whole school system."
"So what happened?"
"Well, I tried to work with him. You know after school or on the weekends, if he wanted too, but he just wasn't interested. Nothing I did or said changed that until one day I decided to meet him at his level."
"What do you mean?" Josie asked curiously.
"Well, he was a football player so I decided that if I was going to get through to him it would be through football. I offered to take him to a game one weekend and he came and slowly by speaking his language and getting him to trust me, he eventually opened up. What I discovered was a really intelligent guy who happened to have dyslexia and he never knew it."
"Gosh. So how did he make it all through high school without anyone picking that up?"
Sam raised up eyebrow. "That was the exact same question I was asking, Josie, and I still don't know the answer to that." Sam sighed and continued. "So anyway, when I told him that I believed his slow learning was caused by a learning disability he was so happy that he wanted to do anything to correct it. He had always believed that he was dumb or stupid and sadly the school system failed him, because no one ever took the time to really work with him and find the problems."
Josie sat mesmerized, staring at Sam as he continued. He was just too wonderful for words and Josie found herself falling more in love with him at the minutes ticked by.
"I worked with Nicholas for six months straight and let me tell you that nothing compared to the satisfaction that I felt when he stood up in front of the classroom and read his first real essay. Now mind you it was only one page, but for him that was the biggest achievement of his life. I was so happy that day; I can't even describe it. I felt for the first time that I could really make a difference. After that I knew I never wanted to do anything else in my life but teach."
Josie smiled lovingly to Sam. "You're so wonderful. I mean to do that for him, you know encourage him the way that you did."
Sam grinned. "Thanks, Josie. That means a lot coming from you."
Both Josie and Sam took a long lingering drink from their cups while their eyes remained locked on one another. Josie put her cup down and sighed heavily.
"What's wrong Josie?" Sam asked, concerned by her sudden change in demeanor.
Josie looked up at Sam for a long moment. She took a deep breath and began. "Mr. Coulson, there's something I want to t�"
Josie was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door.
Sam sighed silently, realizing that their time together had come to an end�and just when it seemed that Josie was going to open up to him about something very important to her. He turned towards the door and said, "Come in."
Sam's colleague Adam Christiansen sauntered into Sam's class, talking to someone else following close behind him. "See I told you we'd find Sam in here."
Sam sat bolt up right, as did Josie when they saw his 'favorite' purple haired vixen following closely behind Adam.
"Hi, Sam," Adam said cheerfully.
"Hi Adam." He looked over to Susan Hamilton and forced a smile. "Good morning, Susan."
"Good morning to you too, Sam," She oozed sensually and winked an eye at him.
Sam suddenly felt hot. He looked down at Josie and gave her a knowing look of panic. Josie seemed to understand how uncomfortable he was feeling. She stood up next to Sam in almost a protective stance.
"Um, Adam, Susan? You know you Josie, don't you?"
Adam smiled. "Yeah, sure; she's in my class. Sam speaks very highly of you, Josie."
Josie smiled. "Hello, Mr. Christiansen." Josie noticed Miss Hamilton staring at them and felt compelled to say, "Mr. Coulson and I were just discussing some of my ideas for raising extra money for the Prom. You know�since we're both on the Prom committee."
Josie turned to Sam who smiled gratefully and went along with the story. "That's right."
An uncomfortable silence filled the air, until Adam broke the tension. "Yeah well, Susan was looking for you, Sam, and I was just telling her the great news�" Adam gave Sam a meaningful look.
Sam was puzzled. "Great news?"
Adam sent Sam another look that beckoned him to go along with him. "Yeah, you know, Sam� Your engagement to Lara."
A feeling of anguish coursed through Josie's body at the news. She had no way of knowing that Adam had made up the whole engagement ruse just to throw off Susan Hamilton. Slowly, she felt her soul start to crumble.
Sam looked over his shoulder at Josie. She had her eyes lowered and her shoulders were hunched forward. He turned look to Adam and Susan and then turned back to Josie and his heart started pounding painfully. He didn't know if he was reading it right, but for some reason, Josie looked crushed by this news.
Sam understood that Adam thought by doing this, he could help get Miss Hamilton off Sam's back, but Adam had no idea that this kind of help was the last thing Sam needed; especially in front of Josie.
All Sam could muster up was, "Uh�ummm�"
Adam turned back to Miss Hamilton and supplied for him, "Sam was trying to keep it a secret. He's not into big announcements, but he and Lara finally bit the bullet and decided to get hitched. You know, it only makes sense since Sam is moving to New York and all."
Sam internally winced with this additional piece of fabrication.
Miss Hamilton looked surprised. "Oh. I didn't know you were moving to New York, Sam?"
Sam pulled at his shirt collar uncomfortably and muttered, "Um, well�nothing's finalized yet and�"
Josie suddenly turned and picked up her bookbag. "I hate to interrupt, but I really should get going. I have to meet Sydney and�and work on the Prom. Thanks for your help, Mr. Coulson and�" Josie lowered her eyes, unable to look Sam in the eyes. Her voice came out barely above a whisper, "Congratulations." With that she turned and walked swiftly out of the room.
* * *
To be continued�