Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter, this ones for you’s! : )

Sam, I’m The One

Two.

Samantha Nixon walked into the colourful building which was Dan’s new pre-school, Sam’s mum walked behind them as they met the manager who showed them round and introduced them to the ‘Team Leaders’. The manager steeped back as the Team Leader spoke to Dan, he took his coat off and handed it to his Gran who hung it on a peg.

“Say goodbye to mummy then.” The team leader told him.

He ran up to Sam and hugged her round the legs. She bent down and kissed him gently. “Be a good boy yeah?”

“Okay mummy.” She stood back up and notice the shocked expression on the Leader’s face, she masked it quickly with a friendly smile and led Dan to where the other children were playing. “Honey, come here a moment. This is Dan Nixon-Casper, he’s new so can you make him feel welcome please?”

“Okay.” A little girl with blonde hair and large, blue eyes said. “Dan, this is Honey Harman. She’ll look after you.”

They both ran off together and Sam walked away, wishing it was as simple for her to make friends.

Sam hesitated as her mum stopped the car outside the school gates, Liz Nixon looked across at her daughter and sighed sadly, knowing what fears were revolving around her daughter’s head. “Sam … you can’t sit in here all day, frightened by the people from the past.”

“I know … it’s just, what if they’re like them?” Sam asked.

“You’ll never know until you go inside, see how you feel tonight.” Liz encouraged.

“Go on.”

Sam got out the car and picked up her school bag, she swung it round her shoulder and entered the school grounds as the bell gave three shrill rings. She followed all the other students inside before making her way to reception.

“Erm … hi? I’m Samantha Nixon, it’s my first day here.” She told the lady who sat behind the desk with glasses slipping down her nose and fingers lightly attached to the keyboard of her computer.

“Okay, if you go through that door there, the woman on the left will register you and then take it from there.” The woman said, pushing her glasses up to the bridge of her nose but within seconds they fell down again.

Sam knocked lightly on the door she’d been indicated to and entered, the room was full of busy people on computers, papers stacked around them and post-it notes framing their computer screens. Sam coughed awkwardly before walking towards the woman who was on her left. “Hi, I’m new.”

“Hi, what’s your name then sweetheart?” The woman asked.

“Samantha Nixon.” The teen replied, she shifted from one foot to the other nervously.

“Okay Sam, If you come with me, I’m going to introduce you to the Deputy Head, there’s two - one in charge of the boys and one in charge of the girls. Mr Meadows and Ms Gold, you’ll be seeing Ms Gold.” The woman got up from behind the desk, she was rather old and as she walked her short blonde hair bobbed from side to side. They left the busy office room and walked down the corridor before knocking.

“Hello Ms. Gold, this is Samantha Nixon, she’s the new girl that we’ve been talking about.” The woman said.

Sam felt her stomach bubble, already she was being talked about, she felt exposed. She took a deep breath and the smell of smoke hit her, she coughed and cleared her throat, the deputy was buried behind stacks of paper and books, she craned her neck and saw curling smoke was issuing from behind the books.

The deputy looked up, her short brown hair stuck up a little to the side which suggested she’d been sat with her head resting on her hand - pushing it out of place. She looked like she took no crap but would defend you if you needed. Realising she’d been caught out she sighed and held the brown papered cigarette up.

“Old habits.” She muttered, pulling back a drawer where Sam guessed an ashtray and the cigarette supply was stashed, she stubbed her cigarette out and pulled out an air freshener which she squirted. Sam looked up at the woman beside her who looked less than impress. “Yes okay, Auntie June-y! I know it’s wrong to smoke in here, especially when a student could - and did - walk in at any moment but I needed it okay?”

She cleared her throat, an affronted look on her usually relaxed face. “Ms Gold.”

“Ms Akland.” The deputy replied before the woman left, the door snapping shut behind her. She sighed deeply. “Sorry about that, we have … disagreements in the past. Nothing too serious, just mocking with a slight spite beneath it all. Just a bit of a personality clash really.”

Sam made no comment, she looked around the room so she had something to do. She could feel Gold’s eyes as they travelled over her from head to foot then back up.

“Sit down Samantha - or do you prefer Sam?”

“Sam, please.” She replied, seating before her deputy.

The deputy, hidden behind the paperwork, cleared the desk quickly and dumped the stacks of paper on to the floor. “Now, you look like a smart girl.”

Sam merely shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Your file tells me you are. I know plenty about you - about your child. I understand that he is none of my business and I appreciate it if you would rather keep him fairly private. I’ve heard about the grief you got from your previous school and why you’ve moved to here. If any students give you hassle then I’d like you to tell me immediately, my doors always open - although I may be smoking at the time.”

Sam politely laughed at Gold’s joke, but she didn’t think she would grass up on anyone, she never had at her previous school. She’d just gritted her teeth and put up with it until it all got too much and she’d begged her parents to move - even then she didn’t willingly tell her teachers though, her parents forced her.

“I’ll take you along to your registration room.” Gold replied, she got up and opened the window of her office to ventilate the room with fresh air before leading the way out. Sam followed her down the many corridors, up various stairs and down some others, the school was like a large labyrinth. Finally they stopped outside ‘67B’.

Gina knocked and entered, Sam followed and stood timidly within the door. The students were all out of their seats, sat huddled in groups talking. Many students were stashing their mobile phones and musical equipment away. Gina walked towards the weedy looking teacher who sat at the front of the class behind his desk reading a book.

“Mr Hollis?”

“Oh, yes Ms Gold? What do I owe this pleasure?” Mr Hollis asked pleasantly, although he sounded rather dense.

“I have a new student joining today, her name’s Samantha Nixon. She’ll be joining your tutor - I assume she will be welcomed happily?”

“Course, course.” Mr Hollis waved a hand in the air, batting away the possibility of her being unwelcome.

“I’ll leave her with you then.” Ms Gold said, she passed Sam in the doorway and gave her an encouraging smile before leaving. Sam took a deep breath before walking further into the room and shutting the door behind her. The students stared down at her and she felt intimidated by them all, then they broke out into conversation again with their phones back out and their music playing.

“So, Sam, do you know anyone here already?” Mr Hollis asked.

“No, I’ve only just joined.” Sam said softly, she felt shy.

“Naturally, well I’ll have to assign someone to look after you.” Mr Hollis said, glancing round the room. Sam looked down and saw his book was about many different trains.

Noticing where she was looking Mr Hollis beamed. “A fan of trains? Just like me, eh?”

“Err …” Sam was about to say no but he carried on.

“Trains. Excellent aren’t they? Wonderful machinery, they’re truly … truly … truly beautiful. And -”

“Sorry Mr Hollis.”

Sam looked up to see the boy she’d seen outside the shops standing just over her, his hair ruffled into a style with gel and a grin fixed on his face. She knew he was the son of a new friend of his mother’s.

“Yes Philip?” Mr Hollis asked.

“Well, you see my mum knows Sam’s mum a little so I was thinking maybe I should show her around today?” Phil suggested.

“I don’t know Philip, Samantha seems like a smart girl - I don’t want you dragging her down.” Hollis babbled.

Phil rolled his eyes subtly. “Okay, well then I’ll let Jo show her round or one of the girls.”

Satisfied, Hollis smiled. “Sure.”

“Come on.” Phil took her by the elbow and steered her away from Hollis quickly. Hoping Hollis didn’t have time to start up again on some topic that would last way too long. “Thought you needed help back there.”

“Thanks.” Sam breathed, relieved to get away.

“No problem.” He smiled at her, his blue eyes held an intensity that she felt intrigued by. He led her over to a table where a boy and girl were having a thumb wrestle. The boy had black spiky hair and braces whilst the girl was brunette with reddish highlights that came to just below her highlights. She effortlessly beat the boy at the ‘thumb war’ who had a bead of sweat on his forehead due to all the concentration he’d been doing.

“Gary, Jo, this is Sam. Sam, this is Jo and Gary. Sam’s moved in across the street and looks pretty intimidated, we have to prove that this school ain’t too bad.” Phil grinned. “Jo, you may have to show her around a bit y’know? Hollis seems to think I’d be a bad influence.” Phil rolled his eyes.

“You would.” Gary and Jo both said together.