Cherishing Esteem

The last day of the school week, now less than two weeks before the Finals of first semester, and Mrs. Alexander arrived from her day off with the unit’s tests.
“This is the last test for the semester. After this, we’ll be focusing on the Finals that will cover everything that we learned from the first day of school.” Mrs. Alexander declared whilst she passed out the four paged exam down the aisles of desks to her students. “My class will be taking the school wide U.S. History Finals Exam. As for the AP kids, Mr. Bailey had left us a practice AP test, of which you will be taking as your final.”
No moans or groans were heard from either kids, ordinary and AP. All had a tired vibe that was fed off of each other due to the energy drowned from the long week as the kids were counting down the seconds until the last test would be taken.
Seeing the final test being placed on the last student, Mrs. Alexander told the class to begin.

Mrs. Alexander would not allow one voice to be heard until all tests were turned in. The classroom was completely silent until the bell signified the students to go on to Lunch.
“Keep quiet until you leave the class!” Alexander shouted over the rising conversations by her kids. She peered back down onto Frank and Ray, watching intently for any hint of cheating.
Sammie slid up from her seat and hooked her right shoulder to the right flap of her backpack then scooted pass Frank in her purple checkered hugging jeans. Before she walked through the doorframe, she took a glimpse over at the two intensely worried test takers.

Sammie walked to the History class just ten minutes before the bell rang for Lunch. Sammie heard Mrs. Alexander’s voice, and she guessed that she must be talking on her phone.
Just as she reached her hand out for the door handle, it flung open with the chest her back met the day before. Frank was shoved back from the force into Ray who had stumbled back a few steps like Sammie did outside.
Ray, confused, was pulled out of the classroom by Frank and in front of Sammie who was slanted, trying to regain her balance, against the wall. “Why did you push Frank, Sammie?”
Frank smacked Ray’s arm, once again, for his ridiculousness.
“Ahh, sorry for bumping into you like that, Frank…again.” She laughed standing back up into her original posture.
“It’s fine.”
“Okay, I’m sorry to ruin this moment of forgiveness, but I really have to go.” Ray trembled.
Sammie giggled. “Go ahead, no one’s holding you back.” Frank pushed Ray onward in the hall.
Sammie shook her head watching Ray dashed through the students. “So, what are you doing here?”
She turned back around to Frank. “I had to talk to Alexander about a study session. You?”
“Me and Ray stayed awhile to see what we got on the test.” Frank looked down.
Sammie arched her right eyebrow. “What did you two get?”
“Well, Ray passed with a 72 percent, I had a 57.” He mumbled the latter statement.
Sammie gasped, the she had her left hand grab onto his right arm and squeeze it to boost his confidence. Frank grinned up at her, but sighed as she released her grip on his arm.
“Hey, how about we study the study guide and review for the unit more in depth on Saturday?” Sammie suggested with a hopeful smile.
“Um, sure, but why this unit?” Frank was lost.
“So you can pass the unit test on Monday!” Sammie jumped.
“What?!” He shockingly blurted.
Sammie nodded as if she was agreeing with herself that she was Einstein. “Lemme go and talk to Alexander.” Frank opened his mouth to stop her. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.” And she vanished behind the closed door of the classroom.
Frank dropped his head then shook it with laughter. “What a girl” he mumbled to no one in particular.

Within a minute, Frank watched the door open in a slender manner with his savior slipping through the gap.
“You won’t regret this, Mrs. Alexander, he’ll pass!” Sammie closed the door behind her, smiling up at a yearning Frank.
“Did she say yes?”
“Yep! You’ll have to take it in the morning though on Monday, so she could correct it during her prep.”
“Really?” Frank’s mouth hung from the shocking news.
Sammie laughed at his stunned expression and nodded. “Yes! At first, she didn’t allow you to, but I talked to her into hesitation then agreement.” Her eyes twinkled from her accomplished mission.
Frank did not utter a sound, the news slowly sinking into his mind. Without any more seconds gone to waste, he grasped Sammie into a tight hug and breathed, “Thank you.”
Sammie shivered slightly, smiling as she closed her eyes taking in his scent. “You’re welcome” she whispered, hugging him back.

Sammie knocked three times on the crimson, wooden door before she stepped back on the worn welcome mat. Tugging at the ends of her “To Write Love On Her Arms” v-neck shirt, bending her right leg in her blue skinny jeans for scratching the back of her knee with the tip of her black flats, Sammie was quite nervous. She ran her hand through her slightly wavy hair wondering if her mascara was too much for tutoring, she understood that the eyeliner above and below her eyelids were fine, and if it was over the top, she had her make-up removal items stored in the black Jansport backpack that hung on her left shoulder.
Finally, the tatty, gold-colored door handle was nudged around leading the door to open ajar for the head that popped out.
His face read that he was confused why there was such a thing as morning while he slowly adjusted his eye sight onto the girl.
His expression quickly changed into a warm smile. “Oh, hey, Sammie.”
Frank pulled his head back into his house then swung the door open. “Come in.”
Sammie smiled and took in the view.
Frank wore a white muscle shirt, clearly illustrating his somewhat built arms, underneath the ink for the left, and hugging on what seemed like small abs on his lower chest area, with a blue and white striped long pajama pants.
Frank continued eyeing Sammie, watching her gaze on his body, he wondered if he should smirk. “You coming in?”
Sammie shot her eyes back on Frank, “Uh. Yeah.”
Frank stretched out his left arm for the backpack as she walked in the house. Sammie smiled cordially handing the bag to Frank. He took hold of the Jansport bag and closed the door.
He tilted his head forward signifying Sammie to follow him after she slipped off her flats, the bottoms of her feet meeting the wooden floor. He walked further in the hallway and made a right into the living room. Sammie glanced at the antique coffee table before turning around upon entering the room. Frank sat the bag down on the dark crimson, leather sofa, “I’ll go change into something for learning” he commented before leaving the room.
Sammie laughed while she sank into the comfortable couch next to the collected pillows and examined the room.
Just in front of her was a two by three feet wood table, far behind it stood a big screen television beside the grand window covered by white laced curtains. There were two other seats for other guests scattered around the table along with a few video game cases and a jacket hanging on a chair’s arm rest.
Sammie faced the backpack, zipped it open and dug in it as she heard footsteps’ being rushed down the stairs, which indicated Frank’s nearing presence.
He slid to a halt in a sideways approach, both feet and self still faced toward the room yet moving to the right, on the floor with his socks then leaned on the doorframe of the living room, his hands in his black jean’s pockets, his head just covered by the black Misfits sweater he wore.
She lifted her gaze to him, a small gulp occurred while she studied the newly dressed Frank.
He played the savior for the day, breaking the silence, “Did you eat already?”
Sammie snapped back from her wonders and nodded, “Yeah.”
“Okay, well, I just woke up like a minute ago, so mind if I bring my breakfast in?”
“Of course, it’s your house.” She smiled.
“Just thought you would be one of those strict tutors” He straightened his stance. “You know the one with the whips.” He acted out and played the sound effects for a whip being lashed.
Sammie laughed as he went forth into the kitchen across the hall.
He’s so cute. Was the day really becoming the date Frank said it was? Or an extra amount of time to study?
Sammie brought out the History textbook, her notebook, a pair of pencils, the study guide and an untouched copy of the unit test they had taken yesterday. She laid out her materials, opening up the hardcover book to the first chapter the class had covered.
Upon looking through her notes concerning the chapters she planned on covering, Frank walked into the room and placed down his bowl of Trix cereal along with a glass of milk to the left of it. She peered up from her notebook and looked over at Frank enjoying his meal, Frank returned her look and smiled as he munched on his spoonful of sugary munches.
Sammie broke the contact and shifted her attention to the textbook, “Shall we start while you eat?”
Frank just nodded with his mouth full.
She giggled. “Alrighty, let’s start with the cause behind the discovery of America, which was?”
Frank downed his mouthful and washed it down by the help of a swallow of milk, then wiped his mouth with the back of his right hand, “Christopher Columbus” he smiled.
“And how did Columbus decide to sail over to America?”
“Um, he thought it was India, since he was going there, and found it.”
“Okay, but did he just go there out of his own will?”
“Y~ yes?”
Sammie shook her head. “He was funded by?”
“First Five California and from viewers like you. Thank you.” Frank smirked at his small joke.
Sammie rolled her eyes, “How did you even get PBS from California when we’re in Jersey?”
Frank shrugged. “I’m clairvoyant,” He nodded, “Yep, like that big word I used?”
The eerie silence stayed abyss on the two for four seconds until they broke it with their bawls of laughter.
They finally got a hold of themselves and fell back into their a more serious study mode.
“C’mon, you know this. The Spanish Armada back in 1588 led to which two people to pay Columbus to go to India?” Sammie questioned and gave confidence in her voice.
“Uh, Queen Elizabeth and Napolean?” Frank showed his apparent utter perplexity.
Sammie sighed. “Looks like we’ve got some crucial work to do.”
Frank frowned and stared back down on to his bowl of cereal.
“No, it’s alright, that way I know I won’t be missing something.” Sammie reassured Frank.
Frank looked up and raised an eyebrow.
“Um, no, not like that you wouldn’t know anything. Because you do know something, it’s just not on the tip of your tongue.” Sammie waved her hands as she stated her justification.
Frank crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. With a pout that drowned Sammie in a sea of solemn wonder, he transformed back into his playful self and picked up a Trix banana and flicked it at Sammie’s forehead.
She winced and gasped in a joking astonishment. She took off the cereal and snapped her fingers, “Oh no you di’nt girlfriend.”
Frank sat up straight and selected another Trix fruit piece, “Oh I think I just did boypren.” He nodded in an arrogant way and threw it at Sammie’s nose.
Sammie snarled, crawled to Frank’s bowl of cereal and started to chuck pieces of cereal back at him.
The two flirts continued on their playful manner, laughing and acting.

“Honey~ I’m ho-ome!” Sammie sang as she closed the door with her heel, her hands occupied with the bulky paper bag of snacks.
“Welcome back dear!” Frank crooned back at Sammie, still focused on the essay Sammie had him practice on.
“Who knew that dealing between 7 Eleven and CVS would give great one dollar deals?” Sammie stated proudly whilst she put down the bag on the kitchen counter, grabbed a small gummy bear bag and walked into the living room where Frank sat cross-legged and hunched over on the table writing furiously on the paper.
She slid down onto the sofa, opened the bag afterward biting the head of the innocent yellow gummy bear. She then eyed the timer across the table from Frank.
4, 3, 2, 1…
Ding!
“Time’s up!” Sammie got up from her seat and kneeled down next to Frank behind munching the rest of the bear. She switched the bag of gummies with the paper.
Frank stretched his back and arms with a sigh and divulged himself with a red gummy.
Sammie’s brow arched in a confused expression, she had skimmed through the paper in front of her not finding anything that was related with the essay topic.
Still busied with the snack, Frank already sensed and timed Sammie’s confounded look, “The next page.”
Sammie glanced about on Frank, who was concentrated on the next poor bear, and back at the paper. She lifted the first page, her eyebrow returned to its arched position. She went through to the second page of the essay.
She situated the two papers she knew was the response to the question she had given and was now left with the half-page writing on its lone paper. She read:
From the dawn of time, no, I’m just kidding. You told me not to write so flowery, so I didn’t, and you’ll enjoy reading the essay I wrote. But this has nothing to do with my answer to the question, but instead it is a genius idea I thought of while you were gone. I knew that you were so nice, so kind, and so awesome that you would want to celebrate you hauling me over into this whole day of studying. So I thought I would save you the time and effort of thinking how we could party. Let’s go to the WATER PARK!
We should go to the water park because it is just down the freeway. How would we get there? Well, I have a car and license silly. My uncle works there, so we could get discounts. And you don’t have to buy a bikini, if you wear one, which I think you do since you’re a girl, but I don’t think even you would imagine yourself wearing a bikini, because you’re not the one to show off your good looking body…
Just smile if you agree.
Sammie laughed quietly to herself, feeling her cheeks getting flushed. She looked up at Frank who played innocent…while gnawing off the top half of yet another red gummy bear.
She smiled. Frank smiled. “Why would I not have to buy a bikini?”
“You could just wear your shirt and you could borrow the shorts we bought for my cousin.”
“But I’ll get my shirt wet.”
“No shit, valedictorian. We bought my cousin a black muscle shirt and some super hero jacket. You could just use those, my cousin won’t be around for a while, so I’ll buy something else for her.”
“Hmm,” Sammie contemplated on her decision.
“It’ll be f-un.” Frank grinned.
“Just clean up everything while I read your essay and then we can go.” Sammie sighed with a smile.
Frank bent his arm in with his balled fist, “Ya-ha!” He got up and saluted Sammie, “Yes, ma’am!” And he scrambled off to clean the house.
Sammie laughed, grabbed the essay and went back onto the couch, she snuggled herself in a comfortable position with a pillow beside her before she began to read.
How sweet of him to write an essay for me about a deal…

Sammie searched between the bars of the water park’s playground. She was knelt down—her hair was down, only sprinkled by water, she now wore the black muscle shirt, replaced her jeans with the black knee-high basketball shorts that was to be a gift to Frank’s cousin, the sun had already begun to dry her densely wet body.
In the background, young children were laughing and playing, running up and down the stairs of the playing field, fighting with the water being sprayed out in certain areas. All this, Sammie did not pay attention to: she was on a hunt of her enemy. Her enemy was an easy target around the environment she was currently in—wearing a white muscle shirt and dark navy swimming trunks—yet, she still could not perceive Frank, out of her wonder.
Kids yelled and screamed to the left of her on the wet floor, Aha! Got chya, thanks kiddies. There, the children had run away from the area Frank was in because a rowdy girl with snorkels on was chasing them and had located them.
Sammie’s mouth curled into an evil smirk, she stealthily crawled between the two rails and onto the platform that held one of the screwed-on plastic water guns. She slowly pulled her body up as she grabbed the rail around the gun with her hands. After she steadied herself, she arched and moved the shooting mechanism, and aimed it’s dispatcher at Frank who was not as sharp as Sammie at looking around.
Sammie let out a cackle that was just loud enough for her opponent to hear.
Frank shot his eyes up immediately to the crowing Sammie, and became shocked when he noticed what she controlled in her grasp.
He could not escape, let alone make a move, for Sammie already pushed the red button on the grip of the shooter, releasing water harshly onto Frank. He cringed and attempted to defend himself from the water, an obvious failure. So, he chose to run from the gun’s shooting range.
Frank was very timely on his move: Sammie had let out another laugh of malice, this time, a laugh that made the Wicked Witch of the West cowering behind her wooden broomstick, her eyes were closed, her head was tilted back and her body moved along with her laughter’s pitches.
When she did end her laugh and did return her supervision over Frank, she choked then coughed as she skipped her breath during her gulp of air in her lungs when she tried to gasp at the vanishing act of Frank. Or, she argued with her conscience, he learned the arts of becoming invisible. Of course, she got kicked mentally in the head for even the thought of that wonder.
Sammie frowned, left her hold on the gun altogether, and decided to retreat from her towering position, what if Frank was running up to her?
She scurried down the flight of steps next to the open room of guns and crouched underneath a higher staircase. She leaned into the stairs as best as she possibly could, and when she was satisfied with her veiling stance, she ducked her head past the stairs and surveyed the vicinity around her.
Just as she expected (kids were scattered about underneath the massive playground, the water had completely soaked padded floor of the area, and several spots had water being poured down) a perfect war zone. And another memo, Frank was nowhere to be found.
Letting a few good seconds pass, she observing there was no sign of her avenger, she tiptoed onto a roomier space. Still keenly aware of what was happening around her, she continued moving her eyesight around the premises.
Sammie’s senses and just surfaced stealth skills aided her to the open area, there was no worry shuddering Sammie, she knew that she was camouflaged within the kids.
Minutes passed and she decided that Frank was long gone, probably out on a break, for his lazy personality. She loosened up her posture into a more relaxing one, stepped out into the sun’s rays and raised her right hand on her forehead to give shade to her milk chocolate eyes. She thought that she should also pause from the water and start feeding her stomach some nourishment. Sammie let her arms flail beside her and began to walk toward the direction of the nearest food stall.
She did not go far alone, Sammie screamed and held onto the arms around her as she felt her body being shoved by another’s body and being forced into a vacant wet area.
When the strength stopped their movement, Sammie looked down at the inked arms and the familiar ‘HALLOWEEN’ scripture on the person’s knuckles. She turned her gaze up to the person she had supposed it would be, a grinning Frank with his lip ring sending a thin blinding light.
“FRANK!”
He continued on grinning, stabilizing his hold on Sammie’s squirming attitude.
She stopped moving and crossed her arms on her chest, “Are you going to let me go?”
Frank shook his head.
Sammie opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by thunderous beeping. She closed her lips, changing her facial expression to confusion.
Frank continued on beaming.
Kids began to yell louder and scream in fear; Sammie stared around at the youngsters fleeing from around her. Then, she inducted the situation she was in and with a grimacing gulp, looked up at the mammoth bucket, the water that was being poured into it had stopped.
Her eyes widened, “NO! FRANK! LET ME GO!!” Sammie tried to move and escape from the target spot she stood in.
“No can do.” Frank sang, the last beep bellowed in result of Sammie closing her eyes.
And the bucket tipped over, first gradually, then quickly emptying its contents of water onto the frozen Sammie and the accompanying Frank.
Sammie opened her eyes as the container was swung back up, after it had dropped, to its initial position—she did not shudder, she did not scream, she did not move. Instead, she had grown a smile and stayed motionless sinking in Frank’s warmth, his arms still hugging her belly and his chest still keeping her back straight.
Frank did not protest, clearly, he was enjoying the proximity of him and Sammie, his eyes revealed it all: his gaze on Sammie below him was flooded with admire.
They completely forgot the tension they had played against each other.
Unfortunately, the roaring sparks between the two lovers was unfavorably interrupted by none other than a security officer who was resting his hands on his belt. “Hey love monkeys! Take it to the area for the adults!”
Frank and Sammie sighed, although neither one of them heard the other’s quiet complaint; Sammie took in motion and Frank unveiled his arms around her.
Sammie stepped forward and shifted her body to face Frank, her left hand leaned on her waist.
Frank stood aback studied their surroundings, “Let’s go back, yeah?” Frank peered down back at Sammie.
She nodded in response with a pouty smile, and the two walked on toward their locker holding their dry clothes.

Turning the knob to the right, she turned off the shower spraying the warm water meant to cleanse on her body. She slid open one of the doors of the shower area and grabbed the borrowed towel that hung on the hand rail on the outer part of the door. She quickly dried off her body and tied the towel around her silhouette before landing her feet onto the carpet mat to dry them. She stepped over to the wall across the sink and onto the cool marble floor of the bathroom to pick up her hanging clothing to slip on.
Sammie first slipped on her undergarments and skinny jeans, then she unraveled the towel tied around her once bare body, flipped her head down and began to dry her hair. Once she had finished drying her hair, she slithered on her original v-neck shirt and took the small steps to the sink and hung the towel on the towel rack beside the counter.
She lifted her hand above the tiny container of the few hair-combs standing up. Her fingers flittered about the choices then landed and picked up the translucent plastic bag. Opening it up to the travelers’ comb Frank had given to her, mentioning that his parents always liked to take the hotel ‘gifts’ as they called them, she giggled at how wily Frank’s family was.
She had pulled out and now bent the comb to its usable stature and moved it through her dense hair. Finished with untangling her hair, she placed down the comb and held up the black common hair dryer and turned it on blowing it about her head.
While drying her hair, Sammie’s eyes wandered around the room. There was a toilet, it’s cover closed thanks to the courteous Frank, the preserved wallpaper of small bunches of flowers on its vertical axis, of which Frank must not have mind much about, the shelf of Frank’s ‘beauty products’—eyeliner, hair gel, deodorant, shaver, shaving cream, cotton swaps—all of which displayed Frank’s character. Sammie smiled, she liked Frank’s nature, in fact, she could have stayed in the bathroom and just play around with his items, but that would claim her to be odd…more odd than she was already named.
She felt her hair dry, so turned off the hair dryer, chose not to put on makeup for her departure and picked up the black and white athlete’s bag Frank had gotten for her in trade of a pack of gum to the lone salesman that was working on keeping himself off of cigarettes while they walked out of the park.
Walking through the door, Sammie turned the light switch down and moved off to the living room. But before she left Frank’s room in its entirety, she observed his bedroom one last time: three guitars lined up against the wall, a bed whose blankets were neither folded nor put back in place, a cabinet filled with books and magazines, a desk splattered with paper and writing utensils and a closet with a door open revealing several of the owner’s clothing.
Sammie smiled upon leaving the room and walked down the hallway to the living room. She dropped the bag on the floor between the front door and doorframe of the kitchen and treaded into the living room.
Frank looked up from the television airing The Fairly Odd Parents and on to Sammie who was leaning against the wall. He passed the Wonder Woman jacket across the room to her. He motioned her to come and sit beside him on the couch with an eager smile as she fitted into the jacket.
Sammie shook and turned her head to the window; the curtains had been moved an inch away from each other at the center illustrating the street lights beginning to flick on. “Gotta get going,” she sauntered back into the hallway and picked up the bag and carried it on her right shoulder. Sammie turned the knob of the door and opened it.
“Wait!” Frank scrambled into the hallway holding a pillow against his torso and stood just outside of the living room.
Sammie turned back around to face Frank, a pout forming on her lips.
“My parents are out for the weekend, why don’t you stay?” Frank suggested, his eyes yearning for more of her.
“I,” Sammie struggled to read Frank’s face wondering if she would discover any plans he had wanted. “can’t.”
“C’mon, I know you’re a bad girl who had cheated through before” he whined.
Sammie failed at her try, allowing her mind to believe in the generalization how all males were, she rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re going to sleep with me then go for another tutor.”
Frank was shocked by the sarcasm Sammie had thrown at him. “Oh yeah, because I go after tutor girls,” he sighed and attempted for Sammie to believe that he was not one of ‘those guys’. “See, I didn’t even know you existed.”
Sammie rose her right eyebrow in an ‘uh-huh’ tone.
Frank shook his head and waved his arms, disbelief at what he had just said. “Okay, that went out wrong. I, I just want you to stay for the night. I’m obviously not after you for sex because I wouldn’t force you to ‘cause I’m not a jerk.”
Sammie sighed and moved in front of Frank and his frown turned upside down. But Sammie took grab of the pillow and threw it in Frank’s face.
He jerked back, tried to regain his balance from the surprise attack, however, failed and fell on his butt next to the coffee table hearing the door close shut. Frank heaved a heavy sigh as he stared blankly down at the pillow he now held.
“I know you’re not a jerk” Frank heard whispered in his ear and jumped startled at Sammie’s return. He hit the upper left back of his head on the smoothened corner of the table and yelped.
“Oh no! I’m so sorry Frank!” Sammie cooed and she tended to the abrasion, disallowing Frank to touch it. The athletic bag was on the floor beside the front door and she was knelt down steadying herself on her left arm.
Frank sat there dumbfound watching Sammie care for his injury. It did not sink into him that Sammie was actually there being nice to him until he tackled her to the floor brushing his fingers up and down her sides.
Sammie giggled then laughed then tried to escape from Frank’s hold. “Fr-F-Fr-ANK!” Sammie kept laughing.
Frank laughed along with her until his arms were hit enough by Sammie. He stopped tickling her, still wrestled on top of her, his heart beat pounding rapidly as he regained his breathing.
Sammie stared into Frank’s melting eyes as she recuperated her breathing, her heart also thumping quickly.
Without another word, Frank shot down his lips onto hers into a deep kiss.