"So what are you searching Sam for? Maybe I can help you out?"
Rose asked Clara with a smile on her face. Clara was her best friend, and even last night when they talked on the phone, she didn't mention something like this.
"Oh! It's nothing. My mother wanted to see him, she mentioned me this morning abruptly, so I went ahead and drove myself here. I am sorry I should have called you earlier."
Clara replied with an apologetic look on her face and then pinched Rose's cheek gently with a smile, Rose's serious face broke into a big wide grin.
"Oh! Look at you, you are wearing the cardigan we bought together. It fits nicely."
Clara touched Rose's pink floral cardigan, then looked at her chest with a frown.
"Your boobs are too big."
"Don't be jealous, I am sure you will grow soon enough."
Rose chuckled, and then with a proud expression, she took a piece of toast and began to butter it and then took a big bite out of it. Clara looked at Rose's smug expression with a half self-deprecating smile on her face.
"Don't feel bad, come on. We will go to Newton Mall. There's something called a padded bra, I will buy it for you. Alright, here he comes. Laugh, you're terrible at acting."
Rose held Clara's hand to reassure her with a wink, then shoved her half-eaten toast in Clara's mouth because, in her eyes, Clara is too naive to fool Sam.
"Hey guys! Do you guys have plans later tonight?"
"Uhhu! N…Planm "
Clara's small mouth was stuffed, so she barely made some noise and shook her head, while Rose just shook her head.
"How about we three head to Newton tonight? It will be fun? Clara, are you free?"
Sam, with a smile said, then sat down. His smile was unusually big for something so simple, he was actually looking at the transparent glowing panel in front of him. He felt happy because no one other than him could see it, and he also knew now that he could dismiss it with his mind.
"I am totally free, but Clara's mother needed you for something."
Rose, seeing Clara almost choking, helped her out by forcing the toast out and replied to Sam on her behalf.
"Haaah! You almost killed me, you idiot."
*BANG*
Clara smacked Rose's head with her hand, her whole face was red, she was breathing hard, and she looked a bit flustered.
"I am sorry about that. here, have some water."
Rose, with a naughty grin, gave Clara some plain water. After drinking some water, Clara calmed down a lot. Sam was not bothered by their mischief at all, he was used to it. Rose and Clara were best friends and would always pull pranks on other boys and girls in the school. Because of Jack, no one messes with her even if she goes overboard.
"Mother wanted to see you about that automatic wheelchair you made for her, she feels like it's jamming up, so that's why. That can wait till the evening, I'll let her know. When we leave for Newton, maybe you can visit her on the way."
Clara, with a happy smile said, Sam nodded his head because that was actually more to his liking.
"Alright, I will head back to Mom's shop to help her out. You guys enjoy your time, I'll call you when it's time to leave."
Sam stood up, the black jacket on his body looked a bit worn out, but he wore it like it was his prized possession. His dad used to wear it, so he felt warmer in it somehow.
"I can give you a ride if you need it."
Clara looked at Sam with her dancing brows, Sam just half shrugged his shoulder as if to take her up on the offer.
"Let's go, Rose."
Clara grabbed the car keys with one hand and Rose's hand with another.
"I can't, there's no one home. Mother will kill me if she finds out I went out when there's no one here. You come back as soon as possible."
Rose, with a sad expression said, she really wanted to go but couldn't, she might get grounded if she ignores this rule.
"I'll be back in ten minutes."
Clara confidently said, then with a righteous expression walked to her car and started it dramatically. Sam took a big breath and then nodded at Rose before heading out and entering that car.
"Look at her, my best friend, Does she think I don't know of her plan? She plans to steal my husband, can you believe that?"
As soon as Sam closed the door, Clara uttered these words. She was still smiling and waving at Rose, but her eyes had a little chill in them.
"I am not your husband, Sigh!"
Sam sighed, Clara was a very obsessive person and she was currently obsessed with him.
"I meant as a future husband. You do know we are engaged, right?"
Clara looked at Sam in his eyes, then placed her hand on his headrest and looked back to reverse the car. Sam just sat there thinking about the system and how he would buy the ticket, maybe the earlier he gets there, the better.
"So your mother's wheelchair is fine?"
"Obviously, you made it after all. How can it get jammed so easily? If you were in your mom's store, things would have been easier, we could have spent some time together."
The car was now on the main road, smoothly driving towards Sam's mom's store, Clara's exquisite little face looked extremely beautiful in the cold sunlight.
"I really love you. I don't want my best friend to fight for you. Am I being selfish?"
Clara suddenly asked, and Sam looked at her with both of his brows raised because he was shocked a bit. Clara has never behaved this obediently before.
When they were just eight years old, their deceased grandfathers made them engaged, as both families were very close and big farming families. Later, their parents just joked about it at house parties, and it became nothing but a fun memory of the past, but there was only one person who took it seriously: Clara. Ever since then, she has been obsessed with Sam, she even got transferred into his school.
"No, you're not being selfish at all."
Sam shook his head. As they approached the center of the town, you could see many types of shops nearby and small houses, unlike big farmhouses.
Clara smiled hearing Sam's reassurance. Sam has repeatedly asked her to follow her heart from childhood, being obsessed with him will only harm her.
"Listen, last night I got an acceptance mail from Harvard. I am waiting for MIT, but as you can guess, both I and Rose will leave the town for a bigger and broader life, so I would advise you to spend more time building on memories rather than fighting over nothing. We are lifelong friends after all."
As the car entered the busiest street of the town, Sam said in a barely audible tone, and Clara's grip tightened on the steering wheel.
"I understand. I am sorry for behaving like this. I will now go and spend more time with her, I can't imagine my life without her."
In a flat tone Clara replied her voice was void of any emotion and then stopped in front of 'Callahan General Store.'
"Don't be, It doesn't mean life is ending, we are growing up, and we have to do our bidding now. It doesn't mean I don't love you back."
Sam stepped out of the car and shut the door with a seamless motion. Clara was looking his way with big wide eyes then stepped on the gas, but Sam didn't care, he slowly trotted inside his mother's shop.