Unlucky Number
Sorrow Sam


“Samantha Tally! Come down here now! We’re gonna be late!”
“Mom, I’m putting my bow in my beautiful brown hair. Please stop yelling. It’s gotta be perfect!” Sam ran down the stairs and plopped into the red SUV. “Mom, can we pick up Leeann?”
“Sure Samantha. But stop acting like your famous.”
“Mom, I go by Sam. And I can if I want! Hey, where is Josh?” Sam looked to her right to give Ally, her one year old sister a cookie.
“Sorry mommy,” Josh staid out of breath from rushing to the car. “I was getting my Game Boy” Josh sat down. “I wish I was in 6th grade like Carl. He acts like he’s an adult even if he is only on grade higher than me.”
The four drove about ten minutes until they reached leans house.
“Hey Sam, thanks for picking me up.” Leeann sat behind Sam in the third row in the SUV. Sam moved to the third row with Leeann “My mom is sick so I would have missed the Football game.”
“It’s no problem Leeann.” Sam tried to make Leeann not feel so bad. Leeann felt like she was using Sam.
Leeann had dirty blond hair about seven inches long. Leeann was very talented at gymnastics. Skinny and happy she was. But she was also so sad.
Forty Five minutes they reached Salem. Sam and Leeann were cheerleaders for the Greendale Middle School Penguins. Ams mom walked Andy and Ally to the end zone and sat of a black fleas blanket. Josh quickly got up and ran over to Carl.
“Leeann, Sam! Your late! Fifty push ups! And hurry on it. The football game starts in twenty minutes!” Yelled Coach Ashlinia. Ashlina was 24 yeas old with buck teeth. Her blond hair was always in a ponytail. She would always wear pink booty shorts and belly shirts. She was strict. No one on the team liked her except for Erin.
Erin was 14 like everyone else on the team. Erin had black hair just long enough for a hair tie to fit into. She was a base. A base is someone on a squad who holds other girls up. Bases she to be very strong. Erin’s flyer (the girl she holds up) is Sam.
Another base is Brian. Brian also holds Sam. She had long brown hair. Also she was very ‘loud and proud’ as she puts it.
Sam and Leeann did their push ups. Ashtina hurried the two over to the rest of the squad. The other ten girls were ready. Sam went into her group of Brian and Erin. Leeann was the front girl. She was the tumbler. That means she did back hand springs, cart wheels, hand stands, tucks and other gymnastics.
“Erin, Brianna and Sam, Full!” Yelled Ashtina. She walked over to the group. Erin and Brianna put Sam into a full. A full is when the bases have their hands straight above their heads while holding a girl.
“Sam, do Victory.” Ashtina said. The wind started to blow. Sam wobbled slightly.
“Ashtina, we might not do fulls because the wind. I might—”
“Sam, don’t argue, Victory!” Ashtina had rage in her eyes. Sam rolled her eyes. Sam was in danger of falling. Another heavy wind thirsted.
“Give me a V,” Sam wobbled. “Dot the I, swirl the C.” Sam shook slightly and and rebalanced herself. “T-R-O-Y! T-R-O-Y!” Sam started to fall but caught herself.
“VICTORY“
Sam shouted with pride.
“You did that on purpose! Sam, don’t mess around like that. No back talk or your off the team!” Ashtina walked to the ref. The other 11 girls gathered around Sam.
“Sam,” Lucy another flyer said “what if you got kicked off? We would fail at Champion Chip!” Sam started to cry.
“It’s ok Sam. Don’t cry.” Said Sarah the last flyer. “Your not kicked off anyway so please don’t cry.” Sam wiped her eyes.
“She’s not kicked off yet…” Ashtina said from behind the girls. They all looked at her. Sam ran off to where see her mom. But half way there she stopped. Andy caught her eye.
Andy Carsh was the Quarter back for the Grendal Penguins. Number 31. Andy had brown hair and blue eyes. He was tall for his age very skinny. Never mean and always sweet. As and Bs were the only thing he got. Sam had the worlds biggest crush on Andy.
“Sam, lets go!” Ashtina yelled at Sam from across the field. “We’re lining up on the side lines!” The side lines are where the stands are.
The wind stared to blow again. The are was now filled with leaves from the oak trees surrounding the field. The trees were almost bare from the fact it was the middle of October. It was cold for the girls to be in mini skirts in this weather. The sun went behind clouds and the sky turned cloudy. The clouds were not gray though.
Two quarters went by. The game was tied eight to eight. The girl did about twenty-five cheers by now. The girls lined up to do the cheer leading half-time show. Ashtina hand signaled the girl to go on center field.
Andy ran over to Sam and said “Hey Sam, break a leg ok?” Sam stared to blush. Sam walked over to him and kissed him ok the cheek. Sam and the rest of the squad ran to center field. Andy waved. Sam waved back to him.
The girl were in there three stunt groups. Erin, Brianna and Sam in the middle stunt group. Lucy, Carrie and Fran in the second group to Sams right and group three to Sams left was Sarah, Chelsea and Terra. Then Leeann was in front. The girl started in a prep. A prep is holding a flyer chest high.
Music stared. Sam, Sarah and Lucy were in preps. Then put into Fulls. Lucy and Sarah were cradled. That’s when a flyer is pushed up and then cough. Sam was the only one up. Sam then twisted down. Sam was put into another prep. Then Sam was pushed up. She made herself into a ball. The rain stared to pour down like someone dropped a bucket of water. Sam stared down. Erin looked to her upper left to look at the rain.
“AHHHHH!” Sam yelled in pain.
“Mom? Where am I?” Sam looked around confused.
“Baby, your in the Grendal Hospital. You fell from your basket toss.” Erin didn’t catch Sam which let her hit the ground.
“Mom, I hurt everywhere.” Sam stared to cry.
“Sam, you—” Sam cut off her mom and looked at her so confused.
“You called me Sam. Mom, thank you. What happened to me?”
“When you fell, you broke your left leg, broke your right wrist, broke two ribs and fractured you left shoulder. You hurt yourself bad baby,” Sam looked at herself. “Your lucked your not dead.”
“Who let me fall?” Sam stared to get mad. “Who!” Sams mom looked as her daughter.
“Er—” Sams mom looked at her. Just as she was about to say Erin, she walked in.
“Sam, I’m, sorry. I was a bad cheerleader. I should have caught you. I was looking at the sky.” Erin walked over to Sam and tried to hug her but Sam shifted so she couldn’t. “Sorry…”
“Erin, you are my best friend, I can’t be mad at you.” Sam sat up and hugged Erin. “Just catch me next time.” Sam and Erin giggled.

Sam make a full recovery from her fall. For the past two months, Sam couldn’t cheer lead but Erin, Leeann and Chelsea taught her the new cheers they learned. Sam then started to think that her falling, was a good thing. She ran this through her mind everyday.
“Thanks for all coming today to teach me the three new cheers we learned. Erin, I know you probably won’t understand this but I think falling from my basket was great. It brought us together. Now you and Chelsea are friends because your helping me.” Sam had a tear in her eye. She looked at her friends together.
“Also you Leeann, you now gave your mom a reason to get out of the house so she fells better. She got a date, she goes places now. So… I think me falling was a good thing.” Sam started crying. She stood up from her leather sofa waddling toward her friends.
“Group hug!” They all shouted. Sam sat back down so she wouldn’t hurt her leg. Sams mom walked in the room with some cheese and crackers. She placed the plate on the glass table in front of the couch.
“Sam, you doctor called my cell phone this morning,” Sam mom said looking upset. “Your doctor said that you have to wait until…” She paused. “Until tomorrow to get your cast off!” Sam shouted with glee. She started to ‘Happy Dance’ and singing “Yay Yeah Yeah!”
“Yay! I can run tomorrow! Yoo Hoo!” Sam would have jumped but her leg might hurt anyway. Chelsea, Leeann and Erin all cheered with joy for Sam.
“But you have to wait one more week until you can cheer lead.” Sam mom looked upset again.
“Oh well. I can at least walk without these stupid crutches.” Sam started ‘Happy Dancing’ again.

“So Doctor, when can I cheer again?” Sam starred at him. He was overweight and had very greasy, brown hair. When he walked, he waddled like a penguin. “Doctor Greska?” Sam looked at him with a sad look. He stepped back.
“Mrs. Tally, may I please speak to you in the hall for a moment?” He said in a low, deep voice.
“Sure Mr. Greska.” Sams mom grabbed her peruse and walked into the hall.
“Mrs. Tally, Sam is a great girl. She’s lucky to be alive. Honestly. Now—” Sams mom interrupted him.
“Mr. Greska, I know Sam shouldn’t cheer lead anymore but she’s the star cheerleader. Doctor, I can’t take her out forever. She would go crazy.” She started to look upset. She started to twist her hair.
“I know how much it means to her but if she falls like that again, it’s over. She already has a metal plate in her knee which she doesn’t knew about. Do you want her do have a life where she has a fake body part like and arm? What if she gets paralyzed?” He stared to sound serious.
“Fine, I’ll take her out of cheer leading. But your telling her.” Sam mom walked into the room and sat next to her daughter. Mr. Greska walked into the room.
“Sam, I—” Sam stopped his talking.
“I know, I can’t cheer anymore. It’s ok. I don’t care. Can I go to one more practice and watch?” She paused.
“Sure Sam. I’m sorry. I just think—” She stopped him once again. She looked at him.
“Save it for someone else doc. I’ll be in the car mom.” Sam walked out of the building and sat in the SUV crying. But know one knew she was.

The next day at school in first period French, Sam sat in a different seat near Ashley Collen. Ashley was held back two times in 6th grade. Now in 8th grade she was smarter.
“Class,” Ms. Facey said to her class. “Get your folders!” Sam tuned her out to talk to Ashley.
Ashley was held back because she only went to one hundred and five days the first time. The second time she was in school for forty nine days. And the final time she was only absent five days. She was only there so little the first two times because she was addicted to pot. Which then made her go to rehab. Also the pot made her gain weight which would explain why she was slightly overweight.
“Hey Ashley,” Sam said quietly. “Where does Bill live?” Sam knew this question was bad for her and her life. Bill was a drug dealer. Sams soon future involved drugs.

Sam knocked on the door of the apartment. She stood there almost about to leave when the door opened. A man popped out looking both ways. He pulled her in by her shirt. The room smelled like smoke and was foggy which hurt Sams eyes. The walls where white and the carpet was a thick orange color.
“Who are you and what do you want?” Bill said in a low, scratchy voice. He stood hunched over. He had dark skin but wasn’t black. He had dark brown hair with a musquash that hadn’t been shaved in about a week.
The table next to him had McDonalds bags all over it. Behind him was the Living room with an old tv that was on Mute. To his left was the kitchen which looked dusty and untouched.
“I’m Sam. What you got? Sam sounded like she was older. She waited about a minute.
“Well Sam, I got pot and coke. What you want?” Bill walked over to the white couch in the living room.
“Coke. A lot off it too.” Bill stood up and walked down the hall into a room with no lights. He walked out with a bag with white powder. The bag was about as big a sandwich. In the bag was a straw too.
“Here. That’s $150.00. But why a girl your age want this stuff? You’re so pretty and cute.” His eyes twitted.
“I know I seem cute but the thing is, I can’t cheer lead anymore. LIFE SUCKS!” Sam started to cry a little.
“Can I just have the money?” Bill looked angry now. Sam wanted to stay safe and unharmed so she pulled out a wad of cash. She counted out $150.00 dollars and handed it to Bill.
“Here take the bag and go. I didn’t sell it to you.” Bill handed her the bag. He walked away and sat down on the couch. Sam then put the bag in her backpack. She walked out the door with proaction.

Sam walked about a mile home. She ran upstairs to her room. No one was home. She sat at her wooden desk in the back corner. Her walls where light purple which she hated. Sam pinched out some of the powder onto her desk. Then she took the straw out. Stuck the straw in her nose and sniffed the coke up.
Sam iced her nose which was red after five seconds. She pinch out more. And sniffed that too. Sam felt like she was being lifted into the air. Inch by inch her body fell apart in the air.
“One more time.” Sam said to herself. She took one more. Then again. Then again. She did this a total of three.
Sam was now high and was dizzy. She stood up and warbled to her bed. She sat down and put her head on her pillow. One fourth of her sandwich sized bag was gone. She giggled like an idiot. She put her head on her pillow trying to sleep. She couldn’t. So she walked back to school and ran for half an hour on the track behind the school. She never felt tired.

The next day at school she wanted more coke even when she was at school. She felt rushed or in a hurry to get home. She had her drugs with her in her peruse. Her first period class french was boring so Sam decided it was coke time.
“Ms. Facey.” Sam said to her french teacher. “Can I go to the bathroom?” Sam waited. Ms. Facey sighed.
“Sure Sam. But hurry back.” Sam grabbed her peruse and rushed to the girl room. She sat in the middle stall. She took out her straw and the powder. Sam put the straw in her nose and put some coke her whole palm. She then sniffed it all in about two minutes. Her nose was red so she went to the mirror and put cover up on her nose. She the walked back into the class room down the hall lined with red lockers.
Sam wasn’t high but she was slightly wobbly so she pretended she was fine. She sat down next to Ashley again.
“Ashley, Bill was nice.” Sam laughed. Ashley just looked at her.
“What did you get? I can’t leave and adults site except for the bathroom. I still want some coke or pot.” Ashley looked upset.
“Ashley,” Sam whispered. “I got coke. Wanna buy some?”
“Yeah!” Ashley shouted. The whole class of twenty looked at us. They started painting again. For the next two months Sam sold Ashley drugs. She went to Bills every Wednesday for another sandwich sized bag of coke.

Sam had spent most of her birthday money on drugs by then. She had enough for one more bag. She had also spent all the money she made from Ashley too. Sam was also high most of the time. Her grades dropped, she lost Leeann as a friend over a pencil and her dad had cancer. Sams life was getting worse.
“Chelsea, I wanna die.” Sam looked high but no one could tell.
“Sam, why are you acting like this? You never have. Please be your self.” Chelsea walked away and left Sam alone in the hall. The intercom went on.
“Samantha Tally, Please come to the office. Thank you.” The intercom shut off. Sam walked down to the office where the Principal, Mrs. Dolly was there along with Mr. Fredie the Vice.
“Samantha—” Sam cut Mrs. Dolly off.
“I go by Sam!” Sam pointed at her as she yelled. Sam then walked into her office. She sat down in the small room. The room had a been bag which Sam sat in. She sat i front of the dark wooden desk. Mr. Fredie stood next to Mrs. Dolly who sat at the desk.
“Sam, you have been a bad girl.” Mrs. Dolly said with great diction. Sam twirled her hair. “Ashley told us some things you where doing.” Then the secretary walked in.
Mr. Fedie, you wanted down the hall.” He left. So now I was alone with Mrs. Dolly.
“Sam, cokecane is bad for you. And selling it? To other students!” She started to yell.
“Ashley sniffed it to!” She was undercover. We gave her money, you sold to her and now we caught you.” A police man walked in.
“Samantha,” Mrs. Dolly whispered to him. “Sam, sorry.” He stared to look upset and disappointed.
“You are now being arrested and sent to New England Rehab Center located in Salem.” Sams jaw dropped as she stared to cry. The police man walked out of the room.
“Sam, you will be attending the New England Rehab Center for one year. Sam, you are so deep into cokecane. It harms you so much.” She headed for the door. “I want you to think about what you have done for a minute. Mrs. Esco will be her in a moment to tell you more. We called your mother at work. She will be here too.” Mrs. Dolly walked ou of the room looking upset.
Sam sat in the room thinning about what she had done. It was hard for her because she was high. Sam wanted so much to run away. But she couldn’t. She was locked in the room alone. She kept thinking of the book Dreamland by Sarah Design. She read that book in seventh grade.
Sams heart was racing of the though of a year away.
“I don’t wanna go!” She shouted in the room. Everyone in the office walked out the door. She stood up and starting to hit the glass door as hard as she could. Sam stared yelling as loud as she could. The police man unlocked the door. Sam bolded toward the office door which led to the hall. She knew if she got to the hall, she could run. She had her hand on the door knob when the police grabbed her by her wrist.
“Let me go!” Sam yelled louder than before. Bu the police was trained. He put Sam in hand cuffs. All the people in the office except for Mrs. Dolly herb left through the door on the opposite side of the room.
“Sam, Sam, calm down.” Sam continued to yell. The police man tried to calm her but she kept trying to shake him. “Mrs. Dolly, hold her!” Mrs. Dolly ran over and grabbed her. He let go of Sam. She was still trying to brake free. He took out another set of cuffs and put then on her ankles.
“I can’t hold her!” Mrs. Dolly yelled and she let go. The officer grabbed her while Mrs. Dolly locked the doors. Sam was released. She fell over immediately. She stopped crying and yelling. She just laid thereon her back.
“I’ll go…” Sam said softly. The police man took a deep breath and Mrs. Dolly sat down. Mrs. Dolly helped her up. Sam waddled over to a chair in Mrs. Dollies office while she Sam waited for her mother to arrive.
When Sams mother arrived, she was in tears. All Sam could do way sit there and get yelled at by her mom. The police unlocked the cuffs from her legs. Sam crossed her right leg over her left like she always did. Sam started to cry when her mom said “Baby, I’m so disappointed in you…”
At 3:00 when school ended, the police put Sam in the back seat of the cop car while Sams mom drove in the maroon SUV. They where headed for The New England Rehab Center. It was a short distance in Salem so Sam could have her parents visit.
“Mom,” Sam said in her head. She tried to plan what she would say to her mom. “I’m sorry. I love you. But cheer leading gave me a reason to love life. Now that it’s over, I wanted over. I thought chicken would make the pain go away. It didn’t, I’m so so sorry.” Sam started to cry. Sam repeated this over and over in her head. Sam soon fell asleep in the back of the cop car.
The car stopped as Sams eyes opened. A car door slammed shut as another one opened.
“Sam, wake up.” Sam opted her eyes and saw her mom. Sam sat up and stepped out of the car. She looked around. There where many cars in the lot. The three started toward the door. Right in front of her stood a tall, brick building three stories high with big widows covered with metal bars. Near the front door were flower beds with pink, purple and red flowers. The garden had fresh Mach. The path was white stone with a white picket fence. The police let her out of the cuffs. She then rubbed her eyes. The tree reached the door and Sam pushed it open with Hesitation.
Inside she saw a tall lobby like she saw on the Fashion channel. She glanced around to see a large chandler. Also there was a rounded celling which the chandler was hanging from.
“You can handle her right Mrs. Tally?” The police man asked. She just looked at her.
“Yes,” she said unsure. “I can handle her.” Sam walked forward toward a desk build into the wall. Sam and her mother reached the desk. “Ma’am, I would like to sign Samantha Tally in please,” The woman with the curly red hair and the shirt from the 80’s grabbed a clipboard from the wall and handed it to Mrs. Tally.
“Mrs. Tally, please fill out Samantha’s forms. Her name is already on the sheet. Samantha, please—” Sam cut her off.
“I go by Sam damn it!” Sam shouted. The tree nurses dressed in white dresses all looked at Sam.
“Sorry Sam.” The woman at the desk said. “Please go into that door there. It is unlocked. Just go down the hall when your throughout the door. you will be getting your evaluation.” Sam looked over at the door which was painted white like the rest of the walls. She pulled the door, nothing.
Sam turned around toward the desk. “Hey Secretary!” Sam shunted.
“Yes Sam?” The woman said.
“This stupid door is stuck!” How do I open it? Sam walked toward the woman angrily. She backed up and quivered while her mother just watched.
The woman stood up strength to look professional again. “There is a keypad next to the door. Put in your birthrate. And from the looks of my sheet, your birthday is December 24, 1994. Oh, Christmas—” She stopped talking. Sam had walked toward the door and untied in 122494.
The large metal door and walked in. Sam walked down the narrow hall way which was also painted white. She continued down the hall until a red haired man popped his head out of a door and looked at her and started to speak. “Samantha?”
“I’m Sam! Not Samantha!” Sa got so angry then. She ran down the hall and punched him in the face. She had knocked him out. She then looked in his room. No one was there. So se dragged the body into the room.
The room was small and narrow. She put the thin red haired man in the chair. There was then a big red bump on his head. Then he started to blink.
“Samantha? Why Samantha?” Sam put herself on top of him in the chair and smashed his head into the Mac monitor.
“My name is Sam you dirt bag!” She then repeatly smashed his head aganst the screen. Finally the screen broke. Glass shot into Sams cheek but she continues to smash his face to the broken glass. His face and the inside of the monitor was bright red.
Sam stood up from his lap and grabbed the wooded chair from behid her has smashed it over his head. There was then a shock from the monitor and it burst into flams. She started to laugh. She then put the fire our with a jug of water next to the computer. Sam pulled the shard of glass from her cheeks and whipped it with her hand. She then left the room and walked toward the metal door.
The door opened as two big men grabbed her and put her in a straight jacket. Sam was shreeking and kicking. “Sam! You killed that man!” Her mothers voice shreeked. “Why baby?”
“He called me Samantha!” She started kicking the man hoding her from behind. “Let me go!” The two men dragged her back away from the door down the hall. Her mother followed. Sam and the others stopped in front of the room where the dead man lay with his head in the monitor. Two police men ran them into the room just followed by three meics with a strecher and a body bag.
Sam, her mother and the strong men started down the hall again. They reached an open door. When they reached the door, the men pushed Sam inside it.
“Here you can’t hurt anyone!” One of the men yelled. Sam looked around. All the walls, ceiling and floor were sponge yellow. Sam tried to stand up from her knees but with her arms stuck behind her, she couldn’t. She started to cry and fell from her knees to her side.
“Sam baby,” Sams mom said from the door way. “I love you but the State of Oregon has officially diginosed your Metaly ill. No one can handle you anymore.” The big men pulld her back farther from the door. Sams mom started to cry. Then a man appered nest to them. He was dressed in all white cloths and was bald. He whispered to Sams mom.
“Sam, I’m Doctor Scholls. The show guy? Well I have teamed up with New England Rehab Center to help unstress young teens who do grugs or have shown violence or have been a victuim of violnce. So I am going to help you.”
“Shut up your stupid retard! You make shoes! How can shoes help me? Your a retard. I’ll kill you next!” Sam started to crawl toward him with her face hittin the floor every half a foot. She was shaking in rage now.