Freak by Francine Pascal Page B

said.
    Sam glanced at him, almost startled.
    â€œHey!” he shouted back with a nod. He took a sip of his beer and trained his eyes on the hideousness on the stage as if that was what he’d been watching all along.
    â€œLook, Sam. I came over here to tell you that it’s game over,” Ed shouted, leaning in toward Sam’s ear.
    â€œWhat?” His eyebrows shot up and came together.
    â€œGame over,” Ed said, lifting his chin in Jake’s direction. Sam followed his eyes, drawn back to the car wreck.
    â€œI have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sam said.
    But the defiant way in which he said it told Ed that he knew exactly what he was talking about. Still, it couldn’t hurt to hammer it home.
    â€œYou see that guy she’s with?” Ed said, leaning in again. “That’s him. That’s the guy with all the mojo you and I will never have.” Ed reached up and clapped Sam on the shoulder in solidarity with his former adversary. “It’s time to give it up, man,” he said. “Trust me. I know.”
    Territorial
    THIS HAS TO BE OVER SOON, GAIA thought, her head pounding as the band’s front man executed some kind of wide-legged jump and almost took out the drummer’s cymbals and dead-legged the bass man. If there is any mercy in the world, this has to be over soon.
    â€œI’ll be back in a minute!” Jake suddenly shouted at her.
    Gaia sat up straight and grabbed his arm beforeshe could double-think it. “What? Where are you going?”
    â€œBathroom!” Jake yelled, starting out of his chair.
    Gaia glanced in Sam’s direction from the corner of her eye. Was it her imagination or was Ed just getting up from Sam’s table?
    â€œWhy?” Gaia blurted.
    Jake laughed. “I think it’s kind of obvious. I’ll be right back.” Then he stepped away from the table, carefully avoiding wires and abandoned beer bottles.
    Gaia suddenly felt like every light in the club was trained directly on her. She’s right here! Come and get her!
    Sam was watching her. She could feel it. She’d felt it all night long, but now it somehow seemed more intense. Her first instinct was to sink down in her chair again, but that wasn’t going to get her anywhere. It wasn’t going to make her disappear. Besides, her butt hurt from the edge of the seat pressing into it all night.
    There was movement. Definite movement caught in her peripheral vision. Gaia cleared her throat and fixed her gaze on the band. She loved this band. She was so into them. She couldn’t take her eyes off of them.
    Yeah, right.
    â€œHey,” Sam said, lurking just behind her shoulder. “Mind if I sit?”
    Gaia pressed her lips together in a reasonable facsimile of a smile. “No extra chairs,” she said pseudo-apologetically.
    Sam leaned over to the couple next to them, pointing at an empty seat at their table. Seconds later, he was at eye level right across from her. Gaia glanced automatically in the direction of the bathrooms, but Jake was nowhere to be found.
    â€œSo, who’s the guy?” Sam asked bluntly.
    â€œJake,” Gaia replied, thankful that the deafening noise made it next to impossible to attempt to expand.
    â€œAh,” Sam replied, nodding and looking around. As if the word “Jake” explained everything. He was playing it cool. Gaia could have kissed him for his male ego that required that he play it cool.
    â€œSo, listen. I’ve decided I’ll talk to Oliver,” Sam shouted, leaning in slightly.
    Gaia’s heart skipped a beat. “Yeah? That’s great!” she shouted back.
    Sam’s green eyes took on new depth as he watched her face. “Yeah, well, it means a lot to you!” he yelled.
    Gaia felt a stirring in her chest. So he was doing it for her. Not because he wanted to, not to help Oliver, but for her. Time for a subject change. Luckily, at that moment,