Free In Your Arms by Becky Andrews

boyfriend,” Alex said.
    “What? Where?” Sam said as Alex pointed down the hall. “Don’t point!” Sam said as she pushed Alex’s arm down.
    “He’s not even looking, oh wait,”
    “What! Hide me! I can’t see him.”
    “Why not? You two almost kissed.”
    “Exactly, it’s going to be awkward. He’s still with Tracy. I mean, he hasn’t even talked to me since that night.”
    “Oh, you’re being paranoid. And besides, I don’t see Tracy anywhere around,” Alex said.
    “He probably didn’t even mean to—I mean, he’s just going to ignore me.”
    “Stop. Sam, he’s not going to ignore you. If he’s going to do anything, it would be to tell you off so you’d be too embarrassed to say anything to Tracy about what happened.”
    “Thanks, now I feel better. He’ll either say something nice to me or embarrass me, great.”
    “Oh, yeah, he’s definitely walking this way,” Alex said.
    Sam couldn't process all the emotions inside her. How could she still be so engrossed with the sparks with Phillip after all that had happened? She knew it was because on some deep level, she didn't want to think about the murder, but also because her interactions with Phillip were cultivating something inside of her she never knew existed.
    Unable to handle her feelings for him on top of everything else, Sam quickly made her way down the hall in the opposite direction of Phillip.
     
    * * *
     
    “I totally forgot to tell you,” Alex exclaimed after they walked out of Biology.
    “What? What did you forget to tell me?” Sam asked cautiously.
    “You’ll be happy to hear that after you ran off this morning, Phillip just wanted to say ‘hi’ to you.”
    “Really?”
    “Well, that and he asked what was wrong with you, kissing him when he had a girlfriend,” Alex teased.
    “What!”
    “I’m just joking, Sam. He was just wondering why you ran off,” Alex said.
    “What did you tell him?” Sam panicked.
    “I told him it was because you were madly in love with him and wouldn’t be able to control the burning desire to kiss him again.”
    Sam narrowed her eyes at Alex. “Ha ha, very funny, and we didn’t kiss.”
    “Okay, okay. I didn’t say anything. I told him I didn’t know why you ran off. Hey, Michael wants to know if you’d want to go ice skating on Saturday.”
    “Uh, I’ll see. I mean that is a little weird for me—you know—you two and then me, the third wheel.”
    “You could always invite Phillip.” Alex gave her a mocking smile.
    “Yeah, right. I’d never do that. It’s bad enough we almost kissed. I’m not going to turn around and ask him to go ice skating with us.”
    “Bad? I thought you liked him.”
    “I do, it’s just, he’s still with Tracy. I can’t be a backstabbing whore like Tracy, okay? No matter how much I don't like her.”
    “Whoa, don’t get all in a huff. No one truly likes her, I guarantee it. She just puts people down and makes them feel insecure. Besides, I told Michael not to count on having you come with us. I figured you wouldn’t want to ask Phillip—you know on account of you being scared.”
    “Hey, I’m not scared. I’ll go ice-skating with you two, and I’ll ask Phillip, too. Just you wait and see,” Sam said defensively.
    Alex grinned, because that’s obviously what she wanted all along.
    “Man, I can’t wait to get home. I don’t think I’ll be coming over today, Al,” Sam said.
    “Why?”
    “Well, lovebird, I don’t think I can sit around your room, watching you IM your boyfriend for an hour for another day.”
    Alex laughed nervously. “I did that?”
    “Alex, come on. This past week, I’ve been subjected to watching you laugh, giggle, and smile girlishly at the computer screen while you tell me what you and Michael are talking about.”
    “Oh, I didn’t realize, I don’t have to log on until after you leave,” Alex said guiltily.
    “Forget it. I’m tired anyway. I think I’ll just go home and play with Ben. I don’t