Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate

Author:Katherine Applegate [Applegate, Katherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-83209-2
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2013-03-27T04:00:00+00:00

I gave Sam directions to Turtle Beach. It was still nice and hot, and we sat on the sand and let the water play over our bare feet. Sam was very quiet, which was good, because it gave me time to fine-tune an idea that was percolating in my brain.

“A lot of loggerhead turtles nest around here,” I said at last. “Izzy and I monitored a nest up there late last spring. The mother turtle comes from thousands of miles away to the beach where she was born. She lays her eggs, and then when they hatch about sixty days later, the baby turtles head straight for the water. It’s incredible to watch.” I paused. “This year, Izzy may not … she may be, you know, too sick.”

Sam scooped up a handful of sand and let it rain down softly on my toes. “Alison, you can’t let Izzy believe something that isn’t true. It isn’t right—not for her, not for any of us.”

“Just hear me out,” I said. “What if you—just for a little while, I mean; you don’t have to marry her—what if you pretended you were interested in Iz, maybe went out with her a few times? It’s not like it would take a lot of acting skill, Sam. After all, she’s funny and brilliant—did you know she was a Westinghouse semifinalist? And you have to admit, she is beautiful.”

“Well, she’s no you.”

I laughed. “Yeah, she’s the beautiful swan, and I’m more, say, gerbilesque.”

Sam abandoned the sand. He moved closer to me, so close I could feel his warm breath on my cheek. “You are beautiful, Alison, just for the record. Izzy is too, in a different way. But don’t ask me to lie to her. I can’t. It’s not right.”

I watched a young couple walk arm in arm down the wet brown sand. “Have you ever been in love, Sam?”

He wrapped his fingers in my hair, and an electric tingle traveled the length of my spine. “Funny you should ask,” he whispered. “As a matter of fact, I think I am right now.”

I let myself savor the sweetness of the words. Then I fixed my gaze on Sam. “Well, Izzy never has,” I said. “I don’t know why. Maybe she intimidates guys, who knows.”

Sam trailed his fingers down my arm. “I don’t want to know about Izzy. I want to know about Alison.”

“Funny you should ask,” I said softly.

Sam took my face in his hands.

“Wait, Sam. Wait. I have to tell you something. It’s about Izzy.” I felt my voice losing power. I didn’t want to say it out loud because that would make it real. “She’s going to die, Sam. Soon. She has only a couple of months. And she doesn’t … her parents won’t tell her.”

Sam pulled away and stared out at the water. “I’m sorry, Alison,” he whispered. “I’m really sorry.”

“All I’m asking is that you spend some time with her. Get to know her. She’s so great. And she deserves to know what it’s like to really care about someone.

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