One True Way Read online

  For all the Sams and Allies everywhere.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Allie Drake—Staff Reporter

  How Do You Explain a Dead Brother?

  Coach Murphy

  Not Special Enough

  Allie Drake—Private Tutor

  Allie Drake—Deep Thinker

  Horses Don’t Judge

  Allie Drake—Cheerleading Expert

  Kelly Hutton—Head Deb

  Cheering for a Cause

  One True Way

  Webster Wallace—Editor in Chief

  Allie Drake—Confused Girl

  Phoebe Moore—Crazy for Crochet

  What Does the Bible Say?

  Reverend Walker

  Who’s an Abomination?

  A Good Daughter

  Being Twelve

  Skeletons

  How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?

  Allie Drake—Square Dancer

  Living a Lie

  Big D and Me

  X-ray Vision

  Sweet Melissa

  Melting an Iceberg

  Dad Gets It Right

  Dr. Nichols

  Walking in the Rain

  Pioneer Days

  Allie Drake—Horrible Person

  The Horse Show

  Saying Good-bye

  Egg and Spoon

  Just Sam

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Sneak peek at Ruby Lee and Me

  Copyright

  August—1977

  My life was about to change. I had two goals on my first day at Daniel Boone Middle School: make a friend, and join the newspaper staff. It was the perfect job for me. I was a people watcher, a tad nosy, and an excellent typist.

  I studied each of the kids in health class, trying to find one who looked friendly. Instead, Samantha Johnson found me. She swung around in her seat and stuck out her hand like a politician. “Just call me Sam,” she said. “I know all the kids at DB, so you must be new.”

  My reporter’s antenna went up. This girl had confidence. She was just the kind of kid who would introduce me to her friends. “Allison Drake.” My voice came out all scratchy, like I had a frog in my throat.

  “Ribbit, ribbit,” Sam said.

  “Ribbit, ribbit,” I answered. I was usually shy around people I didn’t know, but something about Sam felt different, right from the start.

  “Bet you don’t have anybody to sit with at lunch,” she said.

  If not for her big, toothy smile, I would have been embarrassed to admit it.

  “You can eat with me,” Sam decided. “Would you rather sit with the jocks, the brains, the theater kids, or the debs? I’m one of the few kids who can sit at any table.”

  Sam didn’t say it in a braggy, I’m-full-of-myself way, but like she was stating facts. “Debs?” I asked.

  “Yeah, future debutantes. They’re the most popular girls in seventh grade. In a couple of years, they’ll be high school cheerleaders, majorettes, and riding convertibles in the Homecoming Parade.”

  I couldn’t imagine anybody who’d have less in common with a deb than Sam. She had on a T-shirt that said Daniel Boone Pioneers tucked into her bell-bottoms. Her hair was cut into a wedge, like the figure skater Dorothy Hamill, and she was probably the friendliest person I’d ever met.

  Sam was also in my English class, which met right before lunch. She didn’t have a pencil or a notebook and slouched down in the seat in front of me.

  “What’s happening, Sam I Am?” asked a boy with an Afro. He wore a silky shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a comb handle protruded from his back pocket.

  “Not much, Dwayne. I won a couple trophies riding Penelope over the summer. Have you met Allison?”

  Dwayne shook his head. He had a nice, easy smile.

  “Here, Sam,” said one of the debs and handed her a pencil and a few sheets of notebook paper.

  “Thanks, Kelly. This is Allison.”

  If you asked me, Kelly looked like all the other debs: long silky hair parted down the middle, perfect teeth, and a cute figure. I was a little envious of her, to be honest.

  “Welcome to DB,” said a girl with thick red hair. It flowed in feathered layers that reminded me of my brother’s Farrah Fawcett poster. She snapped the rings open on her binder and handed Sam some mimeographed sheets. “Thought you might like a copy of my notes from science class.”

  Sam flashed her a smile. “Phoebe, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, maybe you could copy your notes every day.”

  Phoebe nodded so hard her bangs bounced.

  I learned three things in English class that day:

  1. We were going to read Johnny Tremain.

  2. Sam was skating through middle school without doing much work. And …

  3. She had a horse named Penelope.

  After class, I followed Sam to the lunchroom. “Did you decide which kids you’d like to sit with?” she asked.

  No contest. I wanted to sit with the newspaper kids. “You didn’t mention the Pioneer staff, but I’d really like to meet them.” I planned to be the best reporter in the history of DB Middle School.

  “Okay,” Sam said. “We’ll sit across from Webster. He’s the editor in chief.”

  I barely had time to say how Webster was a great name for an editor before Sam had slapped down her brown paper bag. “Hey, Webb. This is my friend Allison. She’s new at DB.”

  Webster and I had a lot in common, I could already tell. Both of us had thick blond bangs that we liked to hide behind, wire-rimmed glasses, and, judging from the newspaper spread out in front of him, a love for reading.

  “Nice to meet you,” Webster said. “Sam, did your mom bake chocolate chip cookies? I’ll trade you a bag of chips for a cookie.”

  Sam reached into her sack and handed him a cookie. “Keep your chips, Webb. I need a favor.”

  Webb bit into the cookie. “Ummm,” he said and a look of pure chocolate bliss spread across his face. “What’s the favor?”

  I leaned toward him. “The favor is for me. I used to work on our school newspaper in New Jersey, and I want to be a reporter here too.”

  “Normally, I request a writing sample.”

  I would have shown him a hundred samples, but Sam handed Webb another cookie. “I know you have strict rules, but let’s cut through the red tape on account of Allie’s new. She can interview me about winning a trophy at the Pinto World Championship Horse Show. My mom took great pictures.”

  “Done!” Webb said. “If Allie turns in a good interview with pictures, she can join my team.”

  I was usually called Allison because Mom hated nicknames, but I didn’t correct them. I liked the sound of it—Allie Drake, Staff Reporter.

  I waited on the bleachers for Sam to finish basketball practice. I scribbled interview questions, noting that she played point guard. I sketched the way her hair bounced as she dribbled. She was beautiful. No, that wasn’t exactly the right word. She was … handsome. Usually, I wouldn’t describe a girl as handsome, but in Sam’s case it fit.

  At the sound of Coach Murphy’s whistle, Sam drove toward the basket. Gliding through the air, she scored a layup. How’d she do that? I didn’t have an athletic bone in my body.

  When practice was over, Sam headed for the locker room. About twenty minutes later, she climbed the bleachers with a towel slung around her neck. “Want to go to my house? You can interview me after supper.”

  I wanted to go home with Sam like a normal kid, but my mom would have had a stroke. She’d been overprotective since my brother died. “Uh … I can’t, but maybe you could go home with me?”

  “Sure,” Sam said. “Lea
d the way.”

  The house we’d rented was only a couple of blocks from school. I carried an armload of books, while Sam dribbled her basketball down the street. Her hair was damp from the shower she had taken after practice, and mine was damp from the North Carolina heat.

  “Thanks for introducing me to Webb. Being a reporter means a lot to me.”

  “No problem,” Sam said. She dribbled the basketball between her legs. “Do you have any brothers and sisters?”

  I never knew how to answer that question. Should I just say no because Eric was gone? Or should I say yes and leave it at that? Or simply tell the truth? There is no easy way to explain a dead brother.

  “Well, do you?” Sam asked.

  “Nope. It’s only me.” That answer caused a guilty conscience, but telling the truth would have made me cry. I was sick of crying. I wanted to be a regular kid again. “What about you?”

  Sam’s whole face lit up. “I have an older sister and a younger brother. Melissa’s a sophomore at DBH and Jonathan’s only five. He’s cute and funny. You’ll love him!”

  For just a minute, I was so jealous I wished I hadn’t met Sam. Kids who have brothers and sisters don’t know how lucky they are, but to be fair, I didn’t know either, not until Eric died.

  “My dad farms,” Sam continued, “and my mom’s a church secretary. What about yours?”

  “Uh … my mom’s the new librarian here in town, and Dad’s still living in New Jersey.” What I didn’t say was they’d probably get a divorce, and I blamed Dad. We used to be a perfect family: Dad, Mom, Eric, and me. I even had the pictures to prove it.

  While I unlocked the door, Sam kept bouncing her ball. I wondered why she couldn’t relax. Where did all that nervous energy come from?

  Our den was full of boxes from our move. I started to apologize for the mess, but the words clumped together like saltwater taffy. While I had been at school, Mom had hung our family portrait over the fireplace. She believed Dad would come back to us, but I didn’t need another reminder that both he and Eric were gone. Every day their empty seats at the kitchen table stole my appetite. My bottom lip trembled. I tried to make it stop, but I couldn’t control it. “I use—used to have a family.”

  Sam turned me around so I didn’t have to see the portrait. “You look like a lost puppy.”

  The tone of her voice was gentle. Sam understood. For the first time since Eric had died, somebody was solely focused on me. Mom and Dad had been so caught up in their own grief that I had become invisible. My glasses fogged from my tears.

  Sam took them off my face and wiped the lenses on her T-shirt. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but I do want to be your friend.”

  She’d seen me cry, but liked me anyway. It seemed like a minor miracle. I left her and ran to the bathroom to wash my face.

  “You okay in there?”

  When I opened the door, Sam was staring up at my family’s portrait with her hands on her hips. “I called my mom. It’s okay if I stay for supper.”

  I was relieved she still wanted to stay. It was proof I hadn’t scared her away. “My mom’s working late. You want a sandwich?”

  Sam wrinkled her nose. “Not really. I’m always starved after basketball practice. How about I cook?”

  That was fine by me, though I’d never had a friend offer to make dinner before. I led the way to the kitchen and watched Sam whip up omelets. My only contributions were setting the table and pouring orange juice.

  Sam focused on her omelet and didn’t ask me any questions. Finally, I couldn’t stand the silence. “Eric died in a car accident. I hate telling people because then they feel sorry for me, and it gets all weird.”

  Sam stood and put more bread into the toaster. “I’m sorry it happened, and I promise not to get all weird.” She shrugged. “At least not any weirder than I already am.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  Sam grabbed the toast that had just popped up. “Sure.”

  “Why is Phoebe copying her notes for you?”

  “Oh, that.” Sam reached for a knife and spread butter on her toast. “It’s embarrassing.”

  “Tell me anyway.”

  “I’m a bad student, but a pretty good athlete. My friends help out so I can play on the basketball team.”

  “Are you doing your absolute best?”

  “Uh … I hadn’t really thought about it.”

  “I have. I think you’re smart, but taking the easy way out.”

  Sam grinned. “Maybe.”

  “I’ll help you too, but only if you promise to try really hard.”

  Sam nodded. “I like you, Allie Drake. None of my other friends would’ve said that.”

  “I like you too. A lot.”

  I took charge of washing dishes while Sam dried. She loved to cook, but didn’t much like cleaning up.

  About fifteen minutes later, Mom came home. “Mom, this is my new friend, Samantha Johnson.”

  “Just call me Sam,” she said.

  I took a seat at the kitchen table and watched Sam use her charm. Not only did she make Mom an omelet, Sam borrowed my glasses, shook her hair into her face, and imitated Webster. “Chocolate chip cookies,” she said. “I don’t need a writing sample from Allie. For two cookies, she can be editor in chief.”

  Mom laughed. “Sam, I think you could sell ice to an Eskimo.”

  “I don’t know any Eskimos,” Sam said, “but could I talk you into letting Allie go to my house tomorrow?”

  Mom held her hand up like she was fending off an attacker. “We still have unpacking to do, and I … I haven’t met your parents.”

  “Please, Mom. Sam will give you the number, and you can talk to her mom ahead of time.”

  “But …”

  “I need to make new friends. Don’t you want me to be happy here?”

  She sighed. “No promises, but I’ll call Mrs. Johnson.”

  I was one step closer to being a regular kid again.

  The next day reminded me of a Carly Simon song. It was all about the “Anticipation” of going to Sam’s house. I wanted a new best friend almost as much as I wanted to be a reporter.

  In health class, Coach Murphy announced we’d be studying the musculoskeletal system. She taught us in an unusual way—by playing an imaginary basketball game with Sam.

  Coach dribbled a pretend ball.

  Sam lunged and tried to steal it.

  Coach threw an elbow.

  “I’m calling foul on that one,” Dwayne said.

  “Exactly,” Coach said, “but because of her ribs, Sam didn’t get hurt. What organs do our ribs protect?”

  “Lungs!” Phoebe said.

  “What else?”

  “Heart,” said one of the debs.

  Coach raised her elbow to the side of Sam’s head. “Sam’s brain is protected by her …”

  “Skull,” somebody shouted.

  The whole class period was like that. Coach made learning fun. Maybe she’d give me a couple of quotes about Sam. Quotes always jazz up an article. I’d ask her after school.

  In English class, I fidgeted as much as Sam. Not even historical fiction could take my mind off going home with her.

  At lunch, Sam wanted to sit with the jocks. She took a seat in front of Dwayne Williams. “Big D, you think the Tar Heels are gonna be any good this year?”

  “The Tar Heels are a sure thing,” Dwayne said. “Coach Smith will have those boys whipped into shape.”

  I didn’t have much to say because I didn’t know the first thing about college basketball. My mom had warned me it was like a religion in North Carolina, and I should have paid attention. I didn’t know any of the players that Sam and Dwayne discussed, but I decided to become best friends with the sports page.

  When the long school day finally ended, I headed for Coach Murphy’s office. I gave a quick knock and pushed the door open. Miss Holt, our English teacher, was standing very close to Coach, and she was crying.

  Coach’s eyes darted
from Miss Holt to me. “Can I help you, Allison?”

  Both teachers looked uncomfortable, like I’d walked into a dressing room where they were changing clothes. “Uh, well, I’m writing a profile about Sam Johnson for the school paper. I thought maybe you could give me a couple of quotes.”

  Coach nodded. “Let me think about it. I’ll jot something down, and we can talk tomorrow.”

  I backed out the door. I didn’t know what was wrong with Miss Holt, or why I’d made them feel so uncomfortable, but my reporter’s antenna was humming. I planned to find out.

  Sam lived about five miles outside of town, and we took the late bus to her house. Those five miles made a big difference. Instead of a house on a tree-lined street, Sam lived on twenty-five acres. When I saw her family’s barn and pasture, I quoted a line from Big Red Barn: “By the big red barn/In the great green field …”

  Sam nodded. “My brother loves that book.” She pointed toward the barn. “Do you want to meet people or horses first?”

  “Definitely people.” No way Mom would have let me visit if she’d known about the horses. I’d tried not to let her fears affect me, but they had. I’d always been cautious, but lately it was more than that. I expected something else bad to happen at any moment.

  When Sam pushed open the back door, a small body barreled into her. “Hey, Jon Jon,” she said and lifted him into the air.

  “Can we play horse?” he asked.

  Sam winked at me and dropped to her knees. Jonathan scrambled onto her back and grabbed hold of Sam’s shirt. Neighing like a horse, Sam crawled from the mudroom into the kitchen. I tagged along behind.

  Sam’s older sister looked up from the books she had spread across the kitchen table. “Hi, I’m Melissa.”

  Melissa and Sam had the same dark hair and eyes, but they didn’t look at all alike. Melissa was thin and willowy. She had on makeup, and her fingernails were painted. Melissa was a deb. “Nice to meet you. I’m Allie Drake.” It amazed me that the same parents had daughters as different from each other as Sam and Melissa.

  When Jonathan finally got tired of playing horse, Sam and I climbed the stairs to her bedroom. An entire wall was covered in bookshelves, but instead of books, the shelves held ribbons, trophies, and pictures of Sam. In some of them she was riding her horse; in others she was playing basketball.