Samantha Brooks and Guest

The thought refused to leave him alone.

Every name that came to mind carried a risk. Some people talked too much. Others would ask too many questions. Most simply wouldn’t believe him.

He couldn’t trust anyone with a secret this big.

Except for three.

That evening he was meeting Natalie, Maddie, and Riley. For the first time all day, he found himself looking forward to something. If anyone could help him figure out who to invite to the Patron Reception, it was them.

Maybe—if he was lucky—one of them would agree to go as Samantha’s guest.

Unfortunately, luck had not exactly been on his side lately.

 

Because of the Patron Reception, the afternoon staff meeting stretched much longer than usual. Daphne reviewed table assignments, sponsorship packets, catering schedules, and a list of volunteers who would greet donors at the entrance. By the time Marianne finally dismissed everyone, Samuel’s attention had drifted entirely to the clock on the back wall.

His phone vibrated inside the pocket of his pinafore.

Maddie: Samuel! Remember we’re meeting in 30 minutes!

Samuel’s stomach tightened.

He quickly calculated the timing in his head.

Twenty minutes to Riley’s house.

Five minutes to change.

Five minutes to spare.

It would be close, but manageable.

The moment the meeting ended, he excused himself and hurried toward the changing rooms.

He rounded the corner.

Stopped.

The door was locked.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

His backpack, his jeans, his T-shirt, and even the second volunteer uniform were still inside.

He tried the handle again.

Nothing.

“Is everything ok?”

Samuel turned.

Marianne was locking her office.

“The changing rooms close at six,” she said matter-of-factly. “So do the activity rooms. Only maintenance has keys after that.”

Samuel stared at the door another second.

“I… left my clothes in there.”

“I’m sure it won’t be a problem if you wear your uniform on your way home.”

Samuel forced a polite smile.

“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

Marianne smiled back, completely unaware of the crisis she had just dismissed.

“See you tomorrow, Samantha.”

“See you.”

As soon as she disappeared down the hallway, Samuel sighed.

 

The drive to Riley’s house felt considerably longer than twenty minutes.

Every red light seemed personal.

Every pedestrian looked as though they were staring at the striped pinafore.

Every stop sign reminded him that he was driving across town dressed like Willow House’s newest volunteer.

By the time he pulled into Riley’s driveway, he had almost convinced himself his friends might decide to ignore the uniform.

He should have known better.

The front door opened before he even reached it.

Maddie gasped dramatically.

“Nice dress, Samantha!”

Natalie leaned against the doorway with an amused smile.

“You look gorgeous.”

Samuel sighed.

“I literally just got here.”

“And you’re already serving looks,” Maddie replied.

The moment he stepped inside, Maddie’s eyes widened.

“Oh my God…”

She pointed excitedly at the sides of the pinafore.

“It has pockets!”

Samuel looked down.

“…That’s your takeaway?”

Riley circled him once, studying him with surprising seriousness.

“Your hair looks better today.”

Natalie smiled.

“Actually…”

“I think it’s cute.”

Samuel simply looked at the three of them.

“…”

That only made them laugh harder.

His face grew noticeably warmer.

“I’m never living this down, am I?”

“No.”

“Definitely not.”

“Not a chance,” the three answered almost in unison.

 

One of the advantages of Riley’s house was that, whenever it was just the four of them, no one thought twice about them disappearing upstairs.

Within minutes they were sprawled across Riley’s bedroom floor, surrounded by snacks, half-finished drinks, and enough pillows to suggest someone had once attempted to build a fortress and simply forgotten to take it down.

Only then did Samuel finally relax.

“So…” Natalie asked.

“How was your first real day?”

Samuel leaned back against the bed.

“It actually wasn’t bad.”

He told them about the orientation, the children, Marianne, the endless policies, the volunteer badge, and how surprisingly exhausting it had been to spend an entire day pretending Samantha belonged there.

“…and then,” he finished, “they gave us invitations for something called the Patron Reception.”

“The Sponsor Reception,” Riley corrected automatically.

“Patron,” Maddie said.

“They changed the name a few years ago.”

Samuel pulled the invitation from his handbag and handed it to them.

“They also expect me to bring someone.”

Natalie looked up.

“Oh.”

“That’s going to be a problem.”

“You think?”

She smiled apologetically.

“I meant because we can’t go.”

Samuel frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“Our parents have been sponsors for years,” Riley explained. “We’ve always gone.”

“We each already have invitations,” Maddie added.

Samuel’s shoulders dropped.

“So… none of you can be Samantha’s guest.”

“I’m afraid not.”

Silence settled over the room.

Samuel stared at the invitation again.

“I honestly have no idea who I’m supposed to ask.”

Natalie thought for a moment.

“What about Lily?”

Samuel answered before she finished the sentence.

“Absolutely not.”

The speed of the response made all three girls burst into laughter.

“I’m serious!”

He pointed at himself.

“I would never hear the end of it.”

He shook his head emphatically.

“Just imagine. If she ever found out about Samantha…”

He buried his face in his hands.

“She’d make me be her sister every time she felt like it.”

The room erupted into laughter again.

Maddie wiped a tear from the corner of one eye.

“…Okay.”

“Fair point.”

Riley crossed one leg beneath her.

“What about Andrew?”

The room grew noticeably quieter.

Samuel looked up.

“…Andrew?”

“He’s probably the person you trust most.”

Natalie nodded.

“And from everything we know about him…”

“He wouldn’t judge you.”

“He’d probably just be worried.”

Samuel didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he kept staring at the invitation.

The more he thought about it…

…the more he hated admitting they were right.

“I don’t love the idea.”

“No,” Riley agreed. “But I think it’s your best option.”

Samuel let out a long breath.

“…Yeah. I think it might be.”

Maddie suddenly sat upright.

“Oh!”

She looked directly at Samuel.

“Samantha.”

“What?”

“Do you already have your dress?”

Samuel blinked.

“…My what?”

“Your dress.”

He frowned.

“For what?”

“The reception.”

She grabbed the invitation from the floor and pointed at one line near the bottom.

“It literally says… ‘Cocktail attire’.”

Samuel read it.

Then looked back up.

“…What’s cocktail attire?”

Three horrified expressions answered him.

Natalie slowly reached for her phone.

“You don’t know?”

“I’ve never exactly shopped for cocktail dresses.”

Maddie had already opened Google.

Within seconds, dozens of elegant dresses filled the screen.

Samuel’s expression grew increasingly alarmed.

“…People actually wear those?”

“They do.”

“I can’t buy one of those.”

Natalie looked at him as though the answer were obvious.

“Why would you? You have access to three entire wardrobes.”

She gestured around them.

“And trust me… We have options.”

Maddie was already halfway to Riley’s closet.

“Oh, this is going to be fun.”

Before Samuel had a chance to object, Riley stood up as well.

“I have a few options.”

Within minutes, dresses began appearing from every direction.

A navy one.

A dusty lavender one.

A dark emerald dress with a subtle shimmer.

A simple black cocktail dress that Riley insisted “worked for literally every emergency.”

One by one, they laid them across Riley’s bed until it looked less like a bedroom and more like the fitting room of a boutique.

Samuel stared at the growing collection.

“…How many cocktail dresses do you people own?”

The girls exchanged amused glances.

“We’re girls,” Maddie said, as though that explained everything.

“And we borrow from each other all the time,” Riley added.

She pointed toward the emerald dress.

“That one’s actually Maddie’s.”

“The navy one too,” Maddie confirmed.

Natalie smiled and gestured toward the lavender dress.

“And that one’s technically mine.”

Samuel looked from one dress to another.

“So… none of these are actually yours?”

“They’re all ours,” Riley answered simply. “And yours now too.”

The response caught him slightly off guard.

Natalie walked over to the bed and began sorting through the dresses.

“Okay… definitely not this one.”

She held up a bright red dress for less than a second before putting it aside.

“Too bold.”

Maddie nodded in agreement.

“And definitely not the sequined one.”

“It screams look at me.”

Riley lifted the simple black dress.

“This one’s elegant…”

“…but maybe a little too serious.”

“The lavender would look really good on Samantha,” Natalie said thoughtfully.

“Especially with her coloring.”

“The emerald too,” Riley added.

“It brings out her eyes.”

Samuel blinked.

“My eyes?”

Three heads turned toward him.

“…Samantha’s eyes,” Natalie corrected with a grin.

Samuel rubbed a hand over his face.

“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”

“You’d better get used to it,” Maddie said cheerfully.

After another few minutes of debate, four dresses remained on the bed.

Natalie stepped back and crossed her arms.

“There.”

“Those are the finalists.”

Samuel looked nervously between them.

“…Do I have to try them on now?”

The three girls looked at one another.

Then Maddie smiled.

“Samantha…”

“We know you’ve suffered enough today.”

“We’re not going to torture you by making you model dresses in front of us.”

Samuel let out a dramatic sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank God.”

“Take them home,” Riley said.

“Try them on whenever you’re alone.”

“And keep whichever one you like best.”

Natalie nodded.

“Besides, all four of them work with the heels we gave Samantha for her first formal appearance.”

Samuel looked toward the garment bags Riley was already gathering.

“So all I have to do is choose the dress?”

“For now.”

Maddie smiled innocently.

“We’ll worry about jewelry after that.”

Samuel groaned.

“There’s jewelry too?”

“Of course there’s jewelry.”

Natalie laughed.

“But honestly…”

She tilted her head thoughtfully.

“…I’m pretty sure Lily won’t mind if you borrow something.”

Samuel stared at her.

“…Excuse me?”

Natalie shrugged.

“I mean…”

“Aren’t sisters supposed to share?”

The room exploded into laughter.

Samuel buried his face in both hands.

“I walked right into that one.”

 

By the time Samuel reached home, the borrowed dress conversation had somehow expanded into a full-scale fashion exhibition.

He had been measured, compared, color matched, and informed that apparently he had “excellent shoulders.”

He wasn’t entirely sure whether that had been a compliment.

The lights inside the house were already on.

Samuel quietly opened the front door.

Voices drifted from the living room.

Lily.

Perfect.

Keeping the Willow House uniform hidden behind the garment bags his friends had insisted he take home, he slipped toward the stairs.

“Hey.”

Samuel froze.

Lily was sitting on the couch, looking up from her phone.

“…Hey.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah.”

She nodded once.

“Cool.”

Samuel climbed the stairs at a pace he hoped looked perfectly normal.

The bedroom door clicked shut behind him.

Only then did he finally breathe again.

 

Twenty minutes later, Samuel sat on the edge of his bed, back in his own pajamas.

The volunteer uniform hung neatly inside Samantha’s suitcase.

The invitation rested on his desk.

He looked at his phone.

There really wasn’t anyone else.

He opened his messages.

Samuel: Can we meet tomorrow? I need to talk to you.

Barely thirty seconds passed before the reply arrived.

Andrew: Are you pregnant? You sure it isn’t mine hahaha.

Despite himself, Samuel smiled.

Samuel: I’m serious.

This time the answer came almost immediately.

Andrew: Tomorrow. 8 pm. Same pizza place?

Samuel: Yeah.

 

The following evening felt strangely familiar.

The pizza restaurant hadn’t changed since middle school.

Same faded booths.

Same checkered tablecloths.

Same framed photographs of local baseball teams decorating the walls.

Andrew was already there when Samuel arrived.

He raised a hand.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

They ordered almost automatically.

Two pepperoni pizzas.

Two sodas.

For several minutes, they talked about university orientation, summer plans, and the increasingly ridiculous price of textbooks. He already knew who it was from and hoped he was wrong.

Eventually Andrew leaned back in his seat.

“…Okay.”

Samuel looked up.

“Something’s wrong.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You’ve barely touched your pizza.”

Samuel glanced down. Andrew wasn’t wrong. He took a slow breath. It was very difficult for him to start this conversation.

“Do you remember the conversation we had after graduation?”

Andrew nodded.

“The one about Tiffany?”

“Yeah.”

Samuel looked down at the table.

“I wasn’t completely honest.”

Andrew frowned.

“You lied?”

“Not exactly. I told you what happened with Tiffany. I just left out… almost everything else.”

Andrew folded his arms. “I’m listening.”

Samuel remained quiet for a few seconds, trying to figure out where to begin.

“You know how St. Catherine’s is.”

Andrew gave him a confused look.

“…An all-girls school?”

“Exactly. There was no way for me to get inside. So I gave up.”

Andrew nodded. A brief silence settled between them.

“The girls started joking about finding another way. They kept throwing out increasingly ridiculous ideas. I thought they were kidding but they weren’t.”

Andrew smiled.

“I’m already a little concerned.”

Samuel laughed quietly.

“So was I. They decided the only way I was getting into St. Catherine’s… was if I became a student.”

Andrew blinked.

“…What?”

“A female student.”

Another pause.

“…Sam.”

“I’m serious.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means Natalie, Maddie and Riley created an exchange student. They gave her a name. Even a schedule.”

Andrew stared at him.

“…You’re telling me three teenage girls invented an entire person?”

Samuel nodded.

“Yes. And somehow…”

“They convinced you to become her?”

Samuel sighed.

“Apparently, yes.”

Andrew couldn’t help smiling.

“It gets worse.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“I actually did it.”

Andrew laughed. “No. You didn’t.”

“I did.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Samuel reached into his pocket. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” He unlocked his phone, searched for a moment, then slid it across the table. Andrew picked it up.

The photograph showed four girls standing shoulder to shoulder in front of a mirror. He immediately recognized Natalie. Then Maddie. Then Riley. His eyes moved to the fourth girl. Long light-brown hair, St. Catherine’s uniform and a small, nervous smile.

He looked back at Samuel.

Then at the photograph again.

“…Who’s the fourth girl?”

Samuel didn’t answer. Andrew looked closer. His expression slowly changed. Samuel remained silent while Andrew raised his eyes.

“…That’s you?”

Samuel nodded once.

“Yeah. That’s me – as Samantha.”

Andrew looked back at the screen. For several long seconds, he simply stared at the picture. Then he slowly handed the phone back.

“I…” He rubbed a hand across his forehead. “I genuinely don’t know what to say.”

Silence returned.

Andrew finally broke it. “You know… this somehow raises more questions than it answers.”

Samuel laughed. “I’ve been saying that for weeks.”

Andrew glanced once more at the phone. “I do have to admit one thing.”

“What?”

“You make a surprisingly convincing girl.”

Samuel closed his eyes. “I walked right into that.”

Andrew smiled. “I couldn’t resist.”

The laughter faded naturally. Samuel became serious again. “There is one more reason I’m telling you all this.”

Andrew looked at him.

“This secret…” Samuel chose his words carefully. “…is probably the biggest one I’ll ever ask anyone to keep. I need you to promise me something.”

Andrew nodded without hesitation. “Okay.”

“No matter what happens… this dies with us.”

Andrew didn’t joke this time. “You have my word.”

Samuel took another slow breath. “Thank you.”

He reached into his backpack and placed the cream-colored invitation on the table between them.

Andrew looked down.

THE BOARD AND STAFF OF WILLOW HOUSE
CORDIALLY INVITE
SAMANTHA BROOKS AND GUEST

He looked back up. “…What’s this?”

“I need a favor.”

Andrew read the invitation again. Then raised one eyebrow. “…Are you asking me to be Samantha’s date?”

“Guest.”

Andrew smiled. “That word is doing a lot of work.”

“I know.” Samuel rested both forearms on the table. “I honestly don’t have anyone else. I need someone I trust. Someone I can trust not to expose me.”

Andrew looked at the invitation for another few seconds. Then shrugged. “Sure.”

Samuel blinked. “…Really?”

“Yeah. If my best friend secretly spent weeks pretending to be a girl… I feel like going to one charity reception with him is a pretty reasonable way to help.”

Relief spread across Samuel’s face so quickly that Andrew laughed.

Andrew picked up another slice of pizza. “I do have one condition.”

Samuel immediately tensed again. “…What?”

Andrew took a bite before answering. “The next time your life turns into a psychological thriller… tell me before chapter twenty.”

Samuel couldn’t help laughing. “Deal.”

Andrew nodded once. Then, almost absentmindedly, looked at the invitation again. A thoughtful expression crossed his face.

“…Actually…”

Samuel’s smile faded. “What?”

Andrew tapped the invitation with one finger. “There’s still something I don’t understand.”

Samuel didn’t know where this was going. “If Samantha isn’t real—and all of this was supposed to be over—why is she volunteering at Willow House?”

The restaurant suddenly felt much quieter. Samuel lowered his eyes to the table. His fingers tightened around his glass. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

“…Because it isn’t over.”

Andrew frowned. “What do you mean?”

Samuel closed his eyes for a moment. Then looked back at his friend.

“…Someone found out.”