Friend Zoned (Barnett Bulldogs #2) by Jennifer Sucevic Read Free Book Online Page A

the last either.  A moment later, Sam slips his hand around mine before giving it a gentle squeeze in silent support.
    My eyes flicker towards him.  He gives me a small smile.  That’s the thing about Sam, he totally gets me.  He understands why I make the choices that I do and he doesn’t try to change them.  He simply accepts and supports me.
    “Barnett’s a good school, gramps,” I finally say.  “Why do I need to live somewhere else when I’m perfectly happy here?”
    Because my grandfather was a cagey lawyer in his day, he knows exactly when to pick his battles.  And clearly this is one he’s not going to win.  Turning his attention to Sam, he asks, “And what about you, Samuel?  What schools did you end up applying to?  I imagine you’ve set your sights on expanding your horizons a little broader than my granddaughter over here has.”
    The corners of my lips curl upwards as my grandfather gives me a little wink.
    Shoving the last bit of BLT into his mouth, Sam swallows it down before taking a huge guzzle of water.  “I threw in an application at Barnett as well but I’m also considering Cornell and Columbia.”
    Looking thoughtful, my grandfather nods his head.  “All excellent schools.  I would expect nothing less from you.”
    “I’m just trying to decide if it’s worth retaking the LSAT.”
    “Oh, please.”  I can’t help but roll my eyes at that bit of nonsense because Sam scored a freaking one seventy-two on his LSAT.  The first time taking it too.  The guy is so damn smart, it’s almost sickening.  And yeah, I couldn’t be more proud of him.  Sam was the valedictorian of our high school graduating class and going into senior year at Barnett, he has a near perfect grade point average.
    While academics have always come easily for Sam, that hasn’t been the case for me.  I have to keep myself focused and organized.  I have to bite off little chucks and continually be working towards my goals instead of cramming or waiting until the last minute.  And I definitely can’t have Sam sitting next to me in every single class, even though that’s exactly how we could arrange our schedules, or I’d end up flunking out.  The guy barely has to pay attention in class.  Hell, he probably doesn’t even need to attend class, but he always does.  He never misses.  He may not have to work hard but he still does. 
    Sam smirks as his deep blue eyes lock on mine.  “What?”
    “You scored a one seventy-two on your LSAT.  I would be throwing a party if I scored even close to that.”  Yeah, I scored a one sixty.  Not terrible, but not great by any means.  Which just about sums up my academic career.  A little better than middle of the road.  “I’m the one who should be retaking the LSAT, not you.  I don’t even know why you’re applying at Barnett.  You could probably get into Harvard Law if you wanted.”  I’m not kidding about that either.  Even though I should probably retake the LSAT, I don’t really want to.  That test was beyond brutal.  I thought my brain was literally going to leak right out of my ears with all the hours Sam and I spent hunkered down studying at the library.
    Shrugging his massive shoulders, he shifts self-consciously in his seat.  He looks uncomfortable by the sudden direction of our conversation.  Sam isn’t one to brag about himself, his family, or his achievements. Like everything else in his life, he keeps it tightly under wraps.
    And I get it.
    There’s a lot of pressure on Sam to walk the straight and narrow.  To achieve great things.  To follow in his father’s footsteps.  Sam’s dad is a state senator, so it’s important for him to keep a low profile, to not do anything that’s going to garner bad press.  He doesn’t go to parties or bars and get shitfaced or out of control. Nor does does he sleep around so that his sexcapades end up splashed across those stupid websites that are solely dedicated to the Barnett