Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Catharsis

By Mama4Dukes

Chapter 02:

In La Push, Washington, word that the Cullens had left town was spreading like wildfire. Billy Black, Chief of the Quileute Tribe, had received a phone call in the morning stating that the coven would be moving from Forks by the end of the day, and that he should not expect them to return in his lifetime.

This was, of course, excellent news because the presence of the Cullen vampire coven had impacted so many lives in unprecedented ways. Some Quileutes had inherited a gene that caused them to transform into gigantic, shapeshifting, vampire-killing wolves. The transformation happened when they were exposed to vampires, like the Cullens, for a prolonged period of time. The role of the shapeshifters was to protect the Quileute tribe from vampires. The issue was complicated by the fact that Chief Black’s grandfather, Ephraim Black-who had been a shapeshifter in the 1930’s-had formed a treaty with the Cullen Coven. The treaty stated that as long as the Cullens did not feed from humans, they could reside in their home in Forks, Washington without fear of being killed by the wolves. At the same time, the Cullens would not kill the wolves. Meanwhile, both the Cullens and wolves agreed to not reveal the secret of the other side’s true supernatural nature to anyone,

Sadly, the side effect of the Cullens extended stay was the transformation of some of the teens in the tribe. The first to transform was Sam Uley. He had been a rising senior at Forks High School and a star football player when he had become a wolf. The change had shaken him up so much that he had dropped out of high school at the beginning of his senior year. It had been almost two years and he still had not returned to school, which was unfortunate since Sam had been a straight-A, honor roll student with dreams of attending college on a football scholarship prior to the events.

Almost a full year after the transformation of Sam Uley, four kids went through the change on the same day. Jared Cameron and Paul Lahote, two students at the Tribal School had been bullying the Clearwater’s young son Seth as he was walking home from school. Embry Call, one of Jacob’s friends, was doing his best to defend the younger boy. His older sister Leah, who happened to witness the bullying became incensed and confronted the two bullies. The confrontation, which occurred in front of Billy’s house, became heated, and just as he decided to intervene, all four of them, with the exception of Seth, changed into wolves. Billy could do nothing, but stare in shocked silence because he had no idea that females could become wolves, but then again there were only three members in the last known pack and they were all male so who knew whether or not it had happened in the packs before then. Still he was the tribal chief and he had to take control so he herded the kids into the backyard, and had Sam Uley explain what had happened to them. He also called the parents of the kids to inform them of what had occurred. They were all surprised, but cooperative.

The four new transformations were nothing compared to what happened afterwards. Leah Clearwater, who had been Sam Uley’s girlfriend at the time, imprinted on his younger, half-brother Embry Call. Imprinting was the wolf’s way of finding his or her soul mate. This created all sorts of issues between the trio. Leah and Embry felt extreme guilt, while Sam-who was a very kind young man-had fallen into a deep depression. The boy had once had everything and now it was all gone. He was barely speaking to Leah and Embry, but being able to see into their minds each time they were phased-in their wolf states-was heart-wrenching for him.

Today, though, would be a new beginning. The Cullens were gone from the area, and perhaps these kids could all resume their normal lives again. With that thought in mind, Billy Black wheeled himself into his handicapped van, and drove to the Uley house. He knocked on the door to find Alison Uley, Sam’s mother, having a discussion with her son.

“Sam, I’m telling you, I have confirmation from Mr. Greene that the Cullens have permanently departed the neighborhood. He wants you to return to school and graduate. I want you to do that, too. There’s no reason why the fact that you’re a wolf should hold you back.”

“Mom, I don’t know if I can. It’s been two years and…”

“Samuel Levi Uley!” Chief Billy Black interrupted. “You will hear me and hear me now! As Chief of the Quileute Nation, I am ordering you to return to Forks High School to complete your high school education. Upstanding young men like you are the future of the tribe. It is your responsibility to yourself and to our small nation to become a leader, and you will not become a leader without education. Your mother is correct. The Cullens will be gone by the end of the day today. I want you to return to school and become the man you were meant to be. You’re worth it!”

“Shouldn’t I have a say in this?”

“As long as you are living in my house, you will do as I say,” his mother Alison replied. “It’s for your own good, no matter what you think. Mr. Greene said that the school year has just begun so you haven’t missed much.”

“You won’t regret it if you return to school, but if you do not, you will regret it for the rest of your life,” Chief Black added. “I don’t want you living your life with regrets. Trust me, I did it immediately following my wife’s death, and it wasn’t a pretty place to be. We’re all behind you one hundred percent. Go back to school, Samuel, and live your life.”

---

On Monday morning, Samuel Levi Uley, alpha of the Quileute Wolfpack and son of Alison Uley found himself in the first class of his second run of senior year, which was physics.

“Welcome back, Sam,” Mr. Banner greeted. “Why don’t you have a seat next to Bella?”

Bella? As in Bella Swan-the vampire girl? Sam did a double take, and then took the open seat next to a nervous looking girl. He turned to take a look at her. A moment later, she looked up and her eyes met his-that’s when it happened. Boom!

It was instantaneous! In her, he saw his future. He felt the spirits tying him to her. Nothing in the world mattered more than she did. She was his life. She was his imprint.

“Do I have something on my forehead?” she asked quietly.

Holy crap. He was making her uncomfortable. What kind of a wolf was he?

“No, of course not. I’m sorry. It’s just that… it’s just that…” He wanted to say that she was beautiful and that he’d love her forever, but he couldn’t, she’d think he was a freak. Instead he went with, “… it’s the first time I’m in school in two years and I got stumped for a second. I know you don’t know me, but maybe… maybe you can me help me get used to being in school again.”

“Sure, sure. I’m kind of new here. I just started here in January, but I don’t mind showing you around. I’m Bella. Bella Swan.”

“Okay, that’ll be great. I’m Sam. Sam Uley.”

“Sam Uley? I just met an Alison Uley on Friday. Is she a relation?”

“She’s my mother.”

“Oh… she’s very nice. I like her.”

“Yeah, she’s cool.”

Their conversation soon ended when Mr. Banner began class. By the end of class, he was assigned a long term physics project-building a catapult-which he had to complete with his lab partner, who happened to be Bella. Sam Uley was on top of the world!

---

As the day progressed, Sam and Bella got to know each other-mainly because they were scheduled for the same classes and the only vacant spot happened to be the one next to Bella that Edward Cullen occupied until recently.

When the final bell rang, they headed to their vehicles. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Bella said.

“Yeah, uh, see you tomorrow.” Sam didn’t want to let her go just yet, but he knew he had to. “Oh, hey, can I get your phone number? In case I need help with homework.” He didn’t really need help, but it seemed like a good excuse to stall her for just a minute more.

“Sure, sure. If you give me your number, I’ll call your cell.”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea.” Sam rattled off his number for her to dial. When his phone rang, he added her name and number to his contacts. “Well, drive safely. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Bye, Sam,” Bella replied as she got into her truck.

“Goodbye.” He willed himself to get into his truck and drive home. He really didn’t want to leave her, but damn it, he didn’t want to seem like a stalker either.

---

Bella drove straight from school to the Women’s Center for her first counseling session with Ms. Uley. She sat across from her in a comfortable chair facing a window, which overlooked the beautiful mountains of the Olympic Peninsula.

“I’m glad you’re here. It’s nice to see you again.”

“It’s nice to see you, too.”

“First things first-I want you to know that anything said in this room will remain confidential so you can be completely honest with me.”

Bella thought about what Ms. Uley just said. It was impossible for her to be completely honest. What was she going to tell her ? My ex-boyfriend was a vampire and I was willing to die for him because I deluded myself into thinking I was in love with him? She’d have her committed in an instant. She couldn’t think of what to say, so she settled with, “Thank you.”

“Great! Now that we understand each other, you should know that I know that Edward Cullen is a vampire.”

Bella’s eyes popped wide open, as did her mouth. She had no idea how to respond. “I… you… I… uh…” She shrugged her shoulders and with a sheepish smile said, “Well, that certainly broke the ice.”

“I’m glad it did. Now, it’s time for you to get everything off of your chest. I suspect you have a lot of secrets you’re keeping, and if you’re comfortable sharing them with me, I’d love to hear them so I can truly help you.”

Bella nodded, closed her eyes, and took a big cleansing breath. She realized it was now or never. She was given an opportunity to be completely honest and she had to take it.

“It all started in January when I first moved to Forks. I noticed him as soon as he walked into the cafeteria. He looked unnatural, but still there was something mesmerizing about him, something compelling me to keep watching him.” She found herself pouring her heart out to Ms. Uley, who allowed her to speak without interruption until the end. She spoke of Edward fleeing to Alaska so he could become accustomed to her scent and not kill her, the rescue from the rape in Port Angeles, the incident with the nomads including the flight to Arizona, not allowing her to go to La Push, and the recent birthday party incident. “And that was it. On Friday morning, I did some deep, introspective thinking, and realized that Edward Cullen was not boyfriend material. Hearing you speak about your experiences, I realized that it could have been a lot worse for me. Does that even make sense?”

“Have you broken things off with him?”

“Oh, well, see that part is interesting. After returning home on Friday, I found Edward Cullen waiting for me in my yard. He actually tried to get me to take a walk with him in the woods, but I stood my ground and refused. Anyway, his purpose was to break up with me, but even as he did so, he belittled me-calling me childish and disobedient for not going into the woods with him. He also had the nerve to say that because I was human, my mind was like a sieve and I’d soon forget about him. I told him that I’d be making a concerted effort to forget about him, and that I’d file a restraining order against him if he ever came near me. After that, my dad showed up and ordered him off of our property.”

“That was great, Bella. So, basically, you were able to end the relationship on your terms by not letting him dictate the terms of your break up. That’s a good start. I also like how you began realizing that he had been manipulating you before you even heard my speech. All of these seemingly small incidents of manipulation were part of the bigger picture of abuse.”

“It’s funny, until recently, I thought he was being sweet and romantic.”

“Abusers generally are very cunning with their words-usually, their viciousness is masked in romance. This is part of the reason why it’s difficult to identify them as abusers at first; however, you’ve taken the initial big step of identifying yourself as a victim of abuse. Now, the healing begins, and we’re going to do this together. We’re going to take steps to empower you so that you’re never victimized again. Does this sound like a good plan to you?”

“Aren’t you going to get mad at me for becoming involved with a vampire? I was so stupid! The guy wasn’t even human!”

“How is that going to help you? The fact is, Bella, that whether Edward Cullen was a vampire or not is irrelevant to the situation. He was abusive, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You met the rest of the Cullens, did they behave similarly to him?”

Bella thought about it. Were they all like that? No, not really-it was mostly him who manipulated things to his liking.”It was Edward who was abusive and controlling. He used his gift of being able to read people’s minds to manipulate things. In fact, he told me who I should and shouldn’t be friends with. As a result, to my shame, I didn’t give Lauren Mallory a chance, and she turned out to be a really nice girl.”

“I see. Did he often dictate who you can associate with?”

“Yes, all the time. He told me he didn’t like what he read in their minds or that their thoughts were disgusting. Whether it was the truth or not, I can’t tell.”

“Alright, then, I have a task for you. It’s the start of the school year and I believe clubs and sports are beginning. I want you to join a club or a sport to expand your horizons and make new friends. How does that sound?”

“Me? Join a club or a sport? But I’m a klutz! I’ll embarrass myself.”

“Then embrace the fact that you’re a klutz. Believe me when I say that I know how you feel. I have a tendency to trip over my own two feet, but I found some activities that I’m good at. Think, Bella. There must be something you can do.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

“Good, now, do you have any questions for me?”

Bella considered if she had anything to ask. The only thing that came to mind was why Ms. Uley knew that the Cullens were vampires. She recalled a conversation with Jacob on the beach. It was his mention of a tribal legend, regarding the Cullens and the Quileutes being descended from wolves, which sent her running straight to that cool bookstore in Port Angeles to research the Cold Ones. That’s how she found out about vampires.

“Yes, I do have a question. Is it true that the Quileutes are descended from wolves and are the mortal enemies of the Cold Ones? And that a treaty was formed with the Cullens during their previous residence in Forks in the 1930’s?”

Now it was Alison’s time to be stumped. She steepled two fingers underneath her chin and asked, “Did the Cullens tell you?”

“Oh, no. My friend Jake told me.”

“Would that be Jacob Black, by any chance?”

“Yes, but you promised that everything that is said in this room stays in this room so you can’t tell on him.”

“That’s correct, everything will stay in this room. I was just clarifying some facts, but yes, the story that Jacob told is true.”

“So there are wolves running around La Push?”

“Well, they aren’t wolves per se, they’re shapeshifters who protect people from vampires.”

“That is so awesome!” Bella chortled. “How do I contact one in case a vampire ever threatens me?”

Alison was even more surprised by that question. She had to give a diplomatic answer to her. “I hope you’re never in a position in which you feel threatened, but if you ever do feel that way, call me and I’ll send one right over to you.”

“Oh, thank you!”

The session soon ended and Bella left the office. Alison Uley took a deep cleansing breath before closing up the office and heading home. It had been a long, but productive day. She enjoyed her job immensely. She loved helping women become self-confident.

It had been a long road for her since she had suffered abuse at the hands of Sam’s father Josh. Back then, she had been a young housewife with a son, who had been repeatedly beaten by her ex-husband Josh Uley. One day, she had returned home from the grocery store to find her husband beating a young, heavily pregnant, girl on their front porch. Alison could not let Josh hit a pregnant girl or any girl for that matter so she intervened and received the beating of her life for it. She had lost consciousness.

It was the pregnant girl who ran next door to the Ateara’s to get help. Old Quil Ateara called the tribal police immediately and threatened Josh at gunpoint with his rifle until the authorities arrived. Both Alison and the girl were transported to Forks Hospital by ambulance.

Later, when she woke up in the hospital, Alison came face to face with the girl, who introduced herself as Tiffany Call. It turned out the girl had been kicked out of her parents’ home. She had come looking for her ex-boyfriend, the child’s father. Tiffany had no idea that Josh had been married since she was from the Makah Reservation.

“ I just wanted to apologize for having had an affair with your husband,” she said. “I had no idea he was married. He said he was a student at the Tribal High School on La Push. We even went to my prom together.”

“ What do you have to apologize for, Tiffany? He’s the one who lied.”

“ I know, but I’m a good girl. I really am. I wouldn’t have dated him had I known the truth. I thought he was my age.”

“ He manipulated you, Tiffany. And when things didn’t go his way, he hit you. He is the one who was wrong.”

And Alison had realized at that moment that she was married to a monster, and that she wasn’t going to allow him to abuse her, or any other woman, anymore.

“ Well, Tiffany, you said you have no place to go. You are going to be staying with me at my house as soon as we know it’s safe to go back there. After all, you are carrying my son Sammy’s brother.”

And that began a lifelong friendship between the two women. Josh was sentenced to prison for fifteen to twenty years on two counts of felony assault and battery along with endangering the life of a child. Old Quil Ateara came through like an angel sent from the heavens with support and help for both women. He and Joy cared for her son Sammy while she was hospitalized, and then as the tribal spiritual guide, he counseled both women through their issues. He also encouraged both girls to further their educations. They both attended Peninsula College. They both received their two year RN degrees. While Tiffany was happy working as a nurse, Alison went further and ultimately received her bachelors and masters degree in counseling. She ended up being hired at the women’s center, and there she stayed because she absolutely loved being able to help women in similar situations throughout the Olympic Peninsula.

She jogged herself out of her memories and called her son. “Sammy, how was your first day at school?”

“Oh, it went well, Mom. I’m doing my homework now.”

“Oh, good, good. I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’ll be home in an hour. I think I’m just going to pick up some take-out for dinner tonight. Do you need anything while I’m out?”

“Yeah, I do. I need some binder paper and three new notebooks. I also need AAA batteries for my calculator.”

“Is that all you need? That doesn’t sound like enough.”

“No, it is. I’m recycling some of my binders and notebooks from the last time I was in school.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mom. Hurry home. I’m starving.”

“Alright.”

Alison chuckled to herself. Sam was always hungry. She locked up and headed home for the night so she could spend time with her boy.

---

Charlie Swan was waiting at home for Bella to get home from her counseling session. He was eager to hear how her first day back since her catharsis on Friday went. He’d had a long and enlightening day today, and frankly, he needed to see that his little girl was safe, happy, and healthy. He waited patiently in the chair by the window until her truck rumbled to a stop. He frowned at the noise the big, red behemoth made. He really was going to need to buy her something a little more reliable. That monstrosity was a disaster waiting to happen.

Bella walked into the house with a big smile on her face. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Hey, kiddo. How was school today?”

“I had a good day. I hung out with the new kid.” She hung her coat up on the coat rack and put her backpack down on the floor by the staircase.

“There’s a new kid in school?”

“Yeah, his name is Sam Uley. He’s Alison Uley’s son. Apparently, he dropped out of high school two years ago to work through some personal issues, but now he’s back. He’s in all of my classes.”

“Well, that’s nice. Sam is a really good kid. He was the pride and joy of Forks High School until something happened a couple of years ago. I don’t really know what, but the whole of Forks and La Push had high hopes for him to go to college on a football scholarship.”

“Really? I had no idea. I feel bad for him.”

“Don’t feel bad for him. It seems like he’s trying to get back on track again. Just be a supportive friend.”

“I will.”

“Did anything else happen?”

“Oh, yeah.” Bella nodded her head. “There was a fist fight in the hallway between a football player and a hockey player over a girl.”

“It must not have been serious. I didn’t get a phone call.”

“No, I didn’t see any blood.”

“Good.”

“Anything else?”

“Yep, I went to counseling, poured out my heart, and Ms. Uley wants to empower me. She said that I need to join a club or a sport-something I normally wouldn’t do.”

“Any idea of what you want to do?”

“Nope. Do you have an idea?”

“You could do cheerleading. I paid for ten years of ballet. I have to see something come from it.”

“Dad, I’m a klutz. I’ll probably fall on my head and break my neck.”

Charlie tilted his head and arched an eyebrow at his daughter. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but you didn’t start becoming so clumsy and accident prone until you started dating that Edward brat. Think, Bella. Think back to before you came to Forks, and don’t think that your mom and I didn’t keep in touch about you because we did and still do.”

Bella thought hard. She couldn’t thing of any frequent bouts of clumsiness while in Arizona. Her father was correct. Sure, she might have tripped over her own feet a couple of times, but everyone did that. It was Edward who reinforced the fact that she was a clumsy human over and over again with little comments. For example, telling her that she couldn’t walk over a flat surface without tripping over her two feet or saying that normal people make it through the day without a catastrophe happening to them. He demeaned and belittled her, constantly telling her that she was unobservant or just a human. She looked up at her father and started crying her eyes out.

Bewildered, Charlie closed the distance, brought her to the sofa, and held her. After she was done with the tears, he gently prompted her to tell him what was the matter. She admitted what she had just realized-that Edward had made her believe that she was clumsy by constantly reinforcing it with his words and actions.

“He made me believe that I wasn’t smart, that I was a klutz, and… and… oh, Daddy!”

“What happened? What did that goddamned bloodsucker do to you?”

Bella’s eyes widened and her head snapped up. She stared into her father’s eyes. “Did you… did you say blood… bloodsucker?”

He slapped a palm over his forehead. “I did.”

“How… how…”

“Billy told me today. I was in La Push on some police business, and stopped by at his place for lunch, when lo and behold, Jacob and Quil morphed into gigantic wolves.”

“Both of them?”

“Yep. You could say that I was a bit shocked. When we were kids, Billy once told me some legends about the Quileutes supposedly being descended from wolves that protected the tribe from vampires. Apparently, the legends are true. He told me the kids were morphing into wolves because of the Cullens. I asked him why they didn’t just kill them. He replied that he couldn’t because the last pack of wolves formed a treaty with the Cullens when they lived in Forks in the 1930’s. They can’t kill the Cullens because they get their blood from animals. So now I’m going to ask you. Did you know that the Cullens were vampires?”

And Bella broke down again. This time the tears wouldn’t stop flowing. “I’m so sorry, Daddy. I’m so sorry. I’m so ashamed. I’m a horrible…”

“Stop it! Stop self-deprecating yourself. It was not your fault! Edward Cullen was obviously an experienced tormentor. He is nothing to you anymore! You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“But I knew! I knew he was a vampire, and I still dated him! I’m an idiot!”

“No, you are not! No, no, no! Billy explained that vampires have a power to draw humans in. He suspects that you might have been under that influence. I believe it, too. You weren’t the same when you were dating Edward. It’s almost as if you were always in a haze, Bella.”

“How can you still love me?”

“Because I’m your father, and you’re my child. I will always, always love you unconditionally. And we all make mistakes.”

“Yeah, but dating a vampire was a big mistake!”

“Hey, I’ve done stupid things. I once dated Candy Nipperhorn. She was a nightmare!”

Bella turned to her father, horrified. “Was she a stripper?”

“No, that’s her real name. You know her as Mrs. Stanley.”

“As in Jessica Stanley’s mother? Her real name is seriously Candy Nipperhorn?”

“Oh, yeah, absolutely. Anyway, I dated her in high school and a more whiney and annoying woman could not possibly be found anywhere.”

“Jessica is whiney. She gripes and moans about everything under the sun-even the sun.”

“The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree then. When I dated her, she was so negative about everything that I started wishing a meteor would fall from the skies and land directly on her. Then I realized that, in the end, we were in high school and we were only dating-meaning that I had the choice to break up with her. So, I broke up with her. Of course, she started crying all the time around me and stalking me after that.”

“You would think that someone named Candy Nipperhorn would be a little more bubbly, too.” Bella nodded her head and grinned. “I suppose she was a bit ‘nippy’ instead.”

Charlie couldn’t help, but laugh. He pulled her into his arms for another big hug and asked, “Are you hungry?”

“I am, Daddy.”

“Alrighty. Let’s go and get some dinner at the coffee shop. I can always go for some comfort food when I’ve had a big day.”

“Mom would say that is emotional eating.”

“Well, now, I’m not your mother, am I?”

“True. There’s only so much quinoa I can take.”

Charlie looked horrified. “What the hell is a quinoa?”

“It’s like this grain that she eats in place of rice.”

“Oh, my poor baby. She’s been killing you with her crazy diet.”

“Aw, Dad, she just has a tendency to get fanatical about certain things. It never lasts.”

“Well, I’m sure glad you’re home with me now.”

“Same here. Phil is just as nuts about clean eating as Mom is! And their new exercise craze is Tabata Circuit Training. They even made me do it for a few months before coming here.”

Charlie arched an eyebrow at her. “And how did you do with Tabata Circuit Training?”

“Oh, I really shouldn’t complain. It was actually a lot of fun. The instructor has a whole bunch of stations set up where you do three sets of a timed amount of one exercise before switching to the next.”

“And did you trip and fall when you did these exercises?”

“No, not at all. Why?” And then Bella realized her father’s point. She had been fine until she met Edward.

Charlie smiled at his daughter and kissed her on the forehead before taking her out to dinner. Bella already felt lighter with the knowledge that she was actually quite normal.

---

By the time Wednesday arrived, Sam Uley had been welcomed by Bella’s friend group. Previously, he had only hung out with the jocks, this time he was with a completely eclectic group of friends featuring nerds, jocks, and artists.

“So, I went to counseling on Monday and Ms. Uley wants me to try out a new activity,” Bella said to her friends.

Sam was surprised at how open Bella was. He also had no idea that his mom was her counselor.

“I’m supposed to do something I wouldn’t normally do,” she continued.

“Hmm… let’s think,” Angela Weber said.

“You could try the coding club with me,” Ben Cheney suggested.

“Coding? I don’t know anything about computers.”

“How about the boxing club,” Tyler threw in.

“Yeah, the boxing club! That’s a good idea,” Katie Marshall agreed. “Apparently, it’s going to be taught by Mr. Greene. Who knew he used to be a boxer before he became an educator? Anyway, everyone is welcome!”

“That’s a possibility-a big possibility.”

“You could also join the yearbook committee with Ben and me,” Angela suggested.

“Or you could do the prom committee with me,” Lauren Mallory said. “I also go to yoga at the women’s center once a week. Ms. Uley runs it-she’s a great yogi.”

“I love yoga. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid with my mom.”

“Oh, but you have to do something you normally wouldn’t do,” Angela said.

“I’m going to do boxing and the prom committee because, normally, you wouldn’t catch me near those two clubs. I’m also going to do yoga because I like how relaxed it makes me feel.”

Ben Cheney suddenly stood up. “You know what? I say this year, we all join the boxing club together because it’s good to branch out and do new stuff. What do you say?” He put his hand in the middle of the table and everyone made a pact.

And that’s how Sam Uley found himself a member of both the boxing club and prom committee because, while they were making their pact, they all decided that they wanted input on this year’s prom since it would be their last one.