Sam and Derrick (Part 1)

*** This story was originally under another user name but I can no longer get into my account, so this is my original work***


It was a normal school day, just like any other. Sam sat, as usual, under the big oak tree in the courtyard of the school during lunch. Sam was reading a book, minding her own business, when out of the blue, “Heads up!” Sam looked up and ducked just in time to see a football whizzing past her head only to hit the tree that was behind her and fall on the ground. Sam sat up from where she had ducked down, only to be hit with an eruption of laughter from none other that her arch nemesis Derrick Parker!

“Oh, well I’m glad you find that so funny.” Sam yelled angrily, but this only made him laugh even harder.

Let me give you the heads up on these two. See, Derrick and Sam have known each other since like forever, and even there he tormented here to no end. As they grew up the tormenting never got any better and now in their junior year of high school, Derrick wasn’t letting up. He was always finding some way to push Sam’s buttons and today was no exception.

Pissed, Sam picked up her stuff and shoved here book bad and stormed off towards the school.

“What’s the matter Jackson; did I ruin a special moment?” Derrick said.

“Oh kiss my ass Parker!” Sam Replied, but this only heightened Derrick’s laughter.

“No thank-you it would take too…”

Sam closed the door to the school shutting off whatever Derrick had to say. “Damn him!” she muttered. Usually she could put up with Derrick’s shit but sometimes he really knew how to piss her off. She stormed into the girls’ bathroom, throwing her bag down on the floor and hung here head in the sink muttering to herself. Why couldn’t he ever leave here alone, I mean damn couldn’t he find some other person to make their life a living hell. She didn’t know why he continued to pick on her. She could see in elementary and middle school why he was always picking on her, I mean after all she did look like a geek, with her big bifocals, her ugly braces and dorky pigtails. She knew she wasn’t very nice to look at, but now looking at herself in the mirror she somewhat like what she saw. She was about 5’4, had dirty blond hair that cascaded down a little below her shoulders and a clear complexion with a white pearly smile and midnight blue eyes. She was fairly tan. Body wise, she had a nice this figure with nice soft curves (she had gotten rid of the baby fat she had the summer before 9th grade) that she showed off with her clothes (that was, as soon as she had gotten rid of her old granny clothes). She had a nice firm waistline and had grown fairly nice perky breasts (she use to be as flat as you could get). Once she got rid of the braces and the pigtails, not the mention the geeky bifocals, she was actually very pretty. Well she though anyways and so did everyone else, everyone that is except Derrick Parker. As far as her was concerned she was still the geeky braced faced Jackson of middle school. He was always finding some way to push her to the limit, and the only reason he got away with it was because he was considered one of the “hottest” and coolest by all the girls and boys. The younger girls adored him and the older boys welcomed him.

Derrick was about 5’11; he had semi-dark brown hair with blonde highlights. He also had a nice tan and a nicely built body (not steroid built) and a pair of gorgeous emerald eyes that could make any girl go weak at the knees. That is, any girl but Sam. “Huh” she snorted. As far as she was concerned he was still the annoying bratty ass neighbor she had known since second grade.

(Ding) (Ding) Sam sighed. It was time to go to class. Thank the Lord Derrick wasn’t in it. Science was the only period (the last period) of the day she didn’t have with him. She sighed heavily, picked up her bag and walked to class.

At 3:10 the bell finally rang for school dismissal and Sam was walking out the front door of the school at 3:15.

“Hey Sam.”

Sam looked up and smiled. Now there was a face she could look at everyday. There standing under the big oak tree, leaning against it with his foot propped up smiling, was her best friend Taylor. Sam sighed and walked over towards him.

“Hey Tay.” Sam said and stopped right in front of him. Ahh, Taylor Powel. They had been best friends since the 3rd grade, it seemed like forever. 99.9% of the time, wherever you saw him you saw her and vice-versa. They were practically joined at the hip. Taylor had those baby blues that could make you melt just by looking at them. He shadowed Sam by a good six inches. He was nice, strong and leaned with a great tan. He also had short like brown hair to match his frame. “How was your day?”

“Pretty good I guess. Same ole, same ole kinda thing. How about you?”

“Ok I guess. I’ve had better though.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about the whole Derrick thing during lunch.”

“Ugg, don’t remind me.” Sam grimaced.

Taylor chuckled, “Wish I could’ve been there, I would’ve helped shut him up.”

Sam smiled and shook her head, "Yeah well you've already got one suspension on your head, the last thing you need is another one. Besides don't waist your energy on him, he's not worth it."

Taylor looked down at her and smiled. "Yeah but he can really piss a guy off, you know."

"Yeah I know." Sam smiled and lightly laughed.
"I wish it was Friday." Sam groaned and leaned her head on Taylor's chest. Taylor chuckled and patted the back of her head.

"Friday will be here soon enough, just gotta get through today." He said.

"Well, well looky what we have here." Sam cringed when she heard this voice and turned around to see Derrick and a few of his friends.
"If it isn't Taylor and freak show."

"Piss off Derrick." Taylor said as he tried to take a step toward Derrick but Sam held him back,

"Ooo such hostility, dang I just came over to have some friendly conversation." Sam snorted and Taylor narrowed his eyes.

Derrick grinned and rubbed his hands. “So tell me Taylor, what's a cool guy like you doing with a loser freak like her."

Sam went to take a lunge at Derrick but was held back by Taylor. "Oh bite me Parker." Sam yelled still struggling against Taylor's hold on her

Derrick just laughed. “No thank you I might get some kind of infectious disease or something."

"Take a hike Derrick." Taylor glared at him.

Derrick just laughed. "Catch ya later Jackson", Derrick and his buddies walked away laughing.

Sam and Taylor just stood there and glared at him till he was out of sight. "God I hate him." Sam said through clenched teeth as Taylor released her.

"So do I but Sam, you can't blow a fuse every time he says something to you. He only
does it because he knows he can get a rise out of you." Taylor said to a red narrow eyed,
clenched face Sam. He couldn't help but smile. “I know what an asshole he is but you can't let every thing he says get to you ok." He put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up so that she was looking at him. "Ok?" he repeated.

Sam looked into him eyes and sighed. "Ok, I'll try not to let him get to me."

Taylor smiled. "That's my girl, come here." He said and wrapped his arms around her. Sam sighed and melted into his arms. They pulled apart and Taylor smiled at her. Sam smiled back. "Come on lets go home." Taylor said and they walked to his car.

When they got back to Sam's house, Sam grabbed two sodas from the fridge and they went upstairs. Sam plopped onto her bed and Taylor hit the beanbag on the floor.

A while later, Taylor looked up from his US History book after hearing a little whine, only to find Sam with her head in the crevice of her algebra book. He Chuckled. "What is it this time?"

"Matrices." Sam whined. "Oh I'm never going to get this. I hate math."

Taylor smiled and moved onto the bed, "Math never was your best subject was it?" He chuckled. Sam shook her head. "Maybe you should stay after school and get tutoring from your teacher.

"Mrs. Simon has to pick up her kids after school."

"Oh, well whose at the top of your math class?" Sam stared blankly at him. "You're kidding me." He busted out laughing.

"Shut up. It's not funny."

"Your right, it’s hilarious." He continued laughing.

"It's not funny!" Sam tackled Taylor on the floor and started tickling him.

"Ok, ok, stop I give, Uncle." Sam stopped and put her hands on her hips and gave him a look. Taylor raised his hands up. “I give." Sam rolled of him and onto the floor. Taylor sat up and sighed. He looked at his watch. "Well hey I better get going."

"Yeah I guess you better." Sam said after looking at her watch. They got up and Taylor got all his stuff together. "You want me to walk you to your car?"

"Nah that's ok, I can handle it." He smiled. "Besides you have to finish that homework of yours. And no putting it off till the last minute." Sam made a face and groaned. Taylor smiled and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok bye." Sam stayed there until she heard the front door closed. Then she walked over to her window and waved to Taylor through the window and watched him drive off. She sighed and looked back at the math book on her bed. For a moment she thought; then she moved back over to her bed. "When hell freezes over.”

After about a half-hour working on her homework, it was inevitable what she had to do. There was no way she was going to get this done without some help. A zero was the last thing she needed. So she sucked up her pride and got her things. Sam left a note for her mom and shut the front door. She crossed her yard into Derricks and walked up on the porch. "Please don't be home." She muttered to her self as she knocked on the door. Unlucky for her the door opened. Derrick stood there with a surprise looked on his face the shook is head.

"What the hell are you doing on my porch?"

"Believe me I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important."

"So what do you want?" He gave her a sour look.

"I need help on my homework." She mumbled.

"What?"

"I need help on my homework." She mumbled again.

"What the hell did you just say?"

"I NEED HELP ON MY DAMN HOMEWORK!”

He stood stunned for a moment then broke out into a rupture of laughter. "Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. You're asking me for help." He busted out laughing again.

Sam threw her arm up in the air. "Oh, forget it. I knew coming here was a waist of time." She turned around to leave when,

"Wait, you’re really asking for my help." "Have I ever been one to come over here willingly?” She looked at him.

He thought for a moment. "Ok I'll help you, but it's gonna cost you."
Sam rolled her eyes. "What is it gonna cost?"

"I dunno, gotta think about it." Sam followed him inside and shut the door. Sam had been in his house before but it had been a while. Sam had been in Derrick’s house when her mom and she were invited to dinner and vise-verse. See the funny thing about them being enemies, was that their moms were best friends. They even worked together. Derrick walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "You wanna coke or something." Derrick said snapping Sam out of her trance.

"Um, sure." Sam followed Derrick upstairs to his room, which was surprisingly spotless. But that was probably because of the fact that he was barely ever home, or so Sam thought. Sam stood in the doorway of Derrick's room and looked around.
Derrick noticed that she hadn't come in. "You know if you want me to help you, you have to come in the room."

Sam made her way to the couch on the far side of the wall and put her books down. It was a bit hot in his room so she decided to take her jacket off. Derrick turned off his TV and turned around just as Sam was taking off her jacket. Lucky for him, her back was turned so she couldn't see that he was staring at her. He watched as her jacket came off of her nice tan shoulders (she was wearing a tank top) and down her back. He could see the small of her back where her shirt and her pants didn't quite meet. He shook his head and walked over and shut the door. When he turned around Sam was sitting on the couch. "So what do you need help on?"

"Oh your just loving this aren't you?"

Derrick grinned.

"It's these damn matrices.”

Derrick walked over and sat on the arm of couch next to Sam. "Oh that's easy, just multiply the first number in this row by the first number in the next row, and the second number in this row by the second number in the next row.”

Sam looked at him like he was out of his mind.

"Here let me show you." He said taking the pencil out of her hand. Sam looked down at the paper while he did the problem. "You multiply this number by this number and this number by this number. You got it?" Derrick said and looked at her.

Sam's eyes look from the paper to Derrick, which was a bad move because when she looked up his eyes locked on to hers. Sam suddenly became very aware of the fact that he was sitting so close to her. His eyes seemed to burn right through hers to the pit of her soul. Sam swallowed hard. Just then the phone rang.

“I'll be right back." Derrick said pulling his gaze away from Sam and getting off the couch.

When Derrick was gone Sam blew out her breath that she had been holding. She had shivers running up and down her spines. Sam was so grateful the phone rang when it did; she was getting a little anxious sitting there with him starring at her. Sam laid back on the couch, long ways with her feet still on the floor (This caused her shirt to rise up.) Sam laid there looking at the ceiling. Sam felt dazed. She couldn't get over the wave of emotion she just felt. Sam shook her head in disgust. She shifted her distraction to counting the tiles on the ceiling.

"Comfortable?" Sam looked over to see Derrick leaning against the door frame of his room.

She hadn't heard him come up. "Quite actually." Sam smiled.

"That was my mom on the phone. She said that your mom and her have to stay late at work tonight."

"Did she say when they'd be home?"

"It's probably gonna be an all nighter. She said they're working on a big case and that there's a lot of work to be done." Sam nodded.

"She told me to order a pizza since you were over here, that is if you're hungry.” Just then Sam's stomach growled. Sam blushed. Derrick chuckled. "Which I guess you are, so I ordered a pizza. Is pepperoni and sausage alright?"

"Yeah that's fine."

"Do you wanna watch a movie or something?"

"Sure. What movies do you have?"

"Um, lets see." Derrick crossed over to his TV and opened the cabinet that was under it. "What kinda movies do you like?

"Anything action packed or horror, bloody or comical. Basically anything but chick flicks. I can't stand those."

"Huh, that's a first. Every chick that's been over here is all like, “I don't like action I want to watch the titanic.” I swear I've seen titanic more than any other movie.”

Sam laughed. "Maybe you should find a girl that likes the same kinda things you like." Sam got up and walked over and shuffled through his CD collection.

"Yeah, maybe." Derrick said looking at Sam's back. He shook his head and went back to going through his movies." Hey, you like Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan?"

"Rush Hour?" Sam said looking him with a smile. Derrick held up the tape of Rush hour over his shoulder "You bet I love that movie."

"You wanna watch it?"

"Sure. I've seen it like a billion times, one more wont hurt. Oh and by the way, I'm stealing your bed. It's mighty comfortable. Derrick looked up over to see that Sam was now stretched on his bed with her arms behind her head.

"Yeah that's what you think." Derrick popped the movie into the VCR, then walked over to the door and turned off the lights. Darkness engulfed the room. He then moved over to the bed. "You gonna move your legs or do I have to sit on them?" He put his hands on his hips. Sam rolled her eyes and bent her knees up. Derrick sat down on his bed and scooted back against the wall. They looked at each other for a split second then turned their attention to the movie. Derrick was trying to pay attention but was distracted by the light touch of her foot resting against his thigh. He looked down at her foot only to see it touching ever so lightly against him. His eyes traveled slowly up her leg up to her kneecap. He knew he should turn away but he didn't instead he continued down her thigh. (With the jeans she had on, they nicely hugged her thighs.) His gaze traveled up to the edge of her pants to her nice shapely, tan stomach. He continued up the edge of her blue tank top and to the tips of her breasts. He watched as they slowly moved to the rhythm of her breathing. Derrick went up past her chin to her nicely shaped pouty lips, over her small nose, to her midnight shade eyes. He had never looked at her so closely before and now that he had, he wished that he hadn't because she was... (Ding Dong) "I'll get it." Derrick raced out of there before Sam could say anything.

Sam had a confused looked on her face but shook it off and turned back to the movie. Sam tried to concentrate on the movie but her mind was wandering to just a few minutes ago when her foot was softly resting against Derrick's thigh. It sent little tingles up her leg to the pit of her stomach. She was so glad he moved when he did, because she didn't know how much more she could take. Sam sat up on the bed, putting her legs over the edge. It was hard to believe that a self centered, egotistical moron was actually being nice to her. And those eyes of his are so... beautiful. Sam shook her head. Did she just admit that his eyes were beautiful? AAAAAHHHHHHHHH! She jumped up from his bed and walked out the door. "Hey Parker where's your bathroom?" She yelled from the top of the stairs.

"Third door on the left. You better not stink it up."

Sam just rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Sam walked down the hallway and found the bathroom. She walked to the sink and looked in the mirror then sighed and turned the water on in the sink. Sam splashed her face with the cold water then turned it off and wiped her face on the hand towel hanging up. When she got back to Derrick's room he was on the bed chowing down on a piece of pizza.

"There you are. I thought you got flushed down the toilet or something." Sam rolled her eyes.

"Yeah well unlucky for you I didn't." She snapped.

"Damn, who shoved a bug up your ass?" Derrick said a bit taken back.

"Sorry that came out wrong." Derrick let it go and they just sat there in the dark eating pizza and watching the movie.

After a while the silence was getting to him so he broke it. "So what's up with you and Taylor?" He looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Sam said still looking straight ahead.

"I mean, you guys go out don't you?"

Sam turned her head and looked at him like he was crazy. "No, what gave you that idea?” swallowing the rest of her pizza.

"Well I always see you guys together. You guys are basically joined at the hip."

"So, we're best friends, of course we're gonna be joined at the hip."

"Your best friends with a guy when your like 5, come on now Jackson you 16 since when do you see a girl and a guy at our age best friends?"

"Well Taylor and I are best friends and nothing else. Beside there are plenty of girls and guys that are best friends."

"Oh yeah, name one." Derrick looked at Sam.

"Well... um...err… I can't think of any right now but I know there are."

"Whatever Jackson, if you say so." Derrick rolled his eyes and looked back at the TV.

"I do say so." Sam turned back around back to the TV. Once again there was silence between them.

"You've never had a boyfriend before have you?" Derrick said after a while.

"No, so what?"

"Taylor’s had girlfriends."

"So, that's him. If he wants a girlfriend then he can have one. He doesn't have to ask me."

"Don't you find if a bit strange that practically everyone in school has had a boy or girlfriend, and you're like the only one that hasn't?"

Sam was getting a little ticked that he wasn't letting the subject go. "Since you seem so interesting on who has or has not a boy or girlfriend, lets look at you. Let's see there was..." She started counting on her fingers, "Ginger, Mallory, Crystal, Sarah..."

"I get it."

"Um... Jorden, Lisa, Pam, Trish, Jennifer..."

"You can stop now."

"Cindy, Randi, Heather, Laura, Mary..."

Derrick reached over and grabbed Sam's hands. "I get it ok, damn, so I've had a lot of girlfriends." He said slowly letting go of her hands.

"Yeah, probably slept with them all to." Sam mumbled over her shoulder.

Derrick tightened his grip on Sam's hands and snatched her back to look at him. "I heard that, and it's not true." He said angrily.

"Yeah right, you probably slept with them then said, oh well your not good enough and then dropped them off of the curb!" Sam yelled back.
Derrick pounced on her, holding her hands above her head. He glared into her eyes with his chest heaving.

"How dare you!"

"How dare me?" Sam shoved him onto the floor and tackled him. "How dare you! You're the one that was prying into my personal life!"

Derrick rolled over and pinned Sam to the floor. "Yeah well you didn't have to go there."

"Oh, so it's ok to piss me off, but when it comes to you, oh no all hell breaks loose."

"That's not true."

"Oh yeah well, you had it coming to you. I should've had Taylor beat your ass earlier when he had the chance. You think you're all big and bad, when all you are is a low life, self-centered piece of shit! And you know what else? You're a freak! Yeah you remember earlier when you called me that, Huh, do you? Well you know what? I don't care if you do. And I don't know why I said all that crap because I don't care. Yeah, go out with as many people as you want, hell, sleep with all of them if you feel the need, cause you know what? I DON'T CARE!" Sam was huffing and puffing and her chest was heaving up and down.

"Are you done?" Derrick said looking at her without a bit of anger.
Sam swallowed and breathed out. "Yes I am."
"Feel better?" He said with a small smirk on his face.

"Yes as a matter of fact I do. Now wipe that smirk off your face and get off me." Sam said exhausted.

Exhausted himself, Derrick rolled off her and laid on the floor next to her. "You know, for a little girl, you sure did wear me out."
Sam was too tired to argue so she just turned her head and gave him a "drop dead" look All the while Derrick had a small smile on his face. Sam turned away and looked back at the ceiling, as did Derrick. It started to become very hard for Sam to keep her eyes open. Little by little they would droop down getting heavier and heavier.
Derrick watched as Sam tired to keep her eyes open until they closed and stayed closed. He laid there listening to her until her breathing became labored and he knew that she was asleep. Once she was asleep Derrick closed his eyes and feel into dreamland.

The next morning Sam stirred slightly. She felt something warm and big lying next to her. Her hand rubbed across something soft, like a shirt.

Derrick stirred slightly and felt something warm and small lying in his arm on his shoulder. He rubbed his hand down something, which seemed to be a shirt. Derrick looked down at what it was, and Sam looked up at what it was. They meet eyes to eye and in an instant they recognized each other.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" They both freaked and practically flew away from each other. Both of them were confused.

It took Sam a minute to figure out where she was. She was in Derrick's room.

"Well you're a sight for sore eyes in the morning." Derrick smiled.

Sam threw the first thing she could find at him, which happened to be a shoe.

"Hey!" Derrick said ducking just time.

"What am I still doing here?"

"I think I found your answer." Derrick found a note from her and is mom on the end table beside his bed.

"What is it?"
"It's a note from our moms. It says:
Dear Derrick and Sam,
We got home at about 11:30 and saw you guys sleeping on the floor. Since you guys looked so peaceful we left you alone. Sam's clothes and bathroom items are on Derrick's bed. Also her book bag and books are down by the front door. We won't be home until late tonight, so have fun. Love you guys.
Love Moms.
P.S. Don't be too late for school."

"Peaceful my ass." Sam groaned. "What time is it?"

"7:30."

"Shit, Taylor's probably wondering where the hell I am."

"He can get over himself for one day."

"I get first dibs on the bathroom. I gotta pee like a monkey." Sam stood up and slightly stumbled.

"I really did not want to know that.”

"Too bad, deal with it."

By 8:30, both were showered and dressed and ready. Sam was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a red halter-top with her white Adidas. Derrick was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a blue T-shirt.

When Derrick came out of the bathroom, he saw Sam in his room struggling to brush out a major knot in her hair. "Well don't you look lovely?" Derrick said standing in the doorway.
Sam scowled at him and continued struggling with her hair. "Here let me help." Derrick held out his hand.

"No I got it." She still continued messing with her hair.

"It will go alot easier if you just hand the brush to me."

Sam grunted and yanked the brush out of her hair. "Fine." She gave the brush to Derrick.
Derrick easily brushed through the knot with calm and ease. He gently brushed the rest of her hair. When he was finished he gave the brush back to Sam.
Sam ran her hand over the back of her head and starred in disbelief at him.

b "Don't look so surprised. I have a younger sister you know. I do her hair when I go visit my dad." He smiled.

Sam smiled back. "Oh yeah I forgot." They stood there and smiled at each other for quite some time. Sam cleared her throat. "Well we probably should be heading off."

"Um yeah, we probably should."

Sometime later Sam and Derrick were on their way to school. "I cannot believe I'm riding in the same car with you to school. You know, I could've walked."

"Yeah you probably could've, but you would have gotten to school during second period. You know this isn't a happy joy ride for me either!" Sam rolled her eyes. "It's your fault we're late."

Sam dropped her jaw. "My fault, how in the hell is it my fault we're late?"

"If you wouldn't have come over my house yesterday, then we never would've been late."

"Oh well excuse me if I didn't want to get a freaking zero on my homework. And who are you to say that it's my fault, when you're the one who let me fall asleep on the floor? You could've told me to get up and go home!"

"Yeah I probably should've."

"So don't blame me, when it's as much my fault as it is your fault!"

"Ha, you're the one who feel asleep on the floor, don't blame me for that!"

"Well then you should blame yourself for falling asleep on the floor."

"It's my room!" Sam and Derrick glared at each other. Just then they arrived at the school. They got out of the jeep and started walking.

"You know I can't believe that I am walking beside you, stop following me, go to your own class!" Sam said.

"Ah, hello retard, we're in the same class."

"Well go the long way, I don't want to be seen with you."

"I don't want to go the long way. Why don't you go the long way?"

"Cause I don't want to go."

"Well then suck up your pride and deal with it.” Sam and Derrick continued to argue down the hallway until the got to class. They were unaware of the people looking out of their classrooms. They finally stopped arguing long enough to walk in class and sit down.

"Ah Mr. Parker, Miss. Jackson, nice enough for you to join us. Since you were kind enough to show up late, not to mention interrupt my class, then I'm sure you guys won't mind being partners for class today." Their teacher, Mrs. Simon, explained.

Sam groaned and hit her head on her desk, while Derrick slapped his forehead.
After second period, Sam went to go meet up with Taylor. She found him by the water fountain. Sam bounded up to him. "Hey, did you miss me?” She smiled. Taylor looked at her confused. "This morning when I didn't meet up with you; because I woke up late." Sam wasn't smiling so bright now.

Taylor's face brightened. "Oh, I didn't go to our meeting place this morning. I took Claire to school."

Sam looked confused. "Who's Claire?"

Taylor smiled big. "She's this awesome girl I met yesterday when my family and I went to the bowling alley."

"Oh."

"Yeah, you've got to meet her. She's great! I think you'd like her a lot." He was beaming.

"Well if you say I will, then I will." Sam wasn't really smiling anymore."

"You will, I promise. I guess it's a good thing I didn't meet up with you today. Huh?"

"Yeah, guess so."

"But hey, I gotta get to class so I'll see you around. K? Bye."

Sam was barely able to get out the word bye, before Taylor left practically skipping down the hallway. Sam was left in the hallway confused and a bit hurt. Derrick was near by talking to his friends and saw and heard the whole thing. Sam turned her head towards Derrick, and he snapped his head back to his friends. Sam turned and walked down the hallway to class.

The rest of the day was pretty boring. Sam was still trying to figure out what had happened out there in the hall and wasn't really making since of any of it. Finally the bell rang and Sam bounded out the front door of school hoping to see Taylor, but when she got out there, Taylor wasn't in his usually place under the tree. Sam looked around and saw Taylor walking to his car.
"Hey Taylor." Sam called but he didn't answer. She guessed he couldn't hear her. Sam practically ran to the parking lot to reach him, calling his name. "Hey Taylor!"

Taylor finally turned around looking annoyed, but his face quickly brightened when he saw Sam. "Hey Sam."

"Hey, you Deaf or something? I've been calling you for like the past couple minutes.

“Oh, sorry, I guess I’ve got other things on my mind.”

“Oh ok, I was just wondering what you wanted to do tonight.”

"Oh, I had plans to go to the movies tonight with Claire."

"Oh."

"But you can come with us if you want."

Sam looked at Taylor and she could tell that he really wanted her to say no. "No, that's ok, you guys go ahead. We can do something tomorrow."

"Well actually my weekend is pretty full. My family and I were invited to a picnic up at the lake tomorrow."

"Oh ok." Sam was disappointed but Taylor couldn't tell because he was to far stuck in la la land to notice.

"I promise we'll do something next weekend, though. K? Hey do you mind getting a ride home with someone else? I'm suppose to pick up Claire after school today."

"All this and you just met her yesterday?"
"Yeah well what can I say, we really hit it off."

"Yeah, I guess you did." Sam was trying to smile but in all truth she really didn't want to.

"Ok well, I gotta go thanks sport." Taylor patted her on the shoulder and practically ran to his car.

Derrick was in the courtyard watching what was happening. Sam sighed and started walking. She didn't have another ride home. She was gonna have to walk the whole way home. Taylor didn't even wait for her to answer. He just got up and left her standing there. She felt distraught. She kicked a rock in front of her. She felt worst then distraught, she felt...dumped! "I guess this how a person feels when they get dumped." she mumbled. Ten minutes later she was still wallowing in her misery, when a car came roaring down the street only to stop right beside her.

"Get in."

Sam looked at Derrick and narrowed her eyes. "No." she continued walking.

The jeep moved up beside her. "Damn it Jackson, get in!"

"No, besides I like walking. It's great exercise.”

"Jackson, do you wanna be a baked omelet on the side of the road?"

Sam sighed and looked at him. She rolled her eyes and threw her bag in the back of the jeep and got in. Sam put her elbow on the door and propped her head up on her fist.

"I saw what happened in the parking lot earlier."

“I don't wanna talk about it."

"I also saw what happened in the hallway between 1st and 2nd period today."

Sam looked at Derrick. "Eavesdropping were we?"

Derrick shrugged. "It's a small hallway.” Sam snorted and rolled her eyes and look foreword? "It must not feel too good.”

"It doesn't. I feel..."

"Angry?"

"And I'm..."

"Hurting?"

"And I feel...”

"Distraught?"

"But most of all I feel."

"Dumped?"

Sam grunted and looked him. "I told you I didn't want to talk about it.”

“So are you doing anything this weekend?”

"No, he's taking Claire to the movies tonight and tomorrow their families and them are going on a picnic. Oh goody." Sam snorted.

"When did he meet this girl?"

"Yesterday."

"Damn."

"Yeah, I know."

"Did he ask you if you wanted to go to the movies with them?"

"Yeah, He did. But I could see it in his eyes that he really didn't want me to go."

"That's harsh."

"Tell me about it." They pulled into Derrick's driveway. Derrick turned off the car and they just sat there.

"You wanna come inside of a drink or something?" Derrick asked.

Sam. sighed. "Sure, why not?" They grabbed their bags from the back and went inside.

"Go a head up. I'll be right there.
Sam plopped down on his couch just as Derrick entered the room. He tossed Sam a coke. Sam opened it and took a gulp as Derrick sat down on his bed. Sam put her coke on the end table beside the couch and walked over to his CD collection. Derrick walked up beside her. "It doesn't feel too good to get dumped."

"How would you know?" Sam yelled and slammed the CD she had in her hand down on the dresser.

"Hey easy on the merchandise." Derrick picked up the CD and checked it out.

"Who the hell does he think he is?" Sam sat down on the couch, grabbed her coke, and whisked it down her throat. "So what are you doing this weekend?"

Derrick had taken his seat back on the bed. "I'm going to Stacy Phillips's party tonight. Everyone's invited, you should go."

"Eh, that's not really my scene. Besides I don't have ride."

"I'll take you."

Sam looked at him like she didn't believe him. "Yeah right. You wouldn't be caught dead with me."

“Hey I'm just offering you a ride. We can part our ways when we get there."

Sam gulped down the rest of her coke and put it down. "I don't know. I gotta think about it. Hey well I'm gonna go. I gotta do a lot of thinking. I'll see you later." Sam got up.
"Alright, bye."

Sam walked over to her house and went up stairs and plopped down on her bed. She didn't mean to but she ended up going to sleep.