Samantha Anne Forster looked out the second story apartment window at the flashing lights of the cars driving by on the street below.

She tried to imagine the Phantom galloping across the playa, but she just couldn't. Back in Nevada Sam could go riding on her loyal cow pony, Ace, almost anytime she wanted, and she would often see wild horses. She especially loved it when she saw the Phantom. And even if she didn't see the Phantom she could imagine that the flowing tall yellow grass was his mane, and she could almost feel his presence in the air.

But in San Fransico there was nothing that felt like home. Even if Sam closed her eyes and tried to dream she was back at the La Charla, meeting the Phantom by moonlight, an emergent siren would disturb her thoughts. It was quiet for a few minutes, so Sam closed her eyes and tried once more to to teleport her mind to a beautiful place where wild horses ran free, and so did her heart.

Ring. Ring. Sam sighed. This time it was the telephone that had broken through Sam's peaceful thoughts. Sam stared at the cordless handset on the bedside table. Wasn't Aunt Sue going to answer it? Then Sam remembered that her Aunt had gone to the grocery store and would be back soon. Sam considered who the caller could be. It most likely wasn't Jen since she had said the day before she would be gone that night. Sam decided that since the call could, perhaps, be important, she'd better answer it.

Sam picked up the phone and hesitantly pressed the "TALK" button. "Hello?" She said cautiously. "Is this Sam?" A lower voice replied. Sam recognized Jake's voice at once, but she was so shocked that he would be calling her, she had to make sure. "Is this Jake?" Sam asked. "Yeah brat, it's me." Jake sounded relieved. There was a moment of silence before Jake asked, "So how ya been?" "Okay." Sam replied. Honestly, she felt extremely homesick and lonely, but she wasn't going to tell Jake that right now. What she really wanted to know was why Jake had called her.

"Well," Jake said, sounding a bit un comfortable, and Sam could just imagine him rubbing the back of his neck, "I just called to say that I, uh, miss ya brat, and I hope you're doing alright." Sam was truly touched.

Jake Ely had actually called her, to talk, and to tell her he missed her at that. So she had threatened about what she'd do if he hadn't called, but she was just kidding, and didn't expect him to really do it. And Sam got the feeling that it had been Jake's own idea to call her. She just couldn't believe it.

Sam knew it was hard for Jake to talk about anything much, let alone anything to do with feelings. "I miss you too Jake." Sam replied genuinely. She didn't even if Jake had heard her, because a second later there was large amount of scuffling on the other end of the line, as Jake's brother's teased him. Sam didn't hear exactly what they were saying, or Jake's reply, because there were so many voices at once. But she did hear when Maxine Ely firmly and loudly said, "Knock it of boys!"

Sam heard shuffling as Jake's brothers scurried out of the room. Then it was silent. Sam heard a sigh, and she decided to say something. "Jake, you there?" Sam asked, although she already knew the answer. "Yeah, I'm here brat." Jake replied with another sigh. There was a pause and then Jake said, "Well I gotta get goin'. I guess I'll see ya when Brynna has the baby." Sam had almost forgotten that Dad could be calling her any day to tell her that Brynna was having the baby, and Sam would hop on a plane back to River Bend. But only for a visit. And that was why Sam had mixed feelings about it.

"Yeah, I guess so." Sam replied to Jake. "Well bye brat." Jake said quietly. "Bye Jake." Sam responded. Then they both hung up.

Sam stared at the phone in her hand, still in a daze over the phone call. It had been good to hear Jake call her Brat. It made her feel like she was still at home. But it made her miss it even more too.

"Sam?" Sam quickly set the phone on the dresser and turned to look at Aunt Sue, who was standing at the bedroom door. "Who was on the phone?" Her Aunt asked. "Uh, it was just..Jake." Sam said slowly. "Oh?" Auny Sue sounded surprised, "What did he have to say?" "Oh, uh, he was just calling to say hi." Sam said cassually.

Aunt Sue looked at Sam skeptically for a moment then said, " Well, you'd better get going on you're homework." Then Aunt Sue turned and walked in to her own room. Sam sighed. She had enjoyed spending time with her Aunt over the last two weeks. Watching movies, reading, and going around the city together, they had fun. But only sometimes did Sam feel as though Aunt Sue and her were from two different worlds. Whenever Dad, Jen, or in this case, Jake, callled Sam, Aunt Sue seemed as if she was upset.

When Sam talked about home, or horses, Aunt Sue seemed to stiffen up as if Sam was talking about some horrible past life. It was times like these when Sam felt terribly distant from Aunt Sue. To Sam, her life at River Bend wasn't horrible, it was wonderful. And it wasn't her "past" life either. It was her life. Everything about it. Everyone. Dad, Gram, Brynna, Jake, Jen...Ace...galloping across the desert with the wind in her face...the Phantom. It was all her life. And Sam knew it always would be. She had to return to River Bend, because it was her home, and it was where her heart was.

The next morning Sam reluctantly pulled herself out of bed and got ready for school. It wasn't really that Sam didn't like going to school, she did know some kids from when she'd lived in San Francisco before, it was just that Sam didn't feel like she belonged there. She was used to her smaller, more friendly school in Darton. There, almost everyone knew her, and she missed being part of the Dialogue, and seeing Jen and Jake everyday. And even Rachel Slocum wasn't so bad when she compared her to some of the mean city girls at the huge San Francisco high school. But Sam knew she would just have to tough it out and keep her faith that it would be over soon.

Later that day, Sam was headed for her last class of the day when two of the girls that had known her from before, Tasha and Sonya, came running up next to her in the hall. "Sam!" They both cried out at the same time. "Hey." Sam replied looking at them. "I tried to call you last night but the line was busy." Tasha said, tieing her black hair up in a pony tail. "Sorry, my friend Jake actually called." Sam respnded quickly. "Who's Jake?" Sonya asked. "You mean you're protective cowboy friend?" Tasha's response overlapped Sonya's. "Yeah." Was all Sam answered. Then before her curious friends could ask her any more questions, Sam ran off to her History class.

After school Sam met Sonya and Tasha and Tasha's Mom, who agreed to drive the three girls over to Aunt Sue's apartment. "Call me when you're ready for me to come pick you up!" Tasha's Mom called as the three girls got out of the car and walked towards the apartment building. "Sure Mom!" Tasha called with a wave of her hand. As Sam approached the apartment door and fished in her pocket for the set of spare keys Aunt Sue had given her, she saw that there was a small package on the ground next to the door. Sam picked up the package in one hand, and unlocked the door with the other.

"Ooh, looks like Fed Ex decided to deliver you're Christmas presnts early." Tasha joked as she stolea glance at the package once Sam set it down on the coffee table in the apartment's small living room. Sonya rolled her eyes at the slightly lame joke, and sat down next to Tasha on the couch. After taking off her jacket and setting her backpack on the floor, Sam joined the other girls. For a second the three of them just stared at the package like it was a UFO. The package was addressed to Sam Forster. Sam thought the package had to be from someone she knew pretty well, since they hadn't written "Samantha". She decided to just satisfy her own curiosity and look at the return address.

It read "Jake Ely". Why would Jake be sending her a package? Sam wondered. And why hadn't he told her about it the night before? What could possibly be inside?

Hehehe...Yeah, I know I'm bad, leaving you with a cliffy on the first chapter, but at least that will give you a reason to review...so I will upload the next chapter sooner! Can't wait to hear what you think! You reviewers are my inspiration! ;) :)

P.S The next chapter will be longer, this one I just kind of wrote in a rush, cause I was so anxious to get this story started!:D