THE WAY IT IS

-Chapter One-

-Sam's POV-

It had been a long time since I went out for a night at the bar.

Since my best friend, Carly Shay, had been dating some guy I hadn't even met yet, things had been less fun. Nowadays, I was alone, with nothing to do but count split-pins with Spencer. Sometimes we'd find multi-colored ones, which were a rarity in the man's eyes.

It was a sad thing that rainbow split-pins were the only excitement I came across.

When she was single, things were a lot different. Even though Carls had always been scouting around for a fling, here and there, she was by my side. She was sitting with me. We were loners but also together.

But here I was. A Friday night, and sitting at the bar, alone.

At least I was actually out and trying to have a good time. Unlike my best friend's older brother who refused to leave the apartment because he was afraid to get hurt again. Long story short, he got dumped by some girl he'd met at this exact same bar and hadn't been the same, since.

A guy approached me, and tapped my arm lightly.

I turn and face the mysterious stranger. He flashes me a bright smile, which makes me almost throw up in my mouth. Then he speaks up.

"Can I buy you a drink, Miss?"

"Nah, I'm waiting for someone," I reply to the guy. "He'll be here soon."

Okay, so I lied.

I even checked my Pearphone for effect, pretending to read a text from my "date" and smile like an idiot. The way Carly does, when her 'boyfriend' sends her lovey-dovey messages.

He seemed to buy my lie.

With a shrug he sauntered off toward a table of giggling girls. I watch him wink at them and continue to walk over to a table.

He sits there and scans the bar. Then his eyes stop when he sees me again. I turn my head away, quickly.

See, this is why I need Carly here with me. If she were here, I'd be most likely in the back of that guy's car, making out with him by now.

Okay. Maybe that was a little far-fetched. But, pretty darn close!

I find myself staring at him again.

He lifts up a hand, as though he's waving, and I turn away. Checking my Pearphone again, despite me knowing full well there are no new messages on there, I sigh and hop off the bar stool.

Courage, Puckett, you can do this.

Approaching the guy was not hard at all. But once I sat down, across from him and looked at those warm brown eyes, my brain couldn't seem to connect words together to form a coherent sentence. Worse, I had lost my voice. This was bad.

What would Carly do?

Flick her hair over her shoulder, bat her eye-lashes and purse her lips in a most seductive manner. The guy would be all over her by that stage.

Say something, idiot.

"H-hi," I stammer.

"Hey," he replies, picking up his bottle and taking a swig from it. "Did your date stand you up? Or are you abandoning him for me?"

"Neither."

What are you doing? Stop talking. Stop, before you say something really stupid.

"I lied to you because I thought you were creepy."

No!

The guy chuckles and places his bottle onto the table, and seems to have a twinkle in his eye, despite what I said. That's a good sign. I haven't driven him away just yet. 'Yet', was the key word and it kind of scared me.

"So, I'm creepy?"

Don't answer that.

"Yes."

You're stupid.

"I see."

Now I was worried.

It must have been showing on my face, as he started laughing at me. I couldn't help but feel a little bit violated as he continued making fun of my stupidity. Anger welled up inside me, and almost came bursting out.

Luckily, someone walked through the doors, right at that very moment, distracting me from the guy in front of me and the humiliation I was going through.

This was a happy coincidence for the laughing guy, that's for sure.

Carly had come to the bar, alone. I wondered why she was here by herself, and not with… her boyfriend. Then, it hit me. Or rather, the guy hit me. Which was a BIG mistake on his part, as he had no idea as to whom he was dealing with, here.

Me, Samantha Joy Puckett, I would have punched him in the groin, then and there, but something stopped me. It was yet another happy coincidence for the guy.

"Quit staring," he teased. "That's my girlfriend."

What?

"Come again?" I ask.

Surely this was a joke, and I was being Punk'd or something. I look around for hidden cameras. None could be spotted immediately, though.

The guy's smile drops to a grimace.

"Over there, is my girlfriend."

As he pointed to the brunette, sitting at the bar with her back facing away from us, I was sure a look of horror washed over my face. He was Carly's 'mysterious' boyfriend. He belonged to my best friend, and here I was… the idiot… trying to flirt with him.

I stood up, brushed myself down gently, and didn't say anything.

I walk over to Carly and clear my throat. She turns and smiles a great big smile at me, like she's happy to see me.

"Hey Sam," she says, flicking her perfect silky hair and batting her eye lashes. "Nice night for hanging out at the bar, isn't it?"

I shrug.

"Unless you're here meeting your boyfriend," I mutter, under my breath.

Sitting next to her, I wonder why we'd fallen apart so quickly. I also wonder why she hasn't even noticed that our friendship has come unglued. It somehow hurts to think about.

Ever since Freddie had left Seattle, that girl had changed. Not just with the many guys… but she'd changed her looks, her personality and even her behavior.

Don't get me wrong.

I loved her newfound "bad ass attitude". It was somewhat sexy and somehow provocative. But I missed the old Carly, the conservative, close to perfect and happy go lucky type, my best friend.

"Are you alright there?" Carly asks, looking right at me. "You look spaced out. Let me get you a drink."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

A couple of drinks later, and the tension has completely disappeared.

"Y'know," I say, slurring my words. "I was quite a jealous bitch."

"I was just a bitch," giggles Carly, tugging on my hair, gently.

It was God knows what time and most likely already Saturday morning.

Here we were, together at a bar, drinking away all the trouble. It was kind of nice for a change. Aloneness wasn't really my style. Meanwhile, Carly's boyfriend had vanished from sight.

I wondered if he actually liked her, or if he was just using her.

At this thought, my knuckles turn white because my fists are clenched tightly. No one hurts my best friend. No one! If he does hurt her in ANY way, he shall earn a knuckle sandwich.

I'm usually tough and abrasive. There are some occasions where I'm not, but that's kind of rare.

Carly's staring at me which was kind of weird. She'd never looked at me like that before, and I wondered what she was really thinking about. Probably how she could lie and pretend our friendship still somehow existed, even though I knew it didn't.

We drank some more shots of something that burned my throat as it went down.

"That was so bad." Carly laughs.

"Want another one?" I ask, slapping her leg.

"Shoosh yeah! Bottoms up!"

"Anchors away!"

One minute we were drinking... the next... I'm flat on my back, staring up at the ceiling of my best friend's living room wondering what the heck had happened.