"So, are you and Brooke dating yet?"
Sam all but choked on her Dr Pepper, instead choosing to sputter and spew a good portion of the fizzy concoction across the mess halls newly furnished dining table. She looked up at two of her closest friends in the moderately sized college, Tess and Chloe, cutest couple award shoo-ins. Their matching bemused expressions taunting her.
"Guys c'mon we've been over this, Brooke is my-" Sam started
"-Step-sister, we know…" Tess finished with a sigh while Chloe, sensing her beloveds' frustration took it upon herself to interlace their fingers… then steal a French fry as Tess continued her debate. "Fact one: no blood relation. Fact two: I think you're into her. And Fact Three: You two flirt! All the time! All. The. Time." Punctuating each word with a knock on wood.
"Brooke. Is. Straight!" Sam repeated the gesture. She was seriously beginning to wonder about her friends, it could be all the sex… didn't she read somewhere that the dopamine or endorphin high from multiple orgasms could make you temporarily less comprehensible, like perpetually dazed… No, that doesn't make any sense! She must've dreamt it.
Tess drove on, ever the pre-law scholar, determined to prove her point; "It's just that, goddess, you two could work, ya'know? You two, well sometimes you even fool us!" At this Chloe gave a nod and tactically sneaked a second fry. "Exhibit A: Last Saturday morning at the diner."
Sam thought back to the breakfast, Mmm, that was an awesome Spinach Omelet, "What about it?" The journalist inquired.
"She sat on you. Not next to you, not across from you. On you!" Tess triumphantly stated, and Sam had to admit, the tiny Italian did have a point… Although Sam could make the argument that Brooke only did it because there was no other empty seat as the booth they had only seated 6 and their party (which they had planned to be that exact number) had turned into an impromptu 8 upon the surprise arrival of Jade and Lupe. So the blonde ex-cheerleader saw that the most rational solution would be for her derriere to assume residence upon Sam. No protest there, Sam thought wistfully.
Chloe whispered something in Tess' ear, or maybe she just licked it… they did that sometimes, as if them doing that was a secret or something. Ha! Sam sees though their faux whispering conspiracy!
"Oh yeah! Thanks babe," Tess exclaimed breaking Sam from her internal ramblings, "Don't think that we didn't see you two holding hands at the movies later that day either!" Sam quirked an eyebrow in speculation, it was a doubtful concept that the pair would have stopped making-out long enough to notice that. "Okay, okay Kiley told us she saw it." Believable.
Sam shrugged her shoulders in nonchalance, "It's not a big deal, and ever think she might've been scared?"
Chloe blinked, "It was Just Like Heaven"
"Oh… right! There was a ghost in it! … Sort of…" Sam faltered, took a breath then gathered her resolve, "Anyway, Brookes straight. If she weren't, she'd just say so. She knows us and more importantly she knows about us, its not like we'd condemn her for switching teams… to our team! Can you think of any reason besides ridicule or isolation by piers that would make anyone not want to come out?" Sams question met dejected faces. "Exactly, the girl drives stick. See? I've gotten over it, and you should too. I know you just want me to be happy, and I appreciate it. So, lets just say this: if Brooke somehow miraculously wakes up one day and decides to take a walk on the wild side, I'll offer to be her escort. But until then I assure you I am perfectly content with our friendship."
Chloe conceded in defeat with a small sad smile while Tess hid the word 'Courtship' in a cough that earned her an amused glare from Sam.
Buzz. Buzz.
Sam looked down at her cell; it read New Message from Princess.
Sammy!
What's up, princess? Hey, aren't you in Psych?
I'm being bad…
That made Sams heart skip a beat as she read it again. How does one respond to that? She began typing something flirtatious but lost her nerve and erased it. Tried to think of something else but before that happened she received a follow up message from Brooke.
Wanted: Study Buddy. Must be smart, pretty, and stubborn. Preferably: an aspiring journalist. Apply now and enter in the drawing for a free t-shirt!
Sam laughed and Tess reached over the table and snatched the electronic device.
"Hey! I was reading that!" The brunette protested and attempted to retrieve the thieved Nokia product only to be swatted away by Chloe.
"Saaaammmmyyyy, the 'straight-girl' is flirting with you!' Tess used a singsong tattletale voice used mostly by schoolyard children to their parents in regards to bullies or siblings. Sam rolled her eyes then watched in horror as Tess began typing, mischief dancing through her devious little eyes. Sam made a second then third try at getting her phone back but was yet again foiled. Then Tess smiled, calmly placed the phone on the table, slowly slid it back to Sam… and bolted, like a tiny evil Italian mini rocket.
"Umm, she had a class… and so do I! Bye Sam!" Chloe said over her shoulder in a hasty departure.
Sam picked up the phone and checked her outbox, her heart thudded as the thought of what her brazen friend would've sent to Brooke.
Oh yeah? Well, only if it's your shirt… after a wet t-shirt contest ;)
The audacity! How would Sam explain this one? Oh, and the winky face, Tess just had to add a friggen winky face!
Buzz. Buzz.
Dammit.
New Message from: Princess
Tess! Give the phone back to Sam.
How'd you know it wasn't me?
Lol! Bc I know you Sammy! So? You, me, books, pizza… me!
Sure princess, I'll be by around 5
Thanks Sammy, ttyl!
L8r!
"Alright, Brooke; Where is my…" Sam stopped to read the word from the large textbook that lie open to her right"-Scapula?" Sam said, the two were sitting cross-legged facing each other surrounded by a sea of textbooks, binders and composition books of the like. Pens, pencils, and highlighters hiding only God knows where.
Brooke assumed a contemplative façade as she finished the last of her Hawaiian-Style Pizza (Pineapple and Ham? Wtf?) "That's too easy, Sammy. Its right here!" Brooke leaned over and reached around the brunette to touch her shoulder blade surprising Sam, causing her to jerk a little. Brooke smiled still leaning in, "Sammy are you ticklish?"
Sams eyes widened for she was in fact very ticklish and up until this point in her and Brookes friendship had kept the secret well hidden for fear of exactly what happened next.
Brooke lunged forward pinning Sam to the mattress, straddling the shorter girl and laughing triumphantly as she began her merciless reign of terror on the journalists' sensitive sides. Sam yelped and pleaded, between fits of giggles grabbing one of Brookes hands with both of hers only to have both the appendages tied above her head with a scarf in less than a second. Sam had underestimated Brooke's ingenuity, a mistake she paid for dearly.
Not one to give up so easily Sams next attempt at escape was to try and wrangle herself free bucking, writhing, grunting and breathing heavily due to the force of labor and exertion she hadn't foreseen when she formulated her plan of evasion. The suddenly the blondes torturous advances had ceased. At first Sam didn't notice this and when she did she looked up and Brooke was just staring back at her, hazel eyes darker now than earlier… but that was probably the lighting in Sams room.
A moment passed and Sam thought she saw Brooke slowly lick her lips and lean down a bit… but she must've imagined that because… well she couldn't really think of an explanation for that, Brookes breasts were way too close to her own at the time and it also didn't help that the blonde chose to wear a very cleavage friendly blouse tonight. No it really didn't help Sam at all…
"Um…" With much difficulty Sam tore her eyes away from two of Brookes 'Weapons-against-Sams-thought-process' and looked and the clock trying to buy some time (Ha!), "Oh wow its, uh, getting kinda late!"
Brooke looked toward the clock, "Its only eight thir- Ack!
Sam used the opportunity to roll Brooke onto her back almost reversing their positions and back out before the blonde could trap her by lock her ankles around her back.
"Yeah, we should get you back to your dorm!" Sam started gathering her guests' things, and tossed the now empty pizza box into the corner by the pitifully small and overflowing trashcan.
Brooke just sat up on the bed and followed Sams movements with her eyes a perplexed expression dawning her fine features. Finally Sam had Brookes belongings tucked away under one hand. "C'mon Princess I'll walk you back!"
Sam held out her hand and helped Brooke to her feet fully expecting to let go as soon as the ex-Glamazon had been set upright. But apparently the popular socialite had other plans for her well-manicured fingers, which were that they were to interlace themselves with Sams.
"Brooke?" Sam said looking down at their joined hands, a few seconds of silence, "Could you say something please? You're kinda scaring me…"
"Is that it Sammy? Are you scared? Cuz I'm not, ya'know… I-I'm okay." Brooke said, Sam could feel the blondes' hand shaking slightly.
"You're not making any sense, Brooke."
"No, Sam, you're the confusing one!" Sam was taken aback by the accusing tone in the taller girls voice.
"Brooke, I don't want to fight. Can we just go?" She pleaded with the blonde, but Brooke wouldn't budge. "Wha-"
"I'm not leaving this spot until you kiss me." Brooke stated.
Sams mouth went dry, all the moisture went to her palms among other nether regions, "Uh, wh-what?"
"You heard me."
"No, no I don't think I did, cuz it sounded like you just -I don't know- dared me to-to kiss you. Heh, silly right?" Sam laughed nervously but Brooke stayed serious, "Did you just dare me to kiss you?"
"Well not in so much words I actually might've said something like I would disdain from leaving my present location until you kissed me… but now that I think about it that doesn't seem like a bad idea: Sam, I dare you to kiss me."
"Brooke, you cant just – why?"
"Why what?" responded the mildly perturbed blonde. I mean jeeze stop talking about it and do it already!
"Why did you dare me to kiss you?" Sam's stomach was practically auditioning for the circus and I don't even know how to explain the stuff goin on with her heart. Skipping, fluttering, and all that jazz!
Brooke faltered then, "Um… because… because I-I don't think you'll do it! And then, I'll win and-and you'll lose and…" Dear lord, someone should remind Brooke that she was horrible at 'winging' it.
Sam fought back a dejected sigh; this was a game. "I don't like games Brooke. I'm not going to kiss you just because you dared me to…" She finally freed her hand from Brookes grasp and headed for the door.
Brooke could see her chance slipping away, "What if I wanted you to kiss me?" Brooke blurted out, heart racing she was glad to see that it had stopped Sam and made her turn around slightly. She took that as a sign to keep talking. "What if I said that I dared you to kiss me, because I wanted you to want to kiss me? What if sometimes kissing you is the only thing I can think about when I'm around you, or when I think about Christmas and mistletoes, New Years at midnight, and any other holiday tradition that would require you to kiss me under certain circumstances… What then?"
Sam turned around, "Then I think I'd do this" Sam said and in two full strides she was right back there with Brooke and she had her hands on the blondes face and a millisecond later her lips were on Brookes lips. And Brooke was flying.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************
"So, are you and Brooke dating yet?"