Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom Stallion or any of the characters included.

Chapter 1: The Departure

"Now, listen. If you get in trouble, you just call me okay, Brat?" Jake told her, using her insulting nickname to disguise the concern he was really feeling.

"Sure thing, Jakey Boy." She looked up at him and smiled.

"You know that's not my name, Brat."

"And mine's not Brat. So as long as you call me Brat, I'm calling you Jakey Boy. Or Jacob. Either one works. Just as long as you hate it." She teased.

"Right…" he trailed off looking down at the floor. She looked down at the floor, too. She wasn't sure why, but she was sure glad when Jen showed up.

"Hey, Sam!" yelled Jen as she ran across the floor; her pale blonde braids flying, every which way.

"Jen!" Sam ran over and gave her a big hug.

"This is going to be so much fun, isn't it?" she yelped.

"Sure is." Said another voice, deeper than their own. Sam turned to see Ryan Slocum standing behind them.

"Hey, Ryan." Said Sam.

"Didn't see ya there." Said Jen, but the soft pink blush that covered her cheeks told otherwise.

"Oh, so I'm that transparent?" Said Ryan.

"Of course, not. But you are rather short." She teased, trying to cover up her embarrassment, even though he wasn't any shorter than any of the other guys in her class. In fact he was taller than most of them. Jen had liked Ryan since the first time she had seen him. Sam didn't get it. Sure he was good-looking, but he was also the son of Linc Sloclum, the most pigheaded man in town, and the twin brother of the brattiest girl in town, Rachel Slocum. They weren't exactly people you wanted for your in-laws.

Jake, who had been silently standing next to Sam since Ryan had walked up, then cleared his throat. Sam looked over at him, and gave him a look as if to say 'what?'

"I think I'm gonna leave now." He looked over at Ryan quickly.

"Okay, Jake. See you later."

She didn't know why she did it, but Sam leaned over and gave him a quick hug. Jake flinched slightly, but relaxed after a moment, then she pulled away.

"Bye, Brat. And remember what I said." He nodded at all of them, and spun around in a hurry. Sam smiled. Jake was easily embarrassed.

Jen looked over at Sam and smirked as if to say 'We'll talk about that later.'

"So, it's pretty cool that we get to spend two weeks away from home, huh?" said Ryan.

"Yea, I'll miss the horses and everything, but it'll still be fun." Said Sam.

"Yea, I'm gonna miss, Silly." Said Jen looking downcast. "But it's worth it." She smiled at Sam and then at Ryan, but mostly Ryan, thought Sam, smiling.

"What are you laughing about?" asked Jen, eyebrows raised.

"Nothing." Sam gave her a sweet smile.

20 minutes later

After they had boarded the plane Sam was really beginning to get into the spirit of things when Jen started to ask questions she didn't want to answer.

"So, what's with you and Jake?"

"What do you mean what's with me and Jake?" she wondered bewildered.

"You hugged him…" her voice trailed of and Jen looked at Sam with her eyebrows raised.

"And… your point is?" asked Sam.

"So do you like him?" Jen asked.

"Ew, gosh no!" Sam exclaimed, horrified that Jen would even think something like that, in reference with her and Jake.

"What do you mean, 'Gosh, no!'? You hugged him! You don't hug someone unless you feel something. It's a scientifically proven fact."

"Oh, well I guess I've proven the scientists wrong- cause I do not like Jake."

"I've got my eye on you, Missy." Said Jen, with a smile.

"Sure, you keep your eye on me, but it's not going to see anything, cause I do not like Jake." Sam stressed.

"You seem awfully defensive about it." Said Jen with a smirk, "Maybe you don't think you like Jake but deep down your subconscious knows it."

"Stop, blaming my subconscious for stuff! It has not control over itself!"

They both burst into giggles.

"What's so funny?" asked a voice from one seat ahead of them.

"Nothin." Said Sam, as they turned around and saw Rachel Slocum peering over the front of their seat.

"Why would you laugh, if nothing's funny?" asked Rachel, with a confused look on her face.

"Sometimes your subconscious just gets the best of you." Sam wheezed out as another unexpected laugh escaped her. Jen doubled over, cracking up.

"Wow… you two are even more demented then I thought." Said Rachel, turning around in her seat. But they hadn't even heard the comment, because they were laughing so hard.

"Don't listen to her. She's just jealous you're having such a good time. It's gonna be good to be home." Said Ryan, plopping down in the seat in the middle of them. Sam looked over and saw Jen tense up just slightly before she relaxed again.

"You guys mind me sitting here?" he asked.

"Not at all." Said Sam, not thinking of Jen. She looked over at her, and Jen was smiling, so she obviously didn't care.

"You guys ever been out of the country?" asked Ryan.

"Nope. The only place I've been is San Francisco." Said Sam.

"I've never even been out of Nevada." Jen laughed.

"You're gonna love it here." Said Ryan, sounding very sure of himself.

"I'm sure we will, but I'm sure I'm gonna miss everybody in about three days." Said Sam. Jake, Jen mouthed at her. Sam narrowed her eyes at Jen, as to look very angry.

"What's with you two?" asked Ryan.

"Nothin." Said Jen sweetly, "Only Sam's got a crush." Ryan smirked at Sam.

"Really…" he said sounding very interested.

"No, Jen just has a mental problem." Sam said glaring at Jen.

"I don't think so…" said Ryan smirking again. "And I think I know who it is."

"Really? And who would that be?" asked Sam; curious to know who he thought she would fall for.

"Drum roll please…" Ryan said, and Jen pounded on the airplane window until the flight attendant told her to quiet down.

"Our one- and only- Jake Ely!" he said in whisper. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Why not, Sam?" asked Jen.

"Yea, come on, Sam. You guys are perfect for each other." Said Ryan excitedly.

"Ew, no we are not. All we do is fight. Tell me what's so perfect about that?" Sam asked.

"Don't tell me you don't see it?" said Ryan with a grin.

"What?" asked Sam, giving him a confused look.

"The way he looks at you." Said Ryan with a grin.

"Which way?" said Sam, honestly confused.

"The way you look at someone when they really mean something to them." Continued Ryan.

"I mean nothing to Jake." Said Sam with certainty.

"I wouldn't bet on it." Said Jen.

"Why would he like me?" asked Sam, still positive that he didn't.

"Okay, Jen and I will make a list." Said Ryan.

"You do that." Said Sam and leaned back in her seat with a sigh. This could be a long ride.

"Okay, it's done." Said Jen after ten minutes of Sam having to sit and listen to them laughing and watch them give her strange looks.

The Reasons Why:

He's always watching you when you don't know it.

"What do you mean he's always watching me when I don't know it? You make him sound like some kind of stalker!" Sam exclaimed with a laugh of disbelief.

"No… not a stalker, just an… admirer." Said Ryan, mysteriously.

"Right…" said Sam sarcastically.

He always wants to protect you even though you don't really need it.

"The reason he protects me is because he feels guilty that he got me hurt and sent away to San Francisco." She told them, as if they should already know that.

"That's what he wants you to think." Said Jen. "But we all see that it's more than that Sam."

"Shush and let me read the rest of this phony list."

They fell into silence as she read.

He always shows up even when you don't want him around. And he won't leave.

You both love horses.

He spends a ton of time at your house.

Your dad really likes him.

He's one of your best friends.

You've known him forever.

He talks to you even though he doesn't really talk a lot to anyone else.

He thinks you're pretty.

You think he's cute too.

You hugged him.

He hugged back.

"You guys are wrong and I'll tell you why. Half the things you wrote are completely phony." Sam told them after she had spent only about half a minute reading their list.

"Which ones are phony?" Ryan asked in disbelief as if he had thought the list was crystal clear.

"Okay, he always shows up when I don't want him to. But he does leave." Sam insisted.

"No he doesn't." said Jen, with a smile. "I'm right."

"No, you're not, but you can believe whatever you want." Said Sam.

"Okay, tell me why the rest of my list is a fake." Jen demanded.

"Okay, so we love horses. That doesn't mean we like each other. You and Ryan like horses does that mean you like each other?" said Sam, not caring how evil she was being towards her best friend. Jens eyes widened but she caught herself.

"No, we didn't say you liked each other because of horses. We said you were perfect for each other because you both liked horses." Jen insisted, though Sam could see her face growing rather red.

"Sure… he spends a lot of time at my house because he wants to help out. Being neighborly, Jen. That's how we are around here."

"Uh, huh." Said Jen, rolling her eyes.

"My dad likes him. Okay, sure. He likes all the Elys. But deal. He is one of my best friends. Once again, so what. I've known him forever. Yes, I have. But that doesn't mean that I like him. I mean, you can't really choose who you've known forever. You just know them. He talks to me, because we've known each other forever- as you've already felt the need to point out." Sam was about to continue when Jen stopped her.

"I've known him forever, he doesn't even talk to me, hardly." Said Jen.

"Sure he does. And you guys are too much alike. You fight too much." Sam insisted. Jen could be really overbearing sometimes, and Jake wasn't really up for that. She wasn't even sure why he put up with her. Maybe he does like me…she thought for a second, and then shook her head. Of course he doesn't! And I don't want him to either!

"Okay, let's continue. He doesn't think I'm pretty. You just decided he does, because you guys like being matchmakers. And I do not think he's cute. Come on, tell me, what's cute about him?" Sam demanded.

"I don't think anything's cute about him." Said Jen, "But you do. You think he has very nice eyes." Said Jen.

Mustang eyes… thought Sam, blushing slightly just for a second. But even a second was enough for Jen and Ryan to pick up on it.

"She just blushed!" Ryan exclaimed.

"Did not!" Sam shouted.

"You so did." Said Jen.

"It's freaking hot in here!" Sam insisted.

"Sure, so you like his eyes huh Sam?"

"I don't!" Sam insisted.

"Yes you do. What's so nice about his eyes?" asked Ryan.

"No-thing." Sam said again, enunciating each syllable clearly.

"Okay, we'll move on, but I'm going to be the one to tell Jake that you think his eyes are nice. If you won't." Jen told her.

"No you won't. Because it's not true. So you can tell him whatever you want." Sam said haughtily.

"I'll remember that." Said Jen, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at Sam.

So what did you think? I thought it was cheesy. Read and Review please!

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