BITING WORDS

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Warner Brothers. This is for Smitchiedileynalexgurl who wanted Austin's POV of the locker room scene, and I apologize that it's taken so long.

I tuned out the chatter of the others as I got ready for the game and sighed. I can't believe I'm doing this, I thought to myself. Why couldn't I just tell my father the truth? Then, I heard the others catcalling and figured one of the cheerleaders had come in again. Then Ryan stood up with a weird look on his face. Confused, I turned around and got the shock of my life.

"Sam," I said. "Okay, I know that you think that I'm just some---" I started to say hastily.

"Coward? Phony?" she supplied in an angry voice. Okay, I guess I deserve that, I thought to myself.

"Okay, just listen," I said, trying to calm her down. I had to explain---make her see that I hadn't been a part of that stupid skit at the pep rally and that I wanted to make things right with her.

"No, you listen," she told me. Seeing that it wouldn't do any good to argue, I decided to keep my mouth shut. "You turned out to be exactly who I thought you were," she continued. "I never pretended to be somebody else. It's been me all along." I felt myself stiffen nervously. What did she mean by that? What had she thought about me? "And it was me who was hurt in front of everybody," she finished. Someone coughed and for some reason that seemed to deflate her. "Look…I didn't come here to yell at okay?" she stated. Well, that's not what it sounds like, I thought to myself, though I refrained from saying it out loud. "I came to tell you that I know what it feels like to be afraid to show who you are." Yeah, okay. She had me there. My dad and friends would never understand wanting to go to Princeton and being a writer. They all just saw me as the big football star. "I was, but I'm not anymore. "And the thing is, is I don't really care what people think about me because I believe in myself and I know things are gonna be okay." That was good. She was showing her confidence. The same thing that had made me fall in love with her on-line. "But even though I have no family and no job and no money for college, it's you that I feel sorry for." Wait, what was she talking about? Had something happened at that diner she was working in? And what had her stepfamily done? These thoughts coursed through my head as I stared at her.

"Heads up," I heard David call. I didn't answer. I couldn't. I was still trying to figure out the meaning behind Sam's revelation. "Yo. Five minutes," he told me.

"I'm coming!" I snapped. Couldn't he see I was dealing with something here? Sam sighed. "I know that guy that sent those e-mails is somewhere down inside of you…" she began. Okay, so she hasn't given up on me completely, I thought in relief. "But I can't wait for him," she told me, her voice breaking. "Because waiting for you is like waiting for a rain in this drought: useless and disappointing," she told me. With that, she walked away. Okay, that hurts, I thought. She really thought about that about me? And yet, how could I blame her? I never stopped David and the guys from picking on her or Shelby from performing that horrible skit. Okay, yeah. I didn't know what she was planning, but once I realized what she was doing, I should've stopped it or at least, tried to stop it.

"Sam!" I called. She didn't answer and continued walking out, which killed me and relieved me at the same time. If she had stopped, what would I have said? She was right…about everything.

"Oooh, fizzle!" I heard David cry. With exasperation, I hit the locker with my hand. Doesn't he ever shut up? I wondered.

"You okay?" Ryan questioned.

"I really missed up here, Ry," I told him.

"Dude, you can think about it during the game. Come on," he said. With a sigh, I followed him out to the field. With a sigh and only half listening to the cheerleaders, I threw the ball and just wished it was all over.

THE END