"Life isn't about finding pieces of a puzzle. It's about creating and putting those exceptional pieces together." – Glenn van Dekken


"Spike, you have to open up to your parents. Be true to yourself and them. Tell them how you feel. I mean, it's not like they're gonna attack you or anything."

Sam bristled at these words, a sharp scowl making its way to her face as she overheard the red head lecture the spikey-haired senior. If there was one thing Sam Manson hated, it was someone being judged for simply being themselves. And while normally she would mind her own business, she's dealt with enough crap for today. Besides, she knew that Spike wasn't going to say anything to the prep. Instead, he'd probably just stay there and ignore her until she got bored and left. Spike was a pretty patient guy, but Sam's patience had left the school grounds faster than you could say, "beware!"

"Hey, you ever stop and think that maybe he is being true to himself? That he dresses that way because it's what he's comfortable in? Do you seriously think he'd pierce holes in his body if he didn't want it?" The goth marched up to the older teens, crossing her arms as she switched from giving Spike an apologetic look to shooting the blue-eyed girl a glare. "And who do you think signed the parental consent form for his piercings and tattoos? Have you even spoken to Spike before now, or did you just see him and think that he was a broken toy that needed fixed?"

Sam eyed the girl, watching as her expressions changed from shock to embarrassment, and finally guilt. She tried to splutter out a response, most likely a lame excuse, so Sam stepped forward and silenced her once more. The distraction was enough for Spike to quietly leave, gratefully signaling the peace sign towards Sam as he disappeared. Sighing, Sam decided to relax and talk some sense into the prep.

"Look, maybe you were only trying to help, but you need to get to know someone before you start judging them. If you had actually talked to Spike and not at him, you'd know that his parents are very supportive of his lifestyle and preferences."

"They are?" The girl inquired, only receiving a nod in return.

"I… Guess I owe Spike an apology." The taller girl turned, but her expression became one of disappointment as she noticed the aforementioned male had left. "I guess I'll do that tomorrow, if he'll even listen to me."

"Spike's a patient guy; he's use to this by now. I think he'd just be grateful if you'd give him some space for now."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

An awkward silence filled the air as Sam moved to sit on the picnic table where Spike had previously sat. He was one of the few people she actually hung out with, though she really only saw him whenever she visited the Skulk and Lurk – her favorite store in all of Amity Park. Its shelves donned everything from edgy clothing to books of horror and lore. On Fridays, they would even hold dark poetry readings for those who dabbled in the art of writing. Some of it was cringe-worthy at best, but there was also a lot of interesting and deep works made by really talented writers, one of which being Sam. Spike just so happened to be an employee at the Skulk and Lurk, so he'd sometimes join her and other goth or punk teens in their creative freedom.

"So…" Sam looked up, realizing she had momentarily forgotten that the red head was still there. Man, and she was starting to think of a new poem for this week, too. Darn it. "I know that I made an idiot of myself a few minutes ago, but you seem pretty cool. And really insightful. You stopped me from making a major jerk out of myself… So thank you."

"You're welcome? Why were you doing that anyways?" Sam eyed the girl, noting the frown on her face as she moved to sit next to the goth.

"I heard him earlier, right before it started raining chicken legs and sausages," both girls shuddered a moment, both in disgust for different reasons. "He was talking to this guy about parents not understanding their children. I didn't catch all of it, so I kind of just assumed that he was feeling oppressed by his parental figures and his choice of clothing and body modifications were just a creative outlet; a reflection of rebellion for their lack of understanding. I just wanted to help him, you know? Just push him towards a breakthrough so he can rebuild his relationship with his parents and not have to put on an act."

"So, you heard two guys talking about parents not listening and assumed that it was the guy with the septum piercing?" Her tone was sharp as her shoulders stiffened slightly out of anger. "Do you not realize that you were doing exactly what you thought his parents were doing to him?"

The older teen nodded slowly, her frown growing as she stared down at her shoes. Sam, however, kept her gaze on the teal-eyed girl as a frown formed on her on face.

"I don't have any excuses for my ignorance today. I guess if I ever want to become a good psychologist, I'll have to actually learn how to listen first, huh?"

"And maybe not stick your nose where it doesn't belong?" Sam's dark purple eyes danced fiercely in both anger and annoyance, closing them for just a moment as a somewhat calm sigh escaped her lips. "I'm not trying to be rude here, but you shouldn't just eavesdrop on people's private conversations. If someone wants your help, then let them come to you. Psychology is about more than just judging people right off the bat. You have to build trust with that person and actually listen to what they're telling you. That's if they're even talking to you to begin with."

The girl's frown only deepened, but slowly shifted into a small smile as she looked back at the goth. It wasn't much of a change, but it made Sam relax knowing that maybe this girl won't be so quick to judge and annoy people she doesn't even know.

"That actually makes a lot of sense. Are you studying to become a psychologist, too?"

"No, I just read. A lot. And I know what it's like for people to judge you on your appearance. It would be like me assuming that your obviously carefully applied makeup and bubbly personality means you're probably a complete airhead," she thought for a moment before adding, "which I don't. I just think you need to be more considerate."

"Oh… I guess you're right about that. Well, I certainly feel like an airhead. Sorry about that, uh?"

"Sam. My name is Sam. And you don't owe me an apology. Just give Spike some time, then apologize."

"I'll take your word for it. Nice to meet you, Sam. I'm Jazz."

Sam noticed that Jazz was now holding her hand out expectantly, so she gingerly reached out her own and shook on it. The tension and awkwardness that once filled the air around the two girls had nearly left, allowing both to relax and reflect on their conversation.

After a few minutes more, Sam decided it was time to leave. She had enough of school already, so she definitely didn't want to spend more time on school property than what was legally required. Scooting off of her seat, the raven-haired girl broke the silence.

"I guess I should go grab my book and head home. See you."

"Wait!"

She stopped, turning slightly. What the heck could Jazz want now?

"I meant what I said earlier; you seem like a cool and insightful person. I know we started off rocky, but I'd like to get to know you better; maybe we could be friends. Do you think we could hang out some time?"

Sam bit her lip, not really sure how she wanted to word her rejection. It wasn't that she didn't want or have friends; there was Spike, for example, though they really only saw each other at the Skulk and Lurk every once in a while with the other goths of Amity Park. Sam just never had actual friends, or anyone close enough to be more than an acquaintance with. She usually kept to herself and away from her peers. Alone, like she preferred.

But for some reason, despite her doubts and the rejection swirling around her head, the word left her purple lips before she could stop it. She kind of didn't want to stop it.

"Sure."


A/N:

Wow, I am so glad that you guys seem to like my story. It always warms my heart to get feedback on my work; heck, it's the greatest type of encouragement and inspiration I've ever had. I really appreciate all of your kind words, follows, and favs. Even if you just view my story, it means a lot because I know you took time out of your day to do so. I only hope to get better and give you guys something good to read.

Writing Mismatched Connections has been a blast so far, and I'm really excited to start up the next chapter. If you haven't kept up with my other story - Kaleidoscope - then you should know that I try to update each story once a week. The might be a moment when I even post two updates within a day or so, you never know. I also have another story out - Valentine's Resolutions - about Danny trying to find the perfect gift to give Sam and let her know how he feels. It'll be relatively short in terms of chapters (just three), but I am actually proud of how it's coming along. Part three of VR should be finished by the end of the day, and chapter eight of Kaleidoscope should be finished and posted within the next two or three hours.

Invader Johnny: Thanks! I wasn't initially going to make Sam a loner; I was going to make her and Jazz's friendship well-established, kind of like how her, Danny, and Tucker's friendship is in canon. I decided against that, however, when I thought about how much more interesting it would be to see Sam letting her walls of solidarity crumble as she experiences true friendship for the first time. Things might have been bleak at first, but it doesn't last long.

mikaela2015: Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying it so far!

Firearcher27805: Haha, if the Prologue was not bad, do you think this chapter could make it almost good? I know, lame jokes are lame. Thanks for reading!

I hope you guys like chapter one! Let me know what you think! What are you hoping to happen in this story?

-NC