Four

Sam jumped out of the car, eyes stinging, as soon as her mom drove in the driveway. I can't believe she said that, Sam thought. But the sad thing was, she could. It was like she didn't even know her own mother anymore.

And Angela wasn't much company either. The girl rarely spoke. At least she still had contact, however sporadic, with Bryan. Leila had prevented it at first, but once she realized Sam would find some way to work around it, she permitted it.

"Samantha!" her mother said sternly.

"What?" Sam snapped.

Leila sighed. "I don't want you throwing your life away over some stupid band."

"It's not-"

"You think you're going to get famous and be on top of the world, and that's not going to happen. But you know what? You're smart. I don't think that's your goal at all. You just want an excuse to get out of here. You're a coward too. You're a coward like your older brother-"

"Don't call him that," Sam growled, voice low.

"I'll call him what I want. He's my son and it's true! And your stupid little band with its stupid little songs that mean nothing-"

"They mean ev-"

"Stop interrupting me!"

"Will you just fucking listen to me for once in my life?" Sam screamed.

Sam ran upstairs to the attic and slammed the door. It was where she went when she needed to be alone and think. It was like her sacred space. Almost all of the songs she wrote had been written in the attic. She felt closer to her dad up there, more inspired.

Sam huddled in a ball and sat there. Too many emotions, she thought, trying to control her breathing. She was the best of anyone she knew at hiding her emotions, but once she got multiple emotions welling up inside her head, it became more difficult to hold everything in. Right now she was shaking, whether it from rage at her mother or sadness, Sam wasn't sure. Probably it was a little of both.

A car horn shook her out of her daze. Sam didn't know how long she had been sitting there. She ran to the window and saw Jesse leaning out the window of his old, battered black Mustang convertible. Liza waved from the passenger seat. A dark green pickup truck pulled in behind them. Johnny stuck his head out the driver's side and yelled, "Yo! Let's get moving Sam, you slowpoke!" She assumed Cale was sitting next to him.

Sam grabbed her notebook and ran down the two flights of stairs. "I'm gone!" she yelled, grabbing her bag slamming the door behind her and not waiting for a response she knew she wouldn't get or wouldn't like. She had to hand it to her mom, despite her disapproval in Sam's lifestyle choices, Leila rarely prohibited Sam from doing what she loved. Not that Sam would've listened, but still…it was nice to know she could.

Sam hopped over the side of Jesse's car, not bothering to open the door. Her face must have betrayed her mood, however, because Liza turned to her and said, "Mother problems?"

One glare from Sam told her she guessed correctly.

"At least she let you out today," Jesse said cheerfully. "Maybe she has a soul after all!"

Sam seemed to ponder this for a few moments before grumbling, "Nope, I don't think so."

They rode the rest of the way in silence. The others were good at detecting when one of them didn't want to talk. At one point, Sam reached in the front and turned the music up so loud that Liza and Jesse were sure they were going to get pulled over and arrested for disturbing the peace. The rearview mirror was shaking from the power of the bass.

But once they pulled in Liza's driveway, all of Sam's anger diffused. She walked next to Liza as they headed into the garage. Liza's parents were extremely supportive of the band's dreams. They let BP store all their equipment in the garage, and even bought them amps and extra microphones with their own money.

When they were younger, before four of them had cars, (Sam's mom never decided to teach her how to drive, sadly leaving her as the only member without reliable transportation), it was the Buchanans that took them and their stuff to gigs. Sam could remember everyone piling into Mrs. Buchanan's car and Mr. Buchanan hooking a trailer to his truck and dragging all their shit wherever they needed it. It put a smile on her face.

"Hey Mrs. B!" Sam called, dropping her bag and notebook on a worktable. Lauren Buchanan was standing in the doorway.

"Hello, Sam," she said warmly. More warmly than her own mother, Sam thought darkly. Feeling the emotions coming back, she swallowed and concentrated on forcing them back down again. "I just wanted to let Liza know that Stacia got in sooner than we expected so she'll be back before practice is over."

"Oh," Sam said, "if we need to cut it short, I'm sure-"

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Buchanan said, cutting her off. "You guys have an audition to get ready for. Although I'm sure if you don't mind an audience, Stacia would love to hear you."

"We don't mind!" Jesse shot up.

Liza rolled her eyes, but said, "Yeah that would be great!" Her older sister Stacia was in her mid-twenties, and working as a model in New York City. Liza had inherited the same gorgeous honey-blonde hair, but unlike her sister, never grew it out. She always kept it chopped short and dyed fluorescent colors.

"Great! I'll let you practice then!"

After she left, Sam turned to Liza and said, "God, why are your parents so awesome?"

Liza gave her a long look and then said softly, "They're basically your parents too."

"Alright," Sam said, "let's rock."

She was glad to be able to start singing. Other than writing her songs, singing was the only time Sam let the emotions fly out. It felt good. Her mother was wrong. She didn't have the band because she wanted to become famous and run away like Bryan. She had the band because it was all she had. The songs were all she had. It was the only time she could be herself and let everything go. And that was why she wasn't going to let anything stop her.

~~~Author's Note~~~

I know the plot hasn't really picked up yet. I thought and thought about how I could get the action started sooner and came to the conclusion that the story just wouldn't have the same effect if you guys, the readers, couldn't see how all the characters interacted with each other and what their lives were like. So I'm sorry if it seems like filler, I promise that, at least in my opinion, it all has value and furthers at least the character development, if not the story itself!

W/ luv

~T