Damage Control

November 12

"I can drive, you know."

"I know."

Sam rolled her eyes, adjusting the seatbelt again before settling back in her seat. "I'd rather drive."

"I know - you're a bit of a control freak."

"Hey!"

Austin grinned as he shoulder checked and then pulled out into traffic. Wednesday had dawned without evidence of Sam's cough or sneezes; a day of uninterrupted sleep had done her wonders - which meant she was going back to school today. Delighted to have his girl back on campus, Austin had insisted they at least ride to school together and Sam had conceded since her car was still parked in the school lot where she'd left it after the big game.

Tuesday, Veteran's day, had been a holiday and one where Austin has spent almost all of his time with her - it had been fabulous.

"Face it Sam; you are. It's one of the things that makes me so crazy about you."

"Flatterer," she adjusted the bag at her feet. "Are we still picking up Carter?"

"That was the plan - unless there's been a change since we saw him yesterday."

"You're just sore I had Carter get my assignments and not you."

"I'm sore because I didn't think of it until I was already at school," he admitted sheepishly. "Carter and you've obviously done this before."

"A time or two; usually I have to bring him his assignments, not the other way around."

There was a companionable silence as Austin maneuvered them smoothly through traffic. One of the nicest things about driving with Sam was that he didn't feel he had to prove something to her; the speed demon Ryan and David had encouraged him to be was more than content obeying the rules of the road since that was more in line with keeping Sam safe. It was a nice switch from the constant harassment he'd once gotten driving to school.

Pulling up in front of Carter's house, he put the transmission in park while undoing his seatbelt all in one motion - and reached towards her. Startled, Sam looked up just in time to be on the receiving end of a kiss that made her toes curl. Her hand crept up to around the back of his neck just as he was pulling back, and he pulled away despite the small sound of protest in the back of her throat.

"I couldn't kiss you good morning at Rhonda's."

"I could get used to that in the morning," her hand fell away as he settled back in his seat. "It's a nice change from Fiona screaming for her breakfast."

He laughed, glancing up to see that Carter hadn't yet appeared and hit the horn a couple of times. "After that kind of constant wake up call, I'm glad I can offer an alternative. Of course," his tone turned teasing, "if it makes you feel more at home, I could call and wake you up with a breakfast request."

Earning a solid punch on the shoulder - Sam was no push over - for his efforts, he was saved from having her answer by Carter opening up the back seat and turned his attention the other boy's way. "'Morning, Carter."

"Hey Austin; 'morning Sam."

"Hey," she returned with a grin, "bet you never thought to be riding to school with Austin Ames."

"Neither did you," Carter returned with a pointed look at the poet-jock as he fastened his seatbelt. "No offence."

"None taken," putting the car back into gear, Austin pulled away from the curb and finally commented on Carter's choice of wardrobe for the day. "No big audition today?"

"Nothing major," was the immediate return. "Not yet, anyway."

"I still say you'd have better luck going into an interview like that," Sam told her best friend as she resumed facing forward. "Being yourself isn't a bad thing."

"I never said it was; I just much prefer to be someone else - usually."

Austin was silent as Sam and Carter debated back and forth about the merits of being the person you really were with everyone around you and couldn't fault either of their logic; it was either a discussion they'd had an awful lot, or one that was a bone of contention. To his surprise, they agreed to disagree as he was pulling into the school parking lot, with Carter conceding that Sam had a point and he'd try to be more himself at his next interview - and Sam conceding that Carter had a point about being who you truly were with the people you cared about most.

As for Austin... he was on the fence, but leaning towards the idea that being yourself all the time was a good way to invite other people to hurt you. Despite the big leaps he'd already made towards reconciling the persona he was in private with his public persona, there were aspects of each he didn't want to lose - or share with anyone else. Except Sam.

To his surprise, David and Ryan seemed to materialize out of nowhere as he was climbing out of his car. For all David's expression was dark, Ryan's smile was easy. "Hey bro; you never called so we caught a ride with Shelby."

Shelby.

Austin glanced behind them to see his ex already striding towards the school doors. Her skirt was as short and her heels as high as school allowed, displaying her tanned limbs to perfection - and it left him cold. The sight, where once would have stirred his interest, now barely rated a second glance, and he caught Sam casting an inquiring look his way. She however, did rate a second glance and he let his admiration show; she blushed under that look. While looking at her, he collected his bag from his car before answering Ryan.

"Sorry about that; I haven't been on my phone lately. Guess I forgot."

"You're forgetting about us an awful lot, Austin."

"Sorry man, you know how it is with a new girl." That silenced David's acidic tongue for a minute and Austin closed his door and locked the car, seeing Carter and Sam already heading for the school. Despite the urge to follow, he turned to face his friends. "I'm not avoiding you on purpose."

"You're not exactly eager to be around us either," David's tone was accusatory. "You could have stuck around for practice."

"Not a chance," the harsh rejoinder was softened with a half-smile. "If I go anywhere near the pitch, Dad will take it as an invitation to jump on me about USC."

"He just doesn't want you to waste your talent," Ryan and David fell into step as Austin headed for the school. "I mean, didn't you enjoy football even a little."

"Not as much as you'd think," adjusting his bag over his shoulder, Austin kept one eye on where they were going and the other on the guys. "With enough pressure, the fun can be leeched out of anything."

"He was riding you that hard?"

"You need to ask? He's the only parent who's not a part of the coaching staff allowed on the sidelines during the game."

"He just wanted to be sure you gave it your all," it was no surprise to hear David defending his dad. "I'd kill for a chance like you've got Austin - and you're just going to throw it all away for some girl."

Ryan grabbed the door. "We're not saying you should play, or that you shouldn't date Din... er... Sam, but this is your future, man. Are you sure this is what you want? Once it gone, you can't get it back."

"Didn't either of you ever think there was more to me than just football?" The look Ryan and David exchanged as they entered the main doors indicated they hadn't. But then, why would they? It wasn't as if he'd ever said anything about wanting something else. "That's what I thought - and it's my fault you guys didn't know, but-"

A commotion up ahead cut Austin off and the trio looked up to find Sam and Carter standing in the middle of the hallway while Shelby's friends and Sam's step-sisters tried to bully them. A quick inspection of the situation gave them a good idea of what this was about; Sam had been waylaid on her way into school by people who wanted nothing more than to see her fail.

"Dude; aren't you going to jump in?"

Austin was in the process of doing just that, leaving his friends behind as he quick stepped to Sam's side. His appearance drew a high pitched, hopeful "Austin!" from her step-sisters and silence from Shelby's shadows. Deliberately, with a good number of the student body's senior class watching, he slid his arm around Sam's waist without saying a word and looked down at her.

She was livid - he could feel it - and the way her eyes blazed when she looked at him made him abstractly wonder if they'd blaze that way in other scenarios; the idle thought was enough of an incentive as he bent, his lips brushing against hers.

Sam jumped and he smiled, lifting his head as he ignored their audience. For all he cared they could have been on those bleachers again with everyone watching; nothing mattered but her. He said he only thing that came to mind. "Good morning, Sam."

"Good morning, Austin."

The buzz of conversation floated around them and he lifted his finger tips to brushed against her jaw line as his backpack slid to dangle from his elbow; he didn't notice. "How's my girl this morning?"

His question seemed to remind her that they weren't alone and the half-smile that had started to blossom on her face suddenly turned apprehensive. Her gaze left his to dart around - and found that almost everyone had dispersed. Her gaze came back to his and she arched her eyebrows. "Neat trick."

He laughed softly, hugging her once before letting her go and shouldering his bag again. "A nice side effect. What happened?"

Sam exhaled, her anger draining away. "Gabriella and Brianna jumped me as I was talking to Carter, demanding to know who I thought I was, thinking I could snare you - even if I am Cinderella."

"And Shelby's minions?"

"More of the same. They don't feel I should be humiliating the head cheerleader. Apparently I should be the better person and give you up to let her save face."

"Give me up?"

Nodding, Sam's expression was serious. "Do you want to be given up, Austin?"

He caught the teasing sparkle in her eyes as she asked the question and grinned. "Not for now, no. I'd never have spent all that time with you this weekend if I did."

"That's what I said." Cocking her head at him, she regarded him thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, it was almost as if you were a possession - like Shelby's puppy. Almost as if I could tell you to go back to her and you would."

"That's the old Austin; the one who-"

The warning bell cut him off and Sam caught his hand with an apologetic smile. "I've gotta run or I'll never get my books. See you at lunch?"

"By the friendship circle, right?"

She laughed, her eyes dancing. "Right - twelve sharp; don't be late!"

He waved as she disappeared down the hall, heading in the opposite direction at a quick clip to reach his locker too. A quick look showed that David and Ryan seemed to have dissolved into thin air while he was talking to Sam. Once he'd collected his books, he headed for his first class and slid into his seat just as the bell rang. A smile spread over his face as he pulled his books from his bag.

Lunchtime couldn't come soon enough.

Austin settled next to Sam with a smile on the bench of the Friendship circle where he'd spent many a morning texting her. "Early, aren't you?"

"Usually." She conceded with a tilt of her head, enjoying the late season sunshine. "Though I don't come outside for lunch much."

"I know; usually you'd spend it in the library with me - online."

"Across from you as I am now," her tone turned teasing even as she admitted to the fact she'd noticed his presence. "You're more fun to look at than a text screen."

"You too." Austin leaned against the backrest. "Was your morning as rough as mine?"

"Exam preps?"

He nodded.

"Probably worse - most of my classes are AP."

"Just most?" Austin's tease was good natured. "Careful, you'll have me thinking I can keep up with you."

"You're a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for, Austin. You didn't have time for AP classes, that doesn't mean you couldn't do them."

"Maybe AP English," he conceded. "I get a little bored once I'm done what's assigned."

"Hey Austin!"

They both looked up as at Ryan's call to see him and David headed their way.

Sam suppressed a groan. "And I thought I was going to have you to myself for lunch."

"You can have me after school; they've got practice."

The double entendre made Sam blush as Ryan and David stopped short, looking from one to the other. David looked straight at Austin with a disapproving frown, but Ryan, to her surprise, offered her a smile. "We didn't see you guys in the cafeteria, so we figured you'd be somewhere out here. How's it going, Sam?"

She blinked. Sam. Not Diner Girl? "Uh... good, thanks. You?"

Ryan slid uninvited on the bench next to her, on the other side from Austin, leaving David standing. "Pretty good. It's tougher being the first string QB now that Austin's dropped out; but I'm loving every minute of it."

"And the girls that flock to you because of it, I bet."

Ryan looked taken aback by her wry comment and then burst out laughing. "I can't deny it; I love the attention."

"Dude, I thought you were supposed to have lunch us today."

Ryan and Sam looked back at David's curt complaint and Austin frowned at his friend. "You guys can join us if you want."

"Without her."

Sam put her hand on Austin's arm as his expression tightened in displeasure for David's rudeness and forestalled whatever he was going to say. "I don't expect you to accept me, David," she told him honestly, drawing a surprised glance. She'd never addressed him directly before. "But wouldn't it be easier if we're at least civil - for Austin's sake?"

"I don't like you."

"You don't know me," Sam countered. "After being friends with Austin all these years, don't you think his judgment deserves a little respect?"

"Just 'cause he's the QB on the field, doesn't mean we'll follow his lead off it. I don't have to like you just because he does."

"I never said you did." Her fingers tightened on Austin's arm. "I only said we should be civil."

"Civil," David snorted, leveling a glare her way. "We shouldn't be having anything to do with you; you're a nobody, Diner Girl, a -"

"Hey!" Austin stepped in, standing to get into David's space and shutting him up before he could continue. His free hand - the arm Sam wasn't holding - closed on the front of his friend's shirt. "That's my girl you're maligning, man; watch it."

"Or what, you'll write me to death?"

"Austin."

He shook off Sam's hold, bending in close so he was nose to nose with David. "Do you really think I'd leave it at words?"

Ryan slipped between them, placing on palm on David's chest and one on Austin's as they matched glares, and pushed them apart. "Easy, guys, we're all friends here."

David sent one last look Austin's way before turning on his heel. "I used to think so. Come on, Ryan; the air out here reeks."

Sam caught Austin's arm, holding him back as he was about to go after David for the comment. "Let it go."

"What?"

"Let it go; he's not worth it."

"But-"

"But nothing" Shaking her head, she turned him back to the bench and forcefully pushed him down - and Sam was no slouch. "I'm a bit of a shock to everyone, Austin; a lot of people are going to have problems with this."

His expression turned from angry to concerned in a heartbeat as he reached for her hand. "That's not going to be a problem for us is it?"

A meaningful glance at their intertwining fingers kicked up the side of her mouth. "Not on my end. We just have to give them time to adjust. David will either accept it or he won't, but getting into arguments with him while he sorts through it can only make things worse."

"How'd you get so smart?"

Sam stared at him for a long moment before bursting out laughing. "I had the step-monster from hell; how else do you think?"

They shared a laugh and a smile before returning to their lunch. But as Sam ducked her head to unwrap her sandwich, Austin's smile faded and he glanced back towards where Ryan and David had disappeared. Somehow, despite Sam's reassurances, he wasn't as confident that David would come around.