Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: There will be some references to drugs, drinking, and sex. Be forewarned.

A/N2:I have a really hard time writing Danny for some reason so I apologize in advance if his part seems really out of character for him. I tried my best.

Sam's POV

The time for prom has come again. All of the Juniors and Seniors are talking about it. It's gonna be so much fun! Not! Please don't give me that 'it's a once in a lifetime' crap because it's Juniors and Seniors so I guess you could call it twice in a lifetime chance.

All prom is is an excuse to get drunk, high, and have sex with someone who you wouldn't have even considered sleeping with any other time. No thank you. It's just another barbaric conformist ritual that I want no part of. Okay if Tucker were to ask me, then I'd probably say yes after making sure he wouldn't rent a hotel room for the night. I'm not that kind of girl. Of course, Tucker's not that kind of guy either, but I'm just saying. He hasn't asked me though.

Part of me is really glad, but I can't help but wonder if he's embarrassed to be seen with me at prom. Val tells me I'm being ridiculous because I'm the one who isn't into PDA (public displays of affection). She said that he'd shout it from the rooftops that we're dating as soon as I gave him the okay. I just rolled my eyes at her.

Of course Danny and Valerie are going to prom together. She's making me go dress shopping with her even though I'm not going. I hate shopping, but apparently that's how girls bond or whatever. I'm going because I finally gave in. She wouldn't stop bugging me about it. She's worse than Danny sometimes, I swear.

Valerie chose a beautiful dress. It's blue, that matches Danny's eyes, not to mention his favorite color. It's got pink sparkles all over. It has thin straps at the shoulders and ends just above her knees. I'd never wear pink, but it works for her. Danny's absolutely gonna love it. I'm not into the whole girlie thing, but I promised to do her hair and makeup. You never know, maybe it will be fun?

Tucker told me why he didn't ask me to prom. He knows how I feel about it, so if it's okay with me, which it is, he planned a special evening for just the two of us. We're going to eat dinner at his house because all of the prom people will be going out to eat. I don't know what else he has planned or anything, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm going over to his house right after I finish with Valerie's hair and makeup.

Danny's POV

I picked Valerie up for the prom. She looked amazing. She wore this great dress. I really couldn't tell you anything about it, but she looked hot.

I wore a black suit. I already had it and I wasn't about to rent or buy a tux, I mean you know. (A/N: Imagine him rubbing the back of his neck while trying to explain this.) I did gel my hair though. That's a lot more than I usually do.

I took Val to her favorite restaurant. Thank goodness I made reservations because it was packed. It seemed like I wasn't the only person going to prom who thought of coming here. We totally enjoyed ourselves.

We got to the dance and it was pretty cool. The theme was Las Vegas, which made pretty much everybody fit in no matter what they were wearing. The songs were awesome. I'm so glad that my parents are at a Ghost Convention until Monday because otherwise I would not be able to show my face. They would have insisted on chaperoning the prom, not to mention probably tell everyone about ghosts. This is Amity Park, we all know there are ghosts, but seriously?

Sam's POV

I did Val's hair and makeup and she looked great. I almost wish that I'd be able to see Danny's face when he sees her. I'm sure that would be a definite Kodak moment.

I went to Tucker's house just as Mr. and Mrs. Foley were leaving. Apparently they were going to some meeting in a different city and wouldn't be back until later that night. I must have showed my confusion because Tucker smirked at me and said that he'd explain later.

We went inside and Tucker told me to give him fifteen minutes. I didn't understand, but just sat on the couch and waited for him. Pretty soon I started smelling something. It smelled pretty good. I went into the kitchen and saw Tucker cooking. I didn't know he could cook, well maybe he can't, but it's the thought that counts. I couldn't help but just watch him.

I used to think that I was in love with Danny. My crush on him was just so huge that I didn't think I would ever like anyone more. I didn't think it was possible, but I like Tucker a whole lot more. My crush on Danny was like a pinprick compared to how much I like Tucker. Danny and I had blushy moments, but I start to blush from just a look from Tucker. We've been dating for six months and I still get butterflies in my stomach whenever I'm around him. I almost think that I'm in love with him, but considering what I thought I felt for Danny... I want to be sure. How can you be sure?

I kept watching him. He seemed so sure in what he was doing. He didn't notice me for like five minutes. When he caught me he looked surprised. I'm sure I blushed just like always. "I didn't know you cooked." I said.

"I learned at boot camp. I had KP duty for two weeks. When I first started they had to teach me how to dishes because I didn't even know how to do that, but by the end I became the head chef of the vegetarian meals. I learned that I loved to cook, but I never told anybody because I was afraid that I'd be considered even more of a loser." he told me.

"Why are you cooking for me now then?"

"Well for one thing I'm pretty sure that you won't make fun of me, but I also wanted to do something really special for you. I wanted to make tonight extra special since we're pretty much the only ones not going to prom. Here, try a bite." He motioned for me to come and try a bite of something he was stirring. It was good.

We ate dinner and then did the dishes together. It's not something that you'd consider romantic or anything, doing the dishes, but it was perfect. Then we sat on the couch. He rented prom horror movies.

During the first movie Tucker and I were sitting side by side holding hands. After the movie he got up to change it to the next one. When he came back instead of just sitting down next to me again he picked me up. I shrieked in surprise, I wasn't expecting him to pick me up. He then sat back down with me still in his arms. He settled me on his lap. He pushed pause on the movie, it was just playing the previews, then he kissed me. It was the first time he kissed me without asking me if I was okay with it first.

I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss for the first time ever and I couldn't help the noise that escaped. His response was to growl and deepen the kiss even more. His hands tangled in my hair and I can't even describe the pleasure that I felt. I lost sense of everything around me except for him. I was more aware of him than ever before.

"Oh geez Sam. I'm so sorry. I lost control. Please forgive me." Tucker looked down at me concerned. His eyes showed concern, worry, but also lust. I looked up at him and realized that we weren't in the same position that we were in before. Sometime during our making out, never thought I'd say that, we had laid down on the couch. He was above me with one arm leaning on the couch so his weight wouldn't crush me. "Sam, please say something." He looked so worried. He was afraid that I was mad at him.

"Let's sit up," he looked around us, I guess he didn't realize the position we'd ended up in either. We sat up. He didn't look at me after that. "Tucker, look at me." I waited until he did, "I'm not mad at you. Obviously I wasn't objecting to anything you did. I'm glad you stopped us when you did, though. I think you're the sweetest boy ever, and you know I don't say that about just anyone." I kissed his cheek. He started smiling again.

"Should we watch the movie?" he asked. I nodded. I was still a little breathless from earlier. He pushed play and settled down at very edge of the couch, before we were both in the middle. I guess he was worried about doing something we'd regret later. I followed him and laid my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me. I couldn't pay attention to the movie at all and fell asleep soon afterward.

Tucker's POV

Everybody was going on about prom. I could see Sam getting frustrated with everybody else who was going to prom and wouldn't stop going on about it. I didn't ask Sam to prom because I knew how she feels about it. I decided to do something special for Sam while everybody else was at prom. I wasn't planning on asking her about doing the special date with me until later, but Val told me that Sam told her that she thought that I was embarrassed to be seen at prom with her. That was a mouthful. I crushed my PDA and dropped it in surprise after hearing that she thought that.

Valerie looked at me in concern and I realized that she had picked up my crushed PDA from where I dropped it. "I'm fine. I just can't believe that's what she thinks." I said answering the unspoken question that I saw in her eyes.

"I told her that she was crazy for thinking that, that you would be telling everybody as soon as she gave you the okay to do so." She answered me. I just nodded absent-mindlessly. I decided it was time to tell Sam about my plan.

When I told Sam why I didn't ask her to prom and my wanting to do something special for the two of us, she seemed a lot happier. I got everything ready for it. Sam had agreed to help Val get ready for prom which really surprised me, but I didn't say anything. She came over just as my parents were leaving. I tried to hold back the laughter at the look of complete confusion on her face. I'm sure it came across as a smirk or a very odd looking smile. I told her I'd explain later.

I told her about my parents not showing up until late because they had to go to a meeting in another city. I told her to give me about fifteen minutes so she sat on the couch while I started dinner.

After a little while she must have gotten bored while waiting for me or something because I saw her watching me when I glanced up. She had a contemplative look on her face, but snapped out of it when my eyes met hers. She said that she never knew that I could cook. I explained about learning at boot camp and not telling anyone because I didn't want to give people another excuse to make fun of me. She wondered why I was cooking for her then and I told her that I wanted to do something special for her since we were pretty much the only ones not going to prom. I had her try some and she seemed to like it.

Afterward we wished the dishes together. It was really nice. Then we watched one of the prom horror movies that I'd rented. We sat next to each other holding hands.

When the movie was over I got up and changed the movie. When I cam back to Sam I picked her up. She screamed in surprise. I sat down with Sam still in my arms and settled her down on my lap. I paused the movie and looked down at Sam.

She's so beautiful. Her violet eyes were shining with happiness and she had the cutest blush on her cheeks. I couldn't help but kiss her. It was the first time I'd kissed her without asking if it was okay with her first. I know what you're thinking, I shouldn't ask her if I can kiss her, I should just do it, but when your girlfriend is Sam Manson you always run the risk of getting hit or kicked or slapped if she doesn't want you to.

When she immediately wrapped her arms around me pulling herself even closer to me, I couldn't help but deepen the kiss for the first time ever. When she made that noise, it was like a fire shot through me. I couldn't help but to growl possessively, deepen the kiss even more, and tangle my hands in her hair. I kind of lost control after that. I don't know what made me snap out of it, but I immediately started apologizing to Sam. She looked around us and then she said we should sit up. That's when I noticed that we were lying on the couch with me laying on top of her.

I sat up quickly and couldn't look her in the eye. I was so ashamed of myself. I'm usually able to control myself around her from years of practice in self-restraint, but for some reason it didn't work this time. Sam told me to look at her and she wouldn't talk to me until I did. She assured me that she wasn't mad at me. She was glad that I was able to stop and then told me I was the sweetest boy ever. Then she kissed me on the cheek.

We started watching the movie again. I sat on the end of the couch to put a little distance between us. Sam must have realized I was still upset with myself. She came and sat right next to me and put her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her so she could be more comfortable. It must have worked because next thing I know, she's fast asleep. I smoothed out her hair because it was still messy from our ...ahem... activities.

I must have fallen asleep after that too because I woke up to my parents waking us up. I drove Sam home and walked her to the door. "You're the greatest really, Tucker. Please don't be mad at yourself." She kissed me on the lips quickly and then gave me a hug. I held her tightly never wanting to let her go, but I knew I had to. "I'll see you Monday, okay?" I nodded and went home. Her parents were taking her and her grandmother someplace for the weekend.

The next day was Saturday. (A/N: Most proms take place on Saturdays, but theirs took place on Friday and they didn't have school that day.) I woke up at 4 am as I have ever since boot camp. I don't really have anything going on today, but I got up anyway. I wrote my parents a note saying I'd be gone all day, but that I'd have my cellphone on me. I wrote down the number underneath it. I had just gotten a cellphone on Friday at my parents insistence. I did my exercises. In fact I did double the amount I usually do. I decided not to take a shower until after I got back home.

I ran to my secret place and changed. I punched the punching bag for two hours straight and then I ran the three mile mark that I usually do, but I was still so mad at myself. I know Sam said not to worry about it, but I can't help it. She's the girl of my dreams, my best friend, and the love of my life. Weird for me to be in love at sixteen, but I am. I am so in love with Sam and the thought that I might have messed things up is messing with my head.

I tried to wear myself out by exercising more than I ever have in my life, even more than when I was at boot camp. I did the punching bag for another two hours, then ran another five miles, then punched, then ran, then punched, then ran, etc. Then I did one finger pushups, sit-ups, and every other meaningless activities I could think of. I tried to keep my mind busy by not thinking of anything except counting.

I kept going at it long into the night. I only stopped to drink some water and use the bathroom. I didn't even eat anything. I was too unsettled to eat anything. I added it up in my head. I punched at the punching bag for seven hours. I ran twenty miles, did five hundred and sixty three pushups, three hundred thirty six sit-ups, four hundred seventy seven stomach crunches, and seventy three crushed PDAs. I had brought a box of PDAs for some unknown reason and there are only twenty seven left in the box that aren't crushed.

On Sunday I went back again. I took my cellphone again and kept it in my pocket. I did the same thing again, except for more and I conveniently left my PDAs at home, so that I'd actually have some left after this weekend was over. My parents called me and told me I was late for curfew. I looked at my cellphone time and saw that it was 11 pm. It was an hour after my curfew. I told them that I just lost track of time. I told them I'd be there in fifteen minutes. I changed really fast into my everyday clothes, then ran home. My parents looked kind of worried. I guess I really did look a mess. I was sweating horribly and my eyes were bloodshot. I told them I'd been at the gym all day, which was pretty close to the truth, I mean I practically have my own version of a gym.

Sam's POV

My parents took me and my grandmother to Las Vegas for the weekend, which is a little ironic since that was the theme of the prom. It was the first time that my parents actually took me on a trip in like five years. I was really excited, but I couldn't enjoy myself completely because I was so worried about Tucker. I told him not to be mad at himself, but I could tell he was going to anyway.

My parents shared a room together and my grandmother and I shared a room. I decided to talk to her about it when we went to bed that night. We didn't get to bed until a lot later than I expected though because my grandmother was winning at the slot machines. I could only watch because I'm not eighteen. I wouldn't have even been able to go in if it wasn't for my parents. When we finally did turn in for the night, I wasn't tired at all, but I wasn't sure about her.

"Grandma, are you tired?" I asked to see if I'd be able to talk to her tonight.

"Not at all, Bubelah. Do you have something on your mind?" she asked me. I nodded not sure how exactly to start, "Do you want to tell me about it?" I nodded again, "I noticed you were really distracted all night. What's going on?"

"I'm really worried about Tucker," I blurted out. My grandmother raised her eyebrow at me waiting for me to continue, "He planned out this really special date for us on Friday while everybody else was at prom because he knows how I despise the conformist standards and expectations of prom. He cooked me dinner and we watched prom horror movies." I paused to take a breath.

"It sounds like it was good. So why are you worried?" My grandmother asked me.

"It's kind of embarrassing. After the first movie was over Tucker changed it over to the next movie. When he came back to the couch he picked me up and sat me down on his lap," I could feel myself blushing just thinking about it, "He pushed pause on the movie and then kissed me. Long story short, we made out. Next thing I know he's apologizing for doing that. He was beating himself up for the rest of the night. I told him that I wasn't exactly objecting to anything we were doing. I told him I wasn't mad at him or anything, but he was mad at himself. I told him not to be, he didn't do anything wrong and we stopped before anything happened, but he didn't seem to believe me."

My grandmother looked thoughtful for a few minutes, "He must really be a gentleman. I know you still aren't into PDA, but if you could maybe hold his hand in school so that he knows for sure? You don't have to do whatever you're not comfortable with." I listened carefully. I don't like PDA, I understood what she was saying though. It's just holding hands, it's not like we'd be kissing in front of everybody and I'm not embarrassed to be dating Tucker at all. He's like the best boyfriend ever. Of course, I've only had one other boyfriend besides him and that didn't go over well.

"I think I might just do that. I feel a little better. I'm really embarrassed to be asking this, but how do you know if you're in love?" My blush that had disappeared while she was talking has just come back double.

"Only you can know that for sure, Bubelah. Do you think you're in love?"

"I'm not sure. I used to think I was in love with Danny, but after my crush died down on him, I started liking Tucker like thirty zillion times more than I ever liked Danny. I don't want to be unsure."

"How did you feel when you thought about Danny when you liked him?"

"I felt, I don't know, comfortable. I had what Tucker called blushy moments with him, but other than feeling slightly nervous around him and wanting him to be my boyfriend, I didn't really feel that much I guess."

"How do you feel about Tucker when you think about him?"

"I feel happy. I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about him. I can't wait to see him everyday and if I don't, then I feel incomplete. That sounded really corny and girly, but it's true. I can't help but hope that I make him at least a fifth happy as he makes me. I'm becoming such a sappy romantic." I covered my face with my hands.

"Bubelah? You're definitely in love." My head snapped up and I looked at her with wide eyes of disbelief. She chuckled a little at my reaction. "This is what love is. You think of his happiness before your own. You're in Las Vegas, the place you've been wanting to come for years, and you're worried about your boyfriend. You want to make him happy and you understand each other. I've seen you with Tucker. I've never seen you so happy, not even when you were hanging out with Danny and you thought you were in love with him."

Well, I'm glad to know that what I'm feeling really is love. We've only been dating for six months though. I guess we have been best friends for years and being friends is the basis of a stronger relationship. I'm really happy with Tucker, happier than I ever thought I'd be. He respects me and my opinions. He admitted that he loves hearing me passionate about things. He said that my eyes light up and my face flushes slightly and he told me that I look really beautiful always.

He tells me I'm beautiful everyday even on a really bad day. I had come to school one day wearing just sweats, my hair was a mess, and I wasn't wearing any makeup. Tucker came up to me when I was getting my stuff out of my locker and said 'you're really beautiful, you know that?' I'm like 'have you seen me today?' He turned me around and said 'yes, as a matter of fact I did.' He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear that had fallen out of my messy ponytail. I couldn't help but blush. I looked down, but he lifted my chin up and had me look into his eyes. 'I mean it Sam, you're beautiful.' I could see in his eyes that he really meant it.