Tucker and Sam sat in the park on a blanket with a picnic basket next to them. They were in a secluded spot surrounded by trees, bushes, and some flowers.
He snuck a look at his friend sitting next to him. Sam was looking at the flowers and naming them, listing off their regular as well as scientific names and all sorts of different facts about them. She didn't notice him looking at her.
Danny had been busy today. Just a simple trip to the dentist. No ghost fights, no end of the world problems for them today. Just normal teenage stuff.
Danny being busy had finally given Tucker the opportunity to hang out with Sam on his own. Ever since the accident, the three of them had been almost glued at the hips whenever they could be. But this was nice. Not that Tucker didn't love hanging out with Danny, but he wanted to hangout with Sam. Alone.
Tucker took a deep breath. Come on. He couldn't chicken out on this now. He bought the blanket and basket for this. He got Sam to come sit outside with him on a sunny day. Alone. He couldn't back out now.
He looked back at Sam, who was now studying the tree they sat under. He took another breath.
"Sam-"
He placed his hand on top of hers. She turned her head, glancing down at their hands and then Tucker, a surprised expression on her face.
"Sam, I l-"
"Tucker! Dinner's ready!"
Tucker heard his mom call him from downstairs in the kitchen.
He sighed and pulled the Foley Mood Meddler off of his head. He turned it off and just stared at it, a forlorn expression on his face. After a moment he let out a weary laugh.
Of course. Even when it was pretend, a fabrication made by his helmet, it was never meant to be. It would never be meant to be. Not when Danny and Sam were always making goo goo eyes at each other. He couldn't get in the way of those two if they both felt that way about each other. And he could tell they did, no matter what they told everyone else. Tucker would always just be the third wheel. The extra that everyone always forgot about.
Tucker closed his eyes, shook his head, and slowly stood up from his bed. It didn't matter. They all had a pretty good friendship going between all of them. He wouldn't want to ruin that by making things weird anyways.
He set the helmet on his desk and walked towards the door.
It would be better if he and Sam just stayed friends. Better if he just pushed down his feelings for one of his best friends.
Tucker opened the door and headed downstairs for dinner.