A/N: Hey guys, it's been a few years since I last updated. I didn't know how I would write the next chapter, and then the movie disappeared from Netflix for a while. I didn't have access to the movie, so I could not write. I put a lot of time and effort to make sure that the conversations in the movie match what I am writing word for word. Anyways, I never forgot about the fanfiction and felt guilty, especially with all the comments I received. I did not know it was going to become as popular as it is. I guess we were all itching for what the fuck was going on in Austin's brain haha. It was a long time coming, but the chapter is finally here. Is anyone still out there?

"Bonjour, Fighting Frogs. Here's your daily drought reminder: don't hose your lawn, your car, or anybody else for that matter. And remember, tickets for the big game go on sale…"

The pep rally was today, and I couldn't care less. The conversation I had with Sam at the diner had me up all night. I was tired of not showing myself, but at school today, I still didn't have the guts to show the other side of me. I stayed quite through all my classes. Some teachers asked if I was okay, and I just shrugged them off. I'll figure it out myself eventually…right...?

I was forced to sit in the front of the pep rally, as all football players are. I felt forced to participate though, especially when my dad came and sat behind me. I clapped unenthusiastically.

"Who we gonna beat?" One of the coaches yelled.

"The Lancers!" Everyone replied.

"And when we gonna beat 'em?"

"Friday!"

My dad hit my shoulder and said, "Good news, buddy. I just got off the phone with Hank Cole. You play well on Friday and your future is set at USC football."

"Who's gonna get it done?" The coach was still screaming into the mic, as if we couldn't hear him.

I clenched my jaw, "That's great, dad." My dad hit my shoulder again, and gave me a loving pat on the back.

"The Frogs!"

"And who's gonna lead us to victory?"

"Austin!"

How can I show myself when everyone was counting on me? Where was the line of my happiness and everyone else's?

"The, uh, cheerleaders have put together a little skit to help get us in the spirit." The coach left the stage and gave the rest to the cheerleaders.

The crowd began cheering, and I even heard someone from the crowd yell, "I love you, Shelby!" I doubted they knew her like I did.

"Thank you. Once upon a time, there was a big, strong Fighting Frog. He had a beautiful girlfriend, and his dad owned the biggest pond in all the land," Shelby started her story, and many people were laughing already. "But he still wasn't happy."

"Aww…" the crowd replied from the cue cards.

"If only he could find a princess, then she could kiss him, turn him into a prince, and they would run away together."

I didn't like where this was going, but I couldn't leave.

"One night after the slimy frog ditches his super-hot-senior-poll-most-popular girlfriend," 'Wow, conceited much?' "He meets his princess."

Gabriella and Brianna acted as me and Cinderella. "Your highness," fake me bowed. Fake Cinderella bowed as well to make her skirt come up. People in the crowd whistled. I'm so tired of high school.

"Alas, it turned out that our frog not only had a secret identity, but also had a secret email relationship with a pen pal named Princeton Girl."

Fuck, maybe I should have left. How do they know about this? Did Princeton Girl tell them? That doesn't seem like her…

"Dear Princeton Girl, I can't wait until we finally get to meet. You're the only one who understands the real me," I was currently freaking out at the moment. They got access to our messages. I felt embarrassed as much as I was seething in my seat. "The me who doesn't want to play USC football, but who wants to be at Princeton, with you." Shelby gave me a knowing look. I mentioned before I was serious about my privacy, and this is fucked-up.

"What are they talking about?" My dad asked me. I forgot he was hearing this as well.

"Nothing." I lied.

"Dear Nomad, I want you to know who I am but… I'm scared! I'm scared that you'll reject me. And… I've never had a real kiss before."

"Aww…" the crowd goes again.

"But our princess had a secret, too," Shelby continued on narrating. "She wasn't royalty at all," Fake Cinderella came out on skates and in a diner outfit. "But a geek, a loser, a servant girl." Everyone in the crowd is laughing. Fake Cinderella pretended to fall into a pile of whipped cream.

"Any ideas about this?" My dad tried to pry me again. I looked away and didn't respond. Shelby laughed, almost a cackle, as she looked at me. She was happy for her revenge.

"And who, may you ask is this impostor?" She continued. "Give it up for the pretend princess, diner girl, Sam Montgomery!" The crowd reacted with gasps and laughter. I turned in my seat to see if she was here, and she was. We made eye contact. I guess I found her, but this was not the way I wanted it to go. I couldn't think much except for the fact that everyone knew. My dad knew the truth, the school knew I felt I didn't belong. The way Sam looked at me now was like she was asking if I were going to do anything about it. I was at a crossroads, and I couldn't choose.

"Diner girl! Diner girl! Diner girl! Diner girl!" The crowd doesn't stop chanting. I looked away from her and sat in my chair in disbelief at the events that had happened. I should have left. I turned back to see if she was still there, but she wasn't. People were still chanting her away. I couldn't tell who had it worse, me or Sam.

XXX

I saw her at school a few times. Once was in the hall with her baseball cap she always wore. I never got the story of it. She was holding herself, as if she were trying to bring comfort and make herself invisible. Shelby came up behind me and said, "People like her don't belong in our world, Austin." I clenched my jaw again, and walked away. I'm going to have to see a dentist with how many people make me angry.

I got home and my dad tried talking to me. I gave one worded answers and went up to my room. He wanted to talk about the pep-rally, but I already made it clear to him I would go to USC. When I get to my room, I wanted to send Sam a message, let her know I was hurting too and that I was sorry for how people treated her at the pep-rally. I remember seeing her face. She expected me to do or say something. I let her down. It was all I could think about.

"Dear Sam," I started. I stared at the screen trying to think about what to say. Was I willing to throw everything I had built here away? Should I even reach out if I don't know the answer myself? I erased what I typed and decided it was better not to send anything if I didn't even know my own intentions. Besides, what do I say to her after the pep-rally fiasco?

I had to get ready for the game anyways. Everybody was excited as it was the homecoming game. The reason we had the pep-rally. I was in the locker room preparing when I hear commotion from the other guys. Ryan furiously tapped my shoulder and I looked up from the bench I was sitting on. Sam came in looking like she wanted answers. I'm not surprised she came in here knowing how she doesn't take a lot of shit from the crowd I hang with. "Sam," I stood up quick and tried to explain myself. "Okay, I know that you think that I'm just some- "

"Coward? Phony?" She interrupted me.

"Okay," she had a right to say that "just listen."

"No, you listen. You turned out to be exactly who I thought you were. I never pretended to be somebody else. It's been me all along, and it was me who was hurt in front of everybody." She was right. I wasn't the one who was still being bullied about the pep-rally. "Look… I didn't come here to yell at you. Okay? I came to tell you that I know what it feels like to be afraid to show who you are. I was, but I'm not anymore. And the thing is, is I really don't care what people think about me, because I believe in myself. And I know that things are gonna be okay. But even though I have no family, and no job and no money for college, it's you that I feel sorry for."

"Heads up. Yo, five minutes," David came around the corner at the worse timing like always.

"I'm coming." I replied shortly and didn't even bother to turn around.

"I know that gut that sent those e-mails is somewhere down inside of you, but I can't wait for him, because waiting for you is like waiting for rain in this drought: useless and disappointing," she turned around and walked away.

"Sam!" I tried to call out to her, but she didn't turn around. I hated what she said because she was right. I saw the crossroads in my mind again. I slammed my hand against a locker in frustration. I had to play this game… I couldn't go after her.

The team and I ran out of the locker room and broke the banner that was held up. I grab a football and start my practice throws to the teammate in front of me. I saw Sam in the bleachers, which made my head spin. I was surprised she showed up at all. "Austin!" My dad found me and came up to talk to me, "Austin… All right, buddy. This is the big one, all right? You stay focused and win it. Everyone is counting on you, all right?" I couldn't back out now. I made a commitment to my dad even if it sacrificed my happiness.

"Andy!"

"Oh, hey, Chuck!" My dad walks away from me and greeted Chuck. I throw the football I still had angrily to my teammate. I looked back and Sam was still sitting there. The game was about to start, and we make our formation. When the whistle blew, the game was all a blur. 'Useless and disappointing' kept ringing in my head. We were in the fourth period with nine seconds left. One more touchdown and we would win. The crowd began to chant my name, which was typical. I was down on my knee talking to my team and looking at the coaches and my dad. At that point, I saw Sam walking from the bleachers. I knew she had to be leaving. The crowd wouldn't stop chanting my name. 'I came to tell you that I know what it feels like to be afraid to show who you are... And the thing is, is I really don't care what people think about me, because I believe in myself…it's you that I feel sorry for…useless and disappointing.' Parts of her speech in the locker room continued in my mind on repeat as she was walking down the stairs. I heard my dad pumping me up, but I looked into the faces of my team. Was I doing them a disservice of lying to them about myself? I made up my mind.

"Sorry boys," I apologized and began making my way towards Sam. I heard protests from the team.

"What's the problem?" coach asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." My dad said and grabbed my arm. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"I'm outta here," I told him.

"What? You're throwing away your dream!"

"No, dad. I'm throwing away yours." I could tell he was shocked. I ran up to Ryan, "It's your game now. Go get 'em."

I heard demands from Shelby and my dad. They never supported me. Only one person did, and I had to get to her before she left. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and saw Sam do a double take from the aisle she just left from. I ran straight up to her and saw the confusion in her eyes.

"Austin, what are you doing?" She asked.

"Something I should have done a long time ago," I looked at her and knew she was beautiful. I saw the girl I danced with at the dance, the late-night conversations we had. Now I was wondering how I didn't know it was her all along. I leaned in for a kiss, and she did the same. I was positive she didn't appreciate the sweat dripping down my face, but I had finally felt like I picked the right road. There was something missing when I kissed Shelby, and I realized now that it was love. I felt something cold hit my cheek. We both pulled away and looked up at the night sky. More rain dropped from the sky and the sound of thunder filled the field. We both chuckled, "I'm sorry I waited for the rain."

"It's okay," Sam told me. I went right back to kissing her, which I could tell she didn't mind. I couldn't stop, I finally had her, and she was mine as much as I was hers. The more we kissed, the more I needed. She put her arm around my shoulder, and I squeezed her towards me harder. The rain started to pour, but we did not stop. We had been waiting to meet each other and have this moment.

"The Fighting Frogs have done it! They won the game!"

Sam and I pulled away to look at what had happened. Ryan scored a touchdown. We turn back to each other and continued our session. I guess I wasn't the only one who wasn't getting enough kisses. I didn't care if I got sick, and I guess she didn't either.

"Should we get out of here?" I asked.

"Yeah." I took her hand in mine as we walked away from the bleachers.

"Let me grab my things from the locker room."

"I'll come with you," Sam said. I guess she had already been in there once and the guys were going to celebrate on the field a while longer anyways. We continued walking with our hands together, although it was difficult with the rain. Eventually, we get to the locker room.

"I think I have some extra clothes that you can wear," I got to my locker and pulled out a t-shirt and some sweatpants. I handed it to her, and she took a sniff. "I promise it's clean," I chuckled. "Do you think I would hand you dirty clothes?"

Sam shrugged, "Can you really blame me?"

"I guess not," I sighed. I pulled out the clothes I wore earlier today and began removing my gear. I looked over at Sam and smiled. She was staring straight at my chest and abs "Are you not going to start?" I asked.

"Turn around," she said. I obliged, and I heard her struggle to take off the wet clothes. "What made you leave the game?" she asked.

"I guess your words before the game had some effect on me. I also couldn't stop looking at the other crossroad even though I thought I had chosen what was best," I said truthfully. I heard more clothes drop to the ground. I knew I couldn't turn around.

"These fucking jeans!" She exclaimed and then I heard a small shriek. Sam had grabbed my shoulders to balance herself, but ended knocking us both down to the ground.

"Oomph," I let out. I flipped myself over and saw Sam above me. Her hair was dangling in my face. We were both quiet as we looked at each other. Her shock turned into a dangerous look. I pushed myself to near sitting position. Her bra was still on, but her jeans were gone. I was still shirtless and had my tights on still. Her boobs were sitting so perfectly in her bra. It was hard to look away. I looked back at her face, and she was staring at my chest again. Her hand lightly grazed down and back up my abs. I grabbed her face and leaned in for a kiss. One of my hands moved towards her hip and squeezed. I sat with my legs extended, with her on my lap. I moved from her lips to her cheek, to her neck. She gasped as I kissed and lightly sucked on her neck. She thrust her hips forward awakening my lower region.

"Sam," I said. It meant to come out as a warning, but came out closer to a moan. This was dangerous. I flipped her on her back just to give her a few more kisses and lightly graze the perfect part of skin that is right above her bra. "We should stop here," I said. I didn't want to have sex in the locker room, and I knew she didn't either.

"You're right, I don't want to do this right now," Sam said. I stood up and held my hand out to help her up. She took it gladly. I pulled her close to me and hugged her. Before letting her go, I gave her another kiss. I turned back to my locker and got changed. When I was done, she was too.

"Let's go."

XXX

The next few days went by with good news for Sam. She had found her father's will, which he had given her everything. She was able to pay for Princeton and moved back into her family home. I spent everyday after school at her place. We would do our homework, but not without kisses involved. My dad finally came around to Princeton as well. He took it hard, but realized I was the only left in his immediate family. He came to me and said he did want to support me and going to Princeton. I also gave Sam her phone back as we stared out at the beautiful valley. She laughed as I put it on her pink high-top and gave her a kiss.

A/N: I guess I decided to get it over with, 3,000 words later lol. Thank-you everyone who commented. You made me want to finish the story. I hoped you liked the tiny smut I added in. It wasn't planned until I started writing the struggle of her clothes haha. Anyways, I couldn't have finished the story without those who continued to comment even years later. Thank-you.