Sam lay flat on his back that Friday night, staring up at the ceiling with the blanket drawn up to his chest. He had gone to bed too early and now he couldn't sleep, but it was better than having to be with what was left of his stupid family. He was so tired of them. As he listened to Mattie and Simon fight out in the hallway, he wondered where his mom was and if she was okay. He believed in heaven and that she had been good enough to go there.

So why isn't she watching over me? He thought angrily, not wanting to cry but knowing he would. Why do I still feel like this? She wouldn't want me to wish I was dead so why do I?

"That's right, why don't you ram your head up your ass a little further, Simon," Mattie barked, and Sam smiled in the dark, despite the warm tear that was rolling down his cheek. His sister had the worst potty mouth out of all the girls he'd ever known. Actually, she was on the only female potty mouth he'd even known, besides their mother.

"Stop trying to tell me what to do!" Simon yelled. "You're not Mom and you never will be and I don't have to listen to a word that comes out of your goddamn mouth!"

Sam heard a sharp smack, and it took him some time to figure out that Mattie had slapped him.

"Mom never raised you to be like this," Mattie growled, and it was obvious by the waver and the absolute sadness in her little voice that she had started to cry. Sam bet Simon probably enjoyed that he had been able to bring his older sister to tears. "You're lucky she isn't here to see you acting like such a spoiled brat."

"Don't touch me again."

"I'm sorry," she said genuinely. "You're just making this hard on everyone and it already sucks really badly as it is and I just hope you know how selfish you're being."

"Oh, take a look in the mirror," he spat back. "Screw you Mattie."

"Thank you very much, Simon."

Sam came out into the hallway where they had been fighting to see Simon retreating into his room and slamming the door shut behind him like some sort of pissed off bravado.

"Gross," Mattie said, furtively scrubbing at her eyes. "Put a shirt on."

"You okay?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Nothing like a girl looking at you in horror and disgust to make you feel self-conscious.

"Yeah, I'm good," she said automatically.

"Good," he said back, even though he didn't believe her for a second. "Hey, it's a Friday night. What the hell are we doing at home?"

"Uh, babysitting our brothers?"

"They're in bed. Come on. I haven't been formally introduced to Castle Rock yet." He ducked back into his bedroom for a moment, then came back, this time fully clothed. Pulling her along by the arm, he passed by Simon's room and pounded on the door. "We're going out. Don't kill Will or Nicky."

As it turned out, there wasn't a whole lot in Castle Rock to be introduced to. Tired of walking around with nothing to spark their interests, Sam and Mattie went into the Blue Point Diner, where a bunch of cars were parked.

The teenage population in Castle Rock, Oregon was small. And it seemed like they were all in the diner that night, laughing or eating or flirting or a combination of all three. Sam felt nostalgic and jealous. Back at home, this would have been his crowd and he would have been the centre of attention. He'd have his arm around Carrie McDaniel and other girls would be jealous and his friends would be joking about what her and Sam would be doing on their ride home. Carrie would act all offended but she'd secretly enjoy it. To be Sam McRoyan's steady girlfriend and to have people think that--

"Hey, dumbass, where do you want to sit?" Mattie asked. Judging by her impatience, she had probably asked a few times.

"Sorry, uh, back corner booth there," he said and followed her as she weaved her way around a couple standing around and making out.

"Good Lord," she muttered. They sat down, and almost immediately a blond woman in a canary yellow waitress uniform approached the table to take their orders.

When she returned, placed their order, which was two root beers, on the table and then scurried away, Sam scowled. "Thunderjugs forgot our straws. Will you go get us some please?"

Mattie shot her brother an annoyed look, but did as she was told. But when she got to the front counter, she found the napkin dispenser and no straw dispenser.

"World's going to hell in a hand basket, no straws, what the hell…" She continued to mutter to herself, still deep in her search when a guy in his early twenties or so put a hand on her shoulder, two straws in his hand.

"Looking for these?" he asked.

Mattie gazed up at him. His boyish looks could help him pass as an 18-year-old, but his rich, deep voice begged to differ. "Uhhschmuh?" She winced, feeling a blush spread across her face. "I mean thanks! How did you know I need two though?"

"Well," he said. "I figured that either you were here with your boyfriend, and he too would need a straw. Or if you weren't, then you wouldn't mind joining me. Then that extra straw wouldn't go to waste."

"Oh, I don't have a boyfriend, I've only lived here for a week, and I'm here with my brother, I'm Mattie."

Smiling smoothly, he said, "Mattie, I'm Ace. I kinda had a hunch you were new in town. I'd remember seeing your face otherwise."

Feeling her knees tremble as she turned into mush as she usually did at a romantic line, no matter how corny, she returned the smile and completely forgot about Sam.

"Mattie McRoyan, what a pleasant surprise! Come with me now," a new voice said, and a pair of hands took her by the shoulders, leading her away.

"Gordie?" she said. "Hi? What are you doing? Hi, who's your friend?"

Gordie Lachance grinned at her, and so did the boy he was with. "That's Chris. Where are you sitting? Were you with someone?"

"Oh, um, just Sam. I'm with my brother. At the back."

Mattie watched, a little resentfully, as Gordie and his very nice looking friend Chris went up to the table Sam was sitting at.

"Hey, Sammy, would you care to shove a cheek over so I can sit down?" Chris asked, and Sam, looking confused, moved over for him. Gordie and Mattie sat on the other side.

Mattie passed a straw to her brother. He accepted, took a long drink from his root beer, which had lost its fizz by now, staring in amazement at her. "We've been here for three minutes and you've already picked up a couple of guys."

"That's right," she said. "Never forget the power of my appeal, Sam."

"Sorry for being invasive," Gordie said. "We were just rescuing your little sister."

"Was she playing in traffic again?" he asked.

Chris grinned. "What is traffic? I've never heard of such a thing. Traffic. Sounds new and exciting."

Giggling, Mattie smiled at him. "It's something you don't experience in little towns such as this one."

"Do you know who Ace Merrill is?" Gordie asked them.

"Ooh, blond?" Mattie demanded. "Oy, yes, I know of him. Holy wow."

"Stay far, far away from him," he said, not paying Mattie any attention when she glared at him. "He's not a very nice young man."

"Sure he is!" she cried. "He gave me straws! And he said I had an unforgettable face! Or something to that effect. Anyway, I enjoyed his talking to me."

Sam looked at her impatiently. "Mattie, no one cares. You're a girl and you're flighty. Your opinion is never taken seriously."

"Dicksnacker," she grumbled under her breath. Chris snickered, keeping his eyes down focused on the table.

"Mattie," Gordie drawled playfully. "Since you're new, I'm taking it upon myself to order you around because you're impressionable. That Ace guy is trouble."

"Blah," she said dismissively.

"Mattie, don't be rude," Sam snapped. "If…uh, whatshisname says not to get involved with Ace, then listen to him. He knows a lot more than you do."

"At least I know whathisname's name," she shot back.

Sam smiled widely. "Gordie! I knew it would come to me eventually."

Chris nodded towards the Coca-Cola clock hanging crookedly on the wall. "Hey, Gordie, it's just about 10. We have to move if we're gonna make the movie on time."

"Oh, right," Gordie muttered. He looked at Mattie, and without him asking her, she stood up so that he could get out of the booth. "Sorry. There's a Bogie double feature tonight."

"Which movies?" Sam asked, curiosity winning over his shyness.

"Maltese Falcon," Chris said, smiling. "And Casablanca, but I figure it's worth the money to get to see Maltese Falcon."

"You speak poorly of Casablanca?" Mattie asked, shocked.

"Sorry, sweetheart." Gordie attempted a Humphrey Bogart impression, but it came out sounding more like Foghorn Leghorn, which caused Mattie to begin to laugh uncontrollably.

Sam glanced at his sister as if embarrassed by her, and then looked up at Gordie and Chris apologetically.

"Oh, it wasn't that funny," Gordie grumbled. "I was going to ask you guys if you wanted to come with us because I have money to burn from raking leaves for Mr. Henderson, but now I'm not going to ask. Unless you want to of course."

"I don't think I want to go anywhere with her," Sam said.

Grinning, Chris told him, "No one said we had to sit with her."