Author Note: Hey guys, sorry for the delay. Hope you like this chapter!! Not as long as I hoped, but whatever!!Anways, on with the chapter.
Disclaimer: Don't own a damn thing...
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Sam gripped her pillow tightly to her chest as music blared from her stereo, drowning out anything around her. She just stared at her wall, not really thinking about anything or anyone. Glancing at the clock on her bedside table, she saw that it read ten thirty. It wasn't that late, and all of Sam' homework was finished. Sighing, she turned over to the other side and stared out her large window that reached her floor, overlooking a balcony and her backyard.
The CD that was playing in her stereo hit its last song and stopped, causing Sam to stiffen in the silence. But the silence didn't last for long. Before Sam could get up and change the CD, she heard a loud crash from below and cringed as she heard a sob then a shriek. Sam grimaced and crept over to her door. This was one of the worst fights her parents ever had. It had been going on since after dinner, when one of her father had forgotten to start the dishwasher, and then that petty argument led to one thing or another and soon it was an all out war.
Creeping past her door and down the hallway, Sam stopped at the open balcony over looking the main hallway. Slowly making her way to the edge, she knelt down and peered over the banister. Her mother and father were screaming at one another right below her, and she saw that her mother was holding a shattered vase in one hand while her father held a suitcase and his car keys in his hand.
Sam eyed the suitcase suspiciously. Every other time her father took off, he'd never had a suitcase. What did that mean? Was her father leaving for good? As much as Sam had always wished her father would leave, she never expected him to. Mr. Manson was always there, he'd always be there—he couldn't leave, it just wouldn't happen.
But from the looks her mother was giving her father and the angry yells, it looked like it was going to happen most definitely.
Sam listened intently at what her mother was shrieking at her father.
"Just go Tom! I can't take it anymore! I know about your little rendezvous' with that blonde from the grocery store! Don't you play dumb with me!"
Mr. Manson shook his head angrily. "I don't know what you're talking about, honestly Susan get a hold of yourself!"
Mrs. Manson glared angrily at her husband, a glare that made the hairs on Sam's neck stand up. "You don't know what I'm talking about? You don't know what I'm talking about?! What are these then Tom? Huh? Explain this!"
Mrs. Manson held out several papers in front of her, and from the looks of it, Sam figured they were bills that were sent in from Mr. Manson's credit card company. Sam winced. Did her father not expect to get caught?
The color drained from Mr. Manson's face and he looked at the papers reluctantly. "W-w-where did you get those?" he stammered, trying to keep his cool but failing miserably.
Mrs. Manson shook her head and through the papers in his face, causing him to back up, closer to the door. "Fuck you Tom. Fuck you to hell. You make me sick. Get out of my house, and don't ever come back."
Mr. Manson looked angrily at his wife before his eyes flicked up to Sam's hiding spot. His eyes showed nothing but hurt and regret. Sam couldn't look at her father, so she looked at the ground, angry tears forming in her eyes.
"I love you Sammy," he said before turning and slamming the door behind him. His car started, and with one painful screech, Mr. Manson was gone.
Mrs. Manson looked up at her daughter and tears ran down her face. "Sammy," she whispered. Sam didn't know what to think. Tears were no longer forming in her eyes. Everything was hollow, so empty. She quickly slipped down the stairs and into her mother's arms, letting her mother sob on her shoulder. Sam held onto her mother, and finally the tears came. They both stood there crying, mother and daughter, wrapped in each others arms, praying they'd wake up from this nightmare.
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Sam sat on her porch swing, autumn leaves swirling all around. The cold air pierced her ears and froze her nose. She watched a little girl and her dad walk down the street, the little girl giggling when her father picked her up and twirled her around. Sam continued to look at them until they were no longer in sight.
She had skipped school that day again too. Her mother had been gone when she awoke, and Sam didn't feel like going one bit. She still couldn't believe her father was really gone, and she couldn't believe he'd actually cheated on her mother. She had suspected it all along, but to have it confirmed broke her heart. She knew her parents were never really in love, at least they hadn't been for a long time, but it still hurt. It seemed everyday couples divorced. Was there any true love left in the world?
She felt so bad for her mother. Sam couldn't imagine the pain she must be feeling. To have something broken like that, a marriage was such a strong commitment, and even if her parents didn't love each other, it was still morally wrong. That was something Sam always worried about. How could she fall in love when all these horrible possibilities loomed about? Would Sam ever be happily in love? And if she was in love, would her partner desert her like her father had done to their family?
Letting out a frustrated cry, Sam leaned back on the rocking swing. Hot tears formed in her eyes. Life was so unfair sometimes. Why did parents have to fight? Not just her parents, but anyone's parents who'd ever gone through the same thing. It was horrible, wrong. If her father really loved her, he wouldn't have just left...Sam knew that was ridiculous. Of course her father loved her, but everything was just so confusing and frustrating.
Upon hearing footsteps, Sam looked up to find Danny leaning against the porch post, hands in his pockets, looking apprehensive. Sam couldn't find it in her heart to smile at him, she just looked at him. She wasn't putting on a mask anymore; she was tired of lying to her best friend.
"Missed you at school today," Danny said, shifting his footing and rubbing his neck. "Where were ya?"
Sam looked out to the gray sky. "I didn't feel good."
Danny nodded and took a step forward on the steps. He studied Sam's appearance. She didn't look good, that was for sure. She looked a mess...something was wrong, and Danny would be damned if he didn't find out what it was this time.
"How come?" Danny pressed. He wasn't being aggressive, just simply 'curious.' Sam looked at him and knew she could no longer take it. She met his blue eyes and Danny was taken aback by how dead her violet hues were.
"My dad left last night," she said flatly. "He was cheating on my mom."
Danny stood there completely dumbfounded. He stared at Sam. He didn't get her sometimes...one minute she'd rather die than let you in, and the next she said it as if she was discussing the weather. Sam continued to stare at him, and then looked back to the sky. Danny sat next to her on the swing and swallowed.
"Is this what has been bothering you?" Danny asked. "Sam—why didn't you tell me?"
Sam took a shaky breath and looked over at him. He saw just how vulnerable and lost she looked, and he wanted to hold her so bad and tell her everything was going to be okay.
"I didn't know how to tell you," she said, and tears began forming in her eyes but she tried pushing them away. "I wanted to tell you, but I was embarrassed..."
"Embarrassed?" Danny asked stunned. "Oh Sam...you don't ever have to be afraid or embarrassed to tell me anything...I thought you knew that."
Tears began falling down her face and Danny wrapped his arms around her, her face burying into his neck. She was trembling and that frightened Danny so badly. How bad was Sam hurting? Why wasn't she talking to him anymore? He held onto her and let her cry to him. Finally she pulled back, her arms still around his neck.
"I'm sorry," she choked out. "I'm so stupid for not telling you...it's not that big of a deal..."
"Sam, look at you!" Danny said. "It is a big deal, you're shaking like mad."
Sam looked up at Danny with blurry eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "It's been going on for awhile...maybe a month...that's why I've been so distant...I'm sorry I haven't been myself Danny...it just...it hurts so bad."
Danny pulled her back into his arms and she laid her head on his shoulder, her trembling less fierce. She sighed and he rocked her back and forth, combing his hands through her hair. "Shh, it's okay..." she was still crying, Danny felt her wet tears slide down his neck, but he didn't care. "Its okay Sam, it'll be okay. I'm here, always, always here."
Sam looked up at Danny and wiped her eyes, sniffling. "Thanks," she said. "Oops...sorry for wetting your hoodie."
Danny grinned lazily and shrugged. "Eh, don't worry about it. I've got other ones...listen Sam, from now on; you have to promise you'll always tell me everything, okay? You're my best friend Sam, and you mean the world to me...I don't know what I'd do if you did something to yourself because you couldn't talk about it...okay?"
Sam nodded and hugged her knees to her chest. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you earlier. It just hurts so bad..."
Danny rubbed her back soothingly as Sam sat there, hugging her knees, tears staying in her eyes. He didn't truly understand what Sam was going through, but he was always going to be there for her, no matter what. She needed to know that. Danny wasn't going anywhere, unless Sam was by his side.
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There it is! I hoped you liked it...sorry for the delay on this chapter. It was a bit shorter than the other ones, but eh...finally Sam opened up, right? Thanks so much for the reviews!! I appreciate every one!! Thanks a bunch to: Hiyume, Moody Maud, Sakura Scout, Ryo's destiny, Danni-2005, Fox of Light, AbsentAngel, Mrs. Granger-Weasley, Mujitsu Yume. Thanks everybody!! Love ya all!! Strawberries for everyone!!! Love and Strawberries, The Good Girl.