Disclaimer: American Dreams is not owned by me.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, you dudes are wicked awesome. I actually didn't think I'd get any, since AD doesn't seem popular in fanfiction.
If there are long times between updates, then I apologize in advance. I write this as the ideas come to me, and I really don't have it all totally planned out, and you all understand how real life gets in the way. Mine just happens to get in the way frequently.
XXX
Meg sat in the living room, watching Patty and Will fight over what station to play on the radio that was placed in the room. Jack paced slowly by the couch where his oldest daughter sat, while Helen could be heard moving around in the kitchen.
The doorbell finally rang, and Meg jumped up. "I got it," she said quickly and half-walked, half-ran to the door, throwing it open.
"JJ!" she yelled and grabbed her brother around the neck in a hug. He returned the embrace with a grin, and Meg let go to move on to Beth, who was holding John in one arm.
"You finally get tired of being on TV?" JJ teased as he and his wife entered the house.
"I guess," Meg replied as they walked into the living room. She cooed over John as Beth sat down.
"Look how big he is," she said, almost in awe.
Beth nodded and bounced him. "Yeah, he's really growing fast." She glanced up at her husband's sister. "We missed you, Meg."
Meg hid her pleased smile as best she could, and nodded. "Well, I missed all of you. L.A.'s so different from Philadelphia."
"You better tell us all about it," JJ commanded as he sat down beside Beth. Patty and Will also quieted down, since Jack had told them to turn the radio off.
Helen came into the room, greeted the new arrivals, and then sat, holding John.
Meg decided to start off from after she had left at Christmas. "I was really sorry I had to go so quick, but Bandstand needed me, since I'd been helping so much backstage, and we had that special coming up."
"The show looked great, by the way," Beth added. "We watched it."
"I'm glad you liked it," Meg said. "Well, Roxanne and I were pretty busy with that, so we didn't have much spare time, and then we were both working to pay for the apartment on top of that, but-"
She was cut off as the phone began ringing. Everyone turned to face the doorway, no one making a move to pick it up.
By the third ring, Patty sighed loudly. "I got it."
The others began talking almost immediately after the phone was picked up, but Meg listened to her younger sister, who sounded muffled because they were separated by a wall.
"Yes, this is Patty...She got home a few hours ago...How did you know?...Really?" Patty sounded both surprised, and yet not surprised at all. "Yup, I'll get her, hold on. Meg!"
Hearing her name called, Meg departed from the living room, leaving behind the curious stares of her family. Patty was holding her hand over the receiver, a smirk across her face. "You didn't tell us you'd kept in touch with Sam."
Meg excused the blush that spread across her face as a stupid reaction to Patty's crazy insinuations. "Well, he's my friend, and friends talk." She grabbed the phone.
"Yeah, okay," Patty said as she rolled her eyes. She stood by her sister, until Meg glared at her. "I'm going, I'm going."
"Hello?" Meg asked once Patty had left.
"Hey, Meg," Sam's smooth voice answered over the phone.
The sound brought a smile to Meg's face. She hadn't seen her friend since they bumped into each other at Pryor's TV and Radio while she was home for Christmas. The two had begun talking about this and that, and before she knew it, Meg was promising to call him when she could to give him updates about what was happening in California. He always told her that he'd watched her on Bandstand.
"I'm so glad you called," she said. "I was going to call a little later, after JJ and Beth got here and everything."
Sam wasted no time in explaining himself, "I didn't even know you were gonna be home by now. I had just called to see if you'd be available to see your old Philly friend. Unless you're too good for me now that you've been across the country."
Meg heard him smiling into the phone. He had broken up with Melanie, the girl that hadn't wanted them to hang out anymore, a long time ago, a little after Meg had broken up with bad-boy Chris. As far as she knew, Sam hadn't had any steady girlfriend since the Penn girl. She'd also noticed that he'd become less shy since he'd gotten used to being a college student, but was still the soft-spoken guy she had met over three years before.
"Of course I want to see you. You should stop by later."
"Alright. I've got to get to the store early tomorrow, though-"
"What store?"
"I'm working for your dad this summer," Sam told her.
Meg wondered when this new development had taken place. "Oh, well, that's great. Really great."
"Yeah. Hold on," he asked, and Meg heard the receiver being covered up, and Sam telling someone something. He came back on, "I've gotta go, Angela wants to use the phone. But I'll see you later."
"Okay," Meg affirmed, another blush creeping up on her face. She didn't bother thinking up any excuses this time. "Tell Angela I say 'hi'. And I'll see you later."
They hung up, and Meg let out a sigh as she placed the phone back onto its cradle. She smoothed her hair, then returned to the living room.
Patty glanced at her sister. "Why are you blushing?" she asked, drawing attention to her older sister, who had tried to make a quick entrance.
"Sam's coming over later," Meg told her parents, ignoring her sister's knowing stares entirely.
What's the big deal? I just miss my friend, she justified in her head.
XXX
"I got it!" Will called from downstairs as there was a knock on the door.
Meg was unpacking the rest of the clothes she hadn't gotten to put away yet. Beth and JJ hadn't been able to stay long after dinner, since little John was becoming too fussy. Both had made Meg promise to visit their apartment, since she had never seen it before.
An old '45 of "My Boyfriend's Back" was playing on her record player. Meg listened, remembering when she actually saw this performed on Bandstand. Of course, she'd seen a lot of performances on the show since then.
"Sam's here!" Will shouted up the stairs, and Meg placed the shirt she had been folding into her dresser as Helen was heard berating her son for yelling so much.
Smoothing her hair slightly, Meg gave a final overall look at her appearance in the mirror hanging on the door. She hadn't seen Sam in months, and she wanted to at least look presentable.
Once satisfied, she quickly went down the attic steps, then through the hallway, but slowed down as she reached the fourth stair that led to the first floor. She didn't want to look over-excited.
That thought, however, immediately disappeared when Meg caught sight of her friend, who was standing in the living room with her father.
"Sam!" she said, more loudly than necessary.
He turned and grinned at her, and Meg reflected, as she hugged him, that he'd grown a few more centimeters, and filled out even more.
As the two pulled away from each other, Sam was still grinning. "So, you're back," he stated.
"I'm back," Meg agreed, and giggled a bit for no real reason, something she had started doing in California, since it seemed every other girl was doing it.
"You look good," he said, and she could almost see the old, shy Sam.
"You do too. Have you been working out?" she teased, and hit him playfully on the chest.
Jack cleared his throat. "He's been a big help moving some stuff into the new store."
"Well, I'm just grateful your dad hired me," Sam said with a glance towards Mr. Pryor.
The three stood in silence, and finally Meg gave her father a look, asking him to leave without words. He didn't comply, and she knew he was somehow punishing her without actually doing anything.
"Hey, dad, do you mind if Sam and I take a walk? To catch up," she added, wanting him to realize that she didn't want him around.
Jack stared at his daughter with a fake almost-smile. "You're an adult, you can do whatever you want."
Meg heard the slight nastiness in his voice, but decided to let it go.
"I'll be home later."
Sam looked curiously between the two, but didn't say anything, until Meg grabbed his arm and led him towards the door. "We won't be long," he promised the intimidating Pryor father.
Jack was standing with his arms crossed over his chest as the two left.
XXX
"So you really worked at a dog groomer's?" Sam asked with a low chuckle.
Meg nodded as they made their way down the street. The two hadn't been walking long; only about fifteen minutes. "Yeah, it was just...crazy. I now know that I'll never be any sort of stylist."
They kept going, and Meg noticed that for only 7:30 P.M. on a summer evening, it was pretty quiet.
"What was going on back there?"
The question made Meg whip her head around at her friend. "What are you talking about?" She knew exactly what he was talking about.
"You and your dad."
To gain some time, Meg crossed her arms over her chest and kicked a stray rock. "He's just...being him."
Sam kicked at the same rock, and the two began taking turns with it. "What does that mean? I don't want to be nosy, Meg. We've just always been able to talk."
Meg sighed. "I know." She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I guess he's still mad at me for leaving. He never wanted me to in the first place, and you know how my dad never lets go of anything. He's trying to make me apologize, or something, for leaving. Well, I'm definitely not going to." She stopped, and rolled her eyes at herself. "Look at me, I'm babbling on about my father."
"It's okay," Sam said easily, as the two made the turn that led them back onto the Pryor's street.
"Let's move on to a better subject, okay?" At his nod, Meg linked arms with him with a small smile. "So, what's new in your life?"
"If there was anything new, I would've told you by now," he replied, bumping against her slightly.
A car drove by them, and slowed noticeably so the driver could catch a glimpse of them. Meg recognized the person as one of her neighbors, and wanted to yell at them for their judgmental and obvious stare. Sam stayed oblivious.
She acted as if the moment with her neighbor hadn't just happened; as if the two hadn't shared a look, one full of pure prejudice, and the other full of pure anger.
"C'mon, there must be something. Is there anyone new and special in your life?"
Sam smiled a bit, and glanced at Meg. "Now that you're back there is."
Meg felt her breath almost catch in her throat at those words, and she had to peer into his face to realize that he wasn't serious. At least, he wasn't completely serious. This was the type of thing she had been having a hard time getting used to: the new, almost flirty, side of her friend.
"Well, that's an obvious one," she retorted, as if the conversation was a normal one for the two.
By now they had reached the house again. Meg led Sam to the car, their arms still unconsciously locked, and leaned against it. She finally realized she was missing one of her limbs, and slipped her arm out of his. He stood in front of her.
"So...," she started, unsure of what either were supposed to say or do.
"I, uh, better get home," Sam said. "I've gotta get to the store early."
"Right," Meg agreed. "Thanks for listening and everything."
"Sure," Sam waved it off, but stayed standing before her, smiling at her. "I'm glad you're back, Meg."
"I am too," she said in a quieter voice than she anticipated. "I'll stop by the store tomorrow."
"I'll be there."
"Good."
"Yup."
Neither made a move.
"Okay, well, goodnight," Sam finally said.
"Goodnight," Meg called as he turned and started down her driveway. He looked back and smiled one last time, before disappearing down the street.
"How was your walk?" Patty asked in a teasing voice as her older sister entered the TV room.
"Good."
Meg glanced out the window, wondering what had just happened between she and her friend, and why she felt so melted inside.
XXX