Why?
Summary: Sam can't understand why her mom doesn't want her playing with Tucker.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Butch Hartman does.
Author's note: I'm apologizing if I offend anyone. Or maybe I'm not, maybe if this offends you, you need a reality check. I live in a small 95 white town. I just got fired from an uptown babysitting job because I let the girl play with an African American child who was at the park. So I'm taking a break from Taking Over Me right now because I feel this point needs to be made.
Her mother zipped up the perfect fluffy little white and pink coat with the matching mittens and hat. She stood as still as she could, just rocking on her heels, waiting for her mother to let her go.
"Sammy!" She looked over her shoulder at the sound of her name. There, covered in dirt, were two boys from her class waving furiously at her. Danny played blocks with her when it rained and Tucker sat next to her at craft time. Her little face lit up as she waved back.
Her mother turned away and the little girl scampered of across the wood chips, laughing. "Hey Sammy!" Tucker gushed. Danny just grinned.
She smiled. "Hi!"
"We're making a sand castle. Wanna make the garage?"
The little girl blinked, dark brows drawing together in confusion. "Why are you making a garage?"
Tucker laughed at her. "Because what good castle doesn't have a garage? Besides, all rich people who live in a castle have them!"
"Oh," Sam said. She bit her lip. "Can I make it however I want?"
"Sure," Danny handed her a little blue bucket. And all three of them hit there knees. The castle and two-car garage was quickly starting to take shape. Sand got wedged under little finger nails and dirty circles appeared on there knees from crawling around on the sandbox.
"And it has a fireplace," Tucker added as they discussed the castle in depth.
Danny laughed. "Just one?"
"It has to have at least seven," the little girl added, little pigtails flipping as she looked up.
Tucker grinned, white teeth contrasting against his darker skin. "I bet it has even more than that."
Danny opened his mouth to bring up the next modern commodity found in their castle. "Samantha!" Sam looked over the puffy shoulder of her little pink coat.
"That's my mom."
Tucker brushed some sand off his hands. "Do you have to go now?"
She shook her tiny head, dark brown hair dusting her cheeks. "I don't think so."
"Sammy, come here, sweetie!" She hoped up sand falling down her legs, some of it into her little Seasame Street shoes. She darted back across the woodchips that covered the playground and skidded to a stop in front of her mom.
Sammy looked up expectantly. Her mother seemed to pause for a moment. "Sweetheart, I think maybe it would be better if you played with those girls over there." She looked over to where her mom was pointing. Two little girls in perfect little pale purple coats were on the teeter-totter. There pale skin and light blonde hair shone in the late September sun.
Sammy looked back at her mom. "Why?"
Her mom seemed to pause, searching for words. "Well, they are little girls like you."
"But Danny and Tucker are in my class."
Her mom swallowed. "But, Sammy I don't know anything about there parents."
The pale little face lit up. "Tucker's mom and dad are here," she said grabbing her mommy's hand and pulling.
"Which one's Tucker?"
Sam pointed. "He has a blue coat."
"I don't think I can meet his parents." She glanced back up at her mother. Her mother was staring off at Tucker's parents strangely, that way she always stared at that homeless guy at the stop light by McDonalds.
She didn't understand. Tucker's daddy was nice. He was a fireman. He came in and taught everyone all about what to do if your house caught on fire. Tucker had told his dad that she was one of his friends. Tucker's dad had bent down and told Tucker he was lucky to have such a cute little girl as his friend. Her own daddy didn't say nice things to her like that.
"You have to go home, Sammy." The little girl looked back at her friends. She took a few steps back towards the sandbox. "Where are you going?"
She turned. "I want to say goodbye."
Her mother looked back at them. "Not today, angel." Her mommy bent down and took her hand, leading the small girl away. Sammy didn't understand what she'd done wrong. She didn't understand what she'd done wrong. She didn't understand why she couldn't tell the two boys goodbye. Maybe when she grew up she would understand. Maybe.
