Dear Diary it's August 24th 2000 I'm Samantha Simmons and today has been the most Dawson's Creek Day I've ever had.
Sam is downstairs in her kitchen pouring Tabasco sauce on her already creamed cheese bagel, she runs out of the house at the second beep of John's car horn. Lucas and Sandie have already left together for school in their car. Sam smiles as she hops into John's car she leans in to kiss him and then *Flash* Sam sees John and Sandie kissing in the rain passionately. She pulls back and looks at John who has a guilty expression on his face. She turns from him and watches the world pass by out the window as they silently drive to school.
As John shifts the car in park in the parking lot of West Roswell High he looks over to Sam who still hasn't taken her eyes off the window.
"You kissed Sandie."
John just nods, Sam nods with him.
"So what's been going on with us, you said you loved me that you trusted me and I trusted you."
Sam looked to John and shook her head; "I don't trust you anymore not like a girlfriend should trust her boyfriend."
John looked shocked, "Sam it's just something has been waking up inside of me and in her."
Sam nodded she had seen jealousy in Sandie's eyes lately but chose to ignore it.
"Okay then."
John looked up, "Okay?"
Sam nodded, "I'm the leader, I can't let this cloud my judgments. We knew that someday this could happen and we continued our relationship despite that. So I'm not going to take it personal."
"Sam, I.."
"No," She shook her head and got out of the car. "I have to be strong, we all do. If this is what feels right then that's how it's going to be."
Sam shut the door and began to make her way across the parking lot. She could see Sandie and Lucas waiting for them John was right behind her.
"Sam wait," Sam smiled at Sandie and Lucas. She looked to Sandie and smiled, "I know about you and John and I want you to know that it's okay."
Sandie looked to John shocked, "We're beyond this and we knew it would happen so let's just accept and move on."
Sandie nodded puzzled and fell back with John as Lucas and Sam kept strides walking into the school.
"So Sam what was that?"
Sam smiled as best that she could, she felt a knot in her throat but held it back.
"That my friend was the end of John and me."
"You're taking this well."
Sam nodded, "I have to, cause freaking out right now isn't an option."
Sam found her locker and began piling the contents of her book bag that she accumulated into it. She felt a poke and turned around to see Alex, Liz and Maria standing behind her with huge grins on their faces. Sam shut her locker and leaned against it.
"Boys suck."
Sam pushed off of her locker and lead them down the hallway.
"I'm assuming present company excluded?"
Sam nodded and threw Alex a smile. They all headed into Sam, Alex and Liz's homeroom to talk.
"So spill girl what's wrong."
"Today my friends is the first day in four years of my single life."
The three exchanged glances.
"Wait," Liz sat down next to Sam "What happened?"
Sam looked up, "I saw him kiss Sandie."
Everyone looked at each other shocked.
"Wow that's not like him."
Sam nodded, "No, they've been developing feelings for one another for a while I've just been too blind to see it."
Maria gave Sam a hug, "We can join the boys suck cept for Alex club."
Liz smiled and nodded, Sam laughed. The 5 minute warning bell rang and Maria had to go. Sam waved goodbye as Alex sat on Sam's other side.
"So we hate them now?"
Sam shook her head, "No it's not their fault."
Alex got defensive and put his arm around her shoulder.
"Hey don't defend them!"
Sam smiled at Alex's anger.
"No really I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of freaking out I'll be okay."
Liz nodded she was being inspired by Sam.
My first class of the day was choir with Maria. We got some great winter songs, a collection of Frostiana, their Robert Frost poems put with beautiful melodies it's one of my favorite choral music pieces. I barely got away with not seeing John up until 4th period U.S. History, and I had forgotten that we were both in the same class Sandie too.
Sam walked into the room early she looked around there was no-one in the class she recognized so she smiled and went into the back. A few moments later Max walked in with Michael, Sam caught Michael's eyes he motioned for Max to sit behind Sam and the two boys settled down. Next in walked John not far behind was Sandie, Sam looked through her bag as the two made their way right beside her. While keeping his eyes on Sam, John takes out his notebook, he leans over to talk to her. Michael trying to listen in leans a bit to get a good gist of what's going on.
"So can we talk?"
Sam looked over to John and whispered back.
"About what?"
John shook his head, "About this morning."
Sam nodded, "What's there to talk about?"
"Look Sam I feel awful about what happened but I don't want it to be this way between us."
Sam nodded, "Right so we're friends again, you can date whoever you want."
John looked quickly at Sandie who was organizing her syllabuses from her first three classes.
"Look Sandie and I aren't together."
Sam shrugged, "neither are we John, we started as friends and now we're back to that."
The teacher walked in as John and Sam separated. John looked to Sandie and shrugged, Michael leaned back and whispered to Max.
"looks like these two are splitsville."
Max nodded and looked to the broken couple in sympathy. He longed to be with Liz but their friendship wasn't enough, that and now Naseado had gotten killed and he had spent half the night with the rest of the Pod Squad trying to figure out what to do now. They couldn't heal him with the stones, and before he died he told Max that the "Skins were among us." Max was snapped back to focus as the room burst into laughter.
"So, I hate the first day of classes, their boring and mundane, let's talk about what were going to be starting tomorrow. There is no order to my teaching methods, we're going to go backwards starting with the Cold War and then move back to World War II. Halfway through this class you'll understand why it'll make sense so no questions quite this early yet."
The class went by fast before Sam knew it she was in British Literature with Max, Liz and Alex. Sam sat sandwiched in between her friends while she filled them in on her day so far. Alex was the first to speak up.
"Sam you need a distraction."
Liz nodded, Alex continued.
"You should sign up for an after school program, me, I'm in the computer club."
Sam smiled at Alex.
"Well I start work from 5-9 every week day not including my random morning shifts."
The teacher cleared her throat and the class began. By the time the bell rang Liz, Sam and Alex were eager to get to lunch followed my Max. Alex and Liz stopped in front of the main office where there was a board that posted all the after school activities. Sam scanned the board saw what she liked and walked into the office to sign up as she exited she was congratulated by her friends. Max who was watching this whole thing looked confused.
"What are we celebrating?"
Sam laughed at herself, "I'm in an after school program!"
Max looked more confused and amused at the same time; he parted from the group and gave a quick wave heading to his next class. Liz watched Max leave a little concerned.
"Where's he going?"
Alex shrugged, "He said something about taking a split lunch so he could switch for Brit. Lit."
They all shrugged as Liz blushed, Max had switched classes probably to be in a class with her. As they headed to a table, Liz looked around before she sat down.
"I guess Maria either has split or last lunch."
They all nodded and sat down.
"So Alex!" Alex looked up at Sam who had a sly smile. "Are you having a computer club meeting today after school?"
Alex shook his head as he emptied his paper bag and food spilled out in neat plastic pouches.
"So do you think I could maybe hitch a ride home with you and then get one again to work at 5?"
Alex sat back with his apple in his hand and took a bite as if he was deciding upon something really important. Sam sat forward and made a puppy face. Alex burst out laughing.
"Of course."
Sam smiled, "Cool then I'll see you in the parking lot after school?" Alex nodded as he took another chunk out of his apple.
Liz smiled and took a bite of her sandwich that she had packed.
"Hey Alex has Maria talked to you about Isabel's party this Wednesday?"
Alex shrugged clueless, "Asked me about what?"
Liz shook off a giggle, "No, I'm letting her ask never mind."
Sam perked up in her seat as she swallowed a bite of her peanut butter and jelly with hot sauce sandwich.
"Where's this party going to be at?"
Liz looked up, "Oh the Crashdown."
Sam nodded, "Cool so I'm working a party."
Liz shook her head embarrassed, "Not if you don't want to."
Sam nodded and smiled, "No it sounds like fun."
They talked of nothing, old times and what they heard on the radio. Soon the bell rang and it was time for more classes.
Sam found herself counting down the seconds in her piano class it was the last period of the day and she just wanted more than anything to go home and kick back not let all this drama get to her. Just as the last bell of the day rang Sam was ready and out the door heading to her locker. She threw her books in and grabbed her keys as she closed the door Kyle Valenti was standing behind it.
"Kyle!"
Kyle smiled, he liked Sam and had spent the summer that he and Liz went out with her having a lot of fun.
"So I see you walking around my school and I have to hear it from Whitman that you've taken permanent residence here?"
Sam smiled and nodded she lead the way out side towards the parking lot.
"Yeah, my parents got a raise so here we are."
Kyle nodded, "Cool"
Sam smiled, "So Kyle are we going to get into trouble this year or what?"
Kyle stopped with a look of mock astonishment.
"Me?"
Sam laughed, "Yeah well you know the best partner in crime would be the sheriff's son."
Kyle nodded, "Yeah Simmons you know me."
Sam lightly punched Kyle, "Great see ya later Kyle."
Kyle waved as he headed to his car and Sam walked slowly to Alex who was deep in conversation with Liz and Maria. As Maria caught sight of Sam she looked back to the others and changed the subject. Alex shrieked and Sam ran over to see what was going on.
"Maria I can't do that, it's just not right."
Liz was covering her mouth trying not to laugh, Sam approached amused.
"What's going on?"
Alex shook his head and Maria smiled and looked to Sam.
"I'm asking Alex to be the entertainment for Isabel's party on Wednesday."
Sam looked to Alex who was starting to blush, "Alex your band gets to play that's good isn't it."
Alex pointed to Sam as Maria shook her head. "I was thinking more along the lines of soft core male stripper."
Sam smiled widely holding back a laugh; she covered her mouth briefly and then turned to Alex.
"Alex it really would be a great touch, and you could be anything you want."
Maria interrupted, "I've already ordered the costume you're to pick it up before the party."
Alex shook his head no but Maria and the girls kept insisting before he knew it he was fit for the role. As Sam hugged Liz and Maria she got a flash*
She could see Maria telling Liz and Alex what Max had told her, that Naseado was dead and they had spent most of the night trying to bring him back but they couldn't, that the Skins were among them now.
As Sam's flash ended she smiled and shook off the vision and climbed into Alex's car. Driving back to Alex's house he talked about his classes and some stories that he had to tell Sam about. As Alex pulled into his driveway and parked Sam could see Sandie, John and Lucas hiding behind her house trying to stay out of sight.
"So I think I'm just going to give up on her I mean this whole striping thing that you guys have hooked me into doing, this is the last time I do something like this for Isabel Evans. This year it's a whole new Alex Charles Whitman."
Sam smiled at Alex, "Look you have to make the girl think that you're no longer under her charms that makes them swarm, trust me. If you're always there in her face she'll never know what it's like to be without you and the grass my little friend is always greener on the other side."
Sam nodded as she waved goodbye to Alex and headed to her house.
Alex shouted he'll pick her up at 5 and Sam jumped up and nodded then turned back when Alex was safely inside she approached her front door just as the other three came up behind her.
Lucas was right behind Sam as she started to unlock the doors.
"We need to talk, don't we?"
Sam nodded and let them inside.
She laid her bag down and made her way into the family room where she plopped down lazily they all followed.
As they got settled she decided to be upfront with them, she sat up a bit and they noticed she looked serious.
"Naseado's dead."
Everyone exchanged looks of shock. Lucas nodded, "I ate lunch with Tess she seemed a bit bummed that's what I was afraid of."
TBC……
