"Hey guys" Lily says as she takes a seat at the table followed by Travis.

"Hey what's up" he said taking a seat between her and Ray.

"Where's Sam?" Lily asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen her yet."

"Oh yea.  How did the outing with your parents go?" Travis asked.

"It was good my mom likes her and my dad thinks she's a little strange"

"Heh! Can you blame him! I'm mean; she looks and acts different everyday.  She's totally psycho and..." Ray paused. "What? Why are guys looking at me like that?"

"Hey Ray" Sam said from behind him.

"Oh hey ummm how much of that did you hear?"

"All of it" she said as she sat next to Robbie she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She was wearing a pinstriped hat tilted to the side, a white fitted button down shirt, black dress pants, suspenders and shoes with a thin high heel.

"You know I was just kidding right?" Ray said with a nervous laugh

"Yea sure…"Sam was cut off by the cougar roar.

"Yo and Hello! This Kim Carlisle wishing you a Cougarsome Morning!" Everyone in the room rolled there eyes. "I'm pleased to announce that thanks to our generous sponsors all competitive after school activities which include sports and academic groups will be able to purchase new uniforms.  In light of this momentous occasion Principal Waller has decided turn this Friday's Sponsor's Gratuity Banquet into a Cougar Ball.  This will give us, the student body, a chance to personally thank our sponsors in an evening of elegant dancing and culinary delights.  In light of this change all after school activities are canceled. The Pep Rally is also canceled therefore your attendance to the Cougar Ball is Mandatory.  All students can purchase tickets during their lunch hours.  In other news…"

"I can't believe she just said that" Lily said in shock.

"Attendance is mandatory but you have to pay to get in? That's not right" Robbie said.

"That's not fair" Sam added.

"I feel a Kim segment coming on" Travis said with a glint in his eyes.

"Oh definitely she can't get away with this one.  What do you say Ray?" Robbie said turning to his best friend.

"I'm in" he said just as the bell rang.

"We'll see you guys at lunch" Sam said taking Lily's elbow and gave Robbie a quick kiss.

"Ok" and "Bye" came from the men of RFR as Sam and Lily headed off to class and they headed off in opposite directions.

"I love your outfit today"

"Oh thanks Lil" Sam said as they headed off to Chemistry.

"You got that whole Shania Twain thing going"

"Yea?" She says letting go of Lily's arm. "Ow! I feel like a woman!" She sang loudly and posed in the hall. Lily laughed and grabbed her arm pulling her to class.

Later that day at Lunch Travis, Lily and Robbie sit and wait for Ray and Sam to arrive.

"Can you believe they're charging $35 for tickets!?" Lily says eyeing the table set up for ticket sales.

"That's crazy" Robbie says.

"Mandatory purchase of $35 tickets?  How very democratic." Travis said.

"Oh my gosh!  You are not going to believe this!" Sam said as the banging of her heels stopped and she sat down.

"What?" Travis asked curiously.

"I just came from the girls' bathroom and these girls were talking about a party this weekend and Ray was there"

"Well what'd they say" Lily asked, Robbie put his head down.

"That at the party he was messing around with all these girls"

"What do you mean 'messing around'?" Lily asked with tension in her voice, Robbie shifted in his seat.

"He had sex with them"

"What?!" Lily said.

"Yea a threesome at that and they described his anatomy and that's just a little too much information for me"

"Maybe we shouldn't be talking about this without Ray here" Robbie choked out.

"He's right there" Lily said and waved Ray over.

"Hey what's going on?" he said when he reached the table.

"Well Sam heard you were having an orgy at a party" Lily said with disgust in her voice

"Who said that?" Ray said ignoring Lily's attitude.

"I don't know their names" Sam said shrugging.

"Well could you point them out?" Ray asked curiously.

"Umm" Sam said scanning the room "it was them over there" She said pointing to table on the other side of the room.  It was Erin and Paige's table, they were sitting with two of there friends.

"Do you know which ones were talking?" Ray asked as Lily sat there with her mouth open and Travis read a book.

"Yea it was the blond, the red head and that Spanish chic.  The one with the brown hair was just listening." 
"Did they say anything good about me?"

"So it's true then?!" Lily said almost shouting.

"Yea" Ray said matter of factly watching Lily's reaction. Lily was obviously pissed but kept her mouth shut.

"So when were you going to tell us you're a party animal, Ray?" Travis said with a smile looking up from his book.

"Well you didn't give me a chance" Ray said throwing his hands in the air. Lily rolled her eyes as Sam dug into her Pringles.

"So, Ray….I was thinking that we start the show off with your Kim segment" Robbie said hoping to change the subject.

"Ok"

"Did you hear that the tickets are $35?" Sam said.

"What!? That's crazy how are we going to come up with that kind of money by Friday?!" Ray said.

"I know!"

"The worst part is I have to go" Sam said crossing her legs.

"Why?" Robbie said putting and arm around her.

"Because my father's a sponsor and my mom's going to make me go"

"I thought your parents weren't together?" Lily said.

"Yea, you said he's hardly ever around"

"They aren't and he's isn't" Sam sucked her teeth "I know he's going to do something embarrassing or inconsiderate or something to piss me off"

"Well, you know I'll be there with you" Robbie said, Sam took his hand and squeezed it.

"Yea, I'll come to" Travis said and Lily looked at him "for support" he added and she shook her head.

"What about you Ray? You in?" Robbie said

"Yea, I guess.  Why not?" Ray thought for a minute "Wait, do I have to bring a date?"

"Yea I think so Ray" Travis said with a laugh.

"Yo and hello Cougars. We have a special update about the Cougar Ball" Everyone perked up in attention "Two musical groups are going to perform Friday night.  Singing group 'Melodies in the Night' and pop punk band Obscure!"

"What?!" Sam yelled.

"Featuring our very own cougarette of the freshman class Samantha Stanton.  Let's give her a round of applause"

"Stand up Ms. Stanton" Mr. Waller said from behind her.  Sam stood up but pushed passed Mr. Waller.  Robbie chased after her.

In the Halls….

"How could you?!" Sam yelled into the phone.  "You thought it would be nice!? What's nice about committing me to something I don't even support! Not to mention play with a band that hasn't practiced in a year" She paused as she listened. "Well thanks for asking Dad! I'm not performing and that's final!" She hung up and threw her cell phone on the floor.

"You ok?" Robbie said Sam turned around startled to see him.  He bent down and picked up her phone and tried to put the cover back on it.

"Can you believe him?! He thinks cause he's a sponsor he can do anything and tell me what to do…UH! I can't stand him!" She was so angry she was almost in tears. "He didn't even ask me if I wanted to…god! He hasn't even spoken to me in 2 weeks. So freaking inconsiderate!" Robbie put the phone back together and handed it to her.  He didn't say anything and Sam looked at him questioningly. "Why aren't you saying anything?" he shrugged his shoulders. "Don't you have something noble to say about family?" She threw her hands in the air and turned away from him to wipe her tears. She turned back to him and looked into his eyes he gestured for her to come close to him and when she did he embraced her and she started to cry.

"Shh it's ok" He said rubbing her back.

Next Period...

"Don't you just love Co-Ed Gym?" Ray said with a sigh as he surveyed the room.  Pretty girls in short shorts stretched out for class. Robbie threw his arm around Ray's shoulders and pulled him to a spot in gym so they could stretch and talk more privately.

"Hey Ray" two girls said as Robbie and Ray stretched out for class. It was the two girls Sam pointed to at lunch.

"Hey" Ray said.

"We had a good time Saturday night"

"Yea? I –"

"Amber, Lila! I don't see you two stretching!" yelled the gym teacher.

"See you later Ray" Lila said as the girls swayed off.  Robbie laughed.

"Psst" The teacher pokes her head up from her book and no one moves, she returns to her work.  Sam turns and Travis passes her a note.  She checks make sure that the teacher doesn't see… the coast is clear.  She opens the note.

Sam,

I just want you to know that no matter what I'll be here for you. I just wanted to tell you that…Epicurus once said "It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help."

Travis

She quickly scribbled back.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

And passed it back to him. Travis read it and smiled and wrote back to her and passed it to her again.

Lily drummed her fingers on her desk as the teacher droned on about Genghis Khan…

Why did Travis offer to support Sam? And why did he do it so enthusiastically?....Why does it bother me?...He's not the type to cheat…Well that's not true, that's the reason he's with me now…

She shook her hand and ran a hand through her hair

He's over her though right?...Sam's all hooked into Robbie too…And what's with Ray sleeping around? I don't get it….

"Hey at least now you know who you were with that night" Robbie said touching his toe.

"Yea I guess…Is Sam ok?"

"Yea she'll be fine she's just pissed at her father.  So who are you going to take to the dance?"

"I have no idea"

Sam opened the note.

I hope you know I still care for you even though we're with different people because, I do.

She wrote back thoughtfully.

"All love shifts and changes. I don't know if you can be wholeheartedly in love all the time." –Julie Andrews

Travis smiled to himself as he read it.

Lily turned the page when she noticed the rest of class was and returned to her thoughts.

Well I shouldn't worry about it…It's not that deep probably….

In the locker room…

"I'm going to meet Sam outside her class and make sure she's ok"

"Ok cool."

He wrote back and passed it to her.

That's good to hear.

"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up." --James A. Baldwin

She smiled wrote once again and passed it back.

A battle? A war? What are you fighting for?

Travis wrote back.

Love

Sam smiled just as the bell rang. She gathered her stuff and turned to talk Travis but Robbie came in before she could.  Travis watched them walk out hand in hand.  He sighed and walked out.

The beautiful days are long gone

I can't seem to breathe

It feels like it hasn't been that long

Since you walked away from me

Now I can try to act real strong

But you and I both know I still think of you that way

You should know…that

The beautiful lights the star filled nights

They don't mean a thing

Cause you were my star and so it don't seem right

Without you here with me

Now I can try to act real strong

But you and I both know its hard for me to say

You were my soul…

Now I could say that I don't love you no more

And I could say that I've closed the door for our love

And I can tell you I feel It's time for us to go our separate ways

But baby I just wouldn't be the same

Cause girl your love is still on my brain

Now when you're in love it takes time to heal

When someone's broken your heart and changes how you feel

Girl I thought that you'd never do me that way

But even after all I still think of you that way

Now I could say that I don't love you no more

And I could say that I've closed the door for our love

And I can tell you I feel It's time for us to go our separate ways

But baby I just wouldn't be the same

Cause girl your love is still on my brain

Now love is a game that we both like to play

But will I win or lose if I go or if I stay

Even though I try to hide my broken heart inside

Girl you know me inside out and I can't get you off my mind

Now I could say that I don't love you no more

And I could say that I've closed the door for our love

And I can tell you I feel It's time for us to go our separate ways

But baby I just wouldn't the same

Cause girl your love is still on my brain

From "Still on My Brain" by Justin Timberlake

A/N: Sorry about the lack of updating but I hoped you like the chapter I putting up like chapter at once and you should get more this weekend.  Review plz!!!