Starfire Star: Wow, it's always nice to know that your writing can touch other people emotionally. It means you've done a good job and that you've put your own emotions into the writing. ((hugs)) And we all need to know that there is someone out there that can relate to the things we've gone through.

Divine-Red-Crayon: No, I haven't read any Georgia Nicholson books, although I've seen them and my friends have recommended them.

Unlikely-to-bear-it: ((glares and hugs her Joel and Benji voodoo dolls)) MINE! ((insane laughing)) But I guess I have to share huh? Check out my Livejournal (http/ there is a rather funny GC based quiz thingy linked to it, you might have to scroll down a bit to get to it though. My results? Good news: It said I was most likely to shag Joel. ((goes completely red and laughs nervously)) Bad news: Benji and Billy hate me. I went, "AW! I want both the twins!" Then it was pointed out that braces and lip piercings probably wouldn't go together all that well. And my friend said that either way it was disturbing because when I wear eyeliner, apparently I look uncannily like Joel. Sorry Sarah, but I still ain't seeing it. So try the quiz thing, very fun! And Danny had to take a shot at them because that is the way they're treated at my school.

And to end this very long note, you want to know where I'm typing it? In DC, or well, actually, on my way out of DC. I'm on an airplane. I started typing in DC though…and, well, what a coincidence that we're talking about DC's Finest. ((grins)) I tried to get out of the airport to go stalking for that little Maryland town, but my dad caught me…dang.

MerkFatallious: ((goes pink)) Thank you, that's really, really flattering.

Lights out. That's the last thing I remember. Seriously, I was awake one moment and then, from there, I got nothing. It's a blank that end with Sam's face in my neck…I think, I'm not sure. Even waking up was hazy. Then that whole discussion with her that I knew was one big lie. I would know; I've been here long enough. She contorts her face when she's talking in her head, cute as it maybe, it make her an awful liar under pressure, although what pressure she was under was beyond me.

Still, it was disappointing hear "smelling hospital sheets" as answer to such a simple question. And I knew she was lying, but I still accepted it. I supposed it's because we parted on such uneasy terms the last time. I have to smile bitterly here, last time, last time I can barely remember engaging in a fight, but I know I woke up with a useless leg, arm and beaten ribs. Not to mention the split lip that hurt worse then the rest of them combined.

So, well, Sam and I stayed on those terms for quite a while, becoming slightly awkward around each other. Tucker relished this, only teasing us about our situation. If I wasn't confined to this god damned bed I would be giving him a run for his money. But I am, so I can't and he continues.

By now, enough time had passed to bring up my birthday. I guess I should have been more thankful to survive to see fifteen, but I wasn't. "Friends", or the A-List of my school suddenly had more interest in me, but I found I had less interest in them. Even when one girl I would have killed to date once upon a time came to visit me and bring me work I'd missed, I found I dismissed her much faster than I should have. I should have been thankful for a chance with the in-crowd, but I found that the whole near death experience thing, yeah that, had me on a whole new track.

So, I spent my fifteenth birthday like this: covered in plaster, on enough painkillers to make a druggie sick and wiping the blood and drool off my lips constantly from my stupid cut. Sam and Tucker went all out, smuggling in a cake just for me and bringing enough presents to keep even the most greedy child happy. They came with smiles and cheer that I mirrored back to them somewhat falsely.

Tucker, as a joke I presume, gave me a crash helmet with a ghost painted sloppily on the black plastic. He said I needed it, that is, if it didn't fall through me when I needed it. Sam was holding off with her gifts, she said, 'til the end of all the others. Mom and Dad gave me something that was supposed to purge me of the spirits that were keeping my body injured. I think that was all Dad's idea because Mom sent a variety plate of cookies. Did I mention that her cookie are the best in the world?

Aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents sent me stuff off the expensive or eccentric sort. All of them felt bad for me I guess. I tore, literally, through everything, wanting to know what it was that Sam had for me. I waited (im)patiently as she slowly got it out. It was a collection of music that would have put f.y.e., Strawberries, Border's and all the other of that lot to shame. I mean, she'd remembered everything I'd ever liked, past and present. There was everything, everything! And a new portable CD player to round it off.

But as I flipped through the binder that held all the CDs, I noticed it doubled as a scrapbook of sorts. There were pictures of us accompanied by lyrics that fit the pictures. There was one shot from the first day we met, me looking grouchy and covered in leaves and her smiling innocently at the camera. The words you may ask? "Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?" I but down on my lip, trying to not to laugh too hard. I glanced up to see that Sam was looking at me reproachfully…no, hopefully?

I didn't know, but there was something there that I wasn't used to. Could it have anything to do with the lying? I registered the lyrics in my head again, "Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?" But it was just a song, and songs mean nothing in the long run, right? Still, it was pulling, tugging and wrestling with my mind. There was nothing there between us other than friendship…right? I mean, you just don't go changing you mind about people like that, it just doesn't happen like that. Ugh, I did not want this for my birthday. The inner battle, I mean, the music rocks.

Then it was cake time. I wanted to pull Sammie aside again, but I was certain I wouldn't be able to get anything out of her that way. Liar, liar, liar, liar – I know you were smelling me you liar. I know something is up and I know something is wrong with the both of us. Don't ask, I just know, can't you trust me enough to tell me anything? I mean, say something; say anything at this point. Then, thank the gods for Tucker's soda intake habits, Tuck had to go to the bathroom and it was just us, alone, and I know you're waiting for me to say 'in the dark', but it wasn't dark, and we weren't going to make out, thank you very much.

Sam seemed very much aware of this too, and she was talking her head again; that whole facial expression thing, yeah, it's such a dead giveaway.

"Sam?" I asked. She jumped a mile, as if she wasn't expecting me to speak. When she'd erased all signs of her surprise and started twisting a strand of hair between her fingers she answered, "Yeah?"

So, um, what was I supposed to say now? I mean, I had her attention, but there was sort of nothing on the floor that was open for discussion. Think Fenton, think! I could feel the palms of my hands actually going sweaty as I struggled to find a way to be subtle about questioning her behavior without sounding too accusatory. I should have said something like, "I know things have been really messed up between us lately, but could you try to even let me in on what's going on here?" What came out, well, let's just say I botched it beyond botching it.

"What is with you lately? We've known each other and been best friends since forever. What can't you tell me that I already don't know; and don't even bother lying, you suck at it." I would have clapped my hands over my mouth if my ribs hadn't been killing me or if I wasn't afraid of making my lip bleed. Sam looked at me in pure shock for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.

"Oh my god, Danny, thank you. You want to go to the movies when you get out of here without Tuck?" After she's let that out, it was her turn to realize maybe that isn't exactly what should have come out, but it had anyway. It was also my turn to be shocked.

"As in, like…a date?" I said slowly. Sammie shrugged. "Sure kid, if you want it to be, then it is." I swallowed. "Ok, then, a date it is."

What do you guys think! I'm so proud of this chapter! But wait 'til we get back to Sam, she's going to have a lot to say about this you know! And, next Saturday is my birthday! YAY! I'll be 15, same as Danny boy there. I want reviews, lots and lots of reviews! Don't worry Amy, Jess and Rocky have the GC fangirl covered. ((grins)) They keep alluding to what they got me and it's driving me insane! Oh yeah, and I'm wearing my new GC shirt from HT for my birthday! I don't care about all the snide little comments I get, I'm doing it anyway! YAY! I'm happy, very happy! – Dru