"Just a minute," Sam yelled as he heard the knock on his door. He shaved the last bit of stubble from his chin and ran towards the door, wiping his face with a towel. He opened the door to see Chelsea's smiling face.

"Hey, Sam," she said sweetly, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey, Chel. You're early," he replied. "Come on in."

It was the day after the confrontation at her house, and Sam was getting the feeling that the relationship was moving too fast, but he was to embarrassed to say it to her. She wanted them to spend the day together, to help them get to know each other better. He had agreed, not happily, but agreed nonetheless. Of course, he showed wholehearted agreement to Chelsea. Why do I have to be so goddamn nice? He smiled at her and gestured her into the sitting room.

"Oh, I'd forgotten what a wonderful view this was!" she gasped and walked over to the large windows overlooking the ocean. The surf was quiet and low, and the morning sunshine was reflecting off of the gentle waves that were lapping at the shore. She stepped outside and took a breath of the crisp ocean air. He followed her, smiling. This could be good for both of us, he thought as she walked over to him. She nestled inside his arm and they watched the sunset together. He kissed her a few times, all of them holding the intense passion and want in them as the day before. He found that Alyssa was beginning to drift out of his mind.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

"Hey, Josh," Alyssa said happily as she picked up the phone. "Oh," she said, her face sinking,"Hi Grandma. No, no, I'm just expecting a call." She sighed. "Yeah, here she is. Mom!"

"Coming, honey."

Alyssa set the phone on the counter and walked out into her backyard. A ride will calm me down, she thought to herself. She walked her bike out of the shed in her backyard and happened to glance over into her neighbor, David Dokos' yard. He was a rich and proud man, and not particularly well-liked. He was currently battling Sam's dog Guster for his morning paper. Alyssa laughed, and looked over to the other side, towards Sam's yard. Her smile was erased from her face as she saw Sam, looking as handsome as ever with his hands around a girl with beautiful, silky, auburn hair who was leaning back against him. She felt her heart sink, and then a sly smile krept across her face. What can it hurt besides his relationship? It doesn't mean anything, does it? He loves only me, right?

"Hey, Sam!" she yelled, dropping her bike and running towards his porch.

Sam heard her call, and steeled himself against Chelsea.

"Sam what's wrong? It's just Alyssa," Chelsea said with concern. She didn't know that they had been together two years ago, and he didn't intend for her to find out. "C'mon, let's go say hi!" She pulled out of Sam's grasp and climbed over the railing. "Hey Alyssa!"

Alyssa stopped in her tracks. Chelsea? She thought angrily. He's with Chelsea? Alyssa liked Chelsea, but Sam was hers! It had been obvious to her from the beginning that Chel was smitten with Sam, but it wasn't the kind of feeling that was meant to be a relationship, was it? Could she ruin this relationship between two people that she cared so deeply for? Alyssa, stop being so nice. Just get it over and done with.

"Hey, Chel! How've you been?"

"Ah, not too bad, not too bad. I'm with Sam now. Isn't that great?" Sam walked up beside Chelsea, and she put her arm around his waist, smiling at Alyssa all the while. Alyssa kept the smile on her face as real as she could.

"Lovely. Hey Sam. How are you?" Sam looked at her with an almost apologetic look and shrugged.

"Eh, alright I guess. You?"

"I've been better," she said with a sigh, still trying to keep the smile on her face.

"Alyssa!" her mom called. "Josh is here! I'll send him out."

"That's ok. I'll come," Alyssa started, but it was too late. Josh was trudging towards them, also with a very fake smile plastered to his pale face. The only difference was that he was making no move whatsoever to hide it.