Chapter Eight

She should have been feeling a lot of things she wasn't feeling right now. She should be worried about her parents, about her friends, about school. She should think about all she left behind, if she had brought a spare pair of underwear, if she had brought enough money. But the only thing she was feeling at the moment was relief.

She stared out of the window. The rain was falling quietly. The small raindrops were enough to make her tense a little. She hated to drive in rain and she didn't trust anybody driving in the rain too, not even the nice gentleman that was sitting by her side.

"Do you want some music to relax?" Kyle offered, smiling at the nervous girl by his side. She was very quiet since the chat she had with Danny almost two hours ago. Danny had reacted a little worse than she thought. Nothing in the world gave him the right to tell herwhat to do and that just made her snap. Now she really was happy that she was spending four days away from him.

"That would be nice." She smiled.

"See if you can reach my bag, in the outside pocket I packed a CD-case." He said.

"Okay…" She reached the bag and pulled the item. "Got it." She said, opening it up and turning on the car lights to read the CDs. She looked over two or three before one caught her attention. "Oh my… you have Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds 'Murder Ballads Album'!" She squeaked, happily. "I'm putting it on the song 'Where the Wild Roses Grow."

She put it on the CD player and the song started. Kyle smiled down at her, not paying too much attention on the road. The music was slow and slightly dark with soft tones of violins.

"They call me The Wild Rose

But my name was Elisa Day

Why they call me it I do not know

For my name was Elisa Day"

They sang together with a smile, relaxing in each other's presence. Sam was feeling so comfortable that it as like she knew Kyle her whole life.

"From the first day I saw her I knew she was the one

As she stared in my eyes and smiled

For her lips were the color of the roses

They grew down the river, all bloody and wild"

He sang showing her that his voice was pretty much like the singer. It was obvious that he had singing classes, probably had musical initiation when he was a baby just like herself. Her parents explained that understanding erudite music would give her a status quo that almost no kid had nowadays.

"When he knocked on my door and entered the room

My trembling subsided in his sure embrace

He would be my first man, and with a careful hand

He wiped the tears that ran down my face"

She sang showing that she had a nice voice as well. She had singing classes for five years before she finally told her parents she didn't want to continue it. She also learned how to play the piano, but when she read books about the 1800's she understood that almost every decent girl in the society had to know how to play, sing or draw. It was those small artistic abilities that gave them a high price in the 'marriage market'; it was the ability to keep their husbands entertained. When Sam realized that her parents' heads worked in the logic of the 1800's she gave up playing the piano as well.

"They call me The Wild Rose

But my name was Elisa Day

Why they call me it I do not know

For my name was Elisa Day"

She sang, remembering how good it felt just to sing your worries away. When she started having to sing to entertain her parent's guests she completely took it as a task she was supposed to do. It felt almost like slavery. Every time someone arrived, her mother would call her, make her sit by the piano and start playing and singing. In the end people would say how adorable and gifted that little girl was.

"On the second day I brought her a flower

She was more beautiful than any woman I'd seen

I said, 'Do you know where the wild roses grow

So sweet and scarlet and free?'"

He sang, looking into her eyes with a different light. His eyes were not shining with compassion, which was the reason she thought he had agreed on taking her to a trip in the middle of the night, instead, his eyes showed her how much he was enjoying that moment, how much he adored being by her side. He was feeling complete.

"On the second day he came with a single rose

Said: 'Will you give me your loss and your sorrow?'

I nodded my head, as I lied on the bed

He said, 'If I show you the roses will you follow?'"

She sang, feeling her cheek heat up. She had never noticed how handsomely green his eyes were. It was almost hypnotizing to look into his eyes like that.

"They call me The Wild Rose

But my name was Elisa Day

Why they call me it I do not know

For my name was Elisa Day"

He reached out his hand to intertwine her fingers with his. Sam noticed that his hands were warm. His touch was comforting, his hands weren't calloused like Danny's. Kyle hands were soft like he was born to caress a delicate flower, like he was there just to caress her skin.

"On the third day he took me to the river

He showed me the roses and we kissed

And the last thing I heard was a muttered word

As he stood smiling above me with a rock in his fist"

She sang, reaching the dark part of the music. She remembered when her mother heard that music for the first time. She was horrified. She had forbidden Sam to hear that music again saying that it was immoral and obnoxious.

"On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow

And she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief

As I kissed her goodbye, I said, 'All beauty must die'

And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth"

He sang, letting go of her hand for a few moments to turn the steering wheel and right after, captured her hand again as if the small time they didn't touch was enough to miss the feeling of their skins exchanging warmth. .

"They call me The Wild Rose

But my name was Elisa Day

Why they call me it I do not know

For my name was Elisa Day"

The music ended and they grinned at each other. Sam could almost see what was coming. She was going to fall for that same man she had been running away from.

"Danny hates that song," She said, just to see his reaction. Kyle's smile subsided and his eyes turned to the road again. "He said it's too sad, but he didn't understand how beautiful that tale is."

"Why do you think it's beautiful?" Kyle asked, curiously. "It's so tragic."

"Because Elisa was lonely before he came, she lived an intense romance for three days and died quickly. She died happy from the hands of her loved one. At least she lived a great romance before dying, it would be better than if she had stayed alone until she died of old age." Sam explained. "Depressing, but beautiful."

"Yeah, I guess I agree with you." Kyle laughed. "It's better love for few days than never love at all." They were exactly two miles from NY now. "But I think it's better if you have an eternal love."

"If it existed, I guess it would be boring." She laughed and Kyle frowned. "Really. Can you imagine being with the same person for all eternity? Always the same lips, same eyes, same hands, same personality. Wouldn't you grow tired of it?"

"If the passion was still there…" Kyle couldn't find a good argument to reply.

"Can passion last that long? The same passion from the first months of relationship fades away as people get used to each other."

"I can't convince you of otherwise, can I?" He grinned and changed the subject. "You have a nice voice."

"Do I?" Sam blushed. "I usually don't sing when there's someone with me, I mean... my voice is not exactly a pleasant one."

"You're mistaken. Your voice is beautiful." Kyle smiled. "Can you keep a secret?" Sam nodded, her eyes shinning in curiosity. "I've always wanted to be an opera singer, but my father won't let me join music school to seek a career. He thinks arts and music aren't suited for a businessman. He doesn't want me to go all soft and sensitive."

"That's so sad!" Sam said, recognizing her own story and dilemmas in his situation. "Parents never understand. It is horrible when you grow up and realize your parents aren't exactly those two perfect and ideal people you wanted to be when you grow up. It's sad when you realize you don't share the same ideas anymore."

"I don't know why it happens. I grew up hearing their opinions, thinking like them. It is just that one day when I watched The Three Tenors concert I thought 'I want to be like them, I want to sing!' and I just wanted to sing and see the world from that day on." Kyle explained.

"You have a beautiful dream." Sam said, looking around and realizing they had just arrived in New York City. "I still don't know what I want to study; I just know that I want to pursuit a career, not a marriage." She turned around and faced Kyle with a big smile. "But I still have time to decide. You, in the other hand, are nearly eighteen years old, you can pack your bags and leave your parents house, go and seek your dream, forget about what they say."

"Do you know any hotels that maybe have spare bedrooms tonight?" He changed the subject after giving Sam a smile.

"I've never been to New York before…" Sam said, looking around at the tall buildings of Manhattan. The sun was already rising. "We better find somewhere to stay; we've been up all night."

"I see a hotel ahead, I'm stopping there."

"Good, I'm tired."

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Sam's cell phone started ringing as soon as she closed her eyes to get some sleep in the hotel room's bed.

Kyle was currently asleep on the couch across the room and hadn't woken up with the noise. She looked at the number quickly and saw that it was Danny. A wave of anger passed through her and she turned the cell phone off, not intending to turn it on again until Tuesday.

She hit the pillow again, sleeping immediately. Somehow, she was feeling like never returning to Amity Park, never to see Danny again… after all, his heart belonged to Valerie.

What was happening to her? Suddenly she felt so angry, she couldn't remember happy moment she had shared with Danny. Suddenly, his name became unbearable and her dreams became nightmares.

Sam remembered that day when she was thirteen years old and had invited Danny and Tucker to watch her performance on Olympic Gymnastic. She had won the local competition and now she was on the route to state medal and if she did it she could go to National and then to the glory of Olympiads.

She was feeling really nervous when she peeked the crowd, looking for them. Tucker was there, sitting beside his mother, who was with Sam's family, but the Fentons weren't anywhere to be seen. 'Oh, that's right, Danny… it's doesn't mean anything to you, does it? It's just a stupid medal!'

The performance started, but she couldn't concentrate. She danced, turned and got ready to run to perform the mortal doubles and triples jumps she had rehearsed. She run, and run and run. She pushed against the ground, jumping as high as she could, doing the first double, then she hit the ground again and jumped for the triple, 'stupid Danny!' she thought in midair and bang, she hit the ground with her shoulder, breaking her arm in two places.

There was once when she had called him over for a movie night in her private movie theatre. Tucker hadn't gone because he was sick, but Danny had no excuse. Sam had bought a box with the entire filmography of Tim Burton (along with Fellini's, but she wasn't going to call them to watch that, it was better to watch alone.). She waited for him until she dozed off on the couch.

The next day he called her telling he hadn't gone because he had found Paulina crying at the mall and it was his change to get closer to her. Of course he wasn't successful, but at least he hadn't missed the chance.

And of course, that was the worse thing he did that ended hurting her more than he'd ever know. He had gone in dates with Valerie and when she found out it was all Tecnus' trick to keep them busy while he took over the satellite in space, he laughed at her and said that he wanted to be with Valerie. Sam pushed her feeling aside to make him happy. She had never told him how much that hurt. And she still kept that stupid ring she refused to look at.

While Sam slept, a single tear run down her face. Kyle stood up, leaning over her. He smiled sadly and brushed the tear away with a careful thumb, kissing her cheek softly.

"You're special, Sam…" He whispered softly on her ear. "I'm sorry for making you go through this entire marriage thing…"

If she was with him there would be no more loneliness, she wouldn't be the second girl in a man's heart. She was going to be the first, she was going to be loved, cherished. She was going to be treated like a queen.

He caressed her cheek and his fingers trailed down to her neck, her shoulders and her arms.

He could give her a castle. He could give her a hand in her protests and rallies; he could help her deliver food to poor countries. He could and he would do everything to keep that beauty to him, like a porcelain doll, wrapped in a ribbon and placed carefully in his heart where it would not break.

He watched her sleep and he could watch her sleep forever. Her slender, feminine form clothed in silk and surrounded by satin sheets that made her look older than her sixteen years.

Her face was filled with pain and longing. For a moment he wondered what she was dreaming about.

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Sam tried on a long dark red dress with black lacy she had brought to go to the opera. She never understood the tradition of going to the opera with long dresses and elegant hairs. She was going there to watch and hear the performance, not to show off. In the beginning of the century, the tradition could have made some sense, but nowadays it was completely meaningless.

She tied her hair up in an elegant knot and quickly put on the matching pair of high heels.

"I'm ready!" She called and Kyle entered the room immediately, to finish getting dressed.

"You look beautiful." He said and when she blushed he decided to change the subject. "So, do you know how to make a tie knot?"

"You don't?" She asked, unbelieving.

"No, I don't wear fancy clothes… to tell you the truth, I really hate them." He said.

"Come here, I'll help you." She grinned, grabbing both ends of the tie and starting to move it around. She obviously knew what she was doing. "There." She announced, turning him around to face the mirror. The knot was perfect.

"How did you learn to do that?" He asked, impressed.

"I used to do my daddy's ties." She smirked. "I thought it was cool, though I still wonder why."

"Your parents raised you to be the perfect housewife, didn't they?" Kyle sighed and Sam nodded. "But you go rebel all of sudden. Really, I adore you for it." He laughed.

"Let's go, the opera starts in thirty minutes." Sam said, smiling at him. Kyle surely was adorable.

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"I knew she was going to die, but this is so sad…" Sam said, hiding her emotions the best she could when they walked out of the opera. Kyle put his jacket over her naked shoulders to protect her from the cold night air.

"Yes, it is… I loved the music pieces." He said, pretending to not notice a small tear that had escaped Sam's eyes, which she quickly brushed away. "Would you like to go somewhere to grab some junk food?"

"I'd love to." Sam said, grabbing the arm he was offering her, gently. "You are a gentleman." She said.

"You see, there is something I have meaning to tell you…" He said, completely ignoring her compliment and saying seriously as they walked through the bright streets of Broadway. "I came to you as your fiancée and I admit I didn't like the idea as much as you did."

Sam looked up at him, surprised.

"I never had a girlfriend. I've never been in love." He continued. "And my father told me how important it is to have someone to inherit our legacy."

"You mean, a child?" Sam asked surprised. "Your father wants us to have babies so soon?"

"I thought it was weird too even because I could marry any girl if the point was getting a child, so I spent the last few days checking some banks and the company's archives." He explained. "I found out that we're bankrupt." Sam frowned, but didn't interrupt him. "That's why he wants me to marry you. He wants your family money."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Because I fell for you." He said, getting close to her. "I can't lie to you like that."

"You mean… you like me? For real?" Sam was speechless.

Kyle nodded.

"Why were you so insistent at first? You said you didn't like the idea arranged marriage thing from the beginning." Sam asked, completely confused by the turn of events. So, it was all about her family money; she had thought about it and she knew that there would be no way she wouldn't suspect of men's intentions when it was about feelings for her along her life.

"It was your mother's idea." Kyle laughed. "I'm sorry, but at first it was sort of amusing." He saw Sam getting really angry at him and raised his hands. "No, I didn't mean it like that! I wasn't just teasing you!"

"So what was it, then?" Sam asked, annoyed. "Why did you turn into a creepy stalker? Why did you make my life hell in the first weeks?"

Kyle sighed and looked around. He saw that she had a curled hair bang hiding her cheek. He smiled and tucked it behind her ear.

"I didn't want you to like me." Kyle said in a whisper. He was standing in front of her, both had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, forgetting it all about the world outside, about people that passed by them in a rush, about other couples that looked so childish. "I didn't want to marry you, but I had to show my father I was trying to get closer to you."

"So…" Sam blushed. "We were pushing each other away the whole time. We didn't want to get married from the start."

"We just used different strategies." Kyle laughed.

"In this case there's something I should tell you about Danny and I…"

I think I see people squirming in their seats…. calm down and relax. Easter holiday is coming and I'll have the time to update another chapter (by Wednesday I'll have finished all my tests!). There is another fanfic, a small oneshot I wrote like a teaser for my new chaptered fanfic called In Love Again, but won't let me create another story (the server stops responding every time I try!), it doesn't let me review other stories or send PM messages. I wonder what is going on... I just hope I can still upload chapters for a while.

Well, since I ended with a small cliffhanger, I want to see your reaction. Review!