Ruin

"See, this is why you wear knee pads," Sam said, helping her twelve-year old son Tyler onto the counter.

"I forgot," Tyler mumbled, trying to hold back his tears as he looked at his badly scratched knee.

"Just remember for next time, okay?" Sam said, kissing the top of his head as she got down the large first aid kit Marissa had bought for the family for Christmas.

Tyler nodded as Sam pulled out a can of antibacterial spray and a bandage.

"It's gonna hurt a little," Sam said.

"Ow!" Tyler said indignantly.

"There," Sam said quickly, putting the bandage on his wound. "Good as new. Now if you're go back out skateboarding wear kneepads. Otherwise you're gonna be the one sitting through your dad's safety slide show."

Tyler jumped off the counter and headed back outside. Sam grabbed a bag of pork rinds from one of the kitchen cupboards and headed to the couch.

"Alright," she said happily, flopping down onto the sofa. "Now for a little cage fighting…"

At that moment, though, the front door opened and Emma walked in.

"Hey, Em, I've got a new bag of pork rinds and a good fight starting a few minutes," Sam said. "Wanna watch with me?"

"No, I have homework," Emma mumbled, hurrying past her mother upstairs.

"Homework?" Sam frowned, staring up after her daughter. "Since when does that kid do homework?"

The front door opened again and Ashton walked in.

"Hey, Ashton, what's wrong with Emma?" Sam asked, turning off the T.V.

"Um, well," Ashton said slowly, sitting down next to Sam. "I'm not really sure…all I know is that her and Quincy had a fight."

"A fight?" Sam repeated.

"Yeah, and I think it was really bad, because Quincy didn't even ride home with all of us in Clarissa's car," Ashton said. "And Emma didn't say a word on the way home. I tried to talk to her, but I got nothing."

"Poor kid," Sam said.

"Yeah, I know," Ashton said. "I don't usually feel bad for her, but this time…"

"I'll talk to her," Sam said.

"Okay," Ashton said. "I would try again too, but Clarissa's waiting outside in the driveway for me so she can drive us to our student government meeting."

"Don't worry, go have fun," Sam told her.

Once Ashton left, Sam got to her feet and headed up to the twins room. She knocked at the door, and when she didn't hear a reply, she let herself in.

Emma way laying on her bed, her headphones in, tossing her soccer ball up into the air.

"Hey, Emma," Sam said. "I thought you were doing homework."

"I will later," Emma mumbled, pulling her headphones out.

"You feeling okay?" Sam asked.

"I'm fine," Emma replied lamely.

"I talked to Ashton downstairs…" Sam said slowly. "And she said something about you and Quincy having a fight?"

"Ashton needs to learn to mind her own business," Emma snapped.

"Em, she was just worried about you," Sam said.

Emma shrugged.

"So…" Sam said cautiously. "Did you and Quincy have a fight?"

"Yeah," Emma whispered.

Sam sat down on the corner of Emma's bed. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I was at the vending machines, getting myself a candy bar," Emma said shakily. "And it got stuck, so I hit the machine a few times to get it out, but then this one nerdy dude came over and told me I was 'damaging' school property. I told him to shut his mouth before I shut it for him, but he kept going on and on, so I sort of…maybe, pushed him a little to teach him a lesson. But then Quincy came and well, it turns out that nerdy guy I pushed was the president of the school's gardening club, and he told Quincy since his girlfriend 'assaulted' him, he was going to kick Quincy out of the club. So then Quincy got mad at me for beating up his president, and I got mad at him not taking my side in the whole thing. And we just sort of yelled a lot…but it wasn't like how we usually yell at each other…"

"Aw, Emma," Sam said, putting her arm around her daughter.

"I don't even know if we broke up or what," Emma said, wiping her eyes. "But I think he's really mad at me, mom."

"Well, maybe once he's had time to cool off," Sam suggested.

"But I always do this," Emma mumbled.

"Do what?" Sam asked.

"Ruin everything!" Emma exclaimed. "I got him kicked out of gardening club, I always get him detentions, I broke his locker by sticking gum in the lock…I'm a terrible girlfriend."

"No you're not," Sam said.

"Yes I am," Emma said. "Ashton's a way better girlfriend than I am. She never gets any of the guys she dates thrown out of anything."

"But you're different than Ashton," Sam said.

"Yeah, but I'd bet Quincy would be happier with a girlfriend like her," Emma said glumly.

Sam shook her head. "Not a chance; everyone, your dad and I, Carly, Quincy's parents, we all agree that Quincy's always the happiest when he's around you!"

Emma still didn't seem convinced.

"Come on, you know how many things I've ruined for your dad?" Sam said. "Let's see…I got him kicked out his train club, sabotaged his application to NERD camp, although that was before we were dating. Even now! Remember last week when him and I went to dinner with your grandma and I made him mad when I 'accidently' spilled my fettuccini Alfredo on her? Plus that nub bugs me all the time. But you know we're still very happy together."

"So what do I do about Quincy then?" Emma asked.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Sam asked.

"I want to make up," Emma said softly. "But I suck at that! I don't know how to do that!"

"You just need to talk to him," Sam said.

"Talk to him?" Emma repeated.

"Yeah, I know, it's the worst," Sam said, patting Emma on the shoulder. "But apparently in relationships you've got to do it occasionally. Just tell him that you're sorry that you got him kicked out of the gardening club and see where that takes you."

Emma nodded. "I guess I could try that…"

"It's actually not as bad as you'd think," Sam smiled. "Trust me."

…..

"Hey," Emma said quietly, opening the door to Quincy's bedroom later that day.

"Hey," Quincy replied, looking up from his textbook at his desk. "I was actually just about to call you."

"Yeah, well, I was in the neighborhood," Emma said. "Um, I got you a smoothie." She handed him a cup. "It's that weird cucumber citrus thing you like."

"Thanks," Quincy smiled.

The two were silent for a moment.

"Em, listen," Quincy said just as Emma opened her mouth to begin the apology she had been rehearsing for hours. "I'm sorry about today. That guy was being a jerk, and I should've stuck up for you instead of worrying about my stupid gardening club. You're my girlfriend and I know that you can be sort of…aggressive sometimes. I actually just emailed that guy and told him that him and his stupid gardening club can go without me."

"Oh," Emma said, caught a little off guard. "Well then…cool."

She stood there for a moment before she let out a deep breath. "Look…Quincy. I'm sorry too. This whole thing was sort of my fault…I didn't mean to get you kicked out that gardening club, no matter how lame I think it is."

Quincy rose an eyebrow. "Is Emma Benson apologizing to me?"

"I'll deny it if you tell anyone," Emma said, smiling. "But yeah, I am."

Quincy grinned as he stood up to kiss her.

"While we're at this," Emma said. "I might as well apologize for hot gluing your math book shut too. And using your cell phone to prank call Ms. Webb. And selling your bike on the Internet."

"That was you?" Quincy frowned. "I thought that was my dad…Wait a minute, so are you like, gonna start apologizing for everything now?"

"Uh no," Emma said, putting her arms around his neck. "But how about this? I apologize every few years for everything? You know, so I can keep starting fresh?"

Quincy laughed. "I guess that could work…"