Disclaimer: I own nothing

Filth. That was one of the many emotions Reggie Rocket was feeling. Along with disgust, anger, betrayal, sadness and hate. But filth was the one thing that was occupying her mind at the moment. She wanted to scrub her skin raw. Every inch that Sam Dullard had ever come in contact with, she wanted to sterilize. Who knows how many girls he had been with while they were dating? Who knows how many guys Jane had banged when Sam moved?

Reggie had shut herself in her room as soon as she got home. She could've stormed around the house, screaming and kicking things in anger, but she didn't. No one else was home. Ray was at work and Otto was still at school. What's the point in acting out without an audience? Reggie was currently sitting on the floor staring at her bed. The sheets that were on it, her favorite ones, still dirty with Sam's sweat from last week, when they were together and happy. His filthy cheating seed stained them forever. She tore them off and threw them down the laundry shoot. It would take at least fifty washings before she could use them again. It made more sense to throw them out and buy new sheets. Clean sheets.

Walking in on Sam in the arms of that girl, that whore; had broken her heart. She gave Sam her loyalty, her love, her body, her virginity and he goes off and fucks some other girl. She loved Sam, but hadn't gotten around to telling him. Did his cheating mean that he didn't feel the same way, or was he just not in a clear state of mind. She assumed that what they had was more than a physical relationship and that Sam was a nice guy. She obviously used a bad judge of character with Sam. He wasn't special or different from any other guy on earth. He gave into the temptation of another woman, an easy lay. He was scum.

Reggie felt stupid for ever starting a relationship with Sam. He had changed, she knew that. He was more mature, more confident, and more attractive than his thirteen year old self. But, he was also more reckless. It was in front of her the whole time. He smoke, he drank, he stole. But could she blame his betrayal on his experimentation with drugs, his male libido, or his unseen evil counter self? Reggie was clueless. She was only sure of one thing; it would be a long time until she even acknowledged Sam's presence again.

Sam spent the remainder of that week at home, alone, fearing his return to school. He wasn't afraid of the things people would say about his cheating. He wasn't afraid of being jumped by Otto or Twister. He wasn't even afraid about Ray pulling a shotgun on him (which was very unlikely anyway). All he could think about was Reggie. Would she give him the silent treatment, or would she cuss him out in front of the entire school? Either situation would be painful.

The remainder of Jane's stay had been silent and short. As soon as Reggie walked out, Jane started packing. There was no yelling or fights between the two of them. What they did was wrong and they both knew it. Freaking out about it or placing blame would only make things worse. Sam drove her to the airport, helped her with her bags, and hugged her goodbye, knowing that he would see her again in a couple months. Sam wished he could get on the plane with her and leave all the drama and betrayal behind in California. But he knew that he could only graduate so fast.

Stupidity, a feeling he didn't feel often, was running through his veins. He felt stupid for cheating on Reggie and felt even dumber for getting caught. He had broken Reggie's heart, he knew that. But what worried him, was that he was not entirely heartbroken. He was sad of course, but he didn't feel like drowning his sorrows in a bottle of tequila or writing bad poetry. Had he been cheating Reggie all along? Had he never really loved her the way she loved him? It was a close call.

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Before he knew it, it was Monday again. It was time to face what he had been avoiding. His jaw was still bruised from where Reggie had punched him; a dead give away that things did not end well between them. Sam got out of bed early, got dressed and hopped on his skateboard. Usually, Reggie would pick him up, but that obviously would not happen today.

The trip to school had passed by in a blur, before he knew it Sam was walking down the hallways of Ocean Shores High and receiving some brutal stares. Trish and Sherry both shot him looks of disgust and some guy that Sam didn't even know bumped into him hard and didn't even acknowledge his presence. He saw Twister and Otto walking his way, scowls on their faces. Otto was definitely ready to cuss him out and throw a punch or two. Sam did not feel like dealing with their shit. He ducked into homeroom and saw Reggie, sitting there in the front row, as far away from Sam's regular seat as possible. Normally, she would be sitting next to him in the back of the room, stroking his leg and doodling on his notebook.

Reggie looked up and saw Sam, standing there, debating whether or not to talk to her. He looked away and made his to the back of the room. Reggie was grateful for this, if he had tried to talk her now, she would've just burst into tears. And she made sure to never let other people see her cry in public.

After homeroom, things went fine for the most part. Sam was in most of her classes, but she managed to avoid him. It wasn't until lunch when things turned sour. Reggie was making her way out to the student parking lot to grab a hoodie from her car. The milder temperatures were starting to set in and a simple tank top and jeans was not enough to shield her from nature's cold fury. Sam spotted her and silently walked after her. He saw her reach into the backseat of her station wagon and he called out her name.

"Reggie!" She froze. Knowing whose voice it was, she didn't bother to turn around.

"I don't want to talk to you." She snapped. "Go away."

"But we have to talk." Sam insisted. Reggie turned around.

"What's there to talk about Sam? You slept with another girl and I caught you. Our relationship is over. End of story, now get away from me!" She said, trying not to burst into tears.

"I know. I'm an idiot. Jane and I had a thing going on when I lived in New York. I lied to you, I cheated on you and I am total scum. You have every reason to push me out of your life. "

"Well, I guess you're not as dumb as I thought." She snapped.

"I just want to know, how did you feel about me before we broke up?" Sam asked. Reggie gave him a look of disgust and choked back a sob.

"How did I feel about you? What kind of question is that? I gave my virginity to you, I did drugs because you wanted to, I willingly had sex with you in public places! How did you think I felt about you?!!" she yelled, tears streaming down her face.

"You…love me." Sam said, a bit taken back.

"No." she said wiping her eyes. "I did love you." She added.

"Reggie-"Sam started.

"Shut up Sam. I don't want to hear your voice, see your face, or smell your ashtray breath!" She screamed. Reggie got into her car, revved the engine and left Sam standing there in the parking lot, alone.

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December was a pleasant month for Ocean Shores. The temperatures were mild, but still well above freezing, the surf was good, and everybody radiated a bit of holiday cheer. But for Sam Dullard, December felt cold and lonely. He could understand Reggie giving him the silent treatment for most of November, but it was currently the middle of December and Reggie hadn't spoke to him since that Monday in the parking lot.

Sam didn't have much of a high school career left. He had a day left until winter break, and than had the first two weeks in January. He could tell himself to forget it and move on. Try and have a little fun in California before he went back to the east coast. But he couldn't stop thinking about Reggie. She wouldn't look at him and whenever she tried to talk to her, she'd walk right by him. Sam had become a bit of a social pariah at school. Otto and Twister tried to beat him up on several occasions, but Sam always found a way to escape them. No one seemed to want to approach Sam. It became hard to find a lab or gym partner. Reggie was not only popular at O.S. High, she was also well-liked; a rare combination to come across in high school. Nowadays, the only person (outside of his family) who was happy to see Sam was Lars when Sam came to buy weed from him.

Sam reflected on the past month. He had been good at attending school, having not missing a single day since his week off for emotional purposes. His mom had begun to show some significant girth around her waistline, thus her maternity leave started. She had questioned her son on why he never seemed to leave the house anymore, and Sam always said he had too much work, which wasn't true. He had gotten in to both NYU and Columbia and had till May to make his choice. There was no need to strive for excellent grades in high school anymore. Tomorrow was the last school day before break. All the seniors would gather in the cafeteria for the traditional senior-only breakfast before boarding school buses and being forced to volunteer at the Salvation Army. But Sam wouldn't be there. He decided instead to take a bus into L.A. and spend the day there. He would start his break early.

When the next day came, Sam boarded a bus to L.A. while Reggie sat with her friends at their breakfast. She decided that she should talk to Sam. It had been weeks since she last acknowledged his presence. But Sam was nowhere in sight. Probably skipped she thought. The rest of her day dragged on with, thinking about Sam.

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Sam was making his way back to Ocean Shores. He had spent a few hours walking around L.A., thinking. He kept looking at his watch, willing the bus to go faster. He needed to get back to school when the bell rang. He needed to stop Reggie on her way out to the parking lot and force her into conversation. It was foggy and drizzling outside, perfect for Sam's mood. As soon as the bus doors opened, he jumped out in a sprint to the school.

Meanwhile, the final bell rang and Reggie was making her way down a crowded hall to the exit. A teacher called out her name and she spent the next five minutes talking about a college recommendation letter. By the time she wished her teacher a happy holiday, the hall was clear and quiet. Reggie made her way out the door and began walking through the fog towards her car. As she got closer, she noticed a figure standing by her vehicle. It was Sam. His hair and skin was dripping wet. His wet shirt clung to him, and his chest was heaving in exhaustion.

"We need to talk." He said. Reggie looked him in the eyes and nodded her head.

"Okay." She said softly. Sam was caught off guard.

"What? I mean- you've been avoiding me for long enough. Now we gotta sort this shit out."

"Sort what out Sam? There are no papers to be signed or custody hearings. We didn't get divorced, we just broke up." She replied calmly.

"You know I didn't mean it like that." Sam growled. "I gotta tell you something and then you gotta decide something."

"Fine. But make it quick, I have to get home." Reggie was starting to get annoyed.

"This past month has sucked. You're not talking to me, Otto and Twister tried to kill me, people I don't even know are giving me dirty looks. But all that shit, is nothing compared to how much I miss being with you. At first, I was in shock and felt a bit stupid. Those feelings can best be described as numb to what I'm feeling now. I don't want this to be how we end; I don't even want "us" to end. I can deal without having a romantic relationship, it sucks but I can pull through. But, I don't want our friendship to end. You're one of my best friends Reg, you've always been. So, I guess what I want to know is, are you ever gonna talk to me again, or should I not bother wasting the next month trying to apologize?"

Reggie looked at him, tears were in her eyes. She took a deep breath and said-

"I really want to be friends with you Sam. Our relationship these past months has been great. But I don't think either of us was right for each other. I don't think I can ever fully forgive you, but I can't go on not talking to you."

"That means a lot Reg." He pulled her into a hug which she returned. "Thank you."

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Sam and Reggie spent the next week hanging out with each other, as friends. Reggie had convinced her brother and Twister to leave Sam alone, which they did. It was weird for both of them. They always kept an arm's length of space between and blushed whenever they accidentally grazed hands. Sam felt like he was thirteen years old all over again, but he didn't say anything.

Christmas Eve came, and Sam and Reggie found themselves sitting on Sam's back porch, passing a joint and watching the waves crash into the shore. They spent the entire day doing last minute Christmas shopping and wrapping gifts. Sam's parents were out all day visiting doctors and buying clothes and supplies for their future child. They wouldn't be back for another two hours.

"Do you think Otto will like that hoodie?" Reggie asked Sam. Sam exhaled a cloud of smoke, keeping his eyes on the water, not looking at Reggie.

"Probably. If he doesn't he can just return it, you kept the receipt right?"

"Shit." Reggie before taking a drag on the joint.

"If he doesn't appreciate it, than he can go fuck himself." Sam said. "Is he even gonna get you a present?"

"Probably not." Reggie admitted to both herself and Sam.

"What's his excuse?" Sam asked curiously.

"I think is reasoning is that he is the youngest in the family and therefore deserving of the most gifts." She explained.

"That's bullshit. Excuse for being preachy, but Christmas is not about gifts. If Otto doesn't appreciate all the shit that you do for him on an everyday basis, than I all I can hope for is that he'll be arrested for underage drinking and raped in prison." Sam said calmly.

"Where did that come from?" Reggie asked. Sam took a deep drag from the joint and threw it the glowing stub onto the ground, coughing out smoke.

"Shit, I'm high." He laughed and than a serious expression passed over his face. "Seriously Reg, you do stuff for Otto all the time. You give him rides, you help him with laundry and chores, you always defend him if someone talks badly about him which believe me, he deserves once in a while." Reggie laughed. "I think the best gift you could give is to kick him off of his pedestal and give him a well-deserved reality check. I'm sure Raymundo would enjoy that as well.

"Sounds like a good idea, but definitely not during the holidays."

"Word." Sam agreed. Reggie laughed.

"You are really high!" she pointed out.

"Yeah, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm nowhere near your level." Reggie laughed. "No offense Sam, but you've rolled fatter joints, not that his one isn't though. She reassured.

"I haven't smoked in the past week." Sam admitted.

"What? But you smoke everyday."

"I know, but…I wanted to save up some cash you know?"

"What for, a present for your parents? That's very nice of you Sam."

"Actually, it was for this-"He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. "It's for you." He said.

"Sam! You didn't have to get me anything." Reggie exclaimed, examining the box.

"Open it." Sam said. Reggie did so and pulled out a silver photograph frame enclosed around a picture of her and Sam from October. They weren't looking into the camera, but rather into each other's eyes, smiling. Both of them had wet hair from surfing and looked very happy.

"Sam, this is great!" Reggie gasped.

"Read the inscription on the back." Sam said. Reggie turned the frame over and read- We've had our share of bad times, but all I care about is the good. Love, Sam. Reggie looked up at Sam and without thinking twice, brought her lips to his. Sam returned her sentiment and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. After a minute or so, they separated.

"I miss that." Sam said softly.

"Sam, this gift...it's great. Thank you so much."

"Yeah. Sure. You're welcome." Sam said. He sounded unsure about something, Reggie picked up on this.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm about to tell you some things, that I should've said a while ago. I don't know how you're gonna take them." He admitted.

"Whatever you have to say, say it. I don't want to be left in the dark by you." Reggie said. Sam nodded.

"Okay, well for starters, after I graduate next month, I'm moving back to New York. I have an apartment lined up and I think I'm gonna go to Columbia University. I've known about this for a while, and didn't say anything. For that, I am sorry. I won't be here to watch you graduate or hang out with you in the summer." He looked at Reggie. She was nodding in understanding although her face looked sad.

"And I love you. That's the other thing I wanted to say." Sam waited for Reggie to say something. She was silent for a bit, before standing up.

"I'll see you later Sam, it's late."

"What? But aren't we gonna talk about this?" Sam asked

"Not now. I don't want to cry now. We'll talk in a couple days. Merry Christmas Sam." And with that, Reggie walked away to the front of the house. Sam heard her car start up and drive away. He let out a sigh and softly said "Fuck." Before getting up and walking back into his house.

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Christmas day passed without a word from Reggie, to which Sam was not surprised. They both had to make up for lost times with their families. Sam's Christmas was quiet and joyful, but had an underlying feel of sadness.Paula and Stan got him things for his new apartment- cooking ware, posters, and a stereo system. This was their last celebration where it was just the three of them. In a couple of months, Paula would have a new child and all the time, energy and concern that she spent on Sam would be directed to the baby.

Throughout the day, Sam felt like he was in another world, separate from his parents. He tried to join in on conversation and be happy, but several times he found himself being ripped away from his thoughts by Paula's concerned voice. Reggie. He couldn't stop thinking about her and what was going to happen between them. The delicious Christmas dinner that Paula spent the day cooking tasted bland to Sam. All he could think about was his pending friendship with Reggie and how badly he wanted a cigarette.

Sam awoke on the day of December 27th to the sound of a ringing cell phone. He instantly knew it was Reggie, it was her ringtone. He sprang out of bed and picked up the cell.

"Hello?" he said eagerly.

"Sam, are you awake?" Reggie's voice replied.

"Yeah." He said while turning towards the clock. It was 4:30 am. "Why did you call so early?"

"I'm in your driveway right now. Can you let me in?"

"Yeah." Sam rushed towards the door and opened it as quietly as possible, as not to wake his parents.

"Hey." Reggie smiled. She had her hair up in a messy bun and was wearing sweatpants and a faded zip-up hoodie. She had obviously been in bed before coming over. Sam thought she looked beautiful.

"Hey." Sam grinned, pulling her inside. Reggie examined him and smiled widely.

"Nice shorts." She whispered and started walking towards his room. Sam looked down to realize he was only wearing a pair of plaid boxer shorts that he had gotten for Christmas. He caught up to Reggie as she opened the door to his room.

"Thanks." He smiled.

"Where'd you get them?" she asked

"For Christmas. From my mom."

"Aww, that's cute." Reggie said mockingly.

"Shut it." Sam smirked. "So what brings you here at such an ungodly hour?" Sam asked, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "Oh shit, let me put something on. Sorry about that." You aren't dating anymore, you can't just parade around half-naked in front of her you idiot,he cursed himself. He reached for a t-shirt that was lying on the floor, but another, much smaller and tanner hand stopped him.

"That won't be necessary." Reggie whispered. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him. Sam was totally caught off guard and Reggie had pulled away before he had a chance to kiss back.

"What was that for?" Sam asked. "Not that I'm complaining, but-"

"Stop talking Sam." Reggie snapped as she removed her hoodie and t-shirt. She pulled Sam back into a heated kiss, which he returned. After a few minutes, he pulled away.

"Wait, stop. I don't get it. Aren't we broken up? Can we just talk about this for a second?" Sam asked.

"I already told you. No talking. At least not until we're done." She replied.

"Done with what?" Sam asked stupidly. Reggie rolled her eyes and pushed him back onto his bed before straddling his hips. "Oh. That."

"Quiet you." Reggie murmured before covering his lips with hers.

Twenty minutes later, Sam found himself with Reggie, under the covers, naked and sweaty just like old times. Reggie had her head on his shoulder while rubbing his chest. Neither had said a word. The only vocal emissions that took place in the past twenty minutes were a series of grunts, moans and heavy breathing.

"Can I talk now?" Sam asked attentively.

"You just did." Reggie answered.

"Okay. What was that about?" He asked, knowing that she knew what that meant.

"What? You didn't like it?" she joked.

"Of course I liked it. But what does this mean for us? Are we together or are we just fuck-buddies? Why did you come over in the first place?"

"In all honesty, I missed you. And I was horny." She answered bluntly.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"No what?'"

"Go to sleep."

"But-"

"Shh, we'll talk later." Reggie promised

Sam conceded, laid back and closed his eyes. He drifted off to sleep almost instantly, Reggie close behind.

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2 months later

Sam hung up the phone with a smile. His mother had just given birth to a little girl- Lana. He looked out the window at the city below. Grey and cold, but full of life. Crowds of people fighting their way up the sidewalk, taxies crowding the intersections. Sam had been living in his new apartment for a little over month and it was starting to feel like home. He was the only one living there for the time being, once his friends graduated in another 3 months, they would move in too. They had already fought over who would get what room.

Sam turned his attention back to his room, to a framed photo sitting on his desk. He looked at the image of Reggie, smiling back at him and felt the strong urge to call her.

But he knew he couldn't. They had agreed to only call on Sundays. After a series of conversations, they had agreed to stay broken up for the time being. Reggie had received a scholarship at Stanford and couldn't turn it down, and they both knew long-distance relationships never worked. So it was agreed that they would only call each other on Sundays. But today was Wednesday, which meant he would have to wait.

Sam heard familiar voices in the living room and set the photo down. Jimmy, Davey, and Jane were sitting on the couch with a few bottles of champagne on the coffee table.

"How did you guys get in?" He asked.

"Our keys." Jimmy answered

"But you don't have your keys to the apartment yet." Sam shot back

"Which I why we stole your keys and had copies made." Davey said.

"And I was enjoying the privacy so much." Sam answered sarcastically.

"Seeing as how you don't have a girlfriend, I wouldn't doubt it. Just please clean it up when you're finished." Jimmy joked.

"Anyway," Jane said steering the conversation away from Sam's complicated love life "I heard you have a new sister, so let's celebrate the end of your parents complete devotion to you!" She held up a glass of champagne and grinned.

Sam smiled and took a glass off the table. Things between him and Jane were getting less awkward. It was like they had been platonic friends forever. The four of them clinked their glasses together and downed the champagne in single gulps.

"Let's have another!" Davey yelled. Jimmy and Jane whooped in agreement and re-filled their glasses. Sam brought the glass to his lips, but paused to the tune of his cell phone ringing. It was Reggie's ringtone.

"I'll be right back." He said to his friends, walked to his room and the shut the door.

"Reg?" he answered

"Sammy! Look, I know it's not Sunday, but I couldn't not call you today. You're a big brother!!" she said happily. Sam laughed. "I'm sorry if you were busy, I can call back on Sunday. I just wanted to say congratulations."

"No, wait! It's fine. I really wanted to call you earlier, but I didn't want to piss you off or anything." Sam reassured.

"Oh, Sam." Reggie said. He could tell she was smiling by the tone of her voice.

"So, have you seen this sister of mine yet? Because my step-dad didn't do a very good job describing her on the phone."

"She is so cute! Her hair is…" Reggie started listing the baby's features, but Sam wasn't catching any of it. All he could think about was how good it felt to hear her voice, and know that she was thinking of him.

FIN

A/N: Sorry the conclusion took so long. I've been extremely busy with school, but I could never let a story go unfinished. Reviews please!