Gee, That Went Well.
That night the girls welcomed Harrison with a little too much enthusiasm, deferring his questions while they grabbed pizza and drinks. Plates in hand, they sat around the table in the kitchen.
"Ok guys, what's up?" Harrison said, looking from one girl to the other.
"Well, Harrison..." Brooke began. She stood up, then, her nerves failing, quickly sat back down.
"Harrison," Sam began, "this isn't easy to tell you, but..."
"But what?" he interrupted, seemingly growing impatient.
"I'm gay Harrison," she finally blurted out. She was looking him right in the eye as she said it.
"What!" he shouted, looking convincingly stunned. "Oh no! You're fucking kidding me! Not you too. My mom was bad enough without you going rug-muncher!"
"Harrison," Brooke scolded, "there's no need to be offensive."
"There sure as hell is – I'm offended. My ex-best friend, my almost girlfriend, turns out to be a fucking dyke freak. What do you want me to say, 'hey maybe we can double-date?'"
"Ok, I... I thought you'd be more mature about this," Sam said, standing.
"I'm being perfectly mature. I just think it's bullshit, that's all," he snorted, rising to face her.
Brooke jumped up as well, blurting out, "I'm gay too Harrison."
"What!" Harrison managed to sound genuinely surprised.
"No Harrison! I am... and... and I'm with Sam."
Harrison looked at the two girls as they moved closer together. Sam took Brooke's hand. None of them spoke for what seemed like several minutes.
Finally, Harrison said, staggering backwards, "You fucking bitches! You were totally playing me the whole time." He held his hands up to his face and he walked around the kitchen.
He turned to glare at Sam. "And you – feeding me all that bullshit about easing off and being a friend to Brooke – you were getting me out of the damn way."
Brooke stared at Harrison, then Sam, a puzzled expression crossing her face.
"That's not true, Harrison" Sam said, walking towards him. "I didn't even realize..."
"What?" he interrupted, "you didn't realize that I might not like being tricked."
"Sam?" Brooke said, walking towards them. "What...?"
"She told me to back off," Harrison, said, turning to Brooke. "She said you needed 'space' and I should just be your friend."
He turned back to glare at Sam. "And you gave me all that crap about being 'like family' and..." He turned his back to them, placing his hands on the counter top. They couldn't see he was smiling.
"And you told me that you loved me. I'm such a tool. Were you after her last year too?"
"What!" Sam shouted. Brooke was staring at the floor.
Harrison turned around, his smile fading before the girls could see it. "Were you after her when you made me choose between you?"
Sam wiped tears from her eyes. "No, Harrison, I was not 'after' Brooke, I was confused last year – we both were. I've never lied to you."
"Really? Funny – I just don't believe you."
Harrison walked out, slamming the door behind him, setting Mac off on a crying fit.
Moments later, Sam stood, holding Mac, calming her with soft words. Brooke was shaking her head.
"Brooke," Sam said, "You know that stuff he said..."
"When did the two of you have this 'talk?'" she asked.
"Before we – you and I – got together. I just wanted him to stop pressuring you to get back together. You were still learning to walk, for God's sakes! I had no idea, that we were going to..."
The baby started crying again, disturbed by Sam's raised voice.
"It's okay – it's okay, I get it, you were trying to help," Brooke said. Together they tried to sooth the baby.
Outside, Harrison stopped and turned back to the house, smiling. He posed like he was holding something up to his chest.
"I'd like to thank the Academy..." he said to no one in particular.
After the girls had put Mac to bed, they sat on the couch, staring forward.
"That went well," Brooke sighed.
"Hey!" Sam said, turning to face her, "it's like I said this morning, I love you and you love me. If he can't handle it, then fu– to hell with him."
"He was your best friend since you were kids. How can he act like that?" Brooke's hands were clenched into fists.
"He thinks I betrayed him. He thinks I used our friendship to get to you." Sam's eyes were starting to tear up again.
Brooke put her arms around Sam, pulling her into an embrace. "It's okay Sammie, I've got you."
Sam cried in Brooke's arms while Brooke rocked her gently back and forth, soothing her.
Finally, Sam sat up. "Mom and Mike'll be home soon. I should clean myself up."
"How do you think they're going to react?" Brooke asked.
"Hopefully, whatever they say, they'll be saying it to us over the phone when we're at college," was Sam's smirking reply.
"I'm serious Sam! Too many people know. Somebody's going to tell them."
"At this point, even if Harrison shoots his mouth off, it's just a rumor. No one'll believe him. Besides, it'd just make him look bad if he starts telling people we both dumped him for each other."
"Well," Brooke smirked, "I think it was a trade up – for me anyways."
That made Sam smile. "Well, it certainly was for me, princess."
"Good," Brooke said, moving nose-to-nose with the brunette. "As long as we're clear on that."
Moving closer Brooke kissed her girlfriend, jumping back when she heard their parents coming home.
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A/N: Thanks to lucydiamond for Beta'ing. Hope if you're reading this that you aren't put off by the wait (work, life, etc. keep taking up my time).
And if you're reading this - Thank You : )
I know it seems to have "mellowed" since the 1st few chapters, but I think it'll pick up pace shortly. I've also written part of the climax and the epilogue, so there's an end in site crosses fingers