Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 3

Reggie wanted to stay in her house for the rest of the weekend in order to avoid running into Sam. But on Sunday night, she received a call from Sherry reminding her about the presentation they had to due in History class the next day. Reggie found herself sitting on the floor of Sherry's bright yellow bedroom creating note cards while Sherry worked on a poster.

"So where did you run off to on Friday night?" Sherry asked. Reggie knew this question was coming and had already developed a fake excuse.

"I started puking from the tequila and had to walk home."

"You walked home by yourself? Reg, you know that's stupid, even if this town is dead at 2 am."

"Actually, Sam helped me back." Reggie lied.

"So that's where Sam went. Everybody was looking for him. Well that is his job- too bad he could never make a career of that."

"Yeah." Reggie looked down at her textbook, pretending to read a passage before asking "I hope you don't mind me asking, but why did you two break up anyway?"

"It's kind of weird to explain, but after a while we both noticed that there was only a physical attraction that was keeping us together."

"But you guys are such good friends."

"Yeah, that was the problem. When we weren't making out, we just joked around. It was like we didn't have enough in common to have a deep conversation with each other. Sam's a smart guy, no doubt about that, but we just couldn't connect fully on an emotional level that most couples do."

"Really?"

"I know it's hard to understand, but we just didn't fit…well emotionally we didn't fit." Sherry smirked. Reggie noticed a far-off look in her eye as if she was replaying her physical intimacy with Sam inside her head.

"So you two…"

"Had sex? Yeah, but only after we were together for four months."

"You kept him waiting?"

"He kept me waiting. We had done plenty of other things before that, but he never made a move to actually stick it in me. I was the one who had to make the first move if you can believe it."

"Really?" Reggie asked.

"Yeah. It's not like he didn't want to, he reassured me this after our first time, but he just didn't want to feel like he was pushing me into anything I didn't want to do." Reggie nodded, contemplating if she should ask her how he was in bed. But Sherry beat her to it. "You'd think such a big guy like Sam would be very domineering in bed, but he was actually really gentle…and sweet. The first time he asked me about ten times if I was sure that I wanted to do it." She laughed.

"Do you miss you're relationship with him?"

"Well, I know that in the long run, we would've never work out together like I said earlier. But physically, I miss him pretty bad sometimes." Sherry admitted. She lowered her voice although they were the only two in the room. "Just between you me, Sam and I sort of have a 'friends with benefits' thing going on."

"So, you're still sort of dating him?"

"I don't think you can call it dating. I can count the number of times we've hooked up on one hand since our break-up. It's purely based on carnal needs. If I ever have an itch that desperately needs to be scratched and I don't feel like making the effort to find someone- I call Sam."

"Does Sam ever call on you to scratch his itch?" Reggie asked.

"Nope, but I don't take that as an insult. I know what Sam's like. He just doesn't want physical intimacy, he wants emotional intimacy. But, being a guy, he's always willing to throw me a bone once in a while." Sherry explained. "His bone that is." She added with a smirk.

Reggie nodded in understanding and focused her attention back to her note cards. Sherry examined her with a curious look on her face.

"How come you've never asked me about my relationship with Sam before?" Reggie felt her face turn red. She had never really known why she wasn't interested in the details about their relationship, but the other night had changed that.

"I don't know. It's just hard to think of Sam in that way. Remember when we were kids and Sam was this nerdy, chubby, cautious boy who could barely keep his balance on a skateboard?"

"Yeah, but Reggie we were kids. We've all changed since then. Hell, I used to wear overalls everyday and Twister never put down and that fuckin' camera!"

"But, it's just so weird, him turning into a jock of all things."

"People change a lot during adolescence, and I'm not just talking about puberty. We develop new interests; we hang out with different people. Why are you stuck in the past?"

"I guess because Sam and I fell apart and neither of us made an effort to stop that." Reggie explained, shuffling through her notebook.

"You guys seemed pretty chill with each other the other night at Greg's." Reggie's head snapped up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sherry was a bit taken back by Reggie's accusing tone.

"Well you were talking to him for a while."

"Oh, yeah…we were. It was actually the most I've talked to him in three years." Sherry eyed Reggie, putting the pieces together.

"Oh my god…you hooked up with him!"

"What?"

"Come on Reggie, you're totally blushing. You definitely did more than talk with him." Reggie had trouble reading Sherry's voice. She couldn't tell if her friend was shocked or angry. She decided to come clean.

"We kissed, but that was it. I'm so sorry Sherry, I can understand if you hate me now."

"Don't be stupid, I'm not mad. Sam and I aren't married or anything and you're free to kiss any guy who's single, as long as I don't have a crush on him."

"But I broke the first rule of any friendship! Never hook up with your best friend's ex."

"I'm pretty sure Sam is an exception in this case. Do you want me to be mad at you?" She asked.

"No, of course not!"

"Good. Because I'm not. Now give me some details…was he as good for you as he was for me?" She asked in a sultry voice.

"Oh shut up!" Reggie laughed with relief.

"Come on, I told you about our sex life, the least you can do is tell me where you kissed. Was it in one of the upstairs bedrooms, the closet, or the bathroom?"

"It was in the neighbor's pool."

"Ooooh!! That sounds hot!" Sherry gushed. "What were you wearing? Fully clothed or just underwear. Or was it in the buff?"

"We were both in our underwear." Reggie admitted.

"Please tell me Sam was wearing boxer briefs."

"He was, why does that matter?"

"I just love that mental image. It brings back good memories."

"You are so boy-crazy."

"Yeah whatever, so do you think anything will come of this?"

"Uh, well maybe major awkwardness… I kind of ran away without any explanation."

"Why the hell would you do that?"

"I don't know…I was drunk and I thought I'd made a mistake. Do you think he will ever talk to me?"

"Well how did he react to you just running off?"

"Kind of upset. He wanted to talk about it, and I just couldn't handle it at the moment. What should I do?"

"Well we don't have school tomorrow, so I guess you'll have to find them after their game. You better hope they win though, because I'm pretty sure neither he nor the rest of the team will be in the mood to talk to anyone if their season is over." Reggie could only nod in agreement.

The Ocean Shores football team was victorious in their last game of the regular season. They had won by a single field goal in the last minute of the game to roaring applause of the student body and booster club. Sam removed his helmet and wiped the sweat of his face. There was blood on his chin and uniform from a nasty block in the third quarter by a player on the opposing team who was nearly twice his size. Sam had stuck it out though, refusing to let a second string player take his place. He knew he would have a prominent shiner on his chin and his mother fussing over him, but it was worth it.

Reggie had let out a high-pitched scream when she saw Sam get taken out by the mammoth player on the other team; luckily it was drowned out by the shouts from the Ocean Shores crowd cursing out the referee for not throwing up a yellow flag.

The coach called the players in for quick congratulatory speech before herding them onto the bus. The game took place an hour away from Ocean Shores, but that hadn't stopped their friends and family from coming to support them. Reggie felt Trish nudge her shoulder.

"Come on Reg, we gotta get out of hear before the parking lot turns into a madhouse."

"Yeah, plus we have to go get ready for the victory party at Greg's!"

"He's having another party? Does that kid even have parents?" Reggie asked.

"Yeah, but they go out of town on business trips a lot. And besides, this isn't just any party- Greg said that this one is going to make the last one look like a junior high dance." Sherry said.

"He already has a shitload of liquor and two kegs in his garage! Whether or not they won tonight, the team was planning on getting shitfaced." Trish added.

"Also, it's Varsity team only. That means upper classmen only so that not one drop of alcohol will be wasted on freshmen." Sherry said. Reggie was hesitant about returning to Greg's house for another shit show and having to face Sam again. But she knew that he couldn't be avoided forever.

"Let's go." Reggie agreed.

By the time Reggie, Sherry and Trish had returned home, gotten ready and reached Greg's house; the party was well underway. The inside of the house seemed way more packed than the last party despite the absence of freshmen. But Trish pointed out that the nearly the entire senior class had come. The crowded house made it difficult for Reggie to find Sam, but she decided to just enjoy herself until she finally ran into him.

Meanwhile, Sam had somehow found himself in the basement chatting with a few girls on the soccer team. The cut on his chin was left un-bandaged as it had already scabbed over, but it nonetheless sparked sympathy amongst the girls surrounding him.

"Did it hurt?" one of the girls asked.

"Not really. I didn't even notice it until someone told me I had blood on my uniform. If anything it stings now more than it did when I was hit."

"Well I know I perfect remedy for that." Another girl said while handing him a shot of rum. Sam took the shot without hesitation; he was already drunk despite the fact that it was still early in the night's festivities. He soccer girls yelped with excitement and poured him another shot. Sam looked around at the crowded basement, trying to spot a Reggie, but she was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, Reggie was upstairs searching the crowded house for Sam while taking moments in between to drink. She saw Sherry standing next to one of the kegs, chatting with a dark haired boy on the football team.

"Hey have you seen Sam?" she asked them both

"Not for awhile, but I'm sure he's around. Why you need to talk to him or something?" the boy said

"Or something…" Sherry slurred with a grin.

"Oh shut up."

"Relax Reg, it's a party. Here have a beer." Sherry said while pushing a plastic cup into her hand.

"I just really need to talk to him." Reggie pleaded. "If you see him, can you tell him I'm looking for him?"

"Don't worry about that now. Just enjoy yourself, chug that beer and let's hit the dance floor!" Sherry urged. Reggie decided to comply, knowing that searching for Sam was a waste of time. As long as she stayed close to the main alcohol supply in the kitchen, she knew she would spot him. He had to get thirsty sometime.

Several hours later, Reggie was thoroughly drunk and completely forgot about her previous search for Sam. She took a break from dancing to grab a mixed drink in the kitchen. After filling the bottom of a cup with vodka, she looked around for juice of some kind, but it was nowhere to be found. She spotted Greg leaning against the counter and called out to him.

"Hey Greg, where are all the mixers?"

"We ran out up here, but there should be plenty down in the basement fridge. I'll get some."

"No, that's okay I can do it." She started stumbling towards the basement door. Greg noticed her shaking stature and grabbed her elbow so she wouldn't fall.

"Well at least let me help you, those stairs can be a bit dicey on the way up." Greg said. They walked downstairs and to the crowded basement. The action wasn't as much as upstairs, but instead rather mellow. People were standing around, drinks in hand, laughing and joking. A couple was making out the couch with no acknowledgement to the party around them. Reggie waved at some of her friends as she and Greg pulled out cartons of juice from the fridge. Greg poured a bit of cranberry juice in her cup and they turned to walk back upstairs. After Reggie took a sip of her drink, she glanced over at the couch with couple playing tonsil hockey and stopped in her tracks. She didn't know the girls name, but knew that she was on the soccer team. The boy on the other hand was very familiar looking- it was Sam.

Reggie started screaming obscenities at him, drawing the attention of Sam and the entire room. She wasn't even sure what she was saying, but the look on Sam's face told her that she was certainly making a point. She ended her rant by throwing her cup in his face, cranberry juice splashed over his hair and face and stained the couch. She turned on her hell and stormed out of the room filled with silent onlookers and drenched Sam.

"Shit." Sam mumbled while wiping off his face with a towel that was handed to him. He made no move to follow Reggie, knowing that the rage she just displayed meant she was in no mood to talk to anyone.

Sherry spotted a sobbing Reggie elbowing her way through the crowded living room and towards the front door. She called out her name and tried to follow but by the time she stepped out of the house, Reggie was nowhere in sight.

"What the fuck was that about?" She said to herself while walking back inside. After crossing the threshold of the door, she found herself face to face with Sam. She was about to open her mouth to tell him what Reggie had just done but when she saw his stained shirt still wet with cranberry juice, she didn't have to ask what happened. Sherry glared at Sam, catching him off guard. She had never given him a dirty look before. Sam let out a sigh, shrugged and walked past her out the door.