Nic was staring at herself in the mirror. She heard the bathroom door open and close but paid it no mind. Who cares who saw her in a daze staring at her self anyway? She was having a mini crisis. A mini crisis caused by seeing Sam. Caused by seeing Sam in what had to be jeans blessed by God. It didn't help that her heart simultaneously sped up and stopped when it caught a glimpse of its long time love. Nicole washed her hands in a need to be doing something other then staring at her self, completely oblivious of her surroundings. "What's my problem anyway? I mean just because I haven't seen Sam since..." Nic started thinking to herself out loud.

"Since the day you asked me to be your date to Grad Night then stood me up?

You're right Nic, I have no idea what could be wrong with you as it was entirely your choice not to show up. I guess I only have myself to blame for believing you… For not seeing the invitation for the big game, it so obviously was. 'Lets trick Spam into thinking I care about her and if I'm lucky she'll be the only loser not to go to Disneyland with the rest of the seniors.' Is that how it went Nic? Was it as fun for you as you thought it would be?!" Sam asked, all but screaming the last sentence.

When Sam first came into the bathroom she had every intention to just come in, get a few quick looks at Nicole then walk out. However, when she saw the way Nic seemed to be just staring at her self… By the time she heard her ask herself what was wrong with her, the hurt and resentment from being stood up all came rushing back as if it had happened just three days ago instead of the actual three years.

In her shock Nicole bore an uncanny resemblance to a fish out of water. Yet as her shock wore off, all of her own hurt and anger came back with a fury. However, instead of shouting, when Nic next spoke it was with a touch of ice in her voice.

For Sam this was perhaps worse.

"I don't know Sam. Why don't you tell me how it felt making out with your sister only hours after confessing your feelings for me? I don't know what she did, but it had to be some kind of wonderful, because you sure didn't seem to be thinking about all your so-called feelings when I came to pick you up and found you inspecting the back of her throat with your tongue!

Was that YOUR plan? 'Ultimate payback on Satan from Spam and the Princess? Make Nic think you really return her feelings so she can come to pick you up only to have her heart shattered by what she saw?' Cause let me tell you if that's what you were aiming for, you passed with flying colors!"

Hearing the heartbreak and anger in Nic's voice changed everything for Sam. What Nicole had just said completely rewrote their history. She hadn't been stood up, that much was obvious. Nic had come for her, and then left because she saw Brooke kissing her. Suddenly all of Sam's thinking came to a stand still. Nic thought that she'd been an active and willing participant in a Brooke's kiss! "Wait! No, no, no! I didn't kiss Brooke!"

Nic chuckled mirthlessly with unshed tears in her eyes. "Right Sam, and I wasn't a bitch in High School. I saw you! How can you lie to my face? I mean sure, shouldn't be surprised. I mean, you did lie to me when you said..."

"I did not lie to you when I told you I loved you! And…" Sam started, interrupting Nic. However, before she could finish her own sentence, Nicole had returned the favor.

"Right! If you didn't lie then..."

"Shut up! And let me explain!" Sam hissed, pushing Nic against the sinks to keep her from walking away. "Look," she started, frustrated tears welling up in her eyes, further fueled by the intense hurt that she saw in Nicole. "Just...listen, please. That day, graduation day, I couldn't believe it..."

// "...Look around! This is the moment we've all been waiting for! This is our graduation and look at us! We made it! Look to the person beside you, Class of 2003! I don't care if the person sitting next to you is your most hated enemy. Lean over, and give them a kiss! Then when you're done throw your hat up because WE DID IT!"

Students all around her were kissing and throwing their hats up. In fact, Sam was pretty sure she saw Harrison in his pink frilly shirt making out with Freddy Gong...She didn't need to look to her right. She knew who was there. She requested the seat after all. It was Nic...

The blonde couldn't believe her luck. She was sure it was a sign from the lesbian gods that she was meant to at least tell Sam how she felt before it was too late.

However, how do you tell the girl you've been in love with since elementary school, which also happens to be your main 'enemy,' that you...

...love her? It doesn't really matter though. If this was her only chance to kiss the girl of her many dreams then... Nic would take what she could get.\\

"When you kissed me, it was like, waking up from the best dream only to discover that it had come true. I saw it in your eyes before you even said a word after the kiss. I knew then that you loved me. Then when you asked me to be your date to Grad Night, the only reason I knew I wasn't dreaming was the fact that my feet were hurting in the heels my mom had forced me to wear. I was so in love with you." Sam paused to give Nic a small smile.

------

"Hello, I have one surf and turf lobster meal, a never ending plate of crab legs and I also have a large bowl of fresh clam chowder."

"Oh great! Well, Nicky ordered the clam chowder but since she's in the bathroom why don't you take it back. And the lobster meal and never ending plate of crab legs is mine. So give it to me!" Mary Cherry exclaimed, happy to be getting her chance to help deplete the lobster and crab population...All while Lil Lily was watching, too!

"Umm...right. Why don't I just leave the clam chowder here...and when she comes back and the soup is cold, I'll give her a fresh bowl?" The waitress asked slowly watching Merry Cherry start to attack the crab legs.

"Mmmhmm wah-evah chu say," was Merry Cherry's mumbled reply since she was currently trying to crack a crab leg shell using her teeth.

------

"Oh jeez look at Mary Cherry eat! Can you believe she was popular? Look at those eating habits!"

"Eh, money automatically makes you," Lily started commenting while turning around only to see what Mary Cherry was eating. "OH MY GOD! She has like...the legs from three different crabs, a lobster and....is that a steak!?"

"It sure is. I'm her waitress as well and the crab legs plate she ordered is limitless. Judging by the look in her eyes when I sat it down, I only hope we don't run out. Anyway, what can I get you two ladies?"

"Well, I want the shrimp alfedo." Carmen said.

"Half or full plate?"

"Half."

"And you?"

"I'd like a half plate of vegetarian alfredo. Oh and our friend is in the bathroom but she wants a half plate of lobster alfredo."

"I guess you girls really like our alfredo, eh? Haha, well I'll bring you two some more fresh biscuits while your food gets ready."

"Ok thanks," Lily said.

"I wonder what's taking Sam so long." Carmen asked smirking, after the waitress had left.

"One guess and it starts with a N." Lily said as they both started laughing.

"You think they're making out or professing love?" Carmen asked.

"Not a chance. Not after her seven year crush." Lily said straight-faced. That is until she looked at Carmen and started laughing again.

------

Nic too smiled at the memory of that perfect day. But as her mind continued to drift, the painful memories of that night came into view. She instantly lost her smile as a few tears escaped from behind her eyelids. "Then why?"

Hearing Nicole's heartbroken question broke Sam's heart as well. Three years were lost, because of two misunderstandings. "Oh Nic," Sam said as she gently wiped her tears, "I did not kiss Brooke."

//"What the hell am I supposed to wear," Sam thought out loud as she looked in her closet, "Dressy, but casual - what the hell does that even mean!? If that's not an oxymoron then they need to redefine the word... Oh, hello little black dress...Ok I'm definitely wearing this, but ironing is a must."

***

"Wow Sam, you look hot!" Brooke said while leering at Sam in her dress.

"You think so? Thanks!" Sam said while getting a bottle of water, anxiously waiting for Nic to show up, see her in the dress and hopefully give a similar response.

"Yeah, you do! So I was thinking...Will you go with me tonight...As my date?" Brooke asked with false modesty. Earlier that day Lily and Carmen had pulled her aside to let her know of Sam's longstanding crush… On her.

Unfortunately, Brooke should have waited for Sam to swallow the water she had been drinking, since Sam ended up spitting it all out of her mouth and onto Brooke.

"Oh shit Brooke, I almost thought you were serious! Hahaha," Sam managed to get out between coughs.

This was defiantly not the response Brooke was expecting. "Sam, I wasn't joking. I want to go out with you. I'm in love with you too, Sam." Brooke finished smiling.

Sam, however, was in shock. Because...wasn't Brooke straight? And what the hell did she mean when she said she loved her too? "Uhh, Brooke what do you mean with `too'? I'm in love with..."

"Its ok Sam, you don't have to explain!" Deciding that actions speak louder then words, Brooke leaned in, grabbed Sam's face and pulled her into a kiss.

Sam, on the other hand was in shock and trying to breathe while Brooke attempted to inhale her face. After a few failed attempts Sam finally put her hands on Brooke's forehead and chest and pried her away from her lips just in time to not pass out. "Brooke!" Sam gasped, "What the hell was that!? You don't just kiss people while they're trying to explain things to you! I told you I have a date tonight! Imagine if she saw that? Jesus! I'm just going to go wait outside."\\

"And I waited. I waited out there for 30 minutes before I called your house. Your maid told me that you had left over 40 minutes prior and had assumed you were going on a date. I was crushed and felt like I was set up. You know, one last laugh at the expense of Sam. So I called Lily and luckily they hadn't left yet. I spent the whole night at Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth, utterly crushed. But I put up the smile and had a few genuine laughs. I just couldn't get over you. That night I was simultaneously hoping I'd see you and dreading it at the same time. I wanted to yell at you for standing me up, but then I didn't think I could take you mocking me with my heart on the line. You never showed up though. I called your house the next day as well and I was told that you were out of the country on vacation. I was heart broken but I acted like everything was ok. I packed up my things and flew out to New York a month earlier then planned. I figured the only way to deal with it all was to, well not deal and just get new scenery. I started school and I haven't really talked to Brooke since." Sam finished, and then added barely above a whisper, "And there hasn't been a day where I didn't think about you."

Nic just looked at Sam. Staring at her face wondering how it was that it all got so fucked up. Why it was that they had to go these past three years feeling betrayed and hurt, but most of all with the hopelessness of loving someone who hurt you.

Suddenly she knew. "Brooke."

"What? No, Nic come on, I told you I didn't..." Sam started to defend herself again, thinking that Nicole was still on the one sided kiss.

"No, I believe you Sam, I do." Then to make sure Sam believed her she leaned up and gently kissed her on the lips. Smiling slightly at the feel of Sam's lips, as well as the way Sam still had her lips pursed and eyes closed after she pulled away,

Nic kissed her again then said, "Sam, I believe you. It's just that Brooke knew."

"She knew what? About the date?" Sam was confused, still slightly dazed from the kiss.

"No, she knew about my feelings for you. She was the only one who knew. I told her that I was in love with you when we we're just little freshman Populars in the making. She told me she didn't get what the fuss was about, because she personally didn't like you but that it was ok that I was gay. So imagine my surprise when I go to pick up the girl I've been dreaming about for years only to see her kissing my 'best friend that personally doesn't like you.' I was so crushed Sam. And I know now you weren't kissing her back, but then, then I just felt...so hurt. I did leave after that. I went home told my mom I needed to get away and was on the first plane to Paris." Nic said wiping away the few tears that came out at the memory.

"Oh baby…" Sam said as she wrapped her arms around Nicole not even noticing the term of endearment as it came out. She just held the shorter girl in her arms thinking how right it felt. "I'm so sorry."

"It's ok, it's ok." Nic said wiping away the remaining tears and smiling up at Sam. "Let's just forget it and start over. Samantha McPherson, will you go out with me tomorrow?"

"Yes, I will Nicole Julian. On one condition though," Sam said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Nic rolled her eyes, "Ok what?"

"You're taking me to Disneyland!"

"You got it." Nicole said shaking Sam's hand as if they had just finished a business transaction. However, while shaking hands they both noticed their watches and exactly how long they'd been MIA from their friends.

"Shit, we've been in here for 20 minutes! I'll be lucky if Marry Cherry hasn't put Red Lobster out of business by now." She then leaned in and kissed Sam, "See you tomorrow!" And with that Nic quickly made her way out of the bathroom and back to her table, seriously hoping her food was still there.

Sam for her part wore the goofiest grin all the way back to her table. Oh yes, the inquisition would be waiting for her.

tbc