Yo, KL21 here. Remember when I said that I wanted to have more of the story done before I posted. Well here is the next part of the story. It's the last finished chapter I have. That means that another one may not be coming for a while. Sorry to say that but I am letting you guys know in advance. I just ask that you don't hold it against me. I still enjoy writing for you guys and I will continue to do so.

Now that the sad news is out of the way, I give you chapter 2 of Dangerous Game. Written in Sam's POV.
Please read, enjoy, and review. Thank you.

Game On

"… maybe I'll forgive you… maybe." I ran upstairs. Before re-entering the studio I gave him a smirk. He got this look like I had hit him with a ton of bricks… Hmmm…Note to self: find a way to get a ton of bricks.

I slam the studio door. I don't know what game he's trying to play but he's not gonna win. I'm Sam Puckett and I've never lost and I certainly don't plan to lose now. I know that he needs me. I mean who would look after the dork if I weren't around. I hope he didn't think that I was the only one that wanted to pick on him. If that nerd only knew; every jock, every "cool" kid, even some of the teachers… all of them seemed to want a piece of him.

I noticed this, a couple of years ago when I had snuck out of detention to meet Carly and Melanie at the Groovy Smoothie. I passed the teachers lounge and heard Ms. Briggs and Mr. Howard talking.

"I hate all of my students. They keep saying that I eat pants." That had to be Mr. Howard. I know that was him eating that pair of pants.

"Me too. Do you know who I hate the most?" I listened only half interested since I was pretty sure it was me. "That Freddie Benson kid."

My eyes widened. I was absolutely shocked. Why would any teacher hate Freddie? He was the teacher's dream. He always had homework, always had answers, never had snappy comments… he was the perfect student. I had to stay for an explanation.

"He always has his homework and he always answers my questions correctly." She scoffed in disgust, "It makes me sick. I can't get him and he never does anything wrong so I can't give him detention."

This was the absolute dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life and I've actually sat through one of Freddie's computer lectures.

"I know and you know he's friends with that Sam Puckett so he's got to be a bad egg." Mr. Howard chimed in. I don't believe people still say bad egg. "I don't know how he's hiding it but mark my words… I will give Fredward Benson a detention."

This was when I decided that I would make it my personal business to make the lives of two particular teachers quite miserable. I couldn't let all of them start to heap their ridicule on him he would be crushed. His fragile dork mind couldn't take it.

So during gym, when I over heard a prank attempt, I put a stop to it. When I heard a group of the "cool" kids talking about him I hit the nearest one in the stomach. 'Watch what you say about him. I've staked my claim on him and anyone moving in on my territory will be dealt with.' I stood up for him… sort of. Of course he didn't know about all of these things but to just cut off our friendship like that, if it was that easy for him… were we ever really friends.

I mean… he cut our friendship off over a girl, and it was Kayla Stevens. She isn't worth his time. She has a reputation for infidelity, amongst other things. He would just end up crushed and that was the very thing I was trying to prevent. If he were crushed it wouldn't be fun to fight with him anymore. I definitely couldn't let that happen. He's the only one that puts up any fight when I mess with him. Carly's skin isn't as thick as his so I can't make fun of her and that pretty much exhausts my supply of friends. But, I digress. Maybe I can keep my mind from wandering if I sit down. That bean bag chair looks pretty comfortable.

The point is that it wouldn't have worked between Kayla and Freddie. Not because no one would ever love him… he actually seemed quite lovable, real boyfriend material… for someone else. It wouldn't have worked because she is a girl of questionable morals and lack of a conscious. She made Jake cry!!! And she didn't even care!!!

Whatever Freddie does, he throws his heart behind it. So whoever he dated had to be approved by me because a hurt Freddie meant that I lost a fighting partner and he was the only one I had.

I thought that he threw his heart into our friendship. But if he could cut it off so easily. I was obviously wrong… right? He wouldn't just throw his heart away like that… right? Not that I had his heart in the first place… right? I don't even want his heart… right? Ugh!!! Stop thinking like that Puckett. I need some food.

Spencer is on the couch crying. His hair isn't that bad. He's being a baby and it's kind of annoying now. At first I felt sorry for him but it wasn't anything a good haircut couldn't fix. He got a good haircut and now he's just whining. Those Shays always overreact. I wonder if their parents are like this. Their dad probably is. I mean straight A's are great but come on… a forty inch Hi-Def plasma TV… I think you should get more than one report card of straight A's before you get something like that.

Crap! Their refrigerator's empty. "Carly what happened to all of your food?" She was hugging Spencer. He really should get over it.

"Sam, you've eaten all of our food and Spencer refuses to leave the house until his hair grows back." She turned back to her brother and started rubbing his back. "You'll have to wait until I calm him down and then we can go to the store." Aw man. Now I have to wait? Now he REALLY needs to get over it.

After Spencer cried for another hour about how luxurious his hair was, he went to sleep. Now we're finally on our way to the store. I don't know what luxurious means but it sounds like the word luxury is in it and that means his hair doesn't need to be long. I'll just ask Freddie… Oh. Come on Puckett straighten your face up before Carly notices. You know she has a sense for when you're upset.

"What's wrong Sam?" Aw Chizz, "You look like you just lost your best friend, which I know isn't the case because I'm right here." She plastered this sweet smile that I usually beat people up for giving me. It always seemed to comfort me when she did it. It's still sickening sometimes.

Still, sickeningly sweet smile or not, I had to find a way out of this. Didn't she make a vow not to get involved in any fights between me and Freddie? That is my best bet. "It's about the fight me and Freddie had…" I had to make it seem like I wanted to continue. Carly held one hand up.

Success.

"I'm sorry you're having trouble with Freddie but after what happened to Spencer I can't get in the middle of you two anymore." We came to a red light, "I want to, but I have to stay out of it…" She zoned out again and started to caress her own hair like she was making sure it was still there. "…for my hair's sake."

Something inside me wanted to argue against this because I can't have Carly acing this way over her hair. She would eventually turn into Spencer. "This argument isn't even over hair." The other one wasn't about hair either but I'm hoping that she's been so upset that she wouldn't remember what the infamous hair incident (that's what I'm calling it now) was caused by.

"Neither was the other one." Double Chizz, "Allow me to remind you what mundane little subject ended up in what has become the most traumatizing moment in mine and my brother's lives," we pulled into the grocery store, Sir Foods-a-lot, parking lot. However, Carly was upset and that meant that she would finish her statement. "I believe that the first thing I heard was you saying that 'Pluto deserved just as much respect as any other planet', now my brother has a breakdown once a week because… of … frickin… Pluto." She threw her best glare at me. Not bad for a beginner but it could use work.

"He's down to one a week?"

"Not the point."

"Sorry."

"The point is that he now has to see Gibby's therapist twice a week." She's getting better at this whole glare thing.

"Why Gibby's therapist? Doesn't Gibby give her enough to deal with?"

"He goes to Gibby's therapist because, apparently, she specializes in 'Sam' caused trauma." She throws another glare at me. This glare is almost a Freddie glare. In fact, the only difference is that Freddie isn't behind it.

"Well why don't we find him a date?" This should get him off his big crybaby butt.

"I'm listening."

"Well I'm thinking that if we find him a girl that likes his short hair then he will feel better about it not being so 'luxurious'." I put luxurious in finger quotes. Carly giggled and I sighed, inwardly, with relief. Crisis averted. Then my stomach growled, well at least one crisis was averted.

We finally entered the store and it just felt magical. I couldn't believe that I had gone so long without eating. Surely enough I found a bag of chips and paid for them and ate them outside of the store. Carly was with me because she decided that if I was going to eat her out of house and home the least I could do was help with the shopping. It seemed like a fair trade. So here we are outside of the store, people watching and trying to find a girl for Spencer.

"Sam..." Uh-Oh. I know that tone and that only means she is going to meddle. I thought I had avoided this. "What is going on with you two?" Let's see if I can get out of it this time.

"There's nothing going on between me and Spencer." Gross, I know. But I don't have a lot of options.

"Gross, Sam, not him. He's got like twelve years on you." I probably should've known that it wouldn't work but I was desperate. "I meant you and Freddie."

"He's just Chizzed because I told Kayla Stevens he had Herpes." I'm not ashamed of it. I had my reasons for doing it.

"Sam!?! You started that rumor?" She's overreacting again. "He was perfectly capable of getting rejected without your help." Now that I think about it… She's right. Freddie's right; maybe I should think things through a little bit before I act. Straighten up Puckett… "Sam?" Chizz. Chizz. Chizzety. Chizz-Chizz. "Seriously, tell me what happened." She means business this time.

I've got no choice now. "We fought about it for a while… then he said he was done."

"He's never announced the end of an argument before."

"No… He said he was done being… friends."

The look on Carly's face was for lack of a better word… flabbergasted, "What do you mean? He's not our friend anymore?"

"Just mine." If Carly's eyes bulge any further they might actually end up on the pavement.

"But what about…"

"He'll still do the show."

"but… what about…"

He just won't talk to me."

She took this as a sign to gather herself. "Sam the show isn't important. What matters is getting our friend back."

I can't believe what she is suggesting. Is she seriously suggesting that I go and crawl back to Freddie like I'm the one in the wrong? Not me… not Sam Puckett. I didn't start this little game of his but I will certainly finish it. "No."

"What do you mean no?"

"Look you know about Kayla Stevens just as well as I do. You saw Jake crying under the bleachers. You also saw Kayla and her lackeys laughing about at lunch. I did nothing wrong and I won't apologize for it. Heck, I don't even apologize for stuff that I know is my fault." She's upset but I'm serious this time. And no amount of sickeningly sweet smiling can change that. "He's overreacting and eventually he will get over it. He'll realize what he is without me and come crawlin back; begging me to forgive him." I will, I always do; it's just nice to see him squirm.

"But…" wait for it, "I mean…" here it comes, "fine." She sighs and it's over finally. She knows when she's beaten. Maybe we can finally go get something to eat.

Whatever game he decides to play is his business but when it involves me it becomes my business. And when a game becomes my business then I make it my business to win it.

"You know Sam… not everything is a game." What is she a mind reader, "and not every game has a clear cut winner and loser."

"What are you…"

"Just something to think about. For the time being I'm gonna stay out of it until you guys need me." There's an angle to this but I'm far too hungry to try to figure it out.

What did she mean by that? If one person wins the other person loses. It's that simple, at least it is with Freddie. Eventually he'll realize that he's lost and he'll be back, he always comes back. That's one reason I've always stuck around… he would always be there. No matter what I did… he was always there. How can he just not be there now? It doesn't make any sense. That's another reason I know this is just some stunt he's pulling. It's not logical to just cut yourself away from something and if your heart is attached then it's almost impossible. Not that I have his heart… do I? I certainly don't want his heart… do I? Ugh… these thoughts again. I gotta get some food in me. "You ready Carls?"

"Sure let's go." She sure is chipper. Whatevs. The more upbeat she is, the less questions she has and that is fine with me.

Alright… you wanna play Benson, then, let's play but in case you've forgotten… Mama Plays to win.

So there we have it. Chapter 2 is in the books (no pun intended. (unless you thought it was funny)) tell me what you think.

I know my introduction sounded kinda confusing so I will explain. This is not the absolute final chapter. That would be cruel and quite unusual and that is unconstitutional. That being said I will not be updating again until I have a few more chapters finished. Sorry but it's the best way to keep the confusion out of my updating habits which, if gone unchecked, can get really bad. Sorry if I caused any confusion earlier but hopefully I've cleared it up.

Now for the part I call the wrap up. Again I would like to know how I'm doing with the first person. If you have any suggestions on who's POV the nest chapter should be on I'm always open to other's ideas. If you think the story's lame let me know, tell me what I could do to make it better or even to stop altogether. Or just leave general comments on the story (I'm really craving attention right now, for some reason.)

Regardless of my neediness, Review if you like (I hope you do) If not, thank you all for reading my story and I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
until my next update
Deuces
KL21