"Stacey! Hey Stace!"

Sam broke into a sprint as he called out to the blonde girl who was speedily walking away. He finally caught up to her and grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey," he said, "didn't you hear me calling you?"

"Oh I guess not," she said, not meeting his eyes.

"What's going on," he smiled. "I haven't seen you for months."

"Nothing much," she shrugged. "Listen Sam I gotta go I'm really busy."

"Wait a minute," he said grabbing her hand. "I haven't seen you in months," he repeated.

He went to pull her into a hug but was stopped by a hand dropping on to his shoulder. Sam hadn't noticed the guy standing next to her.

"Can I help you?" the stranger asked.

"I dunno can you?" Sam replied cheekily.

"Sam this is my boyfriend," Stacey said, finally managing to pull her hand away from him.

"Oh," Sam said. He was at a loss to say anything else. Boyfriend? What did she mean? Stacey dated boys, as in plural. She didn't have a boyfriend. He was her...

"Boyfriend?" Sam repeated.

Stacey nodded her head before collecting the strangers hand with her own. He was older than her, Sam could tell. He might have been older than Sam but he had no way of knowing for sure.

"Listen Sam I really gotta go," Stacey said. "I'll see you around."

She walked on.

oxoxoxoxo

Sam paced around his bedroom at Watson's house. He had come home for a fortnight of his summer holiday. He was really hoping he could catch up with Stacey. He had missed her like crazy. Whenever he called lately she always seemed to be out, and she never returned any of the messages he left with her mother. She used to call him all the time, she used to write him letters, she used to be happy when she seen him.

So what the hell had changed?

"Kristy!" Sam bellowed into the hallway.

"What!" his little sister screamed back.

He didn't reply, knowing if he didn't say anything she would come to his room. Sure enough a minute later she was standing in his doorway looking particularly annoyed.

"What's up with Stacey?" he asked, deciding to be straight forward.

"What do you mean?" Kristy asked looking stunned. "I mean why do you care? You dumped her years ago."

"Who's that guy she's with?" Sam demanded, ignoring his sister's questions.

Kristy shrugged. "I don't really hang with Stacey too much any more. I just know the guy she's dating is called Troy."

"How long has she been seeing him? Is it serious?" he asked her, tapping his fingers with agitation.

Kristy rolled her eyes. "I don't know," she scoffed. "Ask Stacey if you're so interested."

Sam just growled with annoyance and sank back on to his mattress and Kristy left him to himself.

Clearly Kristy was a useless source of information. He needed to talk to somebody who knew. Somebody who knew Stacey very well.

oxoxoxoxo

"Hey Mrs McGill," Sam smiled brightly as Stacey's mother opened her front door.

"Hello Sam," Maureen smiled back just as enthusiastically. She had always liked him. "Are you looking for Stacey," she asked after inviting him into the house.

He shook his head no. "I'm just here to say hello."

"Oh well aren't you sweet," she said.

"I hope she's doing okay," Sam said after taking the seat that was offered to him.

"Who Stacey? Oh yes she's doing fine. Can you believe she's going to college next year. Oh but look who I'm talking too. It seems like just yesterday you were leaving for college yourself."

He smiled again before replying, "I haven't really talked to her for a while. She must be busy."

"Yes I suppose she is," Maureen nodded, "what with school and her new job."

"Oh she works?" Sam asked genuinely surprised.

"Yeah she works at the aquarium supply store. That's where she met Troy."

"Oh she never told me that he worked with her," Sam said. He wasn't lying really, she'd never told him anything about this supposed new boyfriend.

"Well he doesn't really work there of course, he just helps his father from time to time."

Sam groaned inwardly of course Troy Peckham, but he had been in Charlie's grade...which made him at least twenty one.

"Don't you think he's a little old for her." Sam tried to keep his voice even.

"Well she's always been mature for her age," Maureen shrugged, "and Troy is such a sweet boy."

Sam snorted, that guy was no boy. He was a man. Stacey was dating a man. What the hell had happened here?

"Well I suppose I'd better be going Mrs McGill," Sam said rising from his seat. He was trying not to think about the kind of things a man would expect from his Stacey.

"Oh really, okay." Maureen interrupted his thoughts. "Do you want me to tell Stacey you stopped by?"

"No that's alright," Sam raised his hands in protest. "I'll see her later."

He walked back to his car knowing what he said had been a total lie. He wasn't going to see her later. He wasn't going to see her at all. Clearly this was one ship that had sailed.