In my last chapter I said Jack had "foster parents." I messed up, and meant for him to only have Sue. Thanks to sandygirl for giving me the suggestion of having Brooke go in on the Nordstrom woman!
Brooke Davis is not a woman to mess with. Nor was she ever. She had always been fiercely loyal and protective. This was clear at age nine when she pushed a girl into a swimming pool after the girl muttered the word bitch to Peyton. It was clear as she ruled the hallways of Tree Hill High. So when someone was stupid enough to mess with her daughter. Well it was even worse.
Her heels clicked and her head was high as she entered the Nordstrom that her daughter had gone into a few days before. She was on a mission. Rarely did she go to the mall. If ever. But this was a special occasion. A very special one indeed.
She walked up to the customer service counter and smiled kindly at the man behind, "Hi, is there a Miss Jeanine Frost around?"
The man grabbed the phone, "Gimme a sec to see if she's working now."
Brooke nodded and tapped her finger on the counter as she waited impatiently. The woman came out and Brooke instantly sized her up. She held her tongue for the moment. Meanwhile the woman instantly recognized Brooke. Her eyes went wide.
"Oh my. Oh my God."
The man gave Jeanine an odd look, "What?" Clearly he didn't recognize Brooke.
"Ms. Davis." She put out her hand and Brooke shook it,
"Hi. Is there somewhere you and I could talk?" Brooke asked.
The woman pointed to herself in disbelief. Why would THE Brooke Davis want to talk to her?!
"Yes. You." Brooke said still maintaining a semblance of politeness.
"What is wrong with you?" The man asked once more.
Ms. Jeanine just shook her head at him, "How do you not recognize who this is?"
He shrugged, "I really don't care."
"Can we please go somewhere to talk?" Brooke interjected, quickly getting annoyed.
"Of course. Of course." She led the way, "I can't believe you're here Ms. Davis! I mean, I know you live around here but actually coming into the store. That's so amazing!"
The woman kept gushing as she guided Brooke towards the back of the store and into a small office, "I'm the manager, so I have this office here. I might just be upgraded to a division manager soon."
Brooke gave a nod and sat down. "Ms. Jeanine."
"Please just call me Jeanine."
"Jeanine." Brooke corrected herself, "I understand there was a shoplifting incident not too long ago."
The woman's face fell instantly, "How did you hear about that? Yes, two little troublemakers came in here and tried to take one of your dresses. I knew it the moment they came in they'd be trouble. I have a gut for those sort of things. But it was all sorted out. Is that what you're here to talk about? I can assure you, it won't happen again. I really can't believe you're here!"
Brooke crossed one of her legs over the other, and sat taller on the chair, "How do you know they were troublemakers?"
"Well they tried to steal Ms. Davis."
Brooke took a deep breath, calming herself, before continuing, "No, you said you knew it when they came in. How did you know then?"
Ms. Jeanine felt a bit flustered. She could hear an edge in Brooke's voice, "Ms. Davis, do you mind me asking why this matters to you?"
"Do you mind answering my question first?" Brooke retorted.
The woman's eyes widened in a bit of surprise and decided to answer, "Well primarily their dress really. It all looked rather old, really. Especially the boy. He was ratty. They didn't fit in. They were just horsing around before looking at some shoes. I just knew."
"You just knew? You mean you took it upon yourself to generalize and stereotype two kids who came into this store?"
"What?" Now she felt attacked, and the ground around her felt like it was crumbling. "No, no, Brooke-"
"It's Ms. Davis, Jeanine. Only Ms. DAVIS." Brooke corrected her. She would not give the woman an inch.
"Yes, I'm sorry. Ms., uh, Ms. Davis." Jeanine's face flushed, "They, they actually stole the dress. I was right to think the way I did." She stopped herself. Why was she defending her actions? She shouldn't need to do this. "Wait, I'm sorry, why are you upset that-we, we stopped them from stealing a dress Ms. Davis. Your dress." The woman composed herself, "What, what's this all about?"
Brooke just shook her head, "Let me tell you why they stole the dress. They stole the dress to spite you. You saw and then treated them as vagabonds. You singled them out and told them to put the merchandise down in front of everyone. You shamed them and made them feel like less. Of course they stole! That's what you saw them as. Thieves. They reacted to spite you Ms. Jeanine. You are the reason they stole my dress. I don't blame those kids."
"But you weren't- You can't possibly know that!" Jeanine found her voice once more.
In that moment Brooke stood up placed her hands on either side of the woman's desk and leaned in towards her, "I can know this. And you want to know why? Because one of those vagabonds, as you unpoetically put it, is my child. She told me everything. What she did, why they did it. She told me."
Jeanine felt her heart stop. That's why the girl looked so familiar! She felt herself begin to sweat and she struggled to form a sentence. "I-I didn't know."
"No, you didn't. You didn't know, but you also didn't think how your actions affect customers Jeanine." Brooke was seething now. She leant in even closer, "My kid came here with her friend to buy some shoes but you were instantly suspicious of them. Do you know I have the power to pull all my merchandise from Nordstrom? I can do that. I can make a public press announcement and say that Nordstrom employees single out, what you call, "potential thieves," by using generalizations and ridiculous stereotypes. I can say that and point to my own daughter's experience as proof. Can you imagine the reaction? I can imagine the headlines now. And I would have the whole public behind me. I could tell corporate that it was your fault. You'd lose your job. I could even tell the public your name. Do you understand that I could do all of this?"
Jeanine was mute. It took her a moment. "Ms.-Ms. Davis, I'm so sorry-"
Brooke put a hand up, not wanting to hear any of it, "You know Jeanine, I hate when people mess with the ones that I love. Especially my daughter. But most of all, I hate when self absorbed jerks prey on the vulnerable. My daughter and her friend are both children. They're teenagers, the most vulnerable population of them all. They do not need some nonimportant Nordstrom manager telling them that they are somehow less human and less worthwhile as their other customers. And Jeanine, if you did it to them then I'm sure you do it with others. Am I right?"
"Yes, but-"
"But nothing! I can take you down Jeanine." Brooke put up one finger, "With one call. It's that simple. But guess what? I'm a nice person. I don't judge people that easily. I give people the benefit of the doubt. I came down here to explain to you that what you did to those two kids was wrong, and I really hope that I don't catch wind of it happening again. I don't know if you're married, or if you have children. I don't know your life. I don't know what made you so keen on discriminating against kids. But I suggest that you look deep inside and realize how twisted it is to do that. Get that higher than thou stick out of your ass and back off the judgement Jeanine. It doesn't look good on you. Although I doubt much would look good on you anyway." She couldn't help the last bit. She really was trying to contain it.
Jeanine could only nod in response and that was good enough for Brooke. She turned to leave and didn't bother saying anything else. The smirk on Brooke's face was pretty wide as she walked out of the store though. Mission accomplished.
… … …
As her mother was fighting the good fight Sam looked at the long hallway ahead of her and sighed. Sometimes she had days when she missed Southside. Today was one of those days. Southside High was rather simple for Sam. Sure she had only been there a few months before her parents had transferred her, but she had fallen into a routine.
She had Tamara and Jack. Sometimes they'd skip class. They'd run and run until the school was out of sight. The trio would jump fences, go into areas that had 'no trespassing' signs, and Sam would sit and watch as Jack skated. Sometimes she'd join in. It wasn't unusual for Tamara to bring her own stash of weed. She'd religiously offer it to Sam, but the girl usually refused. Sam had only done it once or twice. The high was fun and all, but it wasn't really her thing. Then, if police saw them trespassing they'd take off again and run. Running was Sam's favorite part. The three of them were invincible as their legs took them to their next destination, though they'd usually end up at Marcus's apartment.
Sam would then open up a book that she'd checked out at their school library and read. Jack would make fun of her for reading, when the whole point of skipping was to avoid doing that. Sam would just shrug and ignore the jab. If they did stay in school they'd spend their time in the hallways messing around and avoiding going into class for as long as possible. It wasn't uncommon for a security guard to drag them to class from their hiding place underneath the bleachers.
But a lot of times two of Sam's teachers always told her she was wasting her potential. They'd tell her she had to stay in class and participate. She was smart. Her teachers knew this. She did the work. She always did the work. The girl would shrug and say that she had good grades. They couldn't deny that, but a lot of them could see that she didn't care for her future past high school. She'd have good grades, but that would never translate to college applications, or acceptances. What was the point of her grades then?
"I don't have a future past this." Sam would tell them.
It hurt the teachers to hear that. Sam was only a freshman when she said these things. A new freshman at that, but yet, her hopes were already dashed. The teachers would only shake their heads at the unfortunate circumstances that kids like Sam had to deal with. But they really didn't do much past that.
Sam frowned as she kept looking at the long hallway of Tree Hill High. That was then. Now she couldn't imagine doing all of the things she'd done with her friends. At Tree Hill she was a great student. She had so much opportunity. Everyone cared about her success. Not just two teachers. There were counselors, and principals, club advisors, and other friends. Everyone wanted her to succeed. At Tree Hill she was coming to the end of her freshmen year with goals set beyond high school. Life had so drastically changed for her. Nonetheless, she felt a bubble of nostalgia overcome her. She tightened the strap of her backpack,
"Sammy!"
The yell made her snap out of it. It took her a moment, but she smiled slowly at Manny whose own smile was so wide all his teeth were showing.
"Hey Manny." Sam said as he put an arm around her.
"Ready for practice today?" The boy asked.
The pair and the club had their end of the year performance at the Tree Hill Talent showcase. It was their first official gig outside of school performances. Their club advisor was nervous as he was excited and was working the students harder than usual.
Sam shrugged, "I'm not excited to be tired as hell afterwards, but yeah I'm ready."
The bell rang and Manny rolled his eyes at the interruption, "Well I have some red bull for us to take, also have you seen Li-Oh, there she is. Lizzie! Liz!" He waved his hand at Liz who had just come through the school doors. She sped up a bit to catch up to her friends.
"Hey guys!" Liz smiled, "Sammy can your dad give me a ride home after school?"
The trio walked to Haley's class, "We have practice, and my dad's starting conditioning for his team. Can you wait that long?"
Liz nodded, "Yeah. I'll just be your critic for your practice."
Manny looked at her, offended by the idea, "You mean you'll be a spectator in awe because we make no mistakes."
"Sure dude." Liz laughed.
Sam realized how funny it was that she was part of a trio in Tree Hill too. Except at Tree Hill she talked about clubs, teams, homework, and well, normal teen stuff.
While in Haley's class Sam felt her phone vibrate. She took a peek and saw that it was Jack. They hadn't talked since the shoplifting incident on Saturday and it was now Monday. Her dad told her that he was going to talk to Jack on Tuesday. She knew her parents didn't want her to see him, but talking on the phone was different, right?
Haley was describing their final assignment, and Sam tried to refocus again on her instructions, but once again she felt her phone vibrate. It was Jack. The girl itched to go call him back. She waited for Haley to stop talking and stood up to get the bathroom pass when she began handing out the papered instructions. Haley gave her a side glance but didn't skip a beat as she focused on her class.
Sam now stood in a bathroom stall and dialed Jack's number.
"Hey." Came his voice.
"Jack, what's up, you called me twice."
"I'm here."
Sam squinted her eyes in confusion, "Where?"
"At your school."
Sam couldn't help but smile, "Wait, where?"
"I recognized your dad's car. I'm in the parking lot."
Sam thought for a moment. "Okay, well I can't skip aunt Haley's class, but wait for me under the bleachers."
Jack stayed quiet for a bit and Sam suddenly felt nervous. 'Calm down idiot. He's just being Jack.' She told herself.
' Yeah, sure." He finally answered.
When Sam walked back into class, she placed the pass back in it's place and headed to her seat. Everyone had gotten into groups to discuss their most recent book, and so she joined her friends.
Haley looked over the groups and noticed Sam looked preoccupied with her thoughts. Usually she was pretty engrossed in class. Haley knew that Sam hated when she paid extra attention to her, but she couldn't help it.
"Sam come up here for a sec."
Sam put her pencil down and pushed her chair out to walk towards her aunt's desk.
"What's up?"
Haley gave her a good look, "Everything okay?".
"Aunt Haley." She said in a low whine, "Stop."
Haley put her hands up, "I know. I know you hate when I take you aside during class, but you just seem preoccupied and it's not like you, at least not during class."
Sam looked over at her group then back at Haley. "Nothing's wrong. Can I go back now?"
Haley sensed the creeping attitude. She shook her head, "Watch the attitude. And if nothing's wrong then I want to see you participating and not staring off into space. Keep in mind that participation is part of your grade."
Sam wanted to roll her eyes and sass something back but she bit her tongue, "Okay. Got it." She groaned.
Haley waved her off with her hand and Sam turned back to her group.
Once class ended Sam booked it out towards the back door where the field and teacher parking lot was. She wanted to be caught in the hustle and bustle so it'd be less obvious as she walked out.
Liz and Manny looked at each other and shrugged. Sam was weird sometimes. That was nothing new. In a good way, of course. Weird in a good way.
But it was a shame that Haley noticed it too. The teacher just couldn't leave it alone. She walked towards the hallway and scanned quickly for Sam. She kept looking and knew something wasn't right when she didn't see Sam at her locker near her classroom as usual. Haley finally saw as the girl exited out the doors. She took a deep breath. There were five minutes of passing period so she pushed through the kids walking and went outside. Thank God her next period was her prep.
She picked up the pace a bit to get to Sam, "Hey!" She yelled, "Samantha!"
Sam stopped and gave out a long groan when she recognized the voice calling her name.
"What?"
"Get back inside." Haley ordered.
She came up with an excuse, "My project's in my dad's car. That's what I'm getting."
Haley wasn't buying it. She put a hand on her hip, "During passing period?"
"Yes." Sam said with conviction, "You're the one that's going to make me late."
Haley gave out a snort, "Samantha don't play me. Get back inside and I won't tell your father that you were trying to ditch."
They then both heard the bell ring.
"Now." Came Haley's stern voice.
But Sam couldn't do it. She couldn't leave when Jack was waiting for her.
"Aunt Haley-"
"Samantha Walker." Haley's voice was now austere, and the teenager noted it, "I will write you up if you don't come here."
Sam turned towards Haley against her will. Getting written up would surely mean her parents would once again find out she ditched. Last time, when her mother was sick and she ditched she had detention. They weren't so hard on her because Sam was so worried that day, but this time there really wasn't a good excuse. And if her dad found out it was because of Jack she wasn't so sure he'd go easy on her.
"God Aunt Haley!" She stomped over towards her.
Haley breathed a sigh of relief. She thought that Sam might put up a bigger fight. Well, she wasn't out of the woods yet. Sam still had a look of determination on her face, but Haley was pretty determined herself.
"Back inside, go to class. You're late."
Sam looked towards the field where Jack was waiting for her. "I-I can't."
Haley was running out of patience, "Why not?"
Sam looked at her shoes and was caught off guard when Haley pulled her, "Let's go inside Sam."
Sam dug her feet onto the floor, "No! I can't!"
Haley stopped and looked at Sam more curiously, "Samantha, what's going on? Do not lie to me. Either you tell me or I drag you back to class. Your choice."
The teenager, realizing that she was just prolonging the inevitable gave her aunt a piercing glare, "Jack's here, okay! He called me during class and he wants to see me."
Haley gave out a longsuffering sigh, "He skipped school to come here, so you could skip and see him as well?"
The teacher stared at the teenager. She could tell that Sam was more than a little frustrated with her for having caught her, but was also deseprate to see her friend.
"Where is he Sam?"
"The home bleachers."
Haley gave the girl a long glare, "Go to my classroom and I'll go find Jack."
When Sam didn't move, and only kept her scowl, the aunt slightly turned the girl and gave Sam a firm pat to her bottom, "Right now Sam, not ten years from now."
The girl didn't bother to respond. She stalked off, angry that her aunt was being so nosy. She wouldn't have even cared if Sam was just any other student. Sometimes her family was so annoying! Now Jack wouldn't be able to tell her what he wanted to.
It was probably ten minutes later when Haley came back with Jack in tow.
Haley watched as the two teenagers hugged. "I'm going to the teacher's lounge. I have to make some copies for my next class. I'll give you both ten minutes, and then Sam, I'm sending you back to class. You've already missed the first fifteen minutes."
Jack sat in a desk chair and Sam sat by next to him, "I'm sorry Jack. She caught me."
He shrugged, "It's okay. I just wanted to make sure that you're doing alright. Sue took my phone so I couldn't text or call you. Your parents aren't too mad right?"
Sam noticed some writing on the desk that had been penciled in. "Fuck This." It read. She traced her finger across it, "My dad wants to talk to you. I told them the truth."
Jack scratched at the surface of his skateboard, "Yeah, I know. Tomorrow. He called Sue and she told me. I'm so fucked."
Sam quickly looked up, "No, no! It'll be fine. I promise! He told me he just wants to see how you're doing. We can still see each other."
Jack chuckled a bit, "Sam, you're dad hates my guts. I'm not good enough for you."
"Yes you are Jack!" Sam's voice raised a little. Since when did he think these things?
Jack just shook his head, "Sam you're too-"
Sam suddenly felt defensive. She was always "too" something. Too childish. Too young. Too everything!
"I'm too what Jack?" Her eyes now narrowed, and Jack could tell he was crossing dangerous waters. But he wasn't one to back down from truth.
"I don't know. Just too naïve, I guess." He answered.
Sam felt heat prick her eyes and blood run to her ears.
"And you're too cynical. You weren't like this before." Her words were accusatory and he didn't like it. She looked and searched for answers in his eyes, "What's wrong Jack?"
Jack grabbed his stuff and stood up, "I gotta go. I don't wanna talk to your Aunt Haley about why I'm here anyways. When can we actually hang out?"
Sam rolled her eyes, "Oh so you wanna hang out with me even though I'm naïve?"
The boy slung his backpack over his shoulder, "Yeah, I do. You're still my best friend, and I wanna be with you for as long as I can before it all stops."
"You can always be with me." Her voice was soft. Sam felt hurt by his words. Why did it feel like all of a sudden he saw an ending to their friendship? She felt closer to him than ever before, yet he was pulling away.
He ignored her words, "So can we hang out or not?"
Sam felt dangerously close to crying. She wanted Jack to smile and hug her and be dopey like she was used to. "Y-Yeah, after my dad talks to you."
" 'Kay."
He didn't even bother giving her a goodbye hug or kiss, he just mumbled out a goodbye and headed out before Haley came back. Sam felt blindsided by Jack's change in demeanor. She was about to leave but Haley had come in. Too late.
"Where's Jack?" Haley inquired, taking notice that Sam looked more upset than before and her eyes were a little watery.
"H-he left."
Haley stepped closer to Sam who was grabbing at her bag, "Why? I wanted to talk to him."
"I don't know." The girl sniffed then turned to face her aunt, "Can you give me a pass to go to class? I'm sorry I tried ditching."
The woman could clearly see that something had happened. The teacher inside of her was telling her to send Sam to class, but the aunt inside of her wanted to sit the girl down and talk to her. The aunt in her won out. She gave the small teen a sympathetic look before turning and closing her door.
"Can you talk with me for a little bit?"
"I have class-"
"Would you even be able to listen in class the way you are right now?"
"I'm fine." The girl weakly defended herself.
"You're not." Haley took her by the arm and sat her down in her chair.
"Will you tell me what's wrong?" Her voice was not hard like before. It was sweet. It was concerned. That voice always made Sam vulnerable.
"I don't know." The girl answered honestly, "He's been acting weird and he thinks we're not gonna be friends soon." Sam had a sudden thought, and it scared her, "What if, what if he doesn't like me anymore? What if, what if-"
Haley frowned, "Oh honey. I don't think that's it at all."
"Then what is it?" Sam asked in frustration.
She just wanted to know what the hell was wrong with one of her best friends, "I've talked to T. about it and she says he hasn't said anything to her. Why can't he tell me?"
Haley wished she could answer her niece's questions, but she couldn't.
"Your dad will help him. I promise. Lucas is good at getting through to people."
"Sometimes I think everything was easier when I was at Southside." The teen lamented for a moment.
Haley wasn't particularly fond of what Sam had just said.
"Do you really think that Sam?"
The girl shrugged, "It's not that I miss it there. It's just that I knew where I stood with everyone. It was easy. We were all on the same page. Now Tamara and Jack deal with stuff that I don't have to deal with. We're different now. Maybe if I saw Jack all the time I'd know what as wrong with him. I just see him on the weekends mostly, and sometimes during the week. It sucks."
Haley gave the girl a small smile, "You know your friends are happy for you? I bet if you asked them they wouldn't want you to give this up."
Sam looked at her folded hands that were on her lap, "I know aunt Haley. I just wish we were all on the same page like before. And, you know, it's like I'm frustrated and I'm worried about him. I don't know what to do."
Haley squeezed her hands, "You're doing everything right. Be a friend, and never stop being so. Show him that you'll always be there. We all go through ups and downs in our friendships."
Sam looked at her aunt with sad eyes, her mouth subconsciously forming into a pout, "Okay."
What else could she say? She then snapped her head up once more.
"What's wrong kid?" Haley asked.
"Do you think I'm naïve?"
Haley thought for a second. "Did Jack tell you that?"
The girl nodded sadly, the pout still clearly on her face, which made her look years younger for a moment.
"You might be naïve in some situations but that's only because you're just starting to experience them. And honestly, you and Jack are trying out the same things at the same time, considering you're both the same age give or take a year. He has no leg to stand on in that arena. Also you, my kiddo," She bopped her finger on Sam's nose, "are also extremely wise in certain aspects of life, and you shouldn't sell yourself short just because you are innocent and inexperienced in others. You're one hec of a fighter, and Jack knows it too. Although I do think he feel threatened about something in your life right now, and he doesn't know how to channel it."
Sam just twiddled at her thumbs, "When'd you get so nice aunt Haley?"
The woman smirked at her niece's backhanded compliment, "I have my moments."
The aunt looked at the time, "How 'bout you stay with me until next class. You'll have an absence but if it gets to your parents, which I doubt it will, I'll talk to them."
Sam finally gave her aunt a genuine smile, "Thanks."
Sometimes her Aunt Haley wasn't so crazy strict. This was one of those times.
… …. ….
Brooke looked in on her sleeping daughter. She thought back to her confrontation with the Nordstrom manager. How could someone be so rude to the girl sleeping soundly in front of her? To any kid for that matter? Brooke knew that she'd never tell Sam that she confronted the woman. It was mostly for herself. A personal vendetta that her daughter didn't need to know she sought out. She just needed to get her frustration out. She would've said more choice words to the woman, but like she said to Jeanine, she was a nice person. Motherhood had mellowed her out.
The mother rolled her eyes when she realized Sam had passed out in her school clothes. TShe knew Sam was worn out from her practice at school, that damn teacher was riding them hard. But she knew it was for a good reason, so she zipped her lips and didn't curse him out whenever Sam came home this tired.
She walked in quietly and grabbed the pajamas that Sam had left on the floor. She made a mental note to remind the teen to clean her room, though she was sure it'd go over her daughter's head. Not even taking her to Ralph's for ice cream could get the girl to clean up her room, and that's saying something. Brooke sat on the bed and undid Sam's shoelaces then took off the old pair of converse. Just last week she tried throwing them away and Sam literally dug them out of the trash. Brooke was pretty sure Sam had worn them every single day since then just to spite her.
"Peanut." She said gently.
The girl didn't stir, except to bring her hand, and inevitably her thumb closer to her mouth. Brooke sighed and gently moved her daughter's hand back down. The mother chalked up her daughter's need for the comfort due to her worry about Jack and the stress with her club's upcoming performance. The sleeping girl subconsciously brought her thumb back up to her mouth and Brooke let her, though she gave a small shake of her head and a crack of a smile. Sam would always be cute when asleep, of that Brooke was sure. No matter how old her kid got.
"Sammy." The mother tried again, "Lovebug." She wanted to at least get Sam into her pajama bottoms so she could be more comfortable. The girl was wearing skinny jeans at the moment.
"I tried waking her up an half an hour ago. She's dead to the world." Brooke heard Lucas say in the hallway.
"Fell asleep in the car when we were coming from school.." He added as he kept walking towards their room with a basket of laundry in hand.
Brooke just placed the pajamas on the edge of the bed and stood up. Trying to get Sam to change into something more comfortable was probably pointless anyway. She was already asleep. She unfolded Sam's blanket and placed it over her daughter, then got up and went to go help Lucas fold laundry.
It was seven o clock and Brooke and Lucas were on their second batch of laundry chatting away about their days when two feet padded their way into the room.
Brooke looked over and smiled. Sam had woken up. "Hey peanut."
The girl couldn't help but smile. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of her parents' pet names. She hated when they called her these things in front of her friends, but when alone with her parents she didn't mind at all, in fact, she preferred it. They made her feel safe, loved, sometimes childish, but she didn't mind feeling like that when it was just the three of them. Although she'd never tell Brooke and Lucas that she liked to be coddled. But they weren't born yesterday. They knew their kid like the back of their hand. It was obvious to them early on that Sam was a tactile and sensitive child.
Sam climbed onto the bed and leaned onto her mom who was sitting and folding socks. "Can I help?" Her voice was still gruff from sleep.
Brooke kissed the top of her head then placed a few shirts on the girl's lap.
"Long day?" The mother asked.
Sam started on one of the shirts, "We had a long practice. But I feel good now since I slept. How's my little brother?"
Lucas let out a snort, while Brooke just groaned.
"You want the baby to be a boy so bad, it's going to end up a girl." Lucas told her.
"No. I've got great intuition. I call boy. We should bet on it."
"How much?" Lucas said with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh, excuse me!" Brooke interrupted, "No betting." She gave Lucas a sharp glare, then softened it as she looked at Sam, "You too. None of that."
Sam gave her a sly look, "So when are you gonna start showing?"
Brooke frowned, "Soon. It starts around three months. I'm almost there. My poor body." She was definitely not excited about ballooning up.
"You'll be radiant babe." Lucas said leaning in and giving her a kiss, "Our kid can only make you even more beautiful than you already are."
Sam made a fake gagging noise at her dad's comment, "Please stop the gushiness."
Lucas looked at Brooke then gave her a surreptitious wink. Oh no. Brooke knew he was up to something. He looked back at Sam with a little mischief in his eyes, "What's that? You want a snuggle?"
"Dad." Sam said with an eye roll but it was too late Lucas had his prey right where he wanted her. He gave her a faux evil glare.
"What're you doing?" Her father looked crazy right now. If she had been in one of her past foster homes she'd be scared, but this was Lucas. Her daddy. He would never hurt her. Lucas jumped on the bed and started tickling the girl.
"No!" Sam started laughing wholeheartedly and trying her best to get out of her dad's gasp. He tickled her sides first, "Dad, stop! Dad-ah!"
"Keep going?" He sing-songed, "Okay!"
"No!" She squealed as her dad's assault on her sides moved towards her stomach, "Dad, stop! Stop!"
"Brooke I think she wants you to tickle her too!"
"No! Don't do it!"
"Sorry kiddo. Your dad and I stick together." Brooke prepared her hands and started tickling her, making Sam double over in laughter, "Mama no!"
Brooke laughed right along with Lucas and Sam. They were a sight of pure joy.
"Ahh!" Sam kicked to get her parent's fingers away from her, "Stop! STOP!"
"Well if we can't be gushy with each other, then all of our attention goes to you!" Lucas explained.
Sam finally broke out a sentence through her laughter, "You can be as gushy as you want with mama! Let me go!"
Lucas and Brooke smiled at one another and finally stopped. Their mission was accomplished. Lucas smiled goofily and brought Sam into his embrace and she hugged him tightly. He looked towards Brooke who returned the wink he had given her a few moments ago.
"That was mean." Sam told her parents though she didn't move from the hug. She actually just hugged Lucas tighter and snuggled her head on his shoulder.
Lucas and Brooke laughed, "We love you too." Brooke added.
It was Sam's stomach grumbling that broke the moment.
"Hungry?" The father looked amused.
"I didn't really eat lunch."
Lucas checked the time, "Well we all haven't had a dinner out together in a while. Let's all have a night out together?"
Sam nodded, "I don't think dinner counts as a night out, but you're right you guys are pretty old."
Sam was instantly met with a faceful of socks from her mom.
"Hey!" The girl yelled.
"I am not old. Your father may be, but I am not."
"We're the same age!" Lucas said now laughing, "You're crazy Brooke."
"Why don't you go and change and then we'll head to dinner?" Brooke asked Sam.
Sam slid off the bed and felt a pat to her bum courtesy of her dad in the process. "Can we go to Cafe Romeo's?"
Brooke shrugged, "I don't see why not. If they're too full we'll just head somewhere else."
"As long as I get to hang out with you guys, I'm cool with anything." She trotted off into her room missing the wide smiles that she effectively placed on her parents with that last comment.
The three of them were now seated at the Italian restaurant. It had been full since they came in prime time dinner hour, but Brooke knew the manager and a table was set for them anyways. Sometimes having a connected mother could work in your favor.
Their food had just gotten to them and Sam was about to dig into her pasta but then looked up at her parents, "Hey mom, so my showcase is going to be in three weeks. You're gonna be able to come?"
She nodded, "Of course Sam. I wouldn't miss it."
The mother could see that Sam was nervous about her answer. It pained her to know that she always had to miss things because of work, and now Sam was unsure of her coming to her big event.
Sam bit her lip, "You know it's in the middle of the day though, right? The whole town apparently closes to go for this 'cause it's tradition or whatever, but I know that your business is different and so-"
Brooke stopped her daughter's rant, "Kiddo, I'll be there. I know it's tradition. I've lived here most of my life, remember?"
"Well what about work?"
Sam knew her mother prioritized her family over work, but she also understood how important her mom's job was and sometimes she had to forego time with her and Lucas. She hoped telling Brooke in advance would prevent that.
Brooke gave her a gentle smile, "It can wait. I'll be there."
Lucas nodded, "You've been working way too hard for either of us to miss it."
Sam felt more at ease, "But you'll tell me if you can't make it right?"
The mother tried to hide her frown. Did she really miss so much that her kid had to question her word? "Sam I promise I'll tell you if I can't make it. But trust me when I say that I'll be there. I don't care what happens at work. I already told Millie to keep that time clear in my calendar."
Sam raised her eyebrow, "Oh…okay." Her mouth curled into a half smile, "Thank you."
Brooke gave her a wink, "Don't thank me. You deserve it and more."
… … …
The very next day Sam stood in front of Brooke's office building, miserable. She slid down and crossed her arms, "Stupid Millie." She mumbled to herself. Then quickly looked over to make sure nobody from Brooke's office was walking out of the building as it was nearing the end of the day. She didn't want anyone tattling on her. Brooke's employees had an annoying tendency to patronize her without even noticing they were doing it. Sam's appearance just lended to that. She still looked young, and her small stature made her look more cute than anything else. Something that Brooke and Lucas were eternally thankful for. Cute looked good on Sam. Lucas wouldn't know how to deal with a daughter that men would consider 'sexy.' If it were up to him he'd have Sam stay looking 12 for as long as he stayed alive.
Anyhow, Sam had gone to her mom's office after school because Brooke wanted to go shopping with her. She mentioned it at dinner and they made plans to go after school. Brooke would leave work early and take the girl out.
She liked hanging out with her mom after work. Sam had a way of making Brooke Davis go from work mode into mom mode rather quickly. Sometimes it was her daughter giving her a long hug and a kiss on the cheek, and other times it entailed a raised eyebrow and stern glare on Brooke's behalf to get Sam to stop doing whatever little mischief she was doing. But, either way, it was Sam who could snap Brooke from work mode to parent mode in a nanosecond.
Sam walked into the office, smiled and went up to Mille, "Hey Mils!"
"Little Sammy!" Came the chorus of voices from Brooke's employees, making Sam cringe. She had hoped they didn't do that, but recently they had gotten into the habit of greeting the girl that way. By now, they all enjoyed having Brooke's kid around. It usually meant Brooke would be a little bit more relaxed, and they liked seeing their fearless leader's soft side.
"Hey guys." Sam moaned, she turned back to Millie with a blush on her cheeks.
Millie gave her an amused look, "Popular, just like your mother."
Nick stood up, giving her a hug then ruffling her hair, "Hey!" She groaned. He only laughed in return, "I'm going into the meeting with your mom, I'll hint at her that you're here so we can wrap it up early."
Sam smiled at him warmly, "Thanks Nick."
She then went behind the desk and jumped to sit on top of it next to Millie's computer. The assistant gave the teenager a sharp glare, "Samantha, off the front desk. I've told you this a million times."
Sam ignored the request, "It's the end of the day. Who's gonna come in now?"
Millie sighed, "It's the end of the day for you. Our office closes at five, sometimes six. It's only 3:00. Your mom's probably going to end the meeting soon, and I don't want everyone to come out and see you with your butt on my desk. Now, get off." She pushed at Sam's thigh.
Sam rolled her eyes and hopped off. "How much longer is mom gonna be in there?"
"30 more minutes at most."
Millie got up, "I have to go make a call. Watch the desk for me?"
Sam shrugged and said 'okay.'
Millie looked at her seriously, "Don't mess around. Just sit there. If the main phone rings, take a message."
"Mils, you've had me do this before." Sam broke in. Millie always did this to her when she left her at the desk for a bit. She wasn't dumb. She could pick up a damn phone and smile at people that came in!
Millie gave her a hard look, "Fine. I shouldn't be long."
Twenty minutes passed and Sam was getting restless as she spun on the chair. She had been sitting all day in school. Could her mom finish up already? Just as she felt herself reaching her peak of boredom, Sam heard Millie finishing up her phone call. A glint of mischief hit the teenager. She smiled to herself and quickly hid under the desk. She was going to scare Millie and it was going to be hilarious.
Millie walked out of the small conference room and narrowed her eyes angrily at the empty desk. Sam always did this! She didn't know why she always seemed to be at the brunt of Sam's antics.
"Did anyone notice where Sam went?" Millie asked.
They shook their heads, "Sorry Mills!" Nick exclaimed.
Millie just shook her head in annoyance and went to sit down. She sat down at her desk without a second thought. Sam was glad that Millie didn't see her. She tried to be as still as possible posing for her attack.
Unfortunately, just as Sam reached out and grabbed Millie's leg yelling "AAH!" for emphasis Brooke, Rebecca, and the company's Chief Financial Officer walked out of the larger conference room.
Millie let out a loud scream as she stood up and threw the papers that were in her hand all over the place. In her fear induced reaction she accidentally tripped on a cord and ended up falling backwards and landed in a sitting position. It wasn't a hard fall by any means, but the whole scene was pretty humorous.
Sam couldn't contain her laughter and burst out cracking up, while trying to make sure Millie was okay, "Oh my God, Mils are you okay? You should've seen your face!"
She got out from under the desk and put out her hand to help Millie up. As Millie got up the hard sound of a throat being cleared made Sam's blood run cold. Shit…Her mother was behind her.
"I can't believe you Sam!" Millie chastised. But Sam was too preoccupied with the harsh face that her mother was giving her. Rebecca also looked a little angry and the CFO just looked confused.
"M-mama" Sam said tentatively, "It was a joke. Right Millie?"
Millie scoffed, "Some joke. I could've been hurt."
Sam turned to Millie. Way to throw her under the bus!
"Oh come on! How was I supposed to know you're so jumpy…If only you weren't so uptight all the time, maybe you wouldn't have freaked out like that." She mumbled that last part, too bad everyone heard her.
"Samantha!" Brooke scolded. Sam's shoulders slumped.
She looked at her mother whose hand was now on her hip and the look she had on was scarier than before.
"Apologize to Millie and to everyone who you distracted." There was no room for argument in Brooke's tone.
Sam gave her mother a pleading look, embarrassed by the situation. Her eyes were silently saying, "Don't make me do this here."
Brooke wasn't having it. "Now Sam."
Sam suppressed a groan, but didn't want to push her mother
She wrung her hands together and swallowed her pride, "I'm sorry for causing a scene and interrupting your work." Everyone gave the girl a sympathetic smile.
Sam then turned to Millie, avoiding her mother's stare, "I'm sorry Millie. It was supposed to be funny, and I'm sorry for calling you uptight."
Millie finally gave the girl a small smile, "You're going to kill me one day."
Sam tried to give her a small chuckle, but it didn't really happen because she was too embarrassed. She just wanted to get out of there.
"Get your things and wait for me by the car." Brooke ordered her.
"Yes ma'am." Sam said softly and made a quick exit, grateful to be out of there. She heard her mother apologizing to everyone, including her chief financial officer.
And so this is why Sam was now sitting unhappily by the door outside the office building. Honestly, she felt pretty stupid about it now. She hadn't meant to embarrass her mother by acting like such a kid. She was just so used to messing with Millie, especially when they were at the store together. Although, in a typical Sam move, she committed a small act of rebellion and decided to wait for her mother by the office and not the car.
Not five minutes had passed when a man came up to Sam,
"Hi there." He said kindly.
Sam looked up skeptically, "Hi?"
"What brings you outside this building?" The man continued not catching the annoyance in Sam's tone.
"My mom works here." She was careful not to mention who her mother was. The man nodded and easily kept up the conversation.
"Ahhh, well I hear that Brooke Davis works here too."
"Oh." Sam murmured looking away, "Cool. I guess."
"You know there's rumors that she's pregnant? Do you know anything about that?"
Sam furrowed her eyebrows, unsure of this man. It then clicked that the man knew that she was Brooke's daughter.
"I also heard that reporters are not allowed around here." Came Brooke's steely voice as she walked out pulling down her sunglasses down to shield her eyes.
The reporter looked up quickly and put his hands up in innocence, "Whoah. I have a meeting with Rebecca Stein today."
"Then talk to her, not my kid." Brooke countered. She then looked down at Sam, "Let's go sweetheart."
Sam scrambled up, glad that her mother's voice was much sweeter than when she was in the office. She thought her mother would for sure scold her. Meanwhile the reporter scrambled into the building.
"Didn't you learn not to talk to strangers?" Brooke asked as Sam hurried to catch up to her mom who was a foot ahead of her.
"I didn't know he was a reporter. He just said hi, asked what I was doing, and then said you were pregnant. They know now?"
Sam was in awe of how quickly things caught on.
"There's rumors because of something Victoria said about me having children versus me just having a child."
Brooke then looked at Sam, remembering her explicit instructions "I thought I told you to wait by the car?"
Sam sighed, "There wasn't any shade there."
They got to the car and both sat down and buckled their seatbelts. Brooke turned to Sam, "I know you like joking with Millie, but you need to realize that there is a time and a place. My work is not that time nor the place."
There was the scolding she expected.
"I'm serious, stop with the antics in the office. It's not a playground. You know that. I have important people come in and out of there, and there needs to be a semblance of respectability. I don't want to have this conversation with you again."
Sam bit her lip and nodded, "Yes ma'am. I was sorta bored, and you know, Millie's so easy."
"Well next time I won't go so easy on you. Got it?"
"Yeah, I got it." The girl gave a slight roll of her eyes in the process.
Brooke did not appreciate the reluctance. She rose her eyebrow, "Wanna try that again?"
The teenager sighed dejectedly, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again"
"Good." Brooke broke into a smile and started the car, "So let's go shopping then."
After some time driving in silence with only the music as background Sam spoke up,
"Mom?"
Brooke kept her stare on the road. "Hmmm?"
"Is the reason we're going shopping to keep my mind off dad talking to Jack?"
Brooke shrugged her shoulders, "Partially. I also just want to spend time with you."
Sam wished that she could make her mom feel better about working so much, but she figured the least she could do is spend quality time with her mother whenever Brooke wanted to. If it made her mom feel better, then she'd do it.
Sam gave her mother a smile, "Well in that case can we spend time together at the new sushi place that opened by school afterwards?"
Brooke rolled her eyes, "Yes, we can do that too. I see you're taking me for all my money, you jerk."
"Well you're my mom. Who would you spend your money on if I weren't around?"
Brooke laughed, "You're lucky I like you kid."
She looked over and smiled deeply when Sam wasn't looking. Her daughter was absolutely beautiful. It always took Brooke's breath away when she remembered that she created the wonderful girl sitting next to her.
"Mom!" Sam called her mother rather loudly.
"What? What?"
"The light. It's green."
Brooke shook away her thoughts and drove once more.
,,,, ,,, ,,,,
In Southside, Jack felt anxious. He had never "talked" with someone before. Not the way Lucas was gearing up to talk to him at least. Sue had gone into his room the night before and explained to him that Lucas seemed more concerned than anything. She advised Jack to be open and honest with Lucas if he wanted a chance with Sam.
Sue wasn't a mean woman by any means. She was always working in order to get them by. She wasn't the most emotional of women either, but she provided for her foster children.
They weren't rich, or even middle class, but they also never went hungry. Jack appreciated how hard she worked and in return he didn't make much of a fuss. Other foster children came in and out a lot. They usually put her with children that only needed a temporary home. When she opted to become a foster mother she told them that she would only take children in who needed a temporary home for a period of weeks to a few months, but no more than that.
Jack had been with her for a while though. He was the exception. Jack thought that it was a fluke and the system placed him with her mistakenly. The boy figured that Sue ended up keeping him out of pity and they had just fallen into an easy routine. If you asked Sue though she'd tell you that she loved the boy. Jack was actually supposed to be in her home for only a few weeks but he didn't know that part of the story. There was a family that wanted him and so they promised his space in the group home for another child. Then, when that family had changed their minds they had no place for Jack, and so he went with Sue. For some reason, Jack grew on her they way no other child did, and so she decided to let him stay until he no longer wanted to be there.
Jack was ripped out of his thoughts when he heard a crash somewhere in the house. His head popped up. Sue had just taken in a new girl. She was eight years old, and was pretty shy. Sue never told Jack specifics. She just told him that she'd be with them for a month at most. He was excited to have Sam meet her. He felt like they'd probably get along.
Jack wandered out of his room to inspect where the noise had come from. Sue had gone off to work once he came home from school.
She instructed him to watch the little girl. Jack had only gone to his room once the girl had fallen asleep, but clearly she was now awake.
"Adelyn?" He called.
There was soft crying coming from the kitchen. He went in and saw a broken plate but no sight of the girl. He heard the soft cries coming from a cabinet. The girl was small enough to fit, Jack thought.
He bent down where the cabinet was and gently opened it. He made sure that his face was soft and concerned. He knew why the little girl was crying. He saw a broken plate and food on the floor
"It's okay Addie. I'm not mad, and Sue won't be mad either. It's okay if I call you Addie, right?"
The little girl looked up and nodded tearfully, "Yes. I'm sorry!" She began to sob, "It slipped! Please don't tell Sue. Please don't. I don't wanna whippin! I'm sorry."
'So her parents were abusive.' Jack thought. No surprise there. He held out his hand.
"Sue would never do that. She's real nice and so am I. One time I broke her tv by accident and she didn't whip me."
"Sh-she didn't?"
Jack shook his head.
"Wha-what'd she do?"
Jack thought back. That was three years ago. "I was running to get something, when I knew that I wasn't supposed to be running, and I slipped and tipped the table it was on. She put me in the corner for ten minutes, that was a little bit embarrassing, then I had to clean it up."
The eight year old looked at him funny. She was still hiccuping from the previous tears, "Bu-but nothing happened after that?"
He smiled and shook his head, "Nope." He didn't mention that he received two swats to his behind as she led him to the corner. She had told him multiple times to stop running! He knew that Sue would never raise her hand against the little girl though, since she was so fragile at this point in her life as a recent victim of abuse.
"So now will you come out with me?"
The girl was still a little unsure. She gave him a suspicious look but Jack only kept smiling at her with his hand outstretched for her.
He tried asking again, "Can you please let me carry you to the living room? I don't want you to cut yourself on the glass."
She tentatively maneuvered herself out of the cabinet. When she got out Jack easily picked her up into his arms. He looked at her then swayed with her in his arms, "You're as light as the weather." He told her.
She giggled a little.
"What's so funny?"
"It's light as a feather. You said weather."
He shook his head goofily, "Ahh that's what I meant!" He winked at her.
Addie watched jack's face carefully as he walked her away from the kitchen and into the living room. She was watching for a change in demeanor. She was used to people going from a source of comfort to a source of pain.
He didn't notice her stare until he gently set her down on the couch. He just gave her another small wink, "Wanna watch some tv?"
The little girl nodded. He turned on the tv and put it on none other than Spongebob, "Do you like this show?"
She shrugged. She didn't really care. She was never allowed to watch tv when she was with her mom anyways.
He turned up the volume a little, "This is me and my best friend's favorite cartoon. If you don't like it, you can change it. Is it okay if I sit down and watch with you after I clean up the kitchen?"
Little Adelyn gave him a cautious look, "I'm sorry for being bad." She whispered.
Jack cleared his throat and mustered up all the sweetness he could in his voice, "You weren't bad. It was an accident. I'll be right back."
Once Jack sat down, the little girl kept some distance between him, but she soon grew tired and laid her head on the other side of the couch, her legs eventually stretched out and Jack carefully placed them on his lap once she was asleep, just so she could be more comfortable.
Jack kept a close eye on the clock. He knew Lucas would be at his house soon. He gently slid from the couch and unlocked the front door, then sent Lucas a text letting him know not to knock and just to come in. He didn't want anything to wake up the little girl. She looked so calm and peaceful. Usually when she was awake she looked uncomfortable and scared. Jack much preferred to see her in a more relaxed state, even if that meant asleep. He went back, lowered the volume on the television, and sat back down in the same position.
Ten minutes later, Lucas walked in and was surprised when he not only saw Jack, but a little girl asleep next to him.
Jack put a finger to his lips. Lucas nodded and waited for him to take the lead. The boy got up and headed towards the ktichen when they sat down Jack explained the situation.
"We took her in yesterday. It was sorta an emergency."
Lucas turned to look at the little girl. Her brunette locks reminded Lucas of Sam. Her skinny frame naturally worried the father. "Is she going to be okay?"
Jack frowned and adjusted himself in his seat.
That's the thing about foster care. Sometimes you're lucky. Other times you're not.
"I don't know. I hope so. They're trying to find her a more permanent home."
Lucas could see that Jack didn't really want to talk about it. He gave him a small smile, "And how are you bud?"
Jack couldn't help but roll his eyes. This man didn't care about him. If it wasn't for Sam he wouldn't have even bothered to be here. "Fine, I guess."
Lucas could see the reluctance in Jack's body language. For a moment Lucas thought of just getting up and leaving. But he remembered that this was just a kid. That's what Brooke reminded him. He wasn't a man yet. He was a boy. And he needed help. Lucas sighed.
"Jack, you know this whole talking thing is a two way street. You gotta give me something alright?"
Jack looked up at him. A ferocity in his eyes that Lucas had never seen in the kid.
"Why are you actually here? Sam, right? Not because you actually wanna help me."
Lucas thought carefully about how to approach this.
"I love my daughter Jack, and you are a part of her life. But I also care about you. I don't have to love you, to care about you because the fact of the matter is, I'm a teacher, I have a soft spot for kids. And I can see a hurt kid in front of me right now. You've been upset for a while. I just want to help you feel better. I want you and me to talk. You deserve to be happy Jack."
Jack stayed quiet so Lucas went ahead.
"Bud, you know stealing that dress could've ended up with you in juvenile detention. Did you realize that when you were doing it?"
Jack shook his head, "It was stupid. I just got mad at that woman for the way she treated us."
"What made you so mad about it?"
Jack remembered that day and he felt his blood boil all over again, "It's over. It doesn't matter."
Lucas immediately pushed back, "Of course it matters. If we don't confront our feelings we can never resolve our inner battles. What's been going on in that head of yours?"
"Nothing."
"Stop lying to yourself."
"I'm not lying!" Jack felt himself getting flustered.
Lucas crossed his arms across his chest, "You are Jack. And trust me, it's not worth lying to yourself."
"But it's not like it matters!"
Luke stayed calm, despite Jack's rising emotions. He'd never seen the boy so charged up. "Yes. It does matter. It matters a lot."
Jack shook his head then rubbed his face in exasperation, "I'm not, I'm not-"
"Not what Jack?"
"I don't know. I'm trash. I'm not good enough. That lady saw it. You see it. Everyone knows except for Sam! She's oblivious and somehow thinks that I'm worth her fucking time."
Lucas looked at the boy with compassion. What kind of teacher was he, if he made a kid feel like trash? That was never his intention, but he realized right then that in his haste to protect his baby he was hurting Jack.
Lucas leaned in closer towards him, "Jack, look at me."
Jack kept his stare at his hands.
"Now, Jack. Look at me."
The teen finally did.
Luke's voice turned soft and earnest, "I don't think you're trash. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way."
Jack could hear the sincerity in the man's words and it threw him off.
Lucas took the shocked look on Jack's face as a sign to continue, "Jack, Sam probably knows you the best out of anyone. She sees you for who you are. Why are you so upset that she has so much faith in you?"
Jack frowned and twitched his lip, "I'm gonna fail. She's been talking 'bout college so much." He snorted and leaned into the chair, "She's talking like I'm going too. She forgot what it's like to feel stuck and hopeless. All of a sudden she sees her future. I'm just living day by day."
Hearing his words made the father's heart constrict. He was concerned at how low Jack's self esteem was.
"Sam won't stop caring about you because of what your future looks like. And what makes you think you can't go to college? If it's your grades or performance in high school there are other options. There's community college, vocational schools. Don't sell yourself short Jack. You're a bright kid."
"But Sam's gonna leave. I'm gonna stay here."
Lucas gave him a sad smile, "You are both still so young. Why can't you live in the moment?"
"It's hard to live in the moment when Sam's been talking about the future."
Lucas saw the quick bitterness that fell on Jack's face. He could see that Jack, on some level, no matter how miniscule, was unhappy with the realization that he and Sam's roads might just be diverging in the near future.
Lucas, a man with far more experience in the realm of relationships, could sympathize with the fifteen year old boy. Of course, he had to consciously block out the fact that the girl in question was his child. The same kid he had tucked into bed last night and who had whispered 'Night daddy' to him before drifting off.
The father couldn't believe what he was about to say next, "Jack, listen to this, because it's important and I probably won't repeat it again."
This peaked Jack's curiosity.
"You and Sam care deeply for one another. Take advantage of the time you have together now because if you don't, you'll regret it later. None of us knows what's in store for us in the future, and yeah it's not fun to not know. But you can't let that from preventing you from enjoying what's in front of you now. In the end, if Sam and you are meant to be your love for one another will make you two work to be together no matter how far one is or not."
The boy was stunned. He did not expect Lucas to respond like that. he never talked about him and Sam being together like that. "Whoah."
Luke gave a little smile, "I told you I'd only say that once."
Jack let out a small chuckle. "Thanks. I guess it makes sense. It's just kinda hard."
"I know it's hard. I've been madly in love with Brooke Davis since high school. It took fourteen years for us to finally get another chance. But it was meant to be. And we gotta let life take its course. And aside from that you have to take your own life and know that it's in your control. You can't do that when you think you're not worth anything."
"You don't think I'm trash?"
Lucas shook his head vehemently, "No, of course not!"
Jack shrugged, "I really don't know how to take control. No one really cares at school to help me and stuff."
"Look, I know you're not going to the best high school. I want to help you, but first I have to ask, do you want a chance at going to college? That means getting your grades up for your next two years and preparing for the SAT."
Jack shrugged, "I-I really don't know."
Lucas didn't think Jack would be gung ho about the idea anyway, "Tell you what, let's schedule some time for you, Haley, and me to sit down and talk with you about options. There's a lot. University isn't the only one. There'll be no pressure. We'll just talk and guide you."
Jack looked down shyly at his hands that were under the table, "Why are you being so nice to me?"
Seriously, the man usually wanted nothing to do with him.
Lucas took a moment and sat up a bit in his chair.
"I'm a dad Jack. And sometimes we're so focused on our children that we neglect to see the others around us. You're just a kid, bud. You don't need to be feeling like this at such a young age. Again, I'm sorry for being so hard on you. It's just-" Lucas couldn't help the frown that formed on his face, "Well you have a strong hold on my little girl's heart and I'd much rather you didn't, but we can't stop that, I suppose."
Jack squirmed a bit in his seat. It was weird to have Lucas talking to him like this.
"You and Mrs. Scott, you'll really help me?"
Lucas's smile formed once more, "Of course. But tell me one thing Jack, what do you think about yourself?"
Jack's face scrunched at the question, "Umm, I don't, I don't know."
"I know it's a hard question. But just think about it for a moment."
Jack had never been asked that question before. He'd never had to take stock of himself like that. He honestly felt like he's just cruised through life and the only time he truly felt alive was when with friends. He lived for them.
"I, umm, I don't really care for me. I just want the people around me to be happy."
Luke laid back onto the chair. This talk was going to be longer than he thought. He was determined to have Jack see, or at least, understand that there was worth in himself and living for himself as well as for others.
The two talked for a while more and both parties were able to appreciate the other a lot more. Jack hoped this was the start of a much easier relationship with Lucas. It was the movement in the living room that broke their talk.
Jack looked up and towards the living room. "Addie woke up. I have to check if she's hungry. She broke a plate and I had her watch tv to calm down." He explained as he got up and headed towards the girl.
Lucas kept his gaze on the boy. He smiled when Jack walked away. The boy, like Sam, had his moments of maturity that gave an inkling of the life they had to deal with before. He watched as Jack talked to the little girl the same way Lucas imagined he would've talked and interacted with Sam at that age. Paternal instinct. Jack was giving it at such a young age.
"Hey Addie, you hungry?" Jack asked, the girl still looked unsure so he asked if he could sit down before he did. She nodded and Jack sat near her.
"There's a man in the kitchen. Is that why you look a little scared?"
"He looks tall and strong like my mommy's boyfriend." Her voice was a whisper so quiet Jack had to lean in to hear her.
He frowned, "Well this guy is like a big teddy bear. He's my best friend's dad. Her name is Sam. And he wanted to talk to me."
"Can you stay with me?" She asked still eyeing the kitchen with nervousness.
He nodded, "Are you okay with me carrying you into the kitchen. I'll sit you on the counter by me and make you a plate of spaghetti. He's gonna leave soon. I promise."
"O-okay." She liked Jack. He was sweet and asked her questions to make sure she was okay. No one ever did that.
He stood up, put his hands under the girl's arms and picked her up easily. He felt her tighten her hold on him as they reached the kitchen. "Hey Lucas, this is Adelyn." Jack said, "She's a little shy though."
Lucas heard enough of their short conversation to know that the little girl was uncomfortable with him being there, "It's okay. I should head out anyway. Jack, I'm assuming I'll see you around."
Jack gave a big smile, "Yeah. I'm pretty sure."
He nodded, "It was nice meeting you Adelyn." He said sweetly but didn't dare come close and risk scaring the child.
Jack held the girl until Lucas left the house. When the door clicked Adelyn gave some slack, "See?" Jack said now looking at the little green eyes, "Luke's a nice guy. So how 'bout some spaghetti, and I also happen to know where the ice cream is."
Adelyn gave him a smile that warmed the teenage boy's heart.
"Well let's get to it then." He told her, placing her on the counter and grabbing a plate from the top cabinet.
It was the very next day that Sam went to go hang out with Jack after school. She had skipped out on practice for the community showcase and headed to Southside. Sam phoned her parents and let them know, but they thought that she and Jack were gonna go see a movie, which was technically true as they would see the movie at Jack's house. Only, it would be an empty house for a while as Sue was taking Adelyn to the doctors. The two teens would definitely take advantage of the moment to talk and cuddle and kiss.
Sam knocked twice and waited a few moments until Jack opened the door. Her smile grew wide and she jumped to hug him. Jack held her tight. "I missed you." They both said it at the same time and laughed at the coincidence.
It wasn't too much later that they found themselves laying down in Jack's bed. They were snuggled together. "Are you okay now Jack?" Sam finally got the nerve to ask him.
Jack could see the apprehension in Sam's face and he felt guilt when he realized he was the one that created that uncertainty. He pulled her into a strong hug, "I'll be fine. I'm sorry Sam for being so hard on you when you talked about college and things. I just worry about my future and stuff. But I'm getting it together. Your dad said he'll try and help me. Sometimes it's hard to think about that stuff for me."
Sam whose back was to his chest turned and looked at him, still maintaining their closeness, "I should've realized that earlier. It's just we've done everything together. You're always there with me. I always want it to be like that."
Jack stared at her for a moment, "Me too Sammy." He moved in and kissed her deeply. "Always." He whispered.
Sam loved the pressure of his lips on top of hers and their kissing quickly turned into fondling as Jack moved his hands under her shirt and bra.
"Is that okay?" He asked as he moved towards her breasts. Sam hummed out a yes. She hadn't realized how much she missed him touching her like that. As he fondled her breasts Sam kissed him harder. They eventually ended up with both of them with their shirts off and Sam on top of him with Jack holding onto her sides as they continued kissing.
Jack stopped suddenly when he heard a car pull up. "Sam, Sue's here." He rushed out his words.
Sam rolled off him in an instant and threw Jack his shirt and grabbed her own.
"Hurry up Jack!" She urged him.
Sam combed through her hair with her fingers then opened the door to Jack's room and went to the kitchen as if she was getting water.
Sue came in holding Adelyn's hand. Sam smiled warmly at the little girl.
"Oh Sam, didn't know you were coming over." The woman said putting her purse down and planting a small kiss on Adelyn's head before instructing her to try and nap on the couch.
Sam nodded, "Sorry. It was sort of umm, unexpected. I hope that's okay."
"Long as you both stay out here or in Jack's room with the door open."
"Okay. We will." Sam responded.
Jack came out and went over and saw as Adelyn extended her arms towards him, wanting to be picked up, "Hi Addie!" He said doing as was bid.
Adelyn hugged Jack tightly.
Sue watched her two kids, "She had a rough time at the doctors, Jack." She said with a sigh. "Let me get some food started."
Jack frowned. He knew that the examination had to with the abuse she suffered, but he didn't want to think about it, and he also wanted to keep Addie's mind off it.
"Do you wanna meet my best friend Sam?"
Sam waved her hand sweetly at the little eyes that peeked from Jack's shoulder, "Hi Addie. I'm Sam."
The little girl moved close to Jack's ear, "The man from yesterday is her daddy?"
"Yeah, that's her daddy." Jack whispered back.
Sam heard the whole exchange and bit back a chuckle. The little girl was so adorable.
"Do you like Disney movies?" Sam asked Adelyn, in the hopes of gaining her trust.
"Frozen." Came the girl's quiet response.
"Well you're in luck, because I have it."
Adelyn's head popped up, "We can watch it now?"
"Mhm!"
Jack looked at Sam with a quirked eyebrow.
"What? I like it too. It's on my Itunes. We can watch it on Sue's computer."
"Does it sound like a plan Addie?" He asked her.
The little girl smiled, "Okay then."
Soon enough all three of them were laying on an inflatable mattress with a laptop watching Frozen. Adelyn laid between both of them, completely enraptured in the plot. Sam and Jack would occasionally look at each other and just smile.
That night, Sam laid in her bed and thought about her time with Jack. She had mixed feelings. Bliss in the moment it happened and happiness when she thought of the way he made her feel. She smiled as she thought of the pressure of his body on hers. But she also felt a bit guilty for doing things she was sure her mom and dad would not approve of.
Telling her mom about this probably meant admitting that she'd been spending time at Jack's place, sometimes alone. A pout formed on Sam's face. Brooke walked in to drop off Sam's shoes before she headed bed. The woman had expected Sam to have been asleep already since the girl had kissed them goodnight two hours ago. But Sam's light was still on
"Hey, still awake?" Brooke asked placing Sam's shoes by the door. It was pretty late and the mother would've preferred her to be sleeping soundly.
Sam watched her mother. Why did she have to come in right as she thought about sneaking around?
"I can't sleep." Sam admitted, "Sorry, I forgot to put them away." She referred to her shoes.
Brooke shrugged, "It's okay. Anyway, I have to get used to picking up after children. I'll have to do it for 18 more years." She said pointing to her stomach. Sam laughed softly and stared back up at her ceiling.
Brooke could see her daughtetr was deep in thought, and so she walked towards the bed and placed a hand on Sam's thigh, "Wanna tell me what's on your mind?"
Sam looked at her mother's compassionate face. Oh God, guilt times two. She shook her head but did move closer to her mother. Brooke stretched her legs so Sam could lay on her lap.
"Can you just stay here for a bit?"
Brooke smiled, "Of course. But just for a bit, okay? You have school tomorrow, and I want you to go to sleep."
She played with Sam's hair and took in the moment. It pained her to know that in a few years she wouldn't be able to come in and do this with her daughter. She'd be off to college finding herself.
"Did you have fun with Jack today?" Her voice was low in an attempt to lull the girl.
Sam nodded and yawned deeply. Her mother's hand going through her hair was so relaxing, but she still felt conflicted at her mother's question, "Yeah. I'm glad dad talked to him. Do you think he and Tamara can come over this weekend?"
"I don't see why not."
"Thanks mama."
"You're welcome..Try and go to sleep now honey."
They stayed like that for a few more minutes. Brooke hummed and played with Sam's hair until the girl was surely asleep.
I really hope you liked it! The showcase will be next chapter, I think, and so will some unexpected baby jealousy! Please tell me what you think! I LOVE your feedback so much. I'm abroad for the semester so it's been crazy and there's so much stimuli that sitting down to write is hard sometimes. This is why it took me so long, but you guys and gals always give me that push I need. So thank you!
P.S: Y'all can ask me questions on Tumblr and get some sneak peeks. I'm very responsive! My name is writingsteph! Link's also in my profile...until next time!