Continuation of scene 1

Sam laid in her bed with eyes teary as ever. She hated the thought of not being in her mom and dad's good graces, but the resentment Sam held towards moving schools was battling against those tender feelings she had for Brooke and Lucas. She couldn't change the fact that she was at Tree Hill, but Sam certainly wouldn't give her parents an easy time of it.

Brooke had wasted no time with the lecture after the girl finished her shower. It felt like as soon as the teen had slipped on her sleeping shirt (Brooke's old Tshirt) and pink mesh shorts Sam heard her name called from downstairs. The teen rolled her eyes, stomping her way down towards the dining table. Brooke looked at her daughter's dramatic entrance with a raised eyebrow. She withheld from expressing that Sam looked all of 8 years old pouting and stomping as she was.

"Very mature Sam." She chose to say instead.

"I don't care." Sam growled out bringing her knees up to her chest. The mother took in a deep, calming breath. Going back and forth with her child would not be beneficial. In fact it'd probably be unproductive.

Just stick to the plan Brooke.

"Okay, you don't care. Well that doesn't change that your dad and I have rules." And Sam squirmed in her seat, itching to scream, cry, throw something. Honestly, her parents wouldn't put her past reacting as such. She was embarrassed to admit that she'd done it before. But this time was different. It felt…kinda hopeless. She knew it was hopeless. Her parents had made up their mind.

"Lucas is on the phone," Brooke slid the device to be at the center of the table where Lucas' name was lit up on the call screen. "He is still on the bus on his way back from the game and doesn't want the players to hear this conversation and embarrass you in the process, so he wont' say much. Everything we talk about, he and I have agreed on."

Brooke waited for some sort of response from Sam, but all she got was a scowl. This shit was killing her.

"We've talked your ear off already about why moving you to Tree Hill was the best decision for you. We saw your Southside record and know how common it was for you to skip. But that is not how things roll anymore. It is not an ask but an expectation that you stay in school and go to ALL of your classes. Where did you go when you left today?"

Brooke saw how the girl squeezed her fists in anger. She moved a hand towards her child, but Sam pulled away. The woman's heart grew heavy at the rebuff.

"Here." Sam muttered, "I came here." She had just wanted to escape. Tree Hill was scary and she wanted to feel safe. Brooke's home was safe.

Despite the attitude, both parents felt relief at hearing she'd gone home. Could she be lying? Yes. But she's safe and no worse for the wear…so they wouldn't push.

"Do you want to talk about why you left school?" Brooke treaded carefully, knowing how easily triggering this topic was for the child.

"No, I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk to you or Lucas about anything."

And that one hurt both the parents.

Lucas felt the need to speak up, "Well that's a shame Samantha, because we love talking to you, and when you're ready, we'll be here."

In response, the girl dropped her head onto her knees and hid in her arms.

Brooke sighed heavily, "Since you're choosing not to be forthcoming, we can move to the punishment."

Sam shrugged from within her hiding place, wanting the peaceful darkness to swallow her up in that very moment.

Brooke and Lucas had hoped Sam would've been more vocal than this. Worry began to settle in the pit of their stomachs.

"Skipping will always lead to a direct consequence." Brooke began, "So for the rest of this week it is just home and school for you. Your father will be checking in via Gchat with your teachers within ten minutes of each class period to make sure that you're there and you are to check in with him at lunch. Square?"

Sam looked up, her heart beating faster, her skin feeling hotter. "Yeah, I'm in prison!"

"Samantha-" Came Luke's frustrated voice from the phone.

"If that's what you want to call it young lady," Brooke snapped, her voice bubbling with annoyance, "But until we can trust you to stay in school that's just how things will be." The mother noted Sam wince and hold herself tighter. Her heart sagged, so she took a composing breath, controlling her anger.

Lucas took it as his cue to take over, "Champ, if you give us a hard time about this your mother can always take a week off and be your shadow at school."

Sam glared at her mother who was giving her a stoic stare and a raised eyebrow daring her to argue in return.

No, she did not need her overprotective mother all over her in front of her peers!

A frustrated groan and a croaked out 'fine. Whatever.' came out of the upset 14 year old. T he teenager shot up causing the chair to screech before she bolted back up the stairs, far away from her parents. She climbed into bed grabbing a hold of her bear, and let her tears flow. Helpless is how she felt. But her stubbornness wouldn't let her see past her own anger.

It was 30 minutes later that she'd heard a knock at her door and her mother's voice. Of course she's here again. What Sam didn't know is that Brooke had spent the past 20 minutes battling her own emotions about the situation, guilt recoiling in her stomach about their decision to transfer their daughter.

"Peanut?"

Sam did not respond, though hearing Brooke's nickname for her made the girl's eyes water once more. Fucking crybaby. They were right about you.

"I'm coming in, okay?"

Brooke gave Sam one last chance to say something before pushing the door open. The sight of her little girl wallowing in bed with weepy eyes almost broke the mother.

"Can we talk?"

Brooke noticed as the child swallowed back tears.

All Brooke wanted was to see Sam smiling again. Hec, she'd take sass at this point. She was shutting down and the parents were growing concerned. They knew that for Sam's safety Tree Hill was the right choice, but at what cost? Their little girl's happiness?

Sam's eyes were growing redder by the second, and a longing to protect and coddle her daughter filled Brooke's heart.

"Okay, honey-" She walked over and sat as close as she could to Sam, looking down at her favorite pair of pouty bluish eyes, "I know I snapped at you earlier. I'm sorry about that. And I know that dad and I are being strict right now."

Meanwhile, the teen was doing everything possible to avoid looking directly at her mother. If she did, Sam would break into sobs at the sight of her mother's compassion. Although, she was secretly grateful for her mama's apology. She hated admitting it, but in her most insecure moments Brooke and Lucas scolding her was still unnerving.

"We just need to keep you safe."

And with that Sam rolled her eyes not wanting to hear the lecture. She wanted to be left alone, to cry by herself!

Sam turned her body away from Brooke , but the woman immediately filled the space that Sam left and did not let her gaze leave her daughter, "Peanut, okay, okay. Look. I'll stop harping on that, but Sammy, I-I am worried about you. I don't want you to close off on us again like you did two months ago."

Sam stayed silent, fighting the urge to throw herself into the woman's arms. She had to remind herself that her current unhappiness was her parents' fault.

"You've grown so much since that time sweetheart. And Luke and I are so proud of how far our little girl has come."

Sam felt a tear fall and she blinked back the rest. She couldn't help but love how much Brooke and Lucas affirmed her and coddled her. It banged and nicked at the wall she'd put up. But she wouldn't break down. No, not yet.

"Can you just leave me alone?" Her voice quavered.

"You can't bottle this all up Sammy. It's not good for you."

"I'm not bottling anything Brooke. I know Tree Hill is where I'm gonna be no matter how much I hate it. Can I please go to sleep?"

Brooke gave her a sad smile. Nothing was solved. Absolutely nothing. She hoped that her daughter's anger would subside through the night. "Yes, you can." She kissed her frowning daughter's forehead and this time the girl did not pull away, "I love you." Brooke whispered, "Wake me up if you need me."

Sam tightened the covers. No. She did not need her mom!