*~*Chapter 2*~*

Samantha --->

I woke up around ten thirty to the sound of my mother yelling at the phone. I walked down the stairs wobbily.

Wiping the sleep from my eyes, "Mom, what's going on?"

"Your father..." she trailed off. She didn't have to finish, I knew, it was the same every time.

"What's for breakfast ?" I asked hopefully.

"Sweety, you'll have to find something. I have to meet some people at my new job. Okay"

"Yeah, I'll find something," I said sadly.

"Listen," my mom comforted, "I know it seems like we're not spending a lot of time together, but as soon as I get settled in my new job..." she promised.

"I understand, mom."

"I knew you would." She kissed my temple. "I should be back by three."

Three. I t triggered my memory of last night. The guy and the dog and the barbacue this afternoon.

"Uh, mom?" I said to get her attention.

"What?"

"The neighbor invited me to a barbacue this afternoon."

"Oh that's great, sweetheart. I'm so glad your making new friends."

I don't think she was even listening. Thirty seconds later I heard the ignition in her cer start. I sat down waiting for my pop tarts to pop up.

You know, I thought about going back to sleep. But I had to unpackk some of my stuff still. Going through my stuff I came across my little blue teddy bear my best friend Casey won for me at the fair when we were kids.

For some reason I started to cry. I wasn't unhappy here, but I wasn't happy either.

I called my dad,"Hello?"

"H, Daddy," I said.

"Hello, sweetheart. How's it going done there?" He asked.

I couldn't tell him I didn't like it. He would blame himself for letting me come. "It's good. I miss you, Daddy."

"I miss you, too."

That was the extent of our conversation. He had to pick up Jory and Silia at the babysitters.

I was all worried about what I was going to wear. All my clothes were wrinlkly. I had to do some major laundry.

I decided to wear my blue and white halter top with my cargo shorts. It was almost a quarter past two when I slipped on my Birkenstock'sand started my journey next door.

On my way there I twisted my flowing red hair into a knot with hair sticks and tucked the loose ends behind my ears.

I stepped up on the porch and rang the doorbell. I observed that tere were several people there alreday. The door open, AJ answered, "Hello there. I wasn't sure if you were going to show up." He motioned me in.

I walked through the doorway, "Well, here I am."

"Yes, there you are. Come,"he urged, "there are some people I wanted you to meet." He took my hand and led me into another room filled with more people sitting and talking.

He took me up to four guys sitting on a sofa. "Lila, this is Brian, Howie, Kevin, and Nick. Guys this is Samantha. She saved Toby from a fate worse than death."

We all laughed.

"It's nice to meet you, Samantha," Brian said. "Why don't you sit down," he pointed to the seat next him. "Would you like something to drink?" He was very polite/

"That sounds good. Could you get me a Sprite?"

"Anything else," he asked.

"No... well, if you could get some cherries, that'd be great."

"Be back in a flash," he saind scurrying away.

So there I was sitting with a bunch of guys. Howie asked me, "So, where dod you move from?"

"I used to live in Michigan. My mom got a job down her so I moved with her."

"Really?" Kevin said.

"Yeah."

"I have family up there. It's pretty cool up there in the winter."

"There was this one time, a couple years ago, we had terrible storm. I was trapped for days with no power." I retold my story of parrel and they listened intently.

"You made it without power? I'm in awe," Nick said.

"Well, you should be! I don't think you beach boys could make it through a Michigan winter."

Brian came back with a Sprite and a handful of cherries, "There you go," he said.

"Thanks, Brian," I said.

We talked for a little while longer and then went outside in the backyard. I ate a burger and several pickles.

"Why don't we go for a swim?" Nick suggested.

"Isn't it a bit cold for that?" I questioned.

"Probably, but come on," he whined.

"I will if you will."

"Okay!! Come on." He took off his dhirt and I took off my shorts and sandals.

"You go first," I said weakly.

He grabbed my hand and said, "How about at the same time."

I walked to the water hesitantly. I squeezed Nick's hand extremely hard as we dived in.

I came up for air, Nick right beside me. "Wow!"

"Yeah, that was awesome!" He said.

Brian came in from outside to find AJ. He was over talking to someone.

"Hey, Bone," Brian called.

"What's up, Rok?" AJ responded. He walked over to Brian, "What?"

:So, what's the deal with Samantha?"

"Why?" AJ asked.

"Just asking." Brian really wanted to know.

"Well...," he said. To think of it he didn't know that much. "She just moved in next door... I think yesterday. She saved Toby from drowning. That's pretty much all I know about her. Maybe if you asked her about herself...," he trailed off.

"I think I'll do that," Brian agreed.

"Do you like her or something?"

"I don't know...," Brian said walking outside.

AJ just laughed.