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It's probably a little after 5PM when Elrod shows up at Sammy's house.  He's back to driving his old Chevy Impala.  He makes his way to the front door and rings the bell, sending Sammy a text as he walks up the driveway.

Ding Dong

She opens the front door and smiles at him.  "Its a little late for trick or treating."  She reaches out her hand to him.  It could be she just wants to hold it as she welcomes him into her house.  It could be a peace gesture too.  "Come on in."

Mom's working on dinner in the kitchen, and the smell of cooking pot roast and gravy, potatoes, and vegetables wafts throughout the house.  Some random 80s music is playing back there, and Mom hums to herself as she cooks.

He takes her hand and follows her inside.  "So, the nature of your greeting makes me feel like we're about to have a very serious talk."

"I was just trying to figure out who you might be angry with," she says, and moves in for a hug that lingers a bit.  "But yeah, there are some serious matters to discuss. Want a root beer or anything?"

"No thanks, I grabbed a float and fries at the Tasty.  Who would I be angry with?"  He seems a little confused.

"That's part of the serious discussion.  Come on, sit down."  She tugs on his hand and leads him to the couch in the family room, and sits down next to him.  "I know you know what happened in rehearsal, and we can talk about that as much as you want, if you want to at all.  Thing is, I don't know if you are aware that there are related rumors going around school."  She turns and looks at him.  "Nick Hurley was beat up on Saturday.  Rumor has it that you asked [Jeff*] and [Andy*] to do it."  A confused expression flits across her face.  "That doesn't seem like you."


*Can't remember what their names are, if they had names.

"Well, yes I know what happened Friday."  He opens his phone and plays the media mail he was sent Friday night [Basically the kiss part of the rehearsal with audio so bad you can't make out anything anyone is saying].  "As for the guys beating up Nick, do you think I'd ask them to do that?"

"No," Sammy says simply, "I don't.  If it was something that bothered you that much, you'd do something yourself, not send somebody.  Which means either the guys got the idea on their own, which seems out of character, or somebody's trying to make you look bad.  That recording doesn't show everything either.  It doesn't show the singing beforehand, which was so incredibly better than anything we had done before, or the part after, where I told Nick it was very nice but I wouldn't continue, because I was dating you.  So what I think is that someone is trying to make sure we split up; either you dump me because you're heartbroken, or I dump you because you're a bully."

"Okay.  So, I'll go talk to the guys.  See what happened, at least their side of it.  Can you find out Nick's side?  We can compare the stories and go from there."

"Please join the program that is already in progress," Sammy says. "I already asked somebody to find out what Nick has to say about it, and I think some others are trying to figure out who broadcasted the video.  Help is coming from a lot of directions, some unexpected."  Sammy shifts in her seat.  "Now for the hard part.  If it turns out the guys did this all on their own, that it was all their own idea... I can't tolerate that."

"I'm down with that.  It just doesn't seem like them though, I mean Jeff and Andy are so laid back they're in danger of falling off the Earth most of the time.  Besides, they would have asked me if we'd broken up or something first.  They're still amazed that I'm actually seeing a girl on a regular basis."

She tries to reassure him.  "I know.  It was just air that had to be cleared, that's all.  The more I think about it, the more I think something else is up.  I want to blame Torrance Shipman, but I want something more than just distrust and dislike for reasons before I send her spinning."

At the mention of Torrance Shipman, Elrod's pupils narrow.  "She came over to talk to me at the Tasty when I pulled in.  I gave her the gentle brush off, but she might have been hitting on me come to think of it.  I don't read girls terribly well."

"That's why I'm being blunt with you right now.  I don't want you to misunderstand me or feel tricked by me.  You and I might be dating, but we're also friends, and friends don't play head games."  She squeezes his hand tightly.  "Megan warned me that Torrance was aiming for you.  I don't know how far she's willing to go, or what she'll do if she thinks she's losing.  Be careful around her."  She sinks back into the sofa cushions.  "Before I say your turn, and ask if there's anything you want to know, do you want to stay for dinner?  Mom is making plenty."

"Can't.  Gotta have a pow-wow with dad about some college interviews."

And its goodbye again.  Another little piece of Sammy removes itself from the world with Elrod and moves itself to the world without him, all in the interest of self-preservation.

"OK.  Good luck with that.  You're going to be traveling around a lot this spring, aren't you?  Going to look at schools and all?  You got kind of a late start for any scholarships, but between your brains, your dad's connections, and your money, you should be able to go wherever you want.  That means a lot of places to visit.  Your weekends are going to fill up really fast."  She isn't quite sure where this line of thought is taking her, but it seems important to follow it.

"Stop."  He says, putting a finger to her lips.  "I know where this is going, and we're not going there now.  If this is the conversation you want to have, I can counter it.  So you need to decide if this is what you want to talk about, or if you can be happy with now and let tomorrow worry about itself."

She pulls back slightly, so that his finger isn't covering her lips anymore.  "It's getting tougher to just think about right now," she admits.  "Watching John mope around isn't helping at all.  But I'll drop the topic."  She looks around the room long enough to regain her composure, and spots a set of Winter Concert tickets on the shelf next to the library books that needed to be returned.  "If the Winter Concert is canceled, or at least my part of it, are you starting your party earlier?"

"They're not going to cancel the concert.  You worked hard for this, you deserve that shot at being in the spotlight."

"I got more spotlight than I wanted, thanks.  All the wrong kind too.  I wouldn't be unhappy if it was canceled."

"Well, if you don't do it then they win.  The faceless people who have conspired to shake you have won.  Besides, Nick has worked hard too.  He deserves his shot."

Sammy resists a sudden urge to argue about it.  "Fine.  If the show goes on, I'll be there."

"That's the showbiz spirit."  Elrod says with a smile.  "So, now we just need to see if I need a new band for the summer."

"Do... do you want backup?  Someone who can tell if someone else is lying?  I can call for help." 

"Nah, should be fine.  I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure.  You know where to find me."  She gives him a hug and a kiss and walks him to the door.

At the door Elrod stops.  "Are you all right?  I never asked how you actually feel.  Is there anything I can do to make you feel better"?

"The whole situation is making me really uncomfortable," she says.  "I'm angry, upset, and scared.  I can survive the video thing; it caught me by surprise, but now it can't touch me anymore.  What has me really p.o.'ed is that somebody beat up Nick, and I'm also really p.o.'ed that the blame is going back on you.  What about you?  You haven't said how you feel about any of it either.  I'm guessing some things by the way you're acting, but it'd be sure nice to hear the words so I don't have to keep guessing."

"I'm not sure how I feel." he says, "I think that no matter what you're going to get hurt.  That bugs me, because I know in a very strange way that will be my fault.  No matter what happens though, I want us to be close.  I'm not going to say we should be friends, that's just wrong.  I don't let people inside very often, and I'd like it if, no matter what happens, that there will always be a spot inside for you."

Sammy just moves closer and wraps her arms tightly around him for a minute, not saying anything.  Then she says, "Hold on for a minute."  She disappears into the kitchen and comes out holding something behind her back.  She says "I'm going to give you part of your Christmas presents now.  Don't argue."  She reveals three blue hand-knitted piles wrapped up in the tissue paper she used to keep them clean while she made them.
"This is a hat.  When you wear it, remember that there's somebody who is thinking nice things about you.  These are mittens.  When you wear them, remember there's somebody who is always happy to hold your hand whenever you want.  This is a scarf.  When you wear it, remember there's someone who is always happy to give you a hug, to wrap their arms around you and make you feel loved.  I made them all myself."  She shrugs.  "I know its early, but I think you needed it now instead of later.  And I think it answers your question too."

Elrod smiles, "No one has ever made me a gift before."  He takes them and gives her a hug, "Thank you."

A few moments later he heads home.