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After dinner Sammy's mom and dad ask to talk to her in the den.

"Your mom and I have talked aqbout this band thing with Elrod."  They look at each other and mom nods.  "We're not opposed to it, so long as it doesn't hurt your grades.  The tour thing though, we're not sure if we can swing that.   We want you to know that we trust you, that's not the issue.  The issue is that we'd just feel better with one of us along and we're not sure we can work that out schedule wise.  What we'd like is to know how early we can get a schedule and would it be okay if we called Elrod if we had any questions or would that violate some new teenage rule we don't know about?"  Dad smiles at the end trying to lighten what he probably feels is a tense mood.

"I love you guys" Sammy says, and tries to hug both of them at once.  "Elrod wants me to be able to go on the tour, so he'll probably go along with any reasonable requests that you have if that gets me one step closer to going.  Ask him for anything you need to see or know."

Both mom and dad seem releived by this and smile, hugging Sammy back.  "There's something else."  Dad looks at mom, who gives the go ahead nod.  "The school thinks that there might be someone who has an unhealthy interest in you.  they wanted us to give them a few days to try to figure out who it was, We thought you'd be safe enough.  They're sure they can find him and get him the help he needs before the situation gets too out of hand.  You haven't had any problems with any boys that you thought might have been, creepy.  Have you?"

"Nobody creepier than normal," Sammy says.  "But between school watching me, me taking some self defense classes with Mr. Jack, my powers, and my friends, I should be fine if a creepy guy makes a move.  I'll be extra careful though, maybe make sure to always travel with at least one or two other people so he'll think twice about getting close to me.  That should help, right?"

Dad nods.  "Yeah, that's a good idea."  He comes over and gives her a kiss on the forehead, "Ah, you should get with the homework and stuff.  I need to talk to your mom a little bit.  See you later, okay?"

"OK.  Um, if you hear me singing later on, don't laugh too hard, ok?  Its part of a class assignment and I have to record myself doing it."

She dashes for the stairs and goes into her room.  She zips through her sheet music, searching for a one particular song that was written by Hoagy Carmichael in 1937 and had been covered by a bunch of different performers since then, including Norah Jones.  It was a favorite of one of her music instructors, who had played a bootleg recording of Keith Richards performing it a couple of years ago.

The Nearness of You
Words & Music by Ned Washington & Hoagy Carmichael
Recorded by Hoagy Carmichael, 1937
Also recorded by Glenn Miller, 1940 (#5)

It's not the pale moon that excites me,
That thrills and delights me, oh, no —
It's just the near - ness of you.
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh, no —
It's just the near - ness of you.
When you're in my arms,
And I feel you so close to me,
All my wildest dreams come true.
I need no soft lights to enchant me,
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight,
And to feel in the night
The nearness of you.

She reads the music and lets it roll around in her head for a little while, then she stands up so she can really breathe properly, and records herself singing it.  She's afraid to play it back, so she sends it to Dave and to Elrod with the request that if its really bad, please be gentle but honest.  She just wants to know.

Then she dives into her pile of homework.