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This is a work of fiction. Any people, places or locations within are purely fiction and the product of the author's imagination, or their names are used to add realism and/or for satirical purposes. Their use does not constitute any type of endorsement or agreement, in part or in whole, with any belief or message, expressed, implied or otherwise inferred by the author and the story/story line, nor do they imply any endorsement of the story or author.

This story contains scenes of EXTREME VIOLENCE, mature subject matter and deals with alternative lifestyles. If you are not comfortable with these concepts and materials, STOP reading NOW. If you are under the age of seniority and consent where you live, or if these types of materials are illegal for you to read, possess or download, you must STOP reading NOW and you may NOT download this story. If you are very religious, this work will probably anger you. Do not read it. Do not download it. Hello, nice to see you, GO AWAY. You'll be more comfortable at http://www.disney.com please go there instead of here.

 

Midnight Downloads

by Wendy-J
Wendy-J@KimEM.net

© 1999-2004 Wendy-J@KimEM.net All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized distribution or archival prohibited.

 

Part-28

Wednesday Night September 16^th
When Jan and Donna came up for bed they decided to check on the girls. Their first stop was Tina's room. Jan knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open. Sam was sitting on the bed and Tina, in a nightgown, lay under the covers. The only light in the room was the bedside lamp.

"Sam, please, I can't bear to see his face ag…" Tina moaned, near hysterics.

"I was just making sure…" Jan started to say.

Tina misunderstanding what her mother was trying to say jumped to conclusions. "Mom, I'm not doing anything!" She cried. The waterworks were underway again. "I haven't done anything! I've been good, I promised you I would!"

"Tina, please," Sam was desperately trying to calm her. Tina was almost hysterical.

"I know, Honey," Jan was fighting back her tears. "I was checking to see if you'd gotten to sleep yet." Tina cried quietly into Sam's bosom.

Donna came into the room with Sam's slippers, robe and a black satin, men's pyjama set. "I bought these for you today. I thought you might be able to use them since you insist on running about the house half naked."

"Besides," Jan finished for her, "I can't bear to hear your screams and not even be able to hold you, Tina. It's tearing me up inside. You used to turn to me for…" she trailed off, barely holding her emotions in check. "Sam," Jan finally continued, her voice barely under control, "since you seem to have taken over that part of my job…if you're going to do it, then do it right. Take care of my baby. Good night girls." And the women left the room closing the door behind them. Sam held on to Tina and cried with her.

"Are…I mean, do those mean…?"

Sam nodded as she started to strip. "Tina, I'm not a saint. I…."

"I don't care Sam. I don't care if you sl…slept wu-wu…."

"Tina! That's not what I meant!" Sam said blushing and covering herself with the pyjama top.

"But…."

"I'm still a virgin," Sam said meekly. Tina started to cry again. "There's no way I'm going to believe you're not a virgin, Tina."

Tina shook her head violently side to side. When she got a grasp on her emotions she said, "I was scared that you weren't, bu-but I didn't care either way and…and…when you just said you were…."

Sam sat on the bed and started to pull on the pyjama bottoms. "Do you really want to wear those?" Tina asked between sniffles.

"No, but unless you intend to…" Sam started to say dejectedly and trailed off.

"Then put them on and get in here," Tina said apologetically.

As Sam slid under the sheets she saw a Monoject® syringe sitting unused on the nightstand. It was filled with a clear liquid. A white insoluble powder seemed to have settled to the bottom of the tube. "You didn't tell me one of your prescriptions was a needle," Sam accused.

"I can't," Tina said in the smallest voice Sam had ever heard, she looked terrified.

"So you aren't going to take it?" Tina just shook her head no. Sam pressed the issue and said, "Look in the mirror, Tee."

"But I can't, Sam," Tina said with a whine. She was winding up again.

"Can you handle it if I do it?" Sam asked quietly, calming her. Tina nodded her head.

"Now or in the morning?"

"Tomorrow. Not now…please."

"Tomorrow then."

Tina pulled Sam close and gave a long trembling sigh. She slept through the night.

****************************

Jan started to cry as she walked down the hall to her room. She felt Donna's hand on her shoulder. "Feel up to a pity party?" Donna asked as she started to cry as well.

****************************

Donna and Jan were in the den a little over an hour later, sipping cream sherry. They'd been talking for a while. "I think the hardest part is that I just got the little girl I always wanted and tonight…I just gave her away." Jan started to tear up again.

"No you didn't Jan. It's…."

"Sam's already taken my place, Donna. Or haven't you noticed?"

"But…."

"My little girl isn't crying for her mommy any more. She's crying for her…her…lover. The other half of her life! And you aren't going to tell me that after a month of their sleeping together, you're going to try and separate them, are you?"

"No, I suppose not," Donna said thoughtfully. "I can hear it now…'We'll run away and elope!' No, I guess I'm not. Our babies are growing up."

"You don't think that they'll…" Jan's voice trailed off and she began to blush. While Jan was anything but a prude she couldn't seem to bring herself to actually say the words sex or make love in context with her child. For some reason, now that Ernie had become Tina, she couldn't talk about it without vague references.

Donna shrugged her shoulders. "I all but gave Sam my blessing, Jan. Those two aren't teens, I mean…not where it counts. They're already dealing with more things than we ever dealt with."

"She did say she wants to," was Jan's rejoinder. "I wonder how Tina feels about it."

"Jan, Sam's waiting for her. She won't do anything unless Tina starts it. Sam really is the perfect gentleman."

"And I think Tina's too unsure of herself to let it happen."

"So what do we do? Move Sam's things in with Tina's?"

"Not unless I remodel the house again. Have you looked in her closet?"

"There's room. I overheard her when she was talking to Sam yesterday. She won't need any of those old things anymore, Jan. They don't fit Sam well enough for her to wear them…."

Jan almost spilled her drink. "She's decided to get the surgery?" You could hear the panic in her voice. You could almost feel it.

"No, that part of it's still up in the air, but she said she's never going back to Ernie. Just look at her."

Jan, the relief she felt a tangible thing, simply nodded. "I assumed as much. She seems so much happier as Tina. I can't ever remember her laughing or smiling so much. From the snatches of conversation I've overheard, she even has friends. My child finally has friends."

"I'd say so. Did you know that one of her little…one of her friends," Donna said, correcting herself, "asked her where she's getting her hair done and made an appointment with Claire?"

"I had no idea she'd become so popular," Jan said, amazed. "I would have been happy just to see her make one or two friends this year."

Donna nodded her head. "It's interesting what you see and hear when you don't have to go to work."

"What about Sam?"

"Her medications are still on her dresser…untouched." It was Donna's turn to show her relief. At least she'd continue to have a daughter.

"I suppose we could move all the computer gear and the new desks into Sam's room," Jan said, thinking of the practicalities of the new living arrangements. She wasn't so sure how comfortable she felt with it, but it was easier to accept the children's living together as husband and wife than it was to deal with Tina's screaming every time she closed her eyes.

"What are you going to do with Sam's bed?" Donna asked, glad for the change in subject. Physical practicalities were easier to deal with than the reality of losing her child to another at such an early age.

"Put it in the attic I suppose. Sam won't be using it. They'll need the space in any case."

"And the new vanity? Jan it hasn't even come yet."

"I guess that can take the place of Tina's desk, the room's big enough. Do you think Sam's going to be okay with such a feminine décor?"

"I don't think she's that…" Donna stumbled over her words and blushed.

"Butch?" Jan, seeing her friend's embarrassment, finished for her.

Donna nodded slowly. "It just sounds so…homosexual."

Jan laughed. "Well, it sure doesn't look homosexual, Donna." The mirth seemed to die on her lips as another thought struck home with alarming clarity. "Would it bother you if Sam is a lesbian?"

"Anymore? No, I can honestly say it doesn't bother me anymore. But if you'd asked me that question a couple of weeks ago…" Donna replied thoughtfully, letting the rest of her statement hang. "Besides, her interests seem to lie with Tina…and with her, it only looks homosexual when I let myself think about it that way. If it wasn't Tina," she shrugged her shoulders, "she's my daughter, Jan. She's my daughter and I love her. It wouldn't have been as easy to accept, but I don't think it would bother me beyond what difficulties she'll face in life."

"So, do you think she'll have a problem with the room?" Jan asked worriedly.

"If I know our Tina, she'll find a way to make it easier on Sam. If she doesn't, Sam will find a way to make it hers, too."

"You know, Donna, I could always have a door put in further down the hall. That way it would make that part of the house into a suite of rooms that would include Tina's room, Sam's room and one of the spare bedrooms. Then, I could take out the closet in her room, have the wall moved to where the closet doors are and put in a door to what would become a boudoir. Freeing up the wall that the closet is taking up would allow more space to move the furniture around, too. Then, if I take out the bath in the spare bedroom and split the area into a sitting room and a dressing room it'll give Tina a true boudoir and…."

Donna continued the thought, "And with the computers out of there, we could move the chest of drawers and the other dresser into the room…" Donna's voice trailed off. Suddenly she started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Jan asked, honestly puzzled at her friend's mirth.

"First, it almost sounds like you're having Castle Wilson renovated to give the lord and lady of the manor their own suite of rooms. Think about it. It'll be just like something out of the Regency period in London! There'll be two bedrooms, one for his lordship and one for her ladyship, both with separate baths. Her ladyship will even have her boudoir, her sitting and changing rooms. The only thing missing is his lordship's study, which isn't impossible if you're willing to sacrifice another bedroom! And second, have you really been listening to this conversation?"

"Of course I've been lis…" Jan started to giggle. "We sound like a married couple talking about our children."

"Call the contractor in the morning, Darling," Donna giggled.

"Yes, Dear," Jan replied, doing her best impersonation of Danny Kaye in the movie "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

They both started laughing. Once they were under control, Donna put her finger to her mouth in a shushing motion. "We don't want to wake them."

Jan giggled. "I can just see Sam, running out of their room in those pyjamas to see what's going on…" she trailed off in a fit of giggles. "Black? Why in gods name did you get black?" Jan giggled again.

"It was that or red, I wasn't about to get her the leopard print and the purple were just too…."

Jan squealed with mirth. "No I suppose the leopard print would be out. Why didn't you just get her some cotton ones?"

Donna looked at the floor and wrung her hands. "I just couldn't bring myself to…." It was too big a step for her. While Donna was able to shop the men's department for Sam, she was still buying traditionally feminine fabrics. Somehow, that seemed to make it all right.

"I understand," Jan said quietly. "Come on, Donna, I think we've had enough of these," she said waving her empty glass. "Off to bed with you."

Donna started to cleanup their mess. Jan gently took her by her good arm and said, "Leave it for the morning, Donna. I'll help you clean it up then."

The two women made their way up the stairs giggling and doing impersonations of Danny Kaye.

****************************

Thursday Morning September 17^th
Sam woke to the same wonderful sensations she'd experienced the previous two mornings. Carefully she turned around to face Tina. Then, ever so gently, Sam gently rolled Tina onto her back, insinuated herself between the teen's legs and started to kiss her eyes and nose. As Tina started to wake, Sam said, "Wake up beautiful." Tina's eyes fluttered open and she gasped in surprise. Then, realising what was happening, she tried to squirm out from under Sam.

Sam held her firmly, but gently, in place and said softly, "You have a choice here, sexy. Either you do something we both know we both want, or you take a shower." Tina started to cry. Sam wanted to scream, to lash out. Every muscle in her body went rigid. Instead of lashing out she held Tina close and asked, "Do you want to?" She queried in an attempt to get confirmation of what she already knew. Tina nodded her head affirmatively. "Then why don't you?" Sam asked.

"I can't," Tina squeaked out between her tears.

"Umm, not from what I feel," Sam said with a smile and squirmed a bit for added emphasis, this time managing to capture the head of Tina's member between her thighs. She wriggled a bit lower and effectively pushed Tina's panties down in front and settled her thighs completely around the teen's organ, nestling it snugly against herself where it would do the most good.

Tina, now trapped between Sam's thighs, groaned with the sensations her sweetheart was causing with her satin covered thighs and said, "But it isn't right."

"Don't you love me?"

"You know I do," Tina moaned, a panicked look on her face as her instincts struggled to override her mind's control. She was fighting to maintain her wits and what Sam was doing to her was making it increasingly difficult.

"You know I love you," Sam persisted, "so what's the problem?"

"We're not…we didn't get…" Tina stumbled and struggled to say what she meant. She was too shy to actually say it and too confused about her identity to be able to determine who should ask in the first place.

"Married?!?" Sam exclaimed incredulously, finishing Tina's statement for her.

Tina nodded her head. The stress of waging a battle with sexual desire and her own morals, she started to cry again. Instead of screaming at Tina and venting her frustration, Sam kissed her on the nose and said, "I love you, Sweetheart. Now get in the shower." Sam rolled off the teen and watched in silence as Tina made her way to the bathroom. A tear slowly made its way down Sam's cheek. Frustrated and furious with herself for her emotional display she angrily wiped the tear away, then got out of bed and started to make it. Her movements were harsh, sharp and forceful.

Donna knocked on the door and waited. Sam, waiting for whoever was knocking to just come into the room, as had been Jan and Donna's usual practice, continued to make the bed and ignored the knock.

"Sam? Tina?" Donna called from the hall and knocked again.

"C'mon in, Ma," Sam said, a hint of tears in her voice.

Donna opened the door and looked about. From the rumpled condition of Sam's pyjamas, it was obvious she'd slept in them. "Where's Tina?"

Sam hooked her thumb in the direction of the bathroom as she continued to smooth the blankets with angry strokes.

"Again?"

"She wants to get married first," Sam said, trying to sound conversational and failing miserably. Tears filled her voice making it sound almost angry. It wasn't anger Donna heard in her daughter; it was love. She went white as a ghost.

Seeing her mother pale Sam went on the offensive out of fear for what her mother was thinking. "What?" she asked vehemently.

"You're going to…."

"We're still in high school, Ma! Gimmie a break!" Sam shot at her mother in frustration, stopping her in mid-sentence.

"I…" Donna started to reply, but trailed off as her voice and words failed her. She looked ready to cry.

Sam stopped what she was doing and, in an almost violent move, pulled her mother into a very tight hug while they both struggled for control over their emotions. After a moment Sam tried again. "It's way too much, Ma. Way too much and way too fast for all of us," she finished as she choked back her tears.

"So are you going to start sleeping in…?" Donna began only to be stopped by her daughter.

"I'm going to stay in here," Sam said softly over her mother's question. "Tina needs me."

"Jan said she'd put in a door down the hall and…."

Sam kissed her mother's forehead to quiet her. "We're fine for now, Ma. I need to get ready for school, 'kay?"

"I …we love you, Sam. We just want you two to be happy. You go get ready for school and I'll go make you some breakfast."

"Thanks, Ma."

When Tina got out of the shower, Sam, freshly showered and dressed for school, was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and several cotton balls. "Girls! I swear! I'll never figure out what takes you so long in a bathroom." Tina giggled. "Ready?" Sam asked waving the cotton balls. Tina went pale, swallowed audibly and nodded her head. "Then lie down on the bed."

First Sam poured some alcohol onto some cotton and wiped her hands with it. Then she took a fresh ball of cotton, soaked it with alcohol and rubbed it over Tina's bottom and slapped her where she'd swabbed her.

"Hey!" Tina shouted, but it was already over.

Sam was putting the cap back on the needle when Tina asked, "What'd you slap me for?"

"You didn't feel it, did you?"

"You mean it's done?"

"Uh huh."

****************************

Sam had just finished convincing Jan not to renovate the house when Tina walked into the kitchen in jeans and a sweater.

"Tina-aaa! You can't go to school looking like tha-aat!" Sam said in exasperation.

"What? I wore almost the same outfit on my first day!" Jan and Donna started giggling at the exchange.

"Yes, but on the first day you weren't part of the social scene. At least one person knows you went to get your hair done! And you aren't going to be able to hide those highlights!"

"Aw, c'mon, Sam, Cathy's the only person that knows I went to…."

"And who did she call?"

"But…."

"Go back upstairs and…and…. At least put on a skirt, Tina, please! My GOD! Half the SCHOOL prolly knows you went to the hairdressers by now! You can't go to school looking like tha-aat!"

"Sam's right Honey," Jan said, fighting to keep a straight face. "Come on, let's go find you something to wear."

"At least let me get a cup of coffee," she said, resigned to her fate.

After Jan shooed Tina up the stairs Sam buried her head in her arms at the table. "She doesn't know any better, Sam."

"I know, Ma, but…Jeez! Jeans?!? After a dye job?!? Arrrgh!"

****************************

"Why don't you wear one of the outfits your Aunt Donna bought you yesterday, Honey?"

"But…."

"Sam's right, Tina. You set the styles now. You don't follow them anymore. You don't want to start getting treated like Ernie did, do you?"

"No, but what's the dif…."

"The difference is, you're supposed to be proud of your new hairstyle and outfits. Not be ashamed of them. You're supposed to go in there and say, 'Look at me!' not, 'Please forget me.' Now then, why don't you wear this skirt, and we'll pair it up with…."

****************************

"Honestly, Sam, isn't this getting a bit carried away?" Tina asked as she pulled into a parking space. "I mean, you'd think I was running for President the way you're carrying on about this! It's only school! No-one's going to notice."

"Think so? We're early enough; I'll walk you to class again. Watch."

Tina hadn't even gotten the car door closed when Kelly appeared out of nowhere. "Hi Tina! Like, I heard you got your hai…wow! Girlfriend, you look great! I love what you've done to your hair!"

"Thanks, Kelly, umm…Claire just said to trust her, so…."

"Claire?"

"Yeah, you know, Claire Hamilton? Of 'Claire's Clip Joint?' "

"Like, Cute name."

"Uh huh. Are uh…are those new shoes?" she asked desperately trying to change the topic. Instead, she was making points, Big Time.

"These? As if! I've had them for ages," Kelly beamed.

"They're cute," Tina said simply.

"Like, uh…thanks!" Kelly enthused. She was acting like she'd accomplished a major social coup.

Sam had been standing off to one side watching the exchange in knowing amusement. Now that their greeting was over she walked around the car and kissed Tina on the cheek. "Come on gorgeous, or we're gonna be late. Hi, Kelly."

"Hi Sam," Kelly replied almost breathlessly. He could be sooo cute sometimes.

The three of them started for the school. By the time she'd reached the door, Tina had said hello to what seemed like half the school. Everyone commented on how much they loved her hair.

In the doorway to Tina's homeroom Sam simply said, "See? I told y'-so." Tina just shook her head in stunned disbelief.

Then Sam repeated the previous day's performance with a lingering kiss and said, "See you at lunch, Honey." She handed Tina her backpack and took off at a trot.

Tina, her head spinning from the walk to the classroom and Sam's kiss, absently made her way to her seat a smile plastered on her face.

****************************

"Hi Claire!" Jan said into the phone as her friend and hairdresser came on the line.

"Jan! Hi! You're not cancelling Saturday I hope?" the effervescent woman bubbled into the phone.

"No, why?" Jan guardedly replied.

"Because, I don't have an opening for almost two weeks!" the woman enthused. She couldn't remember ever being so busy and was loving every minute of it.

"What? That's great! I just called to tell you that I loved what you did with Tina's hair."

"So did half the senior class I think."

"Come on, Claire, get real. One of Tina's friends calls to make an appointment and…."

Claire stopped her cold saying, "I've had eight calls since she came in here last night, Jan," Claire said quietly, interrupting her. "Six of them mentioned her by name. I was going to call you, but I've been a bit busy with deliveries, clients and the phone."

"I had no idea," mumbled Jan, shocked with the turn of events.

"I had two calls last night before closing, the rest, judging by the times they came in, must have been between classes this morning. Jan, I don't know how or why, but she's the acme of the social scene at school, the very tiptop of the ladder. That's a dangerous place for anyone, but especially for her."

"I knew she was becoming popular, Claire, but…."

"What's been going on?" Claire interposed, talking right over top of her friend. "Come on, Jan, stop holding out."

"I…well…you know that when I called you last time," Jan said a bit off balance. "I wanted to make sure that she looked perfect."

"Sure, and we did a pretty good job of it, too. So?"

"Well, her friend Sam…."

"Donna's boy?" Claire interjected, looking for clarity.

"Err…sort of, Donna's daughter, took it to heart. She made sure that Tina got the best clothes in the latest styles."

"That still doesn't explain her meteoric rise to fame and glory," she said fishing.

"First, the bit about Sam being Donna's daughter is to be kept on the Q. T. Tina and Sam are an item. Got it?"

Claire giggled. "Got it. Go on."

"Well, on her first day at school, there was this boy that she met at the grocery -- right after you did her hair…." Jan told the story of Brad Thorndike, how Tina met him, her experiences on her first day at school and Thorndike's assault.

…"Let me get this straight. She puts down the…."

"The term Sam used was shut down, Claire. Does it make a difference?"

"A very big difference, Jan. If she shut him down, and he was the bane of half the girls at school, and she managed to get him expelled…it could explain the rest of what's been happening."

"I still don't see…."

"Think about it, Jan, she got him expelled. He's gone. Every girl that's gone out with Thorndike hates him. Tina's just become their heroine. Every guy that lost out to him thinks she's the neatest thing since sliced bread AND that she's a real fox, 'a total babe.' And whenever someone speaks to her, she has something nice to say about them, not her, them. That girl doesn't have a conceited or snooty bone in her body, Jan. She instantly takes a liking to everyone and always has something nice to say. With a personality like that, combined with looks and giving that boy what for, it's to be expected."

"No wonder she wanted to wear jeans to school today," Jan mumbled.

"What's that?!?" Claire asked, instantly zeroing in on the implication of her friend's statement.

"She was going to wear Jeans and a sweater to school, Claire. I made her wear a nice skirt and a silk blouse to show off the beautiful job you did."

"Just nudge her over the top, why don't you? No wonder I've been getting calls. Jan, let her dress herself. She needs to find a spot on the ladder where she's comfortable. Besides, where am I going to get the space for another chair?"

"You've got an empty chair now," Jan replied, thinking of the shop, its three complete stations, shampoo chair and two hairdressers.

I just put an ad in the paper, Jan; I'm looking for another girl. If you keep pushing Tina to the top, I'm going to have to find another place."

"Well, I'm sure I can help you with that, but how am I going to take Tina down a peg or two to keep her safe without hurting her?"

"Talk to Sam. Maybe she'll have an idea on how to handle it. It sounds like she's really on the ball. I've got to run, Jan. My eleven o'clock just showed."

"Thanks Claire."

****************************

Tina and her retinue got to the cafeteria in time to see Ro all but pushed from her seat at their usual table by one of the "Social Elite." Tina's blood started to boil. "Excuse me," she said to the girls around her, "I need to take care of something," and with an air of the imperious Jennifer Winchester, marched toward the table.

Sam, arriving right behind Tina, saw the scene at the table and Tina's attitude shift, vehemently muttered, "Oh shit!" and took off at a run.

She intercepted the fuming teen before she could commit social suicide. "Look, I saw it too, okay," she hissed as she grabbed Tina's arm. "But there is a better way to handle it. Follow my lead." Sam, her arm around Tina's waist, casually walked over to Ro, who was still standing beside the table she'd just been ejected from. "Hey, Ro! Where's Lee?" she asked as they came up to the table.

"Hi, Sam, Tina," the teen said in greeting, ignoring the fact that she'd just been expelled from her seat. "She uh, hasn't gotten here yet."

The girl that forced Ro from her chair said, "Hi, Tina, Sam, we saved you a seat." Sam acted as if she wasn't there. Tina glared at the offending girl for a moment, then looked at Ro and beamed a smile at her.

"Looks like this table's about full up," Sam continued. The arrogant teen was stunned. She looked from Sam and Tina to Ro, not believing she was being snubbed and ignored.

"Yeah, I figured I'd wait for Lee and…" Ro said in reply.

"Here she comes," Tina said conversationally over top of Ro's words as she spied Lee behind the girl. "Why don't we find another table? This one looks a bit…."

"Crowded?" Ro finished for her, saving Tina from herself. Tina nodded and smiled, still furious with the witch they were ignoring. The girl that forced Ro from her seat looked like she'd just been slapped.

Tina nodded her head toward Lee, "Shall we?" What Tina really wanted to do was to pull the hair out of the head of the bitch that forced Ro from her seat. What the three of them did, was get in line with Lee and, together, took their lunches outside to the picnic tables.

"Why didn't you let me tell that…." Tina began to rant about the scene in the lunchroom.

"Because, Tee," Ro broke in, "what you just did in there was tell that entire table that you're too good for them. In the process, you told the rest of the student body that you won't tolerate that kind of attitude. If Sam and I let you do what you wanted to do, you would have been seen as petty, immature and childish."

"You would have committed social suicide," Lee translated. "Not to mention suspended."

"Instead," Ro continued, "you, the star of the social set, took up the sword for all the geeks in the school like Jon and me."

"You won round one," Sam interposed quietly, "but you might have fallen a bit in the popularity standings."

"Like I care," Tina replied venomously. "Look, Ro, I'm sorry. They had no right to…."

"Tina!" a shout interrupted. It was Kelly. She and two of the pep squad were walking toward the small group.

"Oh, great, it's Kelly and the bimbettes," Sam muttered sardonically. Everyone laughed. Tina just gave a feeble wave.

"Hey! Like, I saw what you did in there," Kelly alleged.

"As vacuous and bubbly as ever," Ro sang softly in Tina's ear and giggled. Tina smiled at the private joke.

Kelly, the conceited being that she was, mistook the intent of the smile and started talking. "Like, It's not like Morgan didn't have it coming or anything, but…."

"Look, uh, Kelly," Tina began, talking right over top of Kelly's words, "Ro and Lee have been my friends since I started here, y'-know? They didn't pass judgement on me. They didn't wait to see if I was cool, or worthy of being part of the 'in crowd.' They just accepted me for me and treated me like they would anyone else."

"Well…like…I mean…." The confusion Kelly was feeling was visible on her face as she struggled to explain herself and understand what Tina was saying.

Sam, Lee and Ro sat in silence as they watched the scene unfold. Sam couldn't believe her ears. Tina was treating Kelly like a friend, but also like she was angry and hurt. "Kelly, would you have liked it if Morgan forced you out of your seat?" Tina continued, ignoring Kelly's attempted reply.

"As if! She wouldn't dare!" the girl said mindlessly, missing the point yet again.

Tina took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "Okay…would you like it if I forced you out of your seat?" Tina tried again. Her patience was amazing considering how she felt.

"But…like…you wouldn't ever do that, right?" Kelly said worriedly, trying to grasp where the conversation was going. So far it had been way over her head.

"No, Kelly," Tina said shaking her head and not believing the density of the girl in front of her. "I probably never would. But would you like it if I did?"

Tina was beginning to sound like a parental unit to Kelly, but she tried to understand where this was going. "Well, du-uuh! Of course not!"

"Wouldn't you want your friends to stick up for you if I did?" Tina pressed the point home.

"Well…yeah." The concept Tina was trying to get across to Kelly was still out of her reach. Kelly's face clouded with confusion. Her mother was never this confusing.

"Well, I just stuck up for my friends today, Kelly," Tina said simply, as if the thought should make all the difference in the world to Kelly.

Anyone could see the confusion clouding her face, now. "But, like, you chose them over Morgan." She said it as if Tina should see the significance in it.

"Is Morgan my friend?" Tina asked quietly, as she strove to drive her point home.

Sam just couldn't believe the exchange. Can anyone really be this dense? Lee and Ro were struggling not to laugh.

"Well…like, sure!" Kelly bubbled happily, still not making the connection.

"Then why did she force my other friend -- one of the first friends I ever made here -- out of her seat?"

Kelly's face went blank. The gears were spinning furiously, you could see it, but nothing seemed to engage. The lights were on but….

"Yeah, I thought so," Tina said dully. "When you can answer my question we'll talk. Later Kelly." Tina said flatly and turned to Ro to seemingly continue their previous conversation. "So, you were thinking of joining the drama club? I didn't know you wanted to act."

Kelly couldn't believe she was being dismissed as if she didn't matter. The coolest girl in school was ignoring her. Her mind whirled in abject frustration as she desperately tried to understand the why of it all. How can she do this to me? ME! Captain of the cheerleading squad! Kelly was devastated. She stood there and listened a bit, running the conversation with Tina back through her mind. The gears were still whirling. They were meshing all right, with thin air.

"Well, I don't know that I really want to act," Ro was saying, "I want to be on the stage crew. I have this really cool idea for the audio mixers that…."

When Kelly finally walked away Lee started giggling uncontrollably. Sam just shook her head. "Tee, I don't think she knows what just happened. Neutronium doesn't have anything on that head of hers."

"It'll catch up to her," Tina replied. "Her grades are too good for her to be that dense," she said confidently while silently adding, I hope.

"Thanks Tee," Ro said with tears in her eyes.

"For what, Ro, being a friend?" she asked. "You're starting to sound like Cathy." Ro smiled.

Turning to Sam Tina said, "If that's what it takes to be popular, I don't want any part of it."

Her fervent attitude wasn't lost on Sam. "Okay, Tee, but please, don't blow up and ask questions later when the shit hits the fan. Try and act like Mrs. Winchester would."

Tina shivered at the mention of the name. "And how's that?"

Sam squared her shoulders, held her head up, looked down her nose and giving her head a little toss when she said, "Whelll! I never!" The group broke into helpless giggles.

****************************

Sam was dreading it; she knew what was going to happen and she just didn't want to face it. So she dragged her feet all the way to her Chemistry class. Sam saw him as soon as she turned the corner in the hall. He was, hanging right outside the door waiting.

"Damn," Sam muttered. Maybe if I try to walk past him as if he wasn't there he'll get the point and leave me alone, she thought hopefully. As she drew abreast of the man mountain his arm snaked out around her shoulders and his sheer bulk steered her to one side of the door.

"Yo, Rob, wha'sup?" Sam said, feigning surprise to see the jock. She twisted out of his ham-hock of an arm; her back came to rest against the wall.

"C'mon, Man, what's the scoop?" Rob asked as he put his hand on the heavy plaster wall beside Sam's head and leaned into it.

"Rob, I thought I covered that yesterday," Sam replied simply.

"All you said was that you two live together," the jock said. It had taken him long after he'd settled into his seat in his last class of the day to understand that he'd yet to have an answer to his question.

"Look, I'll try and make it simple enough for even you to understand," Sam said, totally pissed. Rob scowled.

"First, yes, we live under the same roof. It's a big house. Second, so do my mother and her mother. Have you ever tried to lay a girl with her mother and your mother in the house? Not smart, Dude, definitely not smart. Third, we have separate rooms. And last, but definitely not least, even if I was doing it with her, which I'm not, by the way, I wouldn't tell you or anyone else for that matter! So lay off, okay? She's a nice girl!"

"C'mon, Man, I got a lot riding on this. You seem like a nice little guy, don't make me have to hurt y'," the jock said threateningly.

"Hey, did I tell you to bet your allowance?" Sam replied scathingly. "I told you, we are not doing it. Finito, end of story, DUDE."

The bell rang. "Shit! Thanks Rob, we're late," Sam said and ducked under the side of beef that passed for his arm and dodged into class.

"So nice of you to join us Mr. Boone. Ah! I see Mr. Farnsby has been gracious enough to honour us with his presence as well," said Mr. Kelsey. He was in rare form today. "Please, please, gentlemen, take your time, no need to rush. We're greatly honoured by your presence here today. Once more and you have detention. Do I make myself clear, gentlemen?"

****************************

Continued in Part-29

 

"Midnight Downloads" can be found at the following wonderful sites:
Crystal's Story Site. http://www.storysite.org
Sapphire's Place. http://www.sapphireplace.com/ml
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TG - Fiction.net - http://www.tgfiction.net
Thank you Kim & Piper.
Please visit them to read other delightful stories that you cannot find at Crystal's StorySite.

  

  

  

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