After the sketchy encounter with Nikki I hadn’t known what exactly to do. I had told Megan when I got home but she seemed un-phased, as if she wasn’t worried one bit about Nikki going psycho.

She had actually seemed… happy.

As if she was happy Nikki still cared enough.

It frustrated me, because I felt as if Megan was slowly giving back into Nikki, like she was forgetting everything she did to her. It pissed me off because… well, I didn’t know why exactly pissed me off, I just pinned it on the fact that Nikki was crazy.

And I wanted better for Megan.

Then suddenly Megan was in front of me, tapping my shoulder, “I’m leaving, tryouts are over but Coach Lee wants to talk to you after you help pick up okay?”

I rolled my eyes, “Why don’t you have to help pick up?”

“Because I’m an adult and we’re not five years old on the playground? See you at home.”

Then she walked off, leaving me curious as to why she was being such a bitch to me. Like, for once couldn’t you just tell me what I did wrong instead of being a cold-shouldered bitch that speaks in riddles?

I walked over to Emma, helping her pick up all of the balls the freshmen had hit for hitting practice. I watched as she bent over, and she had even worn the shorts I liked.

She was the best.

Then she spoke, “Stop staring at my ass Sam.”

I rolled my eyes, “Why do you always think I’m staring at your ass?”

“Cause ninety-nine percent of the time you are.”

“Fine.”

She turned around, looking at me as she threw some balls into the bucket. She smiled, “But I can’t stay too mad at you because you wore my favorite tank top.”

I smirked, “Just for you.”

She picked up the bucket of balls as I walked side by side with her to the equipment shed. She spoke, “So what did Miss Adams have to say to you?”

I looked at her, shrugging, “Coach Lee wants to talk to me before I go.”

Emma nodded, “You know, Miss Adams is pretty fine, I’m surprised you’re not lusting over her like the rest of the school’s population.”

I felt my skin run cold at the sentence, realizing I had felt pretty paranoid about Emma ever finding out Megan lived with me and that I kind of cared about her. Megan was so much more than a teacher to me and we all knew that.

Except Emma.

I nodded, playing it off, “Yea, must be the whole History teacher thing.”

She looked at me, “You really don’t have one of those weird teacher fantasies?”

I swallowed, trying not to allow my cover to be blown. I shrugged, “I mean… I wouldn’t mind if you dressed up like a hot teacher and held me after class.”

“I’m serious, Sam.”

I looked at her, smirking, “Are you jealous of Miss Adams?”

She shoved me, “No… well, kind of, but I know I don’t have to worry about that. You’re not that stupid to try and get involved with a teacher.”

I laughed it off, “Yea, I know.”

She pointed towards Coach Lee, “You should go talk to her.”

I nodded, gladly dismissing myself, “See you tomorrow.”

She smiled, “Bye.”

Then I turned, walking over to Lee as I tried to slow my heart rate. That was the weirdest conversation I have ever had with Emma, and of course it had to be about Megan. I had never felt so paranoid in my life, and I usually didn’t care about anything too much.

Lee addressed me, “Sam, I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you, for agreeing to help Miss Adams with the team. It’s really selfless of you.”

I smiled, hiding the fact that it was in fact not my choice to be here, but I didn’t mind anymore. I actually enjoyed coming here, “Well, I just figured it was a good way to give back, to make up for all those years ago.”

She rubbed my shoulder, “I understand, but I can tell you’re a different person now. You’re more mature, and you should be proud of yourself for sticking through it.”

“Thanks Coach, it means a lot hearing that from you.”

She took me off to the side then, “And listen, you were one of the best centerfielders this team had ever seen. I was going to ask you to work with the new freshmen that’ll make the team in a couple days. How’s that sound?”

I sighed, “Like a big commitment.”

She patted my back, “I have faith in you. Emma will help you, along with the other upperclassmen.”

I smiled at the reference to Emma, wondering if she could see the bond her and I shared. I thought it over, realizing she trusted me and thought I was good enough to help the underclassmen. She would be busy with the infield and the hitting, and I was a pretty good outfielder…

“I’ll be happy to help them.”

She smiled, “So good to hear. We’ll talk more about it next week.”

I nodded, dismissing myself to head home, “Thanks, again Coach, it really means a lot.”

“You deserve a chance Sam.”

It felt good hearing that, that I deserved a chance to prove myself again. She believed in me, out of all the people here, my old coach that I let down so many years ago still believed in me. She still believed I could be useful, and not a useless drop-out high school kid like my mom believed.

I drove home, thinking about everything I had on my plate and realizing my life was actually starting to come together, but at the same time it felt like it was threatening to crumble. Nikki was out there with pictures of me and Emma kissing, which really wasn’t a big deal because Megan and I weren’t together. What was the plan going to be if Nikki ever showed back up again?

It was really annoying me.

I drove up under the garage and walked to my door, letting myself in as I closed and locked the door behind me.

Then I came face to face with Megan.

I smiled, wondering why she looked so tense, “Hey.”

“I can’t believe you.”

I just looked at her, looking around to make sure she was talking to me. I turned my attention back to her when realizing I was the only one in the kitchen, “Um, what? Megan, are you okay?”

She spoke loudly, walking up to me, “You’re a fucking liar, Sam.”

I furrowed my brow, getting genuinely confused as to what the fuck was going on. I looked at Megan, “Megan, what the fuck are you tripping on?”

She whispered then, “Nikki’s in the bathroom listening to us, she thinks you cheated on me with Emma.”

I slapped my forehead, wishing this dumb bitch would just disappear. I growled under my breath, “What the fuck are we gonna do?”

Megan shrugged, “Well, we’re going to act like a couple having a break-up. So put your acting face on.”

Suddenly I heard Nikki exit the bathroom, walking back into the kitchen looking smug as ever. I laughed to myself, Oh bitch, if you only knew the truth.

She waved her phone, “Told you Megan would be heartbroken.”

I looked at Megan, wondering where the fuck to go with this. I had no idea how to break up with someone, or even pretend to be caught red handed in an affair.

I held up my hands, “Um, it’s not what it looks like?”

Megan took Nikki’s phone, holing it up to me, “It’s not what it looks like, Sam? You’re kissing her!”

I looked past Megan and at Nikki, giving her a confused but very stern death glare, and then back at Megan. I honestly was like a deer in the headlights, but I knew I had to sell this, so I would just try my best and pray for a miracle.

I took Megan’s hands, “Um, sweetie,” I cursed at my horrible pet names, “She’s just a side hoe, I promise you. You’re bae.”

She stepped back from me, dropping her hands, “Sam, it’s not funny! I trusted you.”

I realized the acting with Megan wasn’t going to work, I was just too shitty at it, so I figured I would turn to something more believable.

My anger towards Nikki.

I stalked over to her, balling my fists, “You just couldn’t mind your own fucking business could you?”

Suddenly Nikki realized I was coming for her as she took a step back. I knew I could intimidate the best of them, but I didn’t know I could intimidate someone like Nikki. I felt Megan grab my arm in a real attempt to stop me but I yanked away from her.

I grabbed Nikki’s jacket, shoving her against the wall, “I suggest you leave, and when I say leave, I mean don’t come back into my town because I will seriously hurt you next time I see you.”

She tried to shove me off of her as Megan tried to yank me away but I held my ground. Nikki spoke in a stern but scared voice, “You won’t do a goddamn thing.”

I tightened my grip on her jacket, bringing my face closer to hers, “You underestimate me. That’s a really bad move.”

I tugged her off of the wall, throwing her past me and onto the hard wooden floor as she looked up at me. I stepped over her, feeling Megan’s hand wrap around my left arm as I went to deliver a nice knock-out punch to Nikki’s eye socket.

She was really lucky Megan was always trying to save her ass.

Nikki pulled herself up, looking at me, “You’re no better than me Sam, and you know it.”

Then she walked out the door, slamming it loudly in the process of leaving. I felt my heart beat threaten to explode out of my chest as I realized Megan’s hand was still holding my arm. I looked at her, “You could’ve called me and told me that psycho bitch was going to be waiting for me!”

 “Sorry I didn’t have your goddamn number!”

I snatched her phone, “Here dammit, for emergencies like this.”

She sat at the bar, holding her head in her hands, “Fuck, this is so fucked Sam.”

I eyed her, “Really? I never would’ve guessed.”

She looked down at her hands, “I can’t believe she actually found you and did this, like stalked you. What if she would’ve found out you were in high school! God, this could get so bad. I’m gonna get fired and thrown in jail because my crazy ex is obsessed with ruining my fake girlfriend-”

“Megan, shut up,” I interrupted her frantic rant, “Nothing’s going to happen. She just wants to break us up.”

Megan threw her hands up, “Were not even together, Sam! You’re my fucking student!”

I sighed, walking over to her and grabbing her thin shoulders, “It’s okay. When is she going back to wherever she came from?”

“Tonight, actually.”

I smiled, “See, long gone until she decides to be psycho again. If she ever comes back we can fake a break up, then bam, problem solved.”

She looked up at me from her chair, not sure whether or not to be relieved or scared. I wasn’t going to let Nikki get Megan in trouble, besides, the psycho seemed to be targeting me anyway.

But that was because she possibly wanted Megan back.

Suddenly I caught myself as I realized I had been holding Megan for some time now, and I had been kind of staring at her. I pulled back, realizing I had been kind of side-tracked by her and her haunting eyes.

She spoke, “So how was the date with Emma, anyway?”

I smiled, thinking about how cool Emma was with everything, “It was pretty nice just getting to talk to her about everything. She’s so cool with me and taking it however slow I need it.”

Megan looked down at her hands, and then seemed to force a smile as she responded, “I’m glad you’re taking this step in your life.”

I ignored her weird actions as I retrieved a bottle of water out of the icebox and turned back to Megan, “Yea, we’ll see how everything goes.”

Then before I disappeared into my room Megan spoke, “Just don’t let her break your heart.”

I turned to her, “Why would she?”

“Because, it’s easy to misjudge someone. Look at me and Nikki, I just don’t want any of this to happen to you.”

I smiled, “It won’t Megan,” then I disappeared into my room.

~ ~ ~ ~

After the whole Nikki situation everything had gotten quiet after, as if nothing had ever happened. Emma and I continued to see only each other, and had had plenty of alone time to talk and have fun, if you know what I mean. I hadn’t let my guard down completely because for some reason I just couldn’t. I sometimes had to hold a poker face in front of her so she didn’t see how uncomfortable some situations and conversations made me feel, but I figured it was because I had never done this before.

Maybe it would get better.

As for Megan and I, well, we were still acting weird as ever with each other. One minute she would be all open and friendship-y with me and the next she would avoid me and ignore even the simplest of gestures.

She was just fucking weird, but I was used to it now.

The only thing I couldn’t get out of my head was that night we had talked and how I had lied to her about what she had mumbled in her sleep. It was bothering me, and I wanted to tell her but I knew it was the last thing I should do.

It would either make me seem hopeful for Megan or Megan would say I’m lying and get upset.

Why did I care so much about it anyway? It wasn’t like I liked Megan, right? Maybe it was because I had simply lied to Megan and I hated lying to her.

Give it up Sam, you know you like her more than you think.

I ignored the nagging voice in the back of my head, trying not to let it get to me. The last thing I needed to do was admit that to myself, because once I did I was screwed.

How could you know if you liked someone more than a friend if you two have never even kissed or anything? How would you possibly know if you could accept all of their weird ways without even having sex? It was the only way I knew how to get to know someone, simply by seducing them, I knew no better.

But I was slowly getting to know Megan without crossing any sexual boundaries, and it was frustrating.

Now Emma on the other hand was different, I had gotten to know her a little bit, then we had sex and now everything was kind of coming out. All her emotions and feelings and all the things I had trouble handling were now slapping me in the face.

But that’s what happens in relationships, right?

“Sam,” I heard Megan’s familiar sweet voice, laced with a bit of annoyance call from her desk.

“Yes?”

She spoke loudly as the class seemed to try and talk over her, “Don’t you want to see your grade?”

I laughed, “Not really.”

“Come here.”

I stood, trudging over to Megan who was having one of her bitchy days. They seemed to come often now, and that meant she would take it out on me because she could, because technically I was the worst student she had.

I walked behind her as she sat in her chair facing the computer, clicking down to my name and allowing me to see my grade. I leaned forward as she spoke, “You didn’t do too well on the last test and it brought you back down to a high D.”

I rolled my eyes, “Of course it did.”

She turned around and looked at me, “Maybe if you did your homework you would have at least a low C right now.”

I smirked sarcastically, “Sorry Miss Adams, usually when I get home I’m a bit distracted.”

“Maybe you should spend more time doing school work instead of worrying about relationships.”

I looked at her, not understanding where that had come from. Why would she bring me and Emma into this argument? What was the point of that?

But before I could respond she dismissed me, “You can go back to your seat now.”

I eyed her, realizing I wasn’t done arguing, “Why do you do this?”

She looked at me, “Do what, Sam?”

I growled, “Why do you pick on me whenever you’re in a pissy mood?”

I hadn’t realized the loudness of my voice as Megan stood, looking down at me, “You will not talk to me in that tone, Miss Carson. Detention for the rest of the week.”

I felt my heart beat speed up at the sight of her getting angry, almost to the point of me actually getting afraid. She was the only person who could intimidate me and make me want to fuck her at the same time, and it was the most frustrating thing in the world.

I turned swiftly, heading back to my desk before I said something I would regret later on. There was no need to talk to me like that, no need to treat me as if I was the reason she was upset. I didn’t deserve that, after everything I had to give up for her.

The bell rang, dismissing her class as I remained seated in my chair, knowing not to get up. I was so fed up with this bullshit and I was tired of her unfair treatment towards me. I hadn’t done anything to her, I had been nothing but nice and accepting and I get this shit. Embarrassment in front of an entire classroom full of people.

Then I heard Megan’s voice, “I’m sorry, for calling you out-”

“Save it Megan,” I interrupted, not even bothering to look at her anymore. I was upset, hurt, and annoyed at the fact that she treated me like shit. I was even more upset that I cared so much, because Megan of all people shouldn’t get to me, but she did.

I heard her stand out of her chair and walk slowly over to me, making my heart beat pick up in my chest. I hated when she did this, it made me nervous, and it made my skin hot, and I knew she could tell how she made me feel.

She knew she could intimidate me.

She sat in the desk besides me but I continued to look away from her, not wanting her to win this time. I didn’t want her to break me down again, like she did all those other times. I was tired of being vulnerable to her because all she did was build me up and break me down.

She was so worried about Emma hurting me but she didn’t even realize she was hurting me.

Fuck, I did not just think that.

I took a deep breath as she spoke, “Sam.”

I ignored her.

“Sam, I’m sorry.”

I swallowed, feeling the tension I had for her begin to fade. I tried staying mad at her but I couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. I closed my eyes, refusing to let my heart override my brain in this situation. I needed to be strong, and I needed to tell Megan to either talk to me like a normal human being or don’t fucking talk to me at all.

I looked at her, “Are you? Or are you just saying that because you have to go home to me later?”

She eyed me, confused as to where this outburst had come from. She looked at me, “Sam, is something bothering you?”

I laughed, “I could ask you the same.”

“I’m serious.”

I looked down at my hands, thinking about all the mixed feelings I had between her and Emma, and the night I had lied about to her. It was all a little too much for me to handle, but I couldn’t tell her.

She wouldn’t believe me anyway.

I shook my head, “No, I’m just tired of being your punching bag because I’m convenient.”

I didn’t mean for it to sound so brutally honest, but it did, and I heard her suck in a tight breath. She seemed to be stumped on what to say next, which actually scared me because she usually knew what to say.

I had made her speechless.

“I’m sorry, okay? I don’t mean to hurt you, I just… I have a lot to sort through right now.”

I looked at her, wondering what exactly she was talking about because she sounded like she was talking about emotions.

And that scared me, so I decided to change the subject.

“Shawn’s coming home Saturday morning and I figured we could throw him a welcome home party that morning.”

Megan smiled but she still seemed to be bothered by the sudden conversational change, “Yea, that sounds nice.”

I studied her, realizing I had one more serious question for her, “So do I really have detention tomorrow? On a Friday with no practice?”

She looked at me, giving me a stern look and nodding, “Yes, you do.”

“Megan that’s not fair.”

“Don’t talk to me that way in front of my class.”

I growled, “You pissed me off.”

“How so?”

I thought back to our conversation and how the mention of Emma had pissed me off, but did I really want to bring that up? I figured I had no other choice.

“Because, you brought me and Emma into the argument, which was unnecessary.”

She sighed, “I was just giving you advice. You still have priorities other than her, and I’m sorry if it sounded bitchy.”

I watched her grow uncomfortable as she finished her sentence, making me curious, which led to me blurting out the first thing I thought of.

“Are you jealous or something?”

Her ice blue eyes shot up to me as she stood, seeming to grow really mad all of a sudden. “What? No, Samantha. I’m not fucking jealous of you and Emma’s weird sexual relationship, if it even is a relationship. Not everyone wants you, you know.”

She went to go back to her desk but I caught her arm in instinct, “Megan, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“Leave, now.”

I just looked at her, not believing we were ending on yet another bad note. I dropped my hand, realizing I had gone too far this time and I couldn’t fix it.

I apologized, “I’m sorry.”

Then I walked out the door in an attempt to leave my pain at Megan’s door.