A Place To Belong
By: Rebekah Parham

-15-

Three days later John called asking if she wanted to go to a movie. "I don't really feel like it today," she told him.

"Are you sick?"

"No, I'm just tired."

"Well, we could rent a movie and stay at home."

"Maybe some other time," Samantha said wanting to get off the phone. For the past three days she hadn't been out of the apartment. She didn't want Artie to know that anything was wrong, because then he would just worry, so she tried to avoid him as much as possible. It wasn't too hard, he had been out a lot at night lately, like he was tonight.

"Sam, is there something you want to talk about?"

"John, I really have to go now."

"Sam, if you don't come over here, then I am just going to come over there. Either way you are going to tell me what's wrong, so which is it going to be?" John said, worrying about her.

Samantha knew John wasn't lying. She knew he would show up over here in five minutes if she didn't go to his place first. "I will see you in ten" she said hanging up the phone. She got dressed in a pair of white shorts with a matching shirt. Ten minute later she was knocking on his door.

John didn't say anything to her when she came in, he knew she would tell him when she got ready. After several minutes of looking at her hands, Samantha said, "He slept with her."

"Who?" John asked.

"Guess"

"Josh?"

Samantha nodded her head.. "I don't know what is wrong with me. Everybody does it, why am I making such a big deal out of it?"

"Sam, it is a big deal. I am glad that you're being smart and not jumping into things. A lot of girls start something they are not ready for because everyone else is doing it, and they regret it later. If Josh didn't want to wait for you then he is the one with the problem."

Samantha sighed, "Maybe, but I'm the one that's still the virgin."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing"

"Well, isn't it? How many other seventeen years olds haven't had sex?" She asked seriously.

"It doesn't matter. You do what's right for you and don't ever let anyone push you into doing something you're not ready for," John assured her. "Now, how about that movie?"

"What do you want to see?" Samantha asked deciding not to think about Josh anymore tonight.

"Lady's choice," He said picking up her bag and handing it to her.

They were standing in line at the ticket booth when Trisha came up behind John and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I didn't know you were back in town, why didn't you call me?" she asked looking toward Samantha. "I guess you have been busy."

Samantha felt a little uncomfortable around Trisha. She didn't think Trisha liked her very much. Despite both of their uneasiness, John didn't remove his arm that he had draped around Samantha's shoulders. "Trisha, I did try to call you. I didn't get an answer," John said.

"Well, you can talk to me now. What do you say we go back to your place?"

"Actually, Sam and I are about to see a movie."

Trisha turned her eyes back to Samantha, giving her a cold, glaring scowl. "I see. Looks like I will have to start getting my dibbs on you sooner if I want to spend any time with you," she said turning her attention back to John. She didn't say anything else, just started walking across the parking lot.

"John, if you want to go with her, I don't mind. We can do this some other night," Samantha said feeling bad that he was giving up his time to spend with her in stead of his girlfriend.

"To tell you the truth Sam, I had much rather be here with you right now, than with her," he said moving them forward as the ticket line started to move.

The movie was the perfect distraction for Samantha. She and John both couldn't help but laugh at Adam Sandler. After the movie John took Samantha home and told her to come by his place tomorrow and she could go with him to rehearsal.

It was almost noon before Samantha made it over to John's apartment. She was about to knock on his door when she heard voices coming from inside that she recognized to be those of John and Trisha.

"Why do you spend so much time with her?" Trisha yelled.

"We are friends," John told her.

"So you're telling me that you would rather spend time with some kid that you had with me?" Trisha said loudly.

"Sam's not a kid, she is seventeen years old."

"And the last time I checked seventeen year olds were still classified as jailbait."

"Trisha, it's not like that between me and Sam. We are just..."

"Friends? Yes, I know that's what you keep saying, but it sure as hell looks like something else is going on between you two. Does the thought of capturing her uncharted territory excite you, John?"

"Stop it," he said.

"Or have you already done that?"

"Trisha..."

"No, John, I want to know. What does this girl have that keeps you at her beck and call? If it's not with sex, then what is it?"

"I told you were are just friends, I like spending time with her. She reminds me a lot of me when I was growing up. I wish I would have had someone I could talk to and tell my most intimate thoughts and secrets to."

"And just what exactly is it that she tells you?"

Samantha held her breath waiting for John to answer.

"That's is between us," John told her.

"Is that a fact? Well, we will see if your infantile girlfriend can please you as much as I used to be able to. She can have you, I don't want you anymore." Trisha opened the door before Samantha had time to move away. She stopped to look at Samantha, "Why am I not surprised? Eager little thing aren't you?" she said walking past Samantha and down the steps.

Samantha watched her go not knowing what to say. "How much of that did you hear?" John asked. Samantha turned to look at John, and her embarrassment showed across her face. "I'm sorry you heard that."

"I could go talk to her" Samantha suggested.

"Forget about her, it was over between us anyway," John said coming over to the door where Samantha still stood in the hall. "Are you going to come in?" he asked.

Samantha timidly stepped across his threshold and walked over to the window. John could see that Samantha seemed uneasy. "Sam, come have a seat" her told her patting the cushion next to him on the couch.

"Aren't we going to rehearsal?"

"Never mind that right now, I want to clear up what you heard."

"John, you don't owe me any explanations" Samantha said.

"I don't want this to make you feel uncomfortable around me. What Trisha said about us, well, she was just angry."

"I know," Samantha told him.

"You're sure?"

Samantha gave him a big smile, "I'm sure." John leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Always" John said.

"Do I really remind you of yourself?"

John smiled, "More than you know."

-16-

Artie and Samantha were sitting at the table finishing their breakfast. "So I was thinking" Artie said, "I have been so busy lately that I haven't seen too much of you. I thought we might do something together."

Samantha smiled, "I would like that. What do you want to do?"

"It doesn't matter, just as long as we get to spend some time together."

Samantha thought about what they could do. "What if I cooked us dinner?"

Artie shook his head in agreement, "That sound fine to me. Why don't you invite John, Robby and Mike too. I haven't seen too much of them either since they got back from their tour."

"Okay."

Later that day Samantha went to Rainbow, where she knew they were going to be practicing. She walked in and saw them on stage. Not wanting to disturb them while they looked busy, she took a seat to the side of the stage. Half way through a song Robby noticed her and pointed her out to John They hopped off stage and came over to where she was sitting. "Hey guys, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You didn't. You just gave us a good excuse to take a break," Robby said sitting down in the chair beside her. Mike was on her other side, with John in front of her.

"I came by because I wanted to invite you to dinner. Artie has been so busy and you guys have been busy, he thought it would be nice if we spent some time together."

"Sounds good to me" Robby said.

Samantha smiled, "Good, I hope you are still going to feel that way after I tell you that I will be the one cooking."

John, Robby, and Mike looked around at each other. "You know, I think I have plans that day" Mike said and Robby agreed.

Samantha looked at them, "I haven't even told you what day it was going to be yet."

Mike and Robby laughed. "What day are you going to have this dinner on then?"

"Friday"

"Bad day for me. I have this thing that has to be done on Friday and it can't wait," Robby said.

Samantha laughed at him. "You might as well give it up Takac, because you're coming, so are you and you," she said pointing from Mike to John. She walked around the table and gave all of them a kiss. "I will see you all Friday," she said walking to the door. "And I do mean all of you."

Samantha was standing in the kitchen Friday afternoon trying to understand the directions she was reading. She had decided to fix one of the most simple dinners she could think of, spaghetti. She got a pot from under the cabinet and began browning her hamburger meat.

Next she added the tomato sauce and put on the water for the noodles. Waiting for the water to boil the doorbell rang. She ran into the living room and threw open the door. "Hey," she said surprised. The last person she was expecting to see in front of her was Josh.

"Hey," Josh said. He seemed to be nervous and kept shifting back and forth on his feet. "Can I come in?"

Samantha hesitated, she didn't know what to do but she finally decided to hear him out. She moved away from the door so he could come in. Josh walked through the doorway with out closing the door. "Samantha, I have been trying to figure out what to say to you for weeks now. I am sorry for what happened between me and Vicky. It didn't mean anything."

Samantha rolled her eyes. "It didn't mean anything, how can you say that? You had sex with her."

"But that's all it was, sex." Josh came a little closer to Samantha "Samantha, listen, we were both drunk. You know how things can happen after you've had too much to drink."

Samantha did know what could happen. Images flashed through her mind of playing pool with three strangers. "Josh, I'm not mad about it anymore. I realize that you were ready for something that I wasn't, and it's okay."

"Samantha, I really miss you. I miss going out and having a good time, don't you miss that too?"

Samantha was about to answer when she saw John standing at the door. Josh turned to see who she was starring at. John walked into the apartment and saw how close Josh was standing to Samantha. "Is everything okay?" he asked her.

Samantha nodded her head. "Josh came by to talk," she said looking back to him.

Josh looked at Samantha, "Maybe I should come back later. I really want to work this out," he said before walking out the door and closing it behind him.

"What did he want?" John asked

"I think he was trying to apologize." She looked at John and then at the clock, "Why are you here so early? I thought everyone wasn't coming until 6:00."

"I wanted to make sure you didn't need any help with dinner."

The would dinner reminded Samantha of her food that was on the stove. "Oh my God, Dinner" she yelled running into the kitchen. Her sauce had already begun to boil over in the floor and water was all over the top of the stove. "It's ruined," she said reaching over to turn the stove off. She jerked her hand away when it came in contact with some of the sauce that was steaming hot.

"Are you alright?" John asked holding her hand so he could look at it. "Did you burn yourself?"

Samantha pulled her hand away, "I'm fine," she said. "But our dinner, is another story," she told him looking around the kitchen. "How could I have been so stupid to forget about it?" she said getting the roll of paper towels to start cleaning up the kitchen.

"It's okay. It happens to everybody sometime," John said trying to calm her down. He bent down to help her clean up. Samantha winced when she felt the slight burning on the palm of her hand. "You did burn yourself" he said taking the paper towel from her hand so he could look at it. "Do you have any aloe?"

Samantha pointed to the plant on the windowsill. "Stay," John told her when she tried to get up off the floor. He broke a piece of the plant off and came back to sit on the floor beside Samantha.

"Will it burn?" Samantha asked worriedly.

"No, it won't burn" he told her. When she still looked like she didn't believe him he said, "Sam, have I ever lied to you?" She shook her head no. "I won't start now. I promise this won't hurt." he said, smoothing the liquid of the plant over the palm of her hand. Samantha watched how carefully he touched her. "All better," he said kissing her wrist.

Samantha leaned over and gave John a peck on the lips. "Thank you," she said looking at him.

He stared back as the emeralds of her eye burned into the blue ice of his. Samantha and John both leaned closer and pressed their lips together again. This wasn't the same kind kiss he had given her before.

They both jumped back when they heard the front door open, "Samantha, are you home?" Artie asked.

John jumped to his feet and left Samantha sitting on the floor. She didn't look away from John when she said, "In the kitchen." Artie walked into the kitchen and saw the mess she had made. Samantha remembered the reason she was on the floor and broke her gaze with John. "We had a little accident, actually, I had the accident," she told Artie.

Artie helped John and Samantha clean up the kitchen. "I think this kitchen has had just about all the cooking it can stand for one day. Why don't we just order a pizza?" Samantha nodded her head, and glanced back over at John. He was looking at Artie nodding his head in agreement.

Samantha went upstairs to change her shirt that had spaghetti sauce down the front of it. She could still feel the tingling on her lips from John's kiss. Josh's kisses never did that to her. Why was she making such a big deal out of a simple kiss? This was John, he had given her kisses before; but none of them had been like that one. Samantha was lost in her thoughts when she heard Artie ask her if she was coming down to eat.

She heard Robby and Mike's voices before she came down the steps. "Hey guys," she said seeing them sitting on the couch. John was in the recliner with Artie on the love seat. Samantha went to sit beside Artie and she tried very hard not to look at John. She knew she probably had a guilty look all over her face.

"Samantha, you have been quiet almost all evening, you got something on your mind?" Artie asked her after they had finished eating.

Samantha gave a quick glance toward John, "I am just upset because I ruined our dinner," she said.

"Don't worry about it," Robby said. "We all love pizza."

Samantha smiled at him. "Thanks, but you're probably just glad you didn't have to eat my cooking."

Robby and Mike both laughed. "God was watching out for us," Mike said. Samantha threw a pillow at them and Mike caught it.

The rest of the night Samantha calmed down and participated in the conversation. Artie talked about booking them on another tour. Mike, Robby and John told him about some things that happened on the last tour.

Robby, Mike and John got up to leave around 10:00. Artie and Samantha stood at the door telling them their good-byes. She hugged Robby and Mike and told them that next time she wouldn't ruin dinner and they would have to eat it.

They looked at each other and said, "I...uh...think I am going to be busy that day." Samantha laughed as Mike walked outside. Robby turned to say something to John and then followed Mike out the door.

John was standing in front of her now. He leaned down to give her a hug, just like everyone else had done. "I want to talk to you," he whispered in her ear.

Samantha looked at him and mouthed 'tomorrow.' He nodded his head and walked out the door.

Continue A Place To Belong ...
~ Home ~ John ~ Robby ~ Mike ~ Pictures ~ Story ~ Links ~
~ Email Me ~ Sign My Guestbook ~ View My Guestbook ~

Visitors Since June 8, 2000