“Ten, nine, eight...” the crowd shouted with enthusiasm. The varsity boys rushed down the court, hoping for the winning shot. They pushed and shoved their way to the hoop, dodging the defense. The horn blared as Derek rushed in for the winning shot and made it! Hope High School won by one point!
“Yay! Go Doves!!” shouted Samantha.
After the game Derek came to Samantha and said, “Hey, Sam, I'm glad you could make it!”
“Nice job out there.”
“Thanks. Hey, are you hungry?”
“No- well, yeah.”
“Alright, well, the boys and I are going to Patti’s Diner. Wanna come?”
“Um, sure. Let me call my mom and let her know where I'll be.”
“Alright. Well, I'm going to change.” He smiled and walked away.
After the diner, Sam paid for a taxi back home. As she walked into her house, her mother Elizabeth rushed in. “Where in the world were you? You scared me half to death!”
“I told you there was a basketball game. Right?”
“No, you didn’t!”
“I called and left a message. Anyway, I have homework.”
“Okay, I’ll make supper.”
“I ate with some friends after the game.”
The next day her alarm clock rang on her phone, waking her up. She got ready and off to school she went. Her limo escort casually opened the door as Sam sat in the seat of the limo and rode to school. The escort opened the door. As Sam walked out of the limo she saw Derek in the cafeteria window and went to the cafeteria. She sat by Derek at breakfast and started a friendly conversation.
“Oh, hey Sam. How are you?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“That's good.”
The bell rang as they went to their assigned class. One of the prissy cheerleaders, Jenna - also Derek’s ex-girlfriend - ‘accidentally’ bumped into Sam and sat by Derek. Sam found another seat.
“Jenna, that was Sam’s spot!”
“I don’t care.”
“Well, I do.” He left and sat by Sam in the very back of the classroom. The English teacher walked in, sat down, and took attendance.
“Are Derek and Sam here today?” she asked the class.
“Yes. Derek is supposed to sit with me, but he’s flirting with Sam.”
“Okay.  As long as they’re here it's alright with me.”
  Jenna was furious and started to tell more rumors about Sam to try to embarrass her. Sam knew what Jenna was up to and just ignored her and started on the warm up. Jenna started rumors like Sam not being a virgin, her liking Derek, and other false ideas. Although the liking Derek part was true, she didn't want him or anyone to know because she was afraid to ruin their friendship. Jenna would do anything, I mean anything, to humiliate Sam.
As the day grew older, Jenna, Derek and Sam were doing their thing:Jenna spreading rumors, Derek practicing basketball and Sam studying. After the last bell of the day Derek went on his bus along with Jenna. Sam rode in her limo back home.
As she walked into her room her “boyfriend” walked into her room.
“Hey, babe. You’re lookin’ nice.” He laughed. “Not as good as me, though.” He gently bumped her out of the way of the full length mirror to look at himself.
“Thanks? It's good to see you too, William.”
“I know. You ready to go?”
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
“Okay. Let's go!”
As William and Sam went on their date to the diner, the only person she could think of was Derek. She knew it was wrong to think of Derek when  she is dating William. But Derek made her feel like she was important and loved, whereas when she was with William she felt like he was just dragging her along.
Sam’s mother put William and Sam together because they were both rich. She thought that William would be a good boyfriend for her. When William is around Elizabeth he was a gentleman but really different around Sam. William met Sam at a pool party and was attracted to her model like body. William’s dad was the founder of a large toy factory that earned millions a month. Sam’s mom was a retired singer who still went to gigs and performed. Elizabeth was a really big star and a millionaire. Secretly Sam's biggest passion was singing, but her mom wanted her to be a model or fashion designer. She felt pressured to do what her mom said because she was the only family she had left.
After Sam’s date with William he took her home, went to her room, and spent some extra time with her before it got too late. As she was heading up to her room William had his hand casually around her waist. Usually Sam wouldn’t mind, but her thoughts were somewhere else. He shoved her on her bed and started making out with her forcefully.
“Stop! William, I’m not in the mood! Please!” she tried to push him off.
“Come on now. Be a good girl,” he continued. She screamed.
“Stop!” she began to cry and felt for something to get him off of her.
She found a book that she was reading and hit him on the head with it with all of her might.
“Ow!”
“Get out of my room now!” She screamed.
“With pleasure. Oh and by the way we are so done!”
She laid in bed, soaking in tears. Her mother rushed to her room.
“What the heck was that all about? It's not ladylike to-” she gasped at the sight of her seventeen year old daughter. “My poor girl. What happened dear? William?”
Sam nodded her head and started to sob. “He is never welcome in this house again.” her mother declared. “I'm going to call the school and tell them that you won’t be at school. Okay?”
She was embarrassed to talk to anyone about this, even her best and closest friend Derek. She waited weeks to tell anyone, only her and her mom knew. Knowing her mom, she called his mom and told her what happened. Although William didn’t actually have sex with her it's still considered abuse. She knew that and so did her mom. Laying there shattered and terrified her mother walked in with a cool rag in her hands.
“Here, let me put this on your forehead.” Her mother tended to her every need.
She changed her clothes and laid on her bed thinking about what had just happened. She picked up her phone and called Derek.
“Hey, are you busy?”
“No, want me over?” Derek asked.
“Yeah, I need you right now.” Sam said almost to herself.
“Oh, What happened?” Derek asked concerned.
“I’ll tell you when you get here.”
“Ok, I'm on my way. see you in like five minutes.”
“Ok. Lo- See ya.” she hung up quickly. She stared at her phone. Did she almost say that she loved Derek? That fact is true. She is just scared to tell him. Does she want to open up to another man again after what just happened about a month ago? She wasn’t even sure.
Derek arrived at Sam’s house. He greeted Elizabeth thanked her for letting him come over. He headed on to her room and saw her crying, curled up in her bed.
“Oh, my gosh. Sam what happened?
“Will-” she continued to cry.
“It's alright I'm right here. I’m not going anywhere okay? Now, what did William do? ”
  Sam continued to cry.
“So, what did happen with you and William?”
“Well, after we went on our date we went here in my room and he shoved me on the bed and started making out with me. I told him to stop but he ignored me and continued! I don’t know that I can ever open up my heart to another man again.”
“Wow, William did that? Was he high?”
“Yeah.”
“If you want I can take you to the school's Dance if you want me too.”
“What about Jenna?”
“What about her?”
“Well, won’t she get jealous and try to physically hurt me?” Sam over thought.
“She’ll have to go through me first!” Derek joked.
“Okay.”
“So, is that a yes to the Dance?”
“Yeah, I don’t have a nice dress for the dance William was going to take me shopping but that happened.”
“I’ll take you, let’s go tomorrow!”
“Okay.”
He went out to his car to get it started and stopped to think about what happened to Sam. He thought about how much he loved and cared for her. He smiled and headed home. In his head, he was planning on how he would confess his love for her without freaking her out or things getting awkward.
Derek came the next morning.
“You ready?” Derek asked with excitement.
“Yeah, thanks for taking me.” Sam said a little anxiously.
“My pleasure. Here let me get the door for you.” He opened the door for her and even handed her the seatbelt and closed the door lightly. “There you are. Are you hot, uh, I mean warm?”
“Kinda.”
“Okay I’ll turn the air conditioning on.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
They drove in a little silence at first. Derek turned on the radio and Sam sang along with the music lightly. He listened to her angelic voice and swooned with emotion. He didn’t know she could sing. What inspired her? Why didn’t she tell anyone? He listened with joy and pleasure and had a light smile. They arrived at the mall.
“So, where did you want to start?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I know one thing. I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”
“You're always hungry.”
“Yeah, but I know you are too, so come on.”
“Okay.”
When they were walking to the food court at the mall they saw Jenna and William making out.
“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” Derek asked out of the blue.
“What?”
“Never mind.”
“Do I want to be your girlfriend?”
“Yeah...” He blushed.
This is it. What she has been waiting for all along.
“Yes! I would love to!” She hugged him tightly.
“Really?” he asked excitedly while hugging her back.
“Yeah!”
They hugged each other tightly and with great passion. They thought about how much they love each other.
“Wait, what if we break up?” Sam asked full heartedly.
“Than we would go back to being best friends. I think that we won’t break up though.” His heart was light and filled with joy, hers was filled with fear and uncertainty. He knew that too so he made sure that he took things slow and take his time with her. She found a really outstanding dress and stared with it in awe.
“You should try it on. It would look great on you.”
“Okay.”
She walked in with little to no confidence. Derek’s arm around her short shoulders made her feel special and wanted.
“Hello,welcome to Kelly’s. How may I help you?” The store clerk gleamed.
“Hi, my girlfriend saw this dress on the window and wanted to try it on.”
“Oh, the featured dress?”
“Yes, the one right there in the window.”
“Okay let me get it out of the window for you.”
As she went to get the dress Sam was thinking about what he said. All she can think about was that he called her his girlfriend and how that made her feel. She is worried about what Jenna would do to her if she found out that they were going out. All of these things taunted her. with a worried look on her face Derek asked, “Hey, sweetie are you okay?”
“What? Oh, yeah.” she hurriedly wiped the worried face off.
“Okay. Well I was just seeing if you’re okay.”
“I’m good. Thanks.”
The store clerk finally got the desired dress.
“Here you are with this outstanding dress. One of our finest if I might add,” the store clerk interjected.
“May we see your finest?” Derek asked.
“Derek, it's fine,” Sam added.
“I’m just curious.”
“Okay. Let me grab it for you. Lidia! Hold this dress for me please.”
As she went to grab the finest dress in the high end store Derek pulled out his wallet.
“What are you doing?” Sam asked with concern.
“I'm going to pay for the dress that you choose. I can afford it, don’t worry.”
For her, the polite thing to do is find the cheapest dress that che could find but she really wanted the one on display. Although Derek is willing, Sam feels that she needs to be polite.
“So here are three of the best dresses we have here. There is this one that costs $150.00, this one is a bit more pricy at $275.00, finally this one that is the finest here is a lot more pricy at $515.00.” The store clerk explained.
“Alright, sweetie. Which one do you want?”
Staring at the dresses, all gorgeous in their own way, having no idea whether to choose the cheap one or to choose the one that she wants.
“Well, I like that one the most, but-”
“Alright, I’ll write you a check for $530.00.” Derek interrupted
“Sir, it costs $515.00.” The store clerk added.
“I know, I want to give you a tip.”
They are on their way home. Derek beaming with confidence and Sam glooming with uncertainty and feeling rude. Usually girls who get boyfriends gain more confidence right away but for Sam it's different.
The next day Sam realized that the dance was tonight. She tried on her dress and her mom did something cute with her hair. She looked in the mirror and for the first time she thought that she was beautiful. Knowing her mother, she knew that her mom would want to doll her up and and be apart of her vanity. Her mom knew she could trust Derek and wondered why she has never put the two together in the first place. The thought taunted her and made her feel terrible.
“Mom, are you okay?” she asked seeing a tear running down her mom cheek.
“Yes, in fine dear. You look absolutely gorgeous.” She quickly wiped the tears off her cheek. “Now, let's put some make-up on that beautiful face of yours.”
Within about two hours until the dance Derek showed up to pick Sam up. He knocked on the door. Sam went to get up.
“You missy stay right there.” her mother said while sitting her back in her seat.
Her mom answered the door.
“Derek, hello dear come on in! She is almost ready just make yourself at home.”
Derek does as commanded. Waiting there, anxious to see her. He looked in the reflection in his phone, making sure he looks okay. She walked out in the living room. His eyes filled with shock and became speechless.
“So, what do you think?” Sam asked shyly.
  Still in awe Derek stood there staring at her with his mouth wide open with shock. All he did was walk up to her and hugged her and held her close.
“You- You look amazing. Wow, you're gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” She blushed waving her dress back and forth.
They walked to Derek’s car and headed to the dance. Derek still in awe of her beauty smiled the whole way there while driving.
They arrived at the dance. A slow song plays in the background.
“May I have this dance?” Derek asked Sam.
Jenna shoving Sam out of the way. “Of course you may?”
  Ignoring Jenna Derek grabbed Sam’s hand and slow dances with her.
“Are you okay?” Derek asked with great concern.
Sam nodded her head yes and laid her head on Derek’s chest. He gave in. He gently grabbed her by the upper arms and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ve waited a long time for this moment. I didn’t realize it until now.” He whispered in her ear.
She stopped dancing and looked up. “I love you too. So much. I know I don’t talk a lot but I will open myself up to you.”
He stopped dancing as well and looked at her intensely on her beautiful green eyes. He grabbed her forearm lightly and kissed her passionately on the lips.