SAM's POV

~The Next Day~

We were in the last 15 minutes of our shift at S'barros in the mall. I worked the cash register all afternoon dealing with customers while Jake and another employee were in the kitchen making the orders. The number of customers went up and down like a rollercoaster; it was slow at the beginning, then a huge crowd came in before it slowed down again an hour later. Luckily, people were pretty chill today and I didn't have to check anyone's attitude. Every now and then, some impatient butthead acts like they run the place and demands the royal treatment, but that don't fly with me as long as I'm at that register.

"Hey, kiddos, you all did good today," our boss, Ms. Maria says while walking out of her office wearing a cute little suit jacket. "Since it's dwindled down a bit, I'm gonna handle the closing for tonight and let you all leave early."

I turn my back to the register and glance at Jake and the other male co-worker in the back. Our faces light up with delight and surprise at her words.

"Are you serious?" The male co-worker asked, already pulling off the apron from around his neck.

Ms. Maria smiles and looks between us. "Yep. You've worked hard, so go home and rest even harder. I've got it from here."

"Thanks, Maria," the male said while quickly cleaning up his workstation with a huge smile.

Jake hesitates but his dimples prove that he's just as happy about the news as I am. "Are you sure? I could sweep or something before I leave..."

"Nah, that's alright. All of you hang up your aprons and clock out. Go do something fun for the rest of the night--"

"Say less! I'll see ya tomorrow," the male co-worker says before throwing up a piece sign and running to the backroom to clock out. Ms. Maria chuckles after him.

"Sam, sign out of the register. I'll take over from here."

"Okay," I happily reply while doing what she says.

"Do you have anything planned for the night, Jake? Is your madre cooking anything good again?" Ms. Maria asks Jake as I prepare to clock out of work.

"Ah... actually yes. She's making her family recipe enchiladas con salsa verde..." Jake replies while taking off his apron.

"Ooh! If I'd known, I would be following you home," she laughs along with Jake. "Well, enjoy yourself and eat a second serving for me! Sam, what about you?"

I finish signing out of the register and face Ms. Maria with a grin. "I'm gonna eat with Jake's family today..." I glance at my boyfriend standing proudly beside our boss as he sends me a wink.

Ms. Maria scoffs. "Agh! You too? Welp, I can't even hate. That sounds like a lovely time. Have fun, you two," she says with a smirk and a pat on my shoulder. "Thanks for your help today."

"Thanks, Maria." Jake smiles as me and Maria change places. As I approach Jake, he comfortably slings his arm around my shoulder.

"And take care of Sam, okay? Treat her right."

"Oh, I will. And I do," Jake replies with a confident grin as he pulls me closer. Feeling a bit embarrassed at his sudden show of skinship, I slightly pull away and poke his side, causing him to flinch.

Ms. Maria notices our body language and looks as if she's about to jump for joy. "You kids are so cute, reminding me of me and my husband. I used to stay over his house more than my own at your age. I loved him dearly then and I love him still today," she says with a sparkle in her eye and an expression of admiration. Or is it longing?

"I'm cuter though, right?" Jake asks while pointing to himself, which tempts me to nudge his side once more. Why is he being so clingy, especially at work?

Ms. Maria cuts her eyes at him. "Oh, stop. You know the woman is always the cutest."

"I know. I was only playing. Sam has me beat by a landslide..." Jake purrs near my ear, which causes butterflies in my stomach.

I furrow my eyebrows and escape from his arms. "Stop!" I tell him, wishing he wasn't so comfortable to openly flirt in front of Ms. Maria, but it seems like neither of them care.

Jake chuckles.

"Such a cheeky thing, you. Get out of here, you lovebirds, making me feel all old and single," Ms. Maria shoos us off while redirecting her focus to the cash register, her back turned toward us.

"Goodnight," Jake replies as he follows me into the backroom to officially clock out.

"Goodnight!" I say to our boss. As soon as we were in the small office filled with shelves of supplies, rows of lockers, and one computer, I softly punched Jake's arm. "What the heck?"

He grimaces and holds his arm, chuckling. "What did I do?"

"You know what. That was so awkward..." I reply in a lowered voice so Ms. Maria couldn't hear from outside.

"What?"

"Calling me cute and wrapping your arm around me. Don't do that at work. It's embarrassing..." I pout while stepping up to the computer keyboard after Jake finished.

"It's not embarrassing to me. And you're cute, so what? I was only telling the truth," he explains.

"You're annoying..." I reply, hiding my grin.

"Annoyingly in love with you..." He says while wrapping his left arm around my waist and tugging me toward him, brushing his lips against my right ear.

I flinch as the sensation tickles my entire core. "Agh! Stop it, Jake!" I squeal between clenched teeth.

"Are you two still here?" Maria's voice yells from outside the door, causing both of us to jump. We grab our things and quickly leave the office backroom, waving another goodbye to our boss.

"We're leaving now. Bye, Maria!" Jake yells as we quickly exit the restaurant through the back.

We walk through the back hallway for employees only until we enter the main floor of the mall. Our feet take us down our usual path through the shopping center as we walk side by side, heading for the exit.

"So... I'll pick you up later?" Jake asks with a smile.

"Sure. I'll save my gas; you can pick me up in your ride," I reply with a teasing grin.

"Great. I'll see you around 6."

"It's a date."

"Can I kiss you?" He asks with that flirty look in his eyes.

"No. If you behave, maybe later."

"I always behave."

"Mhm. We'll see..." I chuckle while ignoring his antics.

***

Jake's family was just as fun and vibrant as usual. His mom, auntie, and older cousins were present for dinner while his younger cousins, the twins, were out with their father at a birthday party. The food was delicious as always, and Ms. Rosalita kept encouraging me to eat more and more. It's not that I couldn't, but I swear I was almost about to pop. And then she brought out the dessert, some homemade double chocolate fudge cookies, and of course, I couldn't resist.

Ms. Rosalita's laugh fills their familiar kitchen. "Sam, you eat so well. I love a girl that can eat. You'll fit right into the family, I can tell."

I chuckle awkwardly. "Well, I'm not a picky eater, but the food was so good, too. I could eat this every day."

"Aw, thank you," she smiles. "By all means, come back! Might as well pack a night bag since you're almost over here every week." She was referring to my constant visits to her house more recently. I've been hanging out with Jake at his house more times than I can count. Sometimes to study, sometimes... to not study. It's super convenient and quiet since his mom is usually at work until late in the evening. "And move in with us! I'll adopt ya!"

The table fills with chuckles as I tuck my hair behind my ears and bite into a cookie.

"Now, Rosa, don't threaten this girl..." Jake's aunt, Vickie, jokes as she playfully scolds her sister.

"Oh, stop. It's not a threat. I make lovely company," Ms. Rosalita says. "But speaking of moving, I heard the news. Congratulations!"

I look up at her and then glance at Jake, waiting for someone to reveal the news. But no one does. "What news?"

Ms. Rosalita sips her glass of milk and leans back in her chair, looking relaxed. "Jake told me he was looking at an apartment and he found one. It's affordable and not too far from here."

I glance at Jake in surprise, raising my eyebrows. This is my first time hearing about this. Looking at the faces of his aunt and cousins, I guess they were also out of the loop.

His Aunt Vickie gasps. "Is that true? Are you finally leaving your mother's castle?"

Jake nods his head while chewing. "Yeah. I just got the lease a few days ago, and it'll be official once I sign everything."

"Yo, that's dope!" His cousin Tommy says in support.

"It'd be even more dope if you followed his lead, Tommy. I told you once you're 18, you needa get those bags packed..." Vickie says.

Tommy grins at his mother. "And I told you I ain't going nowhere soon 'cause of the twins..."

Vickie sucks her teeth and sips her can of soda.

"When do you move in?" Jake's older cousin, Jennifer, asks.

"Next month," Jake replies proudly. I grin to myself wanting to be happy for him, but I'm a little bummed he didn't tell me all this himself.

"Isn't that neat? And right after graduation too," Vickie says with an impressed expression. "Good for you, nephew."

"Yeah! That's awesome," Jennifer adds with a smile. "You'll know I'll have to get a tour, right?"

"As long as you bring a dish to add to my refrigerator, sure," Jake replies with his signature dimpled smile.

"But that's just half the news. Sam, you must also be happy to be moving in with him!" Jake's mom announces, which almost makes me spit out my drink. My eyes go wide as I stare at her.

"What?" I ask, leaning forward in my seat.

"He told me his plans a couple of weeks ago... that you two discussed it," his mom continues. "Although he's gonna be further from home than I'd like, at least I feel at peace knowing he'll have you by his side before you leave off to Los Angeles..."

My jaw drops at this news. Since when did we ever agree that I'd be living with him? I glare holes into the side of Jake's head, waiting for him to explain, but he doesn't. He fidgets in his chair and rubs his legs as his family praises him left and right.

"That's so nice. I'll admit, you two look so good together," his Aunt Vickie states while looking between me and Jake with a grin. "I wish nothing but the best - in college and everything."

Jake releases a nervous laugh, avoiding my gaze.

"He must be serious about her, right? Jake's never wanted to live with any of his girlfriends before..." Tommy states amongst the chatter, gazing between his sister and mom.

"That's because he wasn't old enough to have his own place back then, smart one..." Jennifer checks her brother who sucks his teeth at her smart remark.

"I feel like we need to do a cheers! To my handsome, hard-working, responsible son--" Ms. Rosalita energetically holds up her cup.

"No, mom. Th-that's okay--" Jake says, but fails to convince his mom against it while nervously scratching his neck. His family raises their drinks in unison.

"And to Samantha, who's practically my daughter-in-law! Can I say that?"

I raise my eyebrows in shock once again. Daughter-in-law? I think she's getting a bit ahead of herself.

"No. Are you drunk?" Vickie calls her out, but this only causes chuckles among her kids. But not among Jake. Or me. I don't see anything funny about this situation. They got it twisted.

"Mm... I'm not telling," Rosalita says with a chuckle, her cup still raised in the air along with her family. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone shouts.

"Mom... we're not--" Jake starts to say but is cut off by his mom's loud antics.

"I'm so proud of you two! Come on, let's get in a group hug." As Jake's mom announces this, the rest of his family smile and cheer and stand to their feet. Jake's mom runs to my side and gathers us in a hug... and I can't do anything but force a smile. Meanwhile, I'm completely confused and extremely angry on the inside. Angry at Jake. How could he do this?!

***

"How could you do that?! You sat there and said nothing while your mom was telling lies..." I raise my voice from the passenger seat of Jake's car as he drives me back to my house on the other side of town, his hands gripping the steering wheel in stress. "Did you tell her we were moving in together?"

"No! I didn't tell her that, I swear--"

"What did you tell her exactly?" I ask while crossing my arms and raising an angry brow.

"I told her that I was looking for an apartment and that I found an apartment--"

"Which you didn't even tell me about, but keep going."

Jake sighs. "I'm sorry. It literally just happened days ago. I was gonna tell you," he glances over at me with puppy dog eyes.

"Mhm. Continue."

"I told her that I was looking at apartments and that I was considering asking you to live with me--"

"Okay, but how did she get the idea that I wanted to live with you? I told you the first time you asked that I wasn't comfortable with doing that."

"I know!"

"So why was she saying that like it's the truth? And why didn't you correct her?" I argue in full irritated mode. There's no excuse that he could have for me, but I give him the chance to answer.

Jake sighs once again. "...I should've corrected her and I'm sorry. She just looked so happy. Honestly, that was the first time I heard her mention you living with me - I was just as surprised as you - but I never told her that you said yes. I guess she just assumed."

"Well, she assumed wrong... and now your whole family thinks we're gonna be living together next month," I reply, a little more calmed down than I was a few minutes ago but still disappointed.

"I'm gonna tell them the truth."

"You shoulda told them at the table. Why drag this out any longer than you need to? It just makes things worse for everyone in the end."

Jake's car slows down to a stop as we approach a stoplight. There are no other cars on the road and he takes the opportunity to look at me with a sad expression. Honestly, I've never seen him look so pitiful. I look into his eyes while trying to read his thoughts.

"You're right. How many times do I have to say sorry before you'll forgive me?" Jake says while reaching for my thigh, but I quickly move it away from his grasp.

"Say sorry all you want, but actions speak louder than words. You need to tell them the truth..." I say. "I mean, how do you think I felt? She called me her daughter-in-law! She already thinks we're married, which is weird..."

"She's just happy... I've never been serious like this about anyone I've dated before. My mom loves you like her own. She wouldn't have said that if she truly didn't respect you..."

"I don't care. She wouldn't have said that if she didn't think I agreed to live together like husband and wife," I shake my head, feeling a bit tired of the runaround. I sigh. "If you're just gonna defend your mom, this conversation won't go anywhere."

I look out the window as Jake's car begins to pick up speed as the stoplight changes to green.

"I will always defend my mom," Jake replies in a sharp tone. "But I shouldn't have let her or my aunts or cousins think that we're living together. I'll fix it, alright?"

I release a sigh but ignore his question, feeling my eyes grow tired by the second.

Jake glances over at me and says in his usual tender voice, "I love you and I'm sorry if this whole situation made you uncomfortable. I don't like feeling this way - like I'm in trouble with you. And I don't like it when you're upset..."

He slides his hand over my thigh and softly caresses it; this time, I don't move away from his touch. Annoyingly enough, I want him to touch me more.

"Can we stop beefing for now? I had fun with you today and I wanna give you a hug," Jake chuckles.

"You can't hug me while you're driving..." I pout, feeling my previous anger gradually leave my body.

"Then I'll park," he says while pulling over to some random parking lot near the side of the main road and putting his car in park. I drop my jaw and look at him in disbelief.

"Really?" I ask, trying to keep from grinning at his childish behavior. "You're so extra. What are you doing?"

"I wanna hug you." He unbuckles his seatbelt and leans towards me with outstretched hands.

"It won't be comfortable like this."

"Then I'll get out and go around--" He says while opening his car door, but I yank his right arm back while giggling.

"Wait. Don't. What's wrong with you?"

He closes his door and bites his bottom lip while turning to me. "You... you're my problem..." He whispers in a husky voice before leaning over the middle console and grabbing my chin with his right hand, pulling me forward while smashing his lips on mine. Without hesitation, I kiss him back and immediately feel pure bliss as his left hand caresses the side of my neck as he continues deepening our kiss. I grab the fabric of his shirt and pull, but he pulls away from our kiss and smacks my hand.

"Agh!" I frown while rubbing my hand. I watch as he puts his seatbelt back on and puts his car in drive, leaving the parking lot. "What the heck?"

"Are you still mad at me?" Jake asks with that devilish smirk.

"Now I am."

He chuckles as he pulls back onto the main road, licking his juicy and very edible looking lips. I suck my teeth and glare at him.

"Freaking tease..."

"I love you, too, Sam."

***

JULIE's POV

~A few days later~

"Becca, are you almost finished?" Sam asks from beside me with an annoyed expression and folded arms. We were sitting on a dark purple velvety bench inside the women's dressing room of the formal dress store inside the mall.

"Almost done! Just gotta zip it up..." Becca shouts from inside one of the dressing room stalls. The dressing room had four huge stalls with locked doors sort of like a restroom would, with four benches that lined the opposite wall. Floral wallpaper dazzles every corner of the room as a country song plays over the radio. We were the only ones in here waiting.

"Do you need help?" Sam asks.

"No, I got it!" A few seconds later, Becca walks out of the stall twirling her pink dress while wearing a huge smile. Seeing the sparkles and short feathery skirt put a smile on my face. She looked gorgeous.

"Wow..." I say in awe.

"You like?" Becca's face lights up as she puts a hand on her hip and strikes a pose. "It's cute, right?"

"Mhm. The short skirt really fits you," I remark, nodding my head.

"It'd be nice to show off my legs, right? I mean, cheerleading has paid off!" Becca says while admiring her tanned leg muscles. "What do you think, Sam?"

"It's good. It's nice," Sam quickly replies with no emotion. "Just like the last one... and the one before that... and the one before that..." She sighs.

Becca scoffs. "Well, I can't find the perfect dress on the first try. I need to go through all of my options..."

"Even if it means going through the whole store, I guess..." Sam grumbles while slouching and bumping her head softly against the wall. I glance at her, slightly judging her whiny behavior. But I'm not too surprised that she's so huffy. It is Sam after all.

"Ugh. Sam's always like this when we go shopping," Becca explains to me. "She's just like Khalil. The last time I took him shopping, he couldn't stay still and asked when it was time to go literally every minute. So annoying." Becca walks up to me turning her back to me. "Could you help me unzip?"

"Oh, sure." I reach up and unzip the back of her sleeveless dress as she continues to rant about Sam's impatience.

"I mean... just pick a dress. We already picked ours," Sam whines while glancing at our huge plastic shopping bags resting on the floor beside our seats. "And in less than two tries, might I add."

"Hey. I'm a perfectionist. I'm a fashion artist! It takes time to find the right look..." Becca snaps back in a very dramatic fashion before model walking back into her fitting room to try on another dress. I watched Sam rub her temples in frustration and chuckled slightly.

"Let's talk prom," Becca says from inside her stall. "We already know that Sam is taking Jake. Obviously. So Julie, who's gonna be your prom date?"

"Um..." I start, acting like I'm thinking even though Daniel already asked me to go with him. It feels kind of embarrassing to admit this to them. "Daniel asked me to go with him, so we're gonna go as friends," I clarify.

"Oh, that's cool!" Becca coons from inside her stall. "I'm glad you two are getting along after everything..."

I gulp while awkwardly glancing at Sam, trying to sense her feelings about this revelation. I definitely don't want to impose myself or step on anyone's toes. Daniel is their good friend and I caused him a lot of drama last year. But I'm a changed woman. I'm proud to say that he's forgiven me and we're now more amicable than ever. And I'd like it to stay that way.

"Yeah! I think we've moved past everything and are becoming friends again," I reply.

"That's great, girl!" Becca enthuses. Sam on the other hand sits quietly beside me, unmoved. "I must say, I'm extremely glad that I'll still have one of my cheer squad members in the city. Everyone's moving away for college... except Dana, but you're far better company than she is."

"Oh. Well, I'm not even part of the squad anymore..."

"Nonsense. You'll always be a Bumblebee!" Becca confidently says, referring to Wesley High's mascot. "And you'll always be a friend to me."

I smile at her kind words. "Thanks, Becca."

"Don't mention it. Now how do you girls feel about this dress?" Becca walks out of the stall wearing a sleeveless lilac-colored dress that sweeps the floor with its length. My jaw drops at its beauty.

"Wow. You look... amazing, Becca," I say, honestly stunned.

"That looks really good," Sam finally speaks up, her face lighting up. "No lie. Khalil might have some competition come next week. All the guys will be tryna ask you for a dance."

Becca giggles at her friend's comment and smooths down her edges while shaping the rest of her hair that's tied in a bun. "Thank you. Thank you. I told you: perfection takes time."

"Yeah. And all it took was seven whole dress fittings..." Sam sarcastically says which causes me to grin.

"Hehe. But it's worth it! Woo-hoo! Now we can go get something to eat!" Becca shouts. "After paying for this dress, of course."

"Finally..." Sam grumbles while standing to her feet.

"And after I change back into my clothes..." Becca adds while skipping back into the fitting room for the seventh time. Sam flops back down on the bench.

"Everything will be closed by the time you finish changing..." Sam complains.

"Stop exaggerating. Why don't you brainstorm where we should go? Julie? Do you have any preferences?" Becca asks.

"No, not really."

"What about sushi? There's a Japanese restaurant just down the street."

"Ooh! They have the best sashimi, too. Me and my mom went there once," Sam agrees.

"Cool! Then it's settled," Becca replies.

My heart jumps out of my chest as I remember. "Oh... um, I can't eat sushi."

"Oh. You allergic?" Becca asks.

"No... um..." I nibble on my bottom lip, taking a nervous glance at Sam who eyes me strangely. At this moment, I'm not sure if I should reveal all that I've been going through and what I'm currently dealing with. It feels like a safe space, and I've honestly grown to trust these two in the last few months. I have a feeling they wouldn't judge me or spread any rumors. "I'm not allergic. I just can't have sushi because it's not good for the baby..."

Sam's eyebrows shoot to the sky and Becca pushes open the changing room stall, staring at me with a dropped jaw.

"Are you for real...? Did you just say baby?" Becca asks.

"Yes. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Of course! But... you don't even look pregnant." Becca says while glancing at Sam and walking up to me. "Since when...?"

"I know," I chuckle slightly while rubbing my small belly. "It's been a couple of months, but I'm due in August."

"Oh my gosh! I have so many questions! But... congratulations, Julie! Wow..." Becca happily wraps her arms around me for a hug and I stand to my feet. She asks if she can feel my baby bump, and I nod, allowing her hand on my belly for a few seconds as she stands in awe. "Oh my gosh. Why do I feel like I'm going to cry?"

I chuckle at Becca's excited rambling as she lets me go.

"Sam, isn't this so great! You'll have, like, a baby cousin," Becca smiles while looking at a serious-faced Sam.

"Oh, well--" I begin but Sam cuts me off with a question.

"Did you tell Diggy about the news?" 

I take in a breath and exhale, my expression matching hers. "I did. He knows about everything. He was very supportive."

Sam nods in what seems like approval. "Good. I'm glad he's supportive of someone..."

Becca stares between us in confusion. "Um, hold up. Sam, did you know she was pregnant?"

"Yeah. I mean, I kinda figured it out months ago..." Sam shrugs as Becca's jaw drops again. "But I didn't know that she was still going through with it... no offense."

I nod and shrug. "It's fine. I honestly didn't know what I wanted to do either. It was hard enough telling my parents and convincing them that I didn't want an abortion."

"I can't imagine..." Sam says.

"Wait, wait, wait! I'm still stuck on the part that Sam knew already," Becca pouts.

"Oh. I mentioned it sort of randomly one day. I was freaking out and Sam was the only one around at the time," I try to explain, vaguely remembering that moment outside the mall as I cried my eyes out.

"It's not a competition, Becca. Plus, it's not Julie's fault if you're a little slow to put two and two together," Sam remarks. "She was practically showing all of the signs. Remember that pregnancy test you told me you found in the girls' bathroom after Julie was sick...?"

I frown in confusion as a lightbulb forms over Becca's head. She claps her hands.

"Oh my gosh! Yes! After that cheer squad meeting. She dropped it from her bag, I think. Oh... that makes sense."

"I dropped a pregnancy test? So smooth," I reply while shaking my head in embarrassment.

"So, wait. Is Diggy the father then?" Becca asks.

"No. That was a lie, remember?" Sam said, taking the words out of my mouth.

"Sam's right. Daniel's not the father. The real father isn't in the picture..." I explain, pressing my lips together with regret.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Julie," Becca frowns while rubbing my arm.

"It's okay. Good riddance."

"So... if you don't mind me asking, what's your plan? Are you going to college or gonna stay at home and mommy?"

"I decided to put the baby up for adoption, give her a chance with a real family of two healthy, present adults. As much as I'd love to keep my baby, I know I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility, and that's okay. I'm gonna take a year off, recover from the pregnancy... and then come next spring, I'll try Juilliard again and start fresh in the fall," I confidently say.

Sam and Becca both nod while glancing at me, then Becca smiles.

"That sounds like a great decision. I'm glad you know what you want. And please, if you need any support, or a vent session, or some retail therapy, I'm your girl. I got your back and I'll be here for you if you need me," Becca states which brings tears to my eyes.

"Thank you, Becca... seriously. You've been so supportive since the first day we met." I wrap my arms around her and squeeze tight.

"No problem. It's the least I can do since we'll be in the city together. I'll be minutes away!"

I smile. "I might just take you up on that offer."

"That sounds like a threat. Julie, you might want to rethink that offer..." Sam replies while jesting at Becca.

"Shut up!" Becca kicks Sam's foot. "I'm great company. Don't listen to her, Julie. This calls for a group hug! Sam, get in here!"

"I don't think that's necessary--"

"I wasn't asking!" Becca replies while grabbing her friend and pulling us all into a group hug. After a few seconds, Sam groans and pulls away.

"Alright. Uh, let's get outta here..." Sam grabs our shopping bags and leads the way out of the dressing room as Becca and I happily follow, making short chit-chat.

"Do you know the baby's gender?" Becca asks as we leave arm in arm.

"No... my doctor said it's a little too early, but I should know next month..."

"Agh! That's so exciting!"

***

DIGGY's POV

I come home from school after a long day of learning. I immediately go to my room and take out my homework that's due tomorrow. I try to focus on it, but I can't. My mind is filled with Sam. Ever since our hangout last weekend, she's been avoiding me at school and my text messages. I keep apologizing to her about what I said about Jake, and told her that I support her in whatever she does. She just gave me a one-worded reply of 'Okay'. It's clear that she's still upset, so we need to talk about it. Cut to the chase so we can move forward again.

I pull out my phone and send her a text.

ME: Yo, Sam. are u free right now? We should talk & clear the air.

I impatiently bounce my leg while waiting for her reply. A few minutes later, my phone pings.

SAM: Sorry, I'm busy studying. Can't talk.

I smack my lips.

ME: Alright... sometime this week? u don't study that much...

After a couple of minutes, I still don't hear from her. I release a deep sigh and put my phone on top of my textbook, feeling frustrated. I decide that I can't study in this state, so I get up from my desk and walk downstairs to the kitchen. In the kitchen, I see my dad battering up some fish fillets to be baked in the oven. I also see a pot of spaghetti on the stove.

"What's up, son?" He asks, focused on cooking. His hands are caked with flour and seasoning along with his apron.

"Hey, dad..." I sigh while slumping over the kitchen counter.

"Uh-oh. Why the long face?" My dad asks.

I respond with a question. "What do you do if your best friend is ignoring you?"

"Well... I would ask them what I did, for one. Trouble in paradise?" My dad glances up at me and frowns.

"I've been trying to text Sam since we hung out, but she's been pushing me off. She claims she's been busy, but I don't believe it. I think she's upset after what I said."

"What did you say?"

"I just told her my honest opinion," I reply with a shrug.

"Okay. I'm listening."

"I was trying to let her know that maybe she shouldn't put all her eggs in Jake's basket - especially after high school. I know they're dating but things change in college. New opportunities, new people, new interests..." I explain. "She shouldn't feel tied down because of a dude across the country."

"Uh-huh..."

"I was just looking out for her because I don't want her to get hurt. I want her to be happy and have an authentic college experience with no worries."

"That's very thoughtful of you..." My dad adds while placing the battered fish on a greased pan.

"Right?! But somehow she got mad and made it seem like I was telling her to break up with him, but I didn't say that!"

"Well, based on what you just told me, it did sound a little like you were insinuating that she should break up with dude."

"No, it didn't!"

My dad raises his hands up in defense. "Hey, I'm just telling you what it sounds like to me. You said that she shouldn't feel 'tied down' after high school..." He shrugs. "That's like saying Jake is dead weight."

I sigh while thinking a bit about what I said. I honestly don't want her to break up with Jake, and I don't think of him as dead weight... but do I think their relationship could hold Sam back in college? Maybe.

"I don't think he's dead weight. Jake's a cool guy," I say in his defense.

"Then what's the issue?" My dad asks while putting the fish in the oven and setting the timer. He washes his hands and takes off his apron while listening to me.

"There's no issue, really. I just don't want Sam to get held back because of him," I reveal. "It's like she's head over heels for this guy. I've never seen her be so giddy like this. I feel like her judgment could get clouded because she'll try to think about what he wants instead of do what she wants..."

He nods his head. "Hm... that's an interesting way to think about things. I mean, that can happen in relationships, no matter what age you are."

I nod. "It just feels like she's consumed by her relationship..."

"But you know Sam. She's strong. She's not gonna let no dude OR no gal push her over! She's gonna do what she wants to do regardless of what others say, so why are you worried? She'll be fine," my dad says in a confident tone while grinning at me.

"You're right. I guess I'm just thinking too much..." I say with hunched shoulders.

My dad chuckles. "That's an understatement. Dig, you're going to college! These are the greatest years of your life. It's gonna be fun! You're gonna meet a whole lot of people, go to parties, maybe drink!"

I chuckle as he continues.

"But let me fill you in on a little secret. Every college experience is not the same. You're gonna live your life, and Sam is gonna live her life. There's no use in trying to control what happens. Life doesn't work that way."

"I know, dad."

"It's best to just enjoy the ride. I'm sure Sam will do that with or without Jake. And I know you'll do that, too. So stop worrying," he adds with a grin.

"Alright. I'll try..." I reply with a smile. "You're good at this advice thing. Speaking of college, what were YOU like in college? Did you drink? What shenanigans did you get up to?" I ask with intrigue.

"And that is a conversation for another time..." My dad avoids answering. "You hungry? Try this spaghetti."

"You can't change the subject with spaghetti, pops. I wanna hear about your college experience!" I smirk. I know he's not gonna tell me, but I like joking with him anyway.

"Nothing to tell. I was an ANGEL in college..." My dad replies while making a plate of spaghetti. I chuckle at his response and walk over to the stove...