Jason waited as he called Samantha. After a few seconds she answered the call as her face showed up on the screen of his phone.


    She had an annoyed look on her face as she looked to be sitting at her desk in her room "Oh? Look who finally decided to call."


    Jason nodded his head "Sorry Sammy. I kinda got some things that were driving me crazy after the game.


    I had to spend a few days to process and unwind. I know that it''s no excuse and that I still should have called or texted at least to let you know that I was okay.


    I''m calling you now because Kyle and I were nning on throwing a get together with the guys from the team and we thought that it would be more fun to invite you and your other friends."


    Samantha''s annoyed expression finally changed to a mischievous smile after she heard Jason inviting her to hang out.


    She set her phone down against hermp as she blew a lock of her curly red hair out of her face.


    "Sounds to me like you just want me to invite some girls over for your friends?" Jason waved his hand in denial.


    "Come on Sammy. You know me better than that. Sure I was thinking that if you invited some of your friends that the guys would enjoy it.


    But I really am inviting you to hang out because I feel sorry for how I''ve been acting as a friendtely. I''m trying to do the right thing here."


    Samantha looked at the camera in silence for a few seconds before finally nodding here head "I guess. Fine, I''ll hang out with you guys today.


    Just send me the time and ce. I don''t know if my friends have anything else going on right now but I''ll invite them. Just don''t get your hopes up. They might all be busy."


    Jason smiled as he gave her a thumbs up "Thanks Sammy. I knew you wouldn''t be too angry. You''re a real one Sammy."


    Samantha just chuckled "That shouldn''t even be a question. I am as real as it gets. I am so real that it''s almost unreal."


    Jason chuckled as he rolled his eyes ''This kid. You give her an inch and she always tries to take a mile.''


    "Sure Sammy. You are the Queen of being real. I''ll send you the ce and time in a bit. Kyle and I have some more nning to do."


    She threw up a peace sign and smiled "Alrighty Jaya! See you guys then." His screen turned dark as Samantha hung up the call.


    - - -


    Samantha had a calm and normal look on her face as she hung up the call. After she knew for certain that Jason could no longer see her she jumped out of her chair and dove straight into her bed.


    She grabbed one of her pillows and put it over her face as she then began to scream her lungs out into the pillow.


    As she was doing this she was also kicking her legs up and down wildly as sheid on her bed.


    After she was done screaming she pulled the pillow off of her face. Her hair was messy as it covered some of her face but she didn''t seem to mind all that much as she had a bright smile on her face.


    She looked to her right side and spoke out "Chunkers! Guess what? Jaya actually invited me out today!"


    Laying down beside her on her bed was a ck and white corgi. It''s plump figure suggested that it was a very well fed dog and it''s almost emotionless face bore a striking and uncanny resemnce to Jason.


    Chunkers barely tilted its head as it looked at Samantha. Even though she had just been acting crazy Chunkers looked at her with a bored look.


    Almost as though he were used to seeing her act like that. Samantha sat up and grabbed Chunkers before cing him down closer to her side.


    She began to gently pet his fur as sheid down smiling "I thought that it would be so lonely in this big house Chunkers.


    But because of some really awesome people like you, Victor, Kyle, and Jason things have been way better than I thought they would be."


    Chunkers turned his eyes towards her. Samantha chuckled "What do you mean? I love hanging out with the girls but sometimes it''s just different.


    I know that some of them are actually really nice and friendly but with some of them I feel like they''re just being nice to me because dad is like super loaded."


    Chunkers let out a small sigh as it went back to resting its head down on the bed. Samantha nodded her head.


    "You got a point there. I shouldn''t be so quick to jump to assumptions without having any solid proof.


    But you know what mom used to say ''Sometimes you have to ignore your brain and listen to your gut.


    It might be trying to save you from danger or letting you know that you need to shit.'' I feel like this is one of those times."


    Chunkers wiggled its tail slightly and Samantha responded "I guess. It''s not that I don''t want to give him a chance.


    I might have never seen him before mom passed but he''s still my dad. It''s just hard to try and get close to someone when you never get to see him.


    He''s always out of state or out of country doing business stuff. And even when he does have some free time he spends the entire video call telling me to work harder and to focus on school.


    He always brings up the things that he thinks I''m doing wrong. It''s always ''Stop dressing up like a vampire.'' or ''Why don''t you try to act normal.''


    I hate it so much! I don''t even dress up like a vampire. I wear band shirts and ripped up jeans. Sure I listen to songs where they scream a lot. But is that such a bad thing?


    How can he hate it so much? Isn''t that why he fell in love with mom? She was the biggest Punk that I knew.


    How could such a cold noodle end up hooking up with a awesome person like her? It just doesn''t make sense."


    There was a moment of silence as Samantha just stared at Chunkers who also remained silent throughout.


    After a few moments she just let out a big sigh of exasperation "Yeah I guess you''re right. I shouldn''t spend so much time getting worked up over nothing.


    I should probably start getting ready anyways. I wouldn''t want to show up dressed up like a bum."


    - - -


    Jason was sitting at a table in the food court of the mall. In front of him were Kyle and Tory. Originally it was just supposed to be Jason and Kyle.


    The two of them were going to use their bus passes to get a ride to the mall but Tory invited herself as she suggested that she give them a ride instead.


    Tory stretched her arms out as she yawned "It''s already 3. We''ve been here for thirty minutes already. Where is everyone?"


    Jason looked at Tory "I told you that you should have just stayed home. The whole thing was kindast second so obviously its going to be hard for people to be here exactly on time."


    Kyle nodded his head "He''s got a point Tory. He did say that it would be better for you to stay at the apartment instead ofing with us."


    Tory grabbed Kyle by the sides of his cheeks and started pinching him "Not you too Kiki. You guys need to learn to be nicer to your noona.


    Why is it so bad for me toe with you guys? Am I embarrassing for you? Or are you guys trying to do bad things and you don''t want me to see?"


    Kyle shook his head as he freed himself from Tory''s grasp "That''s not it. We just knew that you would get bored and start acting up like this."


    Jason nodded his head in agreement "Pretty much." Tory was about to argue back when Jason''s phone started ringing.


    He answered the call "Yeah it''s me. You guys here? Cool, just go up and walk to the food court. We''re waiting for you guys."


    A few minutester and Udonis, Trell, Matt, Nick, DJ, and Vince all showed up at the food court.


    Jason and Kyle both stood up and walked toward them with their crutches. Udonisughed after seeing that.


    "Y''all are a real dynamic duo huh? The crutch brothers haha." Jason chuckled as he pped Udonis on the back before dapping him up.


    "Good to see that you managed to find a sense of humor in these few days we ain''t seen each other UD."


    Trell chuckled "He must of found a shit ton of food along with that sense of humor cause this dude lookin like he packed on a few."


    Kyleughed as he dapped up Trell "I was about to say. I didn''t want to be mean or anything but UD is looking a little bigger."


    The other guys were allughing after they heard Kyle say that. Udonis looked at Jason and Kyle.


    "So what''s the special asion? Cause knowing you guys you wouldn''t get everyone together like this to celebrate a L.


    No offense to all those people that like to show up their participation trophies but I know how we all built.


    None of us would feel right trying to say some corny shit like ''We tried our best its okay.'' We got handed the L and we took it like a man. Sure it hurt the first day or two but I know that we all just about good now."


    Trell nodded his head "Yeah. I was telling UD that there wasn''t a chance in hell that y''all were inviting us over to try and do some typa shit like that.


    Jaya thest dude to do some weak shit like that." Jason and Kyle both looked at each other before bursting out intoughter.


    Kyle shook his head "We said the exact same thing. At first we were nning on doing something like that but then we both shook our heads and said that that would be a weak move."


    Jason looked at all of the guys "The reason we invited you all over was so that we could all have one big get together before the year ends.


    I''m pretty sure all of you guys have some ns for Christmas and New Years. So this was our only chance to do something like this."


    Jason paused for a moment and then he walked over to Udonis and then Trell as he hugged the both of them.


    "I also wanted to take this chance to say thanks. Thanks for everything you guys have done for me and the team this year."


    Trell and Udonis were both surprised as they looked at Jason. Jason pulled away after the hugs and walked back to the spot next to Kyle.


    "I want to thank UD for being the best team captain possible. Whenever I would fuck up you were right there to clean up my mess.


    You had my back since day one and you tried to teach me how to be a leader. You were there for me on and off the court.


    With how much you meant to the team I honestly don''t know how we''re going to fill up the huge hole that''s going to be left when you move on to high school.


    But I know that we''re all going to try our best to make sure that we do you proud." Udonis looked like his eyes were about to start watering as he turned around and looked up.


    "You doing too much talkin man. We already knew that I was a hell of a team captain. You don''t need to bring it up.


    Besides, if anyone should be saying thanks then it should be me. Before you joined the team I would have never dreamt about qualifying for the county tournament let alone winning it."


    Jason chuckled before turning and looking at Trell "I need to say thanks to you too Trell. Without you it would have been impossible for the team to have made it as far as we did.


    I know that we didn''t exactly have the best first impressions of each other but I''m d that we were able to work out our differences."


    Trell just shrugged his shoulders "Damn, you really thankin the dude that wanted to fight you on your first day of school huh?


    Well I guess it does fit your goofy personality. In that way you and Kyle are a whole ton alike. But I guess I should be saying thanks also.


    Before meeting you I never thought that I would do anything good with my life. I probably would have barely managed to squeeze into high school and then either barely graduate or dropout and start doing some more street shit.


    So thanks for showin me that I was better than that. And that I deserved better. Now I have a schrship to a nice ass school and I owe it all to you."


    After that Kyle along with all of the other 7th graders hugged Udonis and Trell as they thanked them for everything that they did for the team.


    After all the sappy stuff was over Jason got a call from Sammy saying that she and all of her friends had just arrived at the mall.


    The pairings were all simr to when they had hung out that one night to look at the Christmas lights and decorations at the Mission Inn.


    They ended up watching a Super Hero movie that had just been released and then they went to a all you can eat Sushi restaurant as Samantha treated everybody out.


    The meal was full of good food, smiles, and good vibes as there wasughter all throughout.


    And as they all parted after the meal was done there was a smile on everyone''s face. And yet for these young men there seemed to be a weird sense of sadness.


    They were happy that there were all able to get together today and have fun. And yet this sense of sadness was something that lingered below the surface.


    This was a sadness that came from knowing that this was a moment that would never be recreated. That after today things would bepletely different.