Everlasting Love

everlasting love [3]

*Samantha's POV*

There I was, picking at my school lunch, minding my own business. I peered up in the direction that I know JJ usually sits in with all of his football buddies, that's when I notice her. Emily Ross. Sure, she was cute on the outside, but I knew she had to be rotten to the core. Actually, that might be the green monster in me seeing that. I had noticed her talking to JJ now at lunch for the past couple of weeks, flicking her perfect jet black hair behind her shoulder when she would laugh at whatever joke JJ said. I wondered if he would tell her any of the lame jokes he would always tell me. Ever since my mom died when I was 11, JJ would either tell me a joke or leave me a joke on a sticky note and stick it somewhere only I would be able to find it. Sure, he hasn't done that since we were 13 and in middle school, but I liked to think that was one of our special secret bonds we had. Regardless, I did not like little miss perfect over there laughing with him. She wasn't a fan of mine either, but then again really no one in this school was really a fan of mine. No one appreciates the arts here and they all think I think that I'm better than all of them since I have a Tony award and have a list of famous people that I know personally. No one wants to really spend the time getting to know me, not like how JJ knows me. But to be honest, I don't think anyone could know me as well as JJ does. He can read me like a book, and I him. Just like right now I know he is really into her because he has this little crease in his forehead since he is really trying to memorize every word that comes out of her precious lip glossed mouth. I've known I liked, scratch that, loved JJ since I was 11, but I wouldn't dare tell him how i really felt about him because I would never want to ruin the friendship we have, or the relationship

I have with his mom. Plus, I know he could never feel the same way about me.

Later that afternoon, I was sitting in my English class waiting for class to start when I head Emily start talking to her friends about the homecoming dance in 2 weeks. "Yeah, JJ asked me to go with him today at lunch. I figured why not, he's a pretty good football player and I mean he isn't too bad on the eyes either!" all her friends began to giggle in unison with her. I just rolled my eyes and tried to drown out their obnoxiousness by reading a play write play write for a new Broadway production. Even though I had decided to do High School the normal way and take a break from New York, I decided to look into this one my agent had sent over. It's not like I was really breaking out of my shell here anyways. Besides, if JJ started dating Emily, I don't know if I would have been able to bring myself to watch them smooching it up in the halls or feeding each other at lunch. I just wouldn't be able to bare it. That's it, I had made up my mind, I would be going to this audition in 2 weeks. It's not like I was going to be asked by anyone to the dance, or be able to watch JJ get ready to go with Emily.

It was 2 days before the homecoming dance and 2 days before I left for New York for this audition. I was sort of spacing out when I was supposed to be helping Connie make dinner. "Alright, spill it girlfriend. What's on your mind?" Connie said as she threw down the kitchen towel on the counter next to me, breaking my concentration of studying the backsplash tiles. "Huh? I don't know what you're talking about Ma. I'm just a little tired from this week, that's all. A lot to think about." I replied. "Could you possibly be thinking about letting the boy you love go to a dance with another girl?" I just snapped my head in her direction and gave her a deer in headlights look. Sure, she had joked about JJ having a crush on me when he would pick on me when we were little, or how she would say the two of us would end up married some day, but I have never actually told Connie about my feelings for JJ now that we're older. "Yeah, don't think you can pull one over on me kid. I've known you since you could talk, so I know what you're thinking before you actually come out and tell me. Now spill it." She was right, she was some sort of mind reader, she always knew exactly how I was feeling before I even opened my mouth. She wasn't my biological mother, but we definitely had some sort of mother/daughter bond. "I don't know, he's going to this dance with Emily because he likes her. There's no chance for me. Besides, she's a sophomore like him and she's perfect...I'm talking Victoria Secret Model perfect. She's tall like him, skinny but curves in the right places. And then there's me, short squatty plain jane." I stood at a whopping 5'5" which was a midget in the Watt household and had curves for days, which was a curse most days because I just wanted to fit in and be skinny. Although, I must admit, I look just like my mother, Thank God; because she was absolutely stunning. A natural beauty. Whenever I'm not on stage, I hardly wear any make up at all, just some brown mascara to cover my blonde eyelashes and frame my big blue eyes. But that's about it, nothing compared to Miss Emily Ross. "Honey, I have never met a girl gorgeous as you! You're a knockout, and I'm not just saying that because you're like a daughter to me. And as far as JJ goes, he'll come around eventually. Men are late bloomers in everything, that some times won't realize something until it smacks them in the face. Just wait and see."I simply shrug her off and got back to peeling the potatoes. A little while later, I heard the door slam shut and JJ came storming into the kitchen, opening up the closet and slamming them shut. "JJ, what is the matter?" Connie asked her son. "Nothing Mom. I don't want to talk about it." he mumbled back. "Sorry, you cant come storming in her breaking my house and not tell me what the problem is!" He looked up and locked eyes with me for a second. Here come those butterflies again, every time he look at me. I could see the hurt in his eyes, but there was also something else there. I just couldn't read him in that moment. "Fine. Emily texted me today saying she was going to the homecoming dance with Kirk. Now I have no one to go with me and the football players are all supposed to bring dates. Happy?" Oh, I'll kill her. She couldn't possibly be dumping JJ two days before the dance to go with the senior quarterback? What a shallow bitch! She didn't deserve JJ anyways. Connie looked at me and then over to JJ, "Well, I know of one girl who isn't going to the dance and would love to go with you." JJ looked over at me, seeming to be contemplating the idea in his head for a second before responding, "I don't know, that would be like taking my sister to the dance." And that was it, I knew how he felt. He looked at me like his sister, like his best buddy from growing up and bathing together. I just kept my head down and was about to respond back that I was going to fly to New York anyways tomorrow when he came and stood in front of me and just looked me at me a second, waiting for me to look back up at him. When I did, I looked straight into his eyes and seeing the emotion in them. Hurt, pity, loving. I was frozen in my tracks, the words wouldn't come out of my mouth. But, I didn't have to say anything because he was the first to start talking, he let out a breathe first and closed his eyes first calling me by my childhood nickname, "Manny, would you please come with me to the dance on Friday? You don't even have to dance with me or anything. You just have to show up for pictures and show up with me at the dance. Then once we get there you can do your own thing." Wow, is that what he wanted me to do? Is he really that tired of me being around. "Sure JJ, any specific color you want me to wear?" I don't know what I was saying, I should just tell him no. It's not like he wants me to actually go with him. "Alright cool, just be here at like 6 tomorrow, okay?" "K" is all I could respond to him with. Then he walked out of the room and up the stairs to his room. "That was painful." I grimaced and looked up at Connie who was grinning at me from across the kitchen. I knew I had to call my agent and tell him I wouldn't be going to New York after all. Time to find a dress, "Connie, can you help me find a dress?" I asked, "I thought you would never ask my darling. Come on, we can just order pizza tonight instead of cooking.

I took a final look at myself in the mirror, it was 5:53. I had to head next door to get this dance over with. I finally decided on wearing a light blue thigh length dress that had a sweetheart and an illusion neckline. I had one some killer heels since JJ was so much taller than me. My long blonde hair was pinned to the side and was curled. It cascaded down to right beneath my breast and my make up was just perfect, framing my big blue eyes and plump lips. I looked good. No one around here really saw me dressed up this much, I usually just saved that for the stage. No one was home, like usual so I just grabbed my small clutch and headed to the house across the street for what seemed like the millionth time in my life, but this time was different. This time the butterflies in my stomach felt like a tornado. I don't know if this was going to be such a good idea. I rang the doorbell, I may be a regular in the house but I always felt weird just barging in. JJ's younger brother, Derek who was 13 at the time, answered the door. "Wow Samantha, you look smokin'!" he said. Now Derek definitely felt just like my brother, we we're close but a different kind of relationship I had with JJ. John, JJ's dad came up behind him and gave him a light tap on the back of the head. "Come on Derek, have a little respect for Samantha! Come on in Sammy, Connie and JJ are in the kitchen tying up his tie. You look beautiful by the way sweetie." John was also the father I never, ever had in my life. One time he even took me to the Daddy/Daughter breakfast at the school since I was pretty much the only girl in town with an estranged father. "Thanks Mr. Watt." I said back to him as I headed for the kitchen. When I rounded the corner, I laid eyes on JJ. He looked older, more mature and, if even possible, more handsome than I have ever seen him before. I just completely melted when I saw him. It was safe to say I also surprised him because his jaw immediately fell open and proceeded to look me from the top of my head, down to my toes as slow as possible. Connie turned around and had a huge smile on her face. "You are just simply stunning sweetheart! Don't you think so JJ?" She said as she nudged him in the side to finally say something to me.

*JJ's POV*

I had never laid eyes on a more perfect human being in my life before. This past year I have noticed Samantha getting more and more beautiful, but I've kept my sudden feelings for her at bay because I didn't want to mess anything up. We've been like family since we were in diapers together and I know how close her and my mom are ever since she lost her mom a couple years ago; so I would hate to be the one to take another mother away from her. But tonight, going to the homecoming together and her looking so gorgeous I would do anything she asked me to do; kiss the ground she walked on. She looked up at me again with her big blue eyes, she looked nervous. But, she couldn't possibly have been as nervous as I was. I was sweating through my jacket. "Ready to go?" I looked at her and caught a glimpse of hurt in her eyes? Did she not want to come with my tonight? "Okay okay, but before you two go...let me take a picture of the two of you together." Mom said while grabbing her camera. We walked into the foyer of the house and Samantha was walking in front of me, she was the only girl I knew who could walk so gracefully in those heels. She still was barely up to my shoulders; I've always thought Samantha was perfect even when I'd chase her around when we were kids, but I never realized that she could be perfect for me.