"Good luck, Lexi!" I turned around to see the person who shouted.

I walked towards her, "Madi, how did you know I have a game?"

"I'm spying on you," she chuckled, "you good?"

"I had a good sleep so yeah, I think so." 

"Your friends are coming." She said looking at the sides.

"I didn't think they'd come, we haven't seen each other a lot lately."

"Of course they will. You're their baby sister, but I hope not for that one person."

I rolled my eyes on her and glanced at my friends. They waved at me, Ali tailed behind them. Sam is also here.

"You should probably tell your friends clearly the thing about you and Alicia." 

"I know... I told Ethan though."

"Come closer," I leaned on her, "I don't know if I could tell you this but, Sam and Jules never happened again."

"I found out about that too. I totally understood the part where no one told me, don't worry."

"It must've made your thoughts complicated."

"Exactly... I'll work on it, I don't want to hurt other people."

She squeezed my shoulder, "The game is starting, go."

After changing my clothes, I went directly to my friends. We plan to start our practice later for the festival performance. 

"Tired?" Ali asked me, I shook my head. "I'll tag along for your practice but I have to go somewhere later."

"Okay." 

"Oh, I forgot I didn't bring my car." She said, I looked at my friends.

"I'll drop Avery at her work, you guys can go first." Noah said.

"You two can ride with Sam," Ethan said pertaining to us, "Since only the two of us brought cars." I saw him smile meaningfully, what is he up to?

"You can put your things at the back." Sam said. I mumbled an okay and went with her at the back of her car.

"Thanks."

We entered the car, we're half an hour away. I kept on glancing at Sam secretly, she looks... tired.

"I can drive for us." I said.

"Hmm?" She turned to me after fastening her seatbelt.

"I'll drive so you can rest, I think you need sleep." She started the engine.

"You're the one who just played and needs rest," she glanced slightly at the rear mirror and looked back at me, "I'm fine, Alex." She smiled timidly.

I turned my head to Alicia, she smiled at me. The ride to Lizzie's house was kinda awkward and silent. Only the stereo music can be heard.

"What's the festival about? So we can decide on what song to play." Lizzie said.

"That's.." Ethan scratched his head.

"You don't know do you?" Danny laughed at him.

"Okay, in my defense, I was excited to perform again. I'll just ask my friend."

"It's a couple's day or something." Sam said not looking at us, she's busy fixing the guitars.

"Really? So, love songs?" Danny asked.

"I was thinking of singing songs by 5sos."

"Isn't their songs more of a heartbreak songs?" I said.

"Exactly. Why would they celebrate couple's day on summer anyway. " She grinned.

Sam handed me the red guitar.

"I thought you'd use it from now on.." She put the strap on me and tighten it.

I stared at her, "You like this guitar." 

"I think it will also be an open mic." Ethan said. We've been practicing for a few days.

"Song requests from the audience?" 

He nodded. 

"Lizzie can't run away from the love songs then." Noah chuckled. He started preparing snacks for our break time. The others went to the couch to chill for awhile.

I stared at Sam doing some random riff with Noah's bass, so cool. She used to do that in the past when she's bored or when she's warming up. 

I sat on the stool and continued watching her, but her eyes landed on mine. She just caught me staring at her!

"Do you want to learn something new? Come on I'll teach you something simple." She said.

"Alright." She played the beat, it's a familiar sound, I think an old song.

"Easy, right?"

"Err, maybe?" She showed me how to do the plucking slowly. 

"Here.." She handed me the bass guitar, "your hands should be from here," she held my hand gently, I think I malfunctioned a bit. I just forgot what to do next.

"Did you get it?"

I cleared my throat, "Uh, yeah.. yeah."

I tried doing it with a few mistakes because my hand feels stiff.

"That was good. See? New talent."

"How are you?" I asked playing with the strings. She sat on the stool infront of me. 

"I'm doing good." She glanced beside us, "Actually, do you wanna learn piano nex–"

"Don't try to change the topic, Sam. I see you, you looked bothered most of the time. I want to know what's going on, I'm worried about you."

She looked back at me and sighed, "It's.. that was just me stressing out on papers. But it's all done, all good. I'm just glad we're spending our free time with preparing for a performance. I missed doing these with them, and now's more special because we're doing it with you. Don't worry, really."

"I'll only believe it when you perform using the red guitar again."

"Why? Do you not like it anymore?"

"Not that, I just miss seeing you with your guitar."

"Deal." She said smiling.

"Hey," I looked at Ali at the door, "when did you arrive?"

"Just a minute ago, I brought snacks." I removed the guitar's strap, Sam took it from me.

"Come on, Sam."

"Yeah, I'll just fix these. You go first." She said not looking at me. 

I offered to wait with Ali for her ride outside. The gang will spend the night again here at Lizzie's place. I've been staying here for awhile though, since my brother is still in town.

"Alex..." I glanced at her, "It's Samantha isn't it?"

"What?" Did she noticed too? Do I still look at Sam differently?

"The reason why you won't give me a chance back then, I should've known."

This is what I am trying to avoid. Hurting someone else by my decisions. 

"I'm sorry, Ali."

"Don't be, I'm the one who's sorry for holding you off. You actually look great together, you could've been dating each other if I hadn't intervene." Ali chuckled trying to lighten up the air.

"It's not.. Us.. won't happen. She doesn't see me that way." 

We saw a car coming, "I'm not going to avoid you, lex, I'm not that petty. I'll still be your partner, platonically. I just.. I cherish you so much, you're like a little kid who needs protection."

"I don't know if that's a compliment," we laughed, "Thank you, Ali." 

We hugged, "I'm rooting for the two of you." She said smiling. 

"Good morning." 

"Hi!" I was surprised seeing Sam standing at the kitchen.

"Why are you up early?" She asked while preparing her coffee.

"I'm going for a run, do you wanna come?" I asked, I haven't actually slept a wink. 

"Sure, let me just finish this coffee." She changed clothes, using Lizzie's clothes, after drinking her coffee.

"So this is what it feels like to be an athlete..." She said panting.

"We just ran a few laps." I jogged in place, "Sorry that was too much.."

"Not really, I think my body was still adjusting. I've been lazing off."

"Should I invite you for a run every morning then?"

"You do this everyday?" She asked with a frown.

I chuckled, "Of course, I'm an athlete."

"Okay, I'll try to go with you sometimes." I looked at her amused, "Why didn't you tell me you needed a place to stay?" 

"That, I didn't want to bother you." It wasn't a safe choice, being close with you again. But that's what I am doing right now, I'm entering an unsafe territory. 

"You're never a bother to me."

"This won't last long anyway. I heard about what happened... with Jules."

"We never happened again." She said in an instant.

"I know. I heard Danny had an argument with one of her friends."

"It was stupid. Tell me if someone ever gives you trouble related to that. I'm sorry if I never cleared the thing about Jules and I."

"That's okay, it.." I shouldn't say it wasn't important, I would not want her to feel that things like that are not important to me. 

"She just suddenly came back and all of us was definitely busy with something. I know we haven't had a time to talk about those things." I continued, here I am again contemplating on what to do.

Is this another chance of telling her what I really felt and still feeling for her? Should I risk it this time? 

She pulled out her phone when it kept on chiming, "Lizzie's looking for us, we still have classes later."

"Let's go back before she scolds us both." 

She suddenly ran, "Loser will drive to school!" She said, I shook my head and ran after her.

Give me a sign, Sam, and I'll run back to you again.