Chapter 8 Sam started telling him a story about a trip to Knotts Berry Farm, and Justin pushed the thoughts to the back of his head.  Justin took Sam back to the apartment at eleven.     "I'll see you tomorrow," Justin told Sam, walking to her door. "Seven?"     "Yeah, I'll find out if Sarah and Bri and the guys are going to be over here.  If they are, I say we go to your hotel, or to a park."     "That sounds good. I'll call you around four tomorrow, and find out where we should go." he kissed her; just a little peck and walked down the stairs. "Bye Sam."     "Bye Justin," Sam called, watching him get in the car and drive away.     Sarah and Bri were home, waiting for her.     "Have fun?" Sarah asked.     "Yeah it was cool," Sam said. "We talked a lot."  She sank down on a chair.  "We're going out again, tomorrow."     "Have you decided what you're going to do about JC?" Bri asked.     "I told you yesterday, Brianna. I'm going to get over him. I'm going to fall in love with someone else."     "Sam, that isn't going to work," Sarah said. "Although I'm not for sure, I can guess you've loved JC for most of your life."  Sam nodded here head when Sarah looked at her, asking for confirmation. "You won't be able to stop loving him.  You're not one of those people who falls in and out of love everyday."     Sam raised her head, and looked at her best friend.  Her eyes were filled with tears of misery, desperation, regret. "I have to get over it.  I need to stop loving JC, and fall in love with a guy who can love me back.  Not one who's committed to another woman I have to. If I don't I don't know how I'll survive." I already don't know what I'm going to do.  How can I get over the love that I've had for the past eleven years? Sam's head dropped to her hands. "What am I going to do?"     "Get him to notice you," Sarah said. "Make him see the woman you are. Show him you're better for him then Lesley."     "You mean compete with Lesley?" Sam laughed. "Miss model perfect, American Dream come true? I feel plain, and gawky and .... inferior. I don't think I could ever compete with her."     "Lesley's a snob, and money obsessed," Bri said.  "If JC ever opened his eyes, or quit being so infatuated with her, he'd realize what she was. That's what you should do. Make him realize what type of person she is."     "We'll help you," Sarah said. "And so will the guys. They all dislike her."     Sam looked at her friends.  "I'll have to think about it.  How I could ever make him realize what she is. We have no proof she's just after his money, and his fame.  She is a world famous model."     "But who knows how long that will last?" Bri said.  She's just like dozen of other women, with her blonde prettiness. The camera is shifting from women like that, towards women with more unusual coloring."     "Yeah I know. But I still don't know how I could ever compete with her," Sam sighed. "I don't even know if I want to try."     "Yes, Samantha, you do," Sarah told her. "You love JC, want him to be happy. He won't be happy with Lesley.  She'll ruin his life."     Justin stepped from the elevator, whistling.  He'd had fun tonight, and really liked Sam. He was glad she'd asked to see him again.     JC walked out of his room then. He was heading to the lobby to get some ice.     "Have fun?" he asked Justin.     "Yeah," Justin replied. "Sam's a funny person. We spent half the time laughing." But her laugh seemed slightly forced.  "And we're going out again tomorrow." Justin pulled out his key and unlocked his door. "Night, dude. See you in the morning." He safely closed the door.     JC stared at the door for a minute. Emotions he couldn't describe or understand swelled in his heart.  Something was happening and he didn't understand what or why.     Sam was up at eight the next morning.  She was meeting Faith, another of her friends for breakfast at nine, then intended to go to the gym to work out.  She got back at two.     "Sarah, Bri, you here?" Sam called, walking in.     "Yeah, we're here," Sarah called from the kitchen. "Why?"     Sam walked to the kitchen. "Are you going to be here tonight?"     "Yeah," Bri said. "All of the guys except Justin are coming over.  We're trying to figure out what to make for dinner."     "Order pizza," Sam said. "That way, you two don't have to cook."     Sarah and Bri looked at eachother. "That sounds a lot easier," Sarah said. "And I'm not in the mood to cook."     "I agree," Bri said, she closed the fridge.  "We'll order it when they come over."     Sam pulled a glass from the cupboard, filled it with ice and poured herself some coke. "Aren't you two lucky, having to spend all night with four guys," she teased, walking to her room.     "Oh, yeah, we're just soooooo lucky." Sarah yelled. "Do you think I'm happy, being stuck with my boyfriend in a house full of people?"     "I wouldn't abee to happy." Sam said. "But I'd kick everyone else out, so I could have time alone with my boyfriend. " She walked in her room and closed the door.     "At this moment in time, I wouldn't kick everyone else out," Sarah grumbled. " I'd kick Chris out."     "You two fighting again?" Bri asked.     "We were just arguing," Sarah replied. "He wants to know what's wrong with Sam, and why we're acting so meanly to JC. I told him I couldn't tell him, and he took it wrong."     "You better not let Sam find out she's the cause of the arguement.  She'd feel so guilty."     "I think in a few weeks, when whe get back from Europe, I'm going to tell Chris the whole story and get him to help us,"  Sarah mused.  "Like I said last night, the guys don't like Lesley."     "That's an idea," Bri told her.  "But will Sam be happy with that?"     Justin called at four, and he and Sam decided to take the food back to the hotel.     At seven, Sam left for the restaurant.  She was picking up the food and taking it to the hotel. It was nearing  nine thirty when they finished.  Neither of them had paid much attention to the food. Once again they were making each other laugh, with all the storied and jokes they told. Sam opened her fortune cookie. "Your life will change; many will try to help, but only one will truely be effective," Sam read aloud. "What does yours say?"     "It says 'Love you will find, but not in the form you are expecting.' Damn," Justin sighed "That means it won't be romantic."     Sam laughed.     They were sitting on the bed, next to each other.  Justin leaned over and kissed her, wrapping a hand around her neck.  After a minute, he pulled away.  Sam's eyes were filled with tears.     "I suppose it's not meant to be," Justin said ruefully.     "I'm sorry, Justin," Sam told him, bitting her lip, blinking her eyes to ease the tears. "I really am.  I didn't mean to mislead you into thinking we could be more than friends."     "You didn't," Justin assured her. "I was just hoping. Are you sure we'll never be anything other than friends?"     Sam nodded. "I'm in love with another guy.  And although nothing will ever come out of it, I'll probably love him for the rest of my life."     "Why won't anything come out of it?"     Sam didn't reply, just stared at her hands.     "You love JC, don't you?"     Sam's head flew up and she stared at Justin, in shock.  "Why do you assume that?"     "It all adds up.  He's taken, on the verge of proposing, Sarah and Bri have been acting hateful to him, you've seemed... unhappy ever since he broke the news that he was planning on proposing." Justin shrugged.  "It makes sense."  He lookked at Sam. Her eyes filled with tears, on the verge of overflowing.     Justin put the trays on the floor and gathered Sam in his arms, letting her cry on his shoulder.  H stroked her back, rocking back and forth all the while murmmering encouragements to her.  She cried herself to sleep.