Chapter Two

"Jules, I'm home!"

After slamming the front door, Samantha sprinted up the stairs. She's seven minutes late to watching her favorite program, Sunset Park.

"Wait, young lady!"

Samantha groaned. She should have known that Julienne had found out. Before rushing to school that morning, she had incidentally left the peanut butter bottle open. Trotting down the stairs silently, Samantha was trying to come up with the brightest pathetic excuse of the century.

"Yea, Jules?" she asked timidly once she had entered the kitchen. Julienne was perched upright on the kitchen stool, a grim expression on her face. 'Uh oh, face the music, Sam,' she told herself.

"I wanna talk to you."

Pulling out a stool, Samantha eyed her sister curiously. If she had done anything wrong, Julienne would just burst out straightforward. "Shoot."

"This might sound serious………"

"I didn't do it!" Samantha blurted. She knew that the Jaws had called her sister. It was not her fault that she had punched McVent. It was him and his big mouth. "Okay, so I did do it! But he was the first one who started calling me names! I know it might sound childish, but I had to, you know?! Jaws has no rights to suspend me!"

Julienne shot Samantha a weird look. "Didn't do what? I've told you not to call Ms. Jocelyn that!"

Samantha flinched, but then realized she wasn't in any trouble at all. Well, nothing major, at least. "Okay, okay. So, the thing you wanted to tell……"

"Hold up. What did you do?"

"Uh, nothing, right?"

"Spill."

"Nothing major."

"Okay, no b-ball practice for one week!"

"Okay! I punched McVent! He's the one who started calling me coach's butt kisser!"

"Samantha Juliet, you know it's not appropriate to hit people, but……….you go, girl!"

Samantha grinned as she slapped high five with her sister. "I know. So, urm, I'm not in trouble?"

"Not too easy," Julienne said, her face was back to the stern expression earlier. "It is a serious matter and I want you to know how disappointed I am at you behavior……."

"The point, sis? Sunset Park is running, ya know?"

"Okay……… The Firm called……."

Samantha raised an eyebrow. "So, what is this supposed to do with me. You're the lawyer here, I am way out of this."

"Can you at least give me a chance to finish my speech?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Thank you. As I was saying, The Firm called and they told me that you've won yourself the touring ticket with the Backstreet Boys!" Julienne announced, grabbing her sister for a hug.

Samantha stared at her sister in horror, speechless as Julienne continued hugging her. After what have seemed like an eternity, Julienne decided to wave a hand in front of her sister's eyes. "Earth to, Sam?"

"Jules, Sam, I'm home!"

Julienne frowned at the sight of her gaping sister. "Kyle!" she shouted for her nineteen-year-old brother, Kyle Jeremy Nichols. "Kyle!"

"Sheesh, what's the hustle all about?" Kyle muttered as he stepped into the kitchen. He put his backpack onto the counter as he grabbed an apple. "Whoa, what happened to her?" he asked pointedly to her younger sister.

Julienne shrugged. "I told her some news and she went numb over it."

"What news?"

"About her summer holiday plan."

"So?"

"I don't know!"

Kyle frowned, confused. "Hello, Sam? Yo, kiddo. You there?"

Samantha snapped out of her trance and looked angrily at Julienne. "I'm here and stop talking like I'm not even here! So, you've got what you've bargained for. Go pack your bag!"

"Me? You should!"

"Why should I? You want the ticket, you've got the ticket! So, what's stopping you?!"

"Nothing! We've talked about this before! You're the one who's going!"

"Why on earth?!"

"We've talked about it before! You want a dare? This is your dare! Going to the Backstreet's tour!"

Kyle cleared her throat. "Sam? Backstreet? What? Did you just swap your brain with an alien or something?"

"You tell her, Kyle!" Samantha yelled.

"Tell me?!" Julienne exclaimed. "Look, Sam, you're the one who demanded for some nasty dare! So, here you go!"

"That's not nasty, that's stupid besides the point of wasting three good months down the drain!"

"Come on, Sam. It will be good for you. Cross-country ride in three months? Something you've always wanted!"

"Oh, I'm glad you're so concerned about me, Jules! But, are you concerned enough to know that your little sister will suffer during the long three months?"

"Of course I'm concerned about you, Sam! There are fine young men! You'll love them!"

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Please tell me you're kidding. I love who I want to love."

"Yea, so try to love them!"

"Tell me never to take any dare from you again!"