Disclaimers: The prerequisite disclaimers.

Intellectual Property: The characters are wholly my own. Any similarities drawn between them and any persons, plants, or animals, living and dead, are figments of your imagination. However, some places and products mentioned in the story do exist. No infringement is intended. (Hey, look on the bright side! Free publicity! Yeah!)

Ratings/Language/Violence: R-rated. Generally, the language and violence is mild, as is the sex. However, at risk of spoiling some surprises, the story deals with sensitive issues like overbearing parents, youth violence, rape, and murder.

Sex: Love is expressed between two consenting ladies. If that bothers you, then for the love of God (or a higher being or beings, if any), get help.

Age: If this material is illegal where you live and/or if you are underage then find something else to do.

NOTES: Mickey is NOT the main character. Be patient and you'll meet the two leading heroines in no time at all. Also, this story takes place over about the span of a decade. If you want to see sign language, go to this web site. http://www.bconnex.net/~randys/

If you have any feedback, suggestions, or comments, please let the bard know at sarkel_bard@yahoo.com You are guaranteed a reply if you so wish. Constructive criticism is accepted J

I'd also like to thank everyone who helped. Thanks to Steph, Critic, Ink, and everyone else who has contributed.

Part 2

Susan frowned at the unladylike, boorish, and disgusting display of depravity and unfeminine behavior. Beauregard had convinced her that Samantha was reformed, that her troublemaking days were in the past. Clearly, from this display, they weren't behind Samantha at all. She had better not do anything to influence Allison.

The older woman cleared her throat. "Are you finished with the grand tour, Allison?" she asked coolly.

Sam followed her victim's startled line of sight and her eyes fell on Susan. She promptly stopped tickling as the blonde nodded a yes, for her captor still hadn't removed her hand from Allison's mouth.

"Samantha. Let my daughter go. Now." commanded Susan in a disapproving tone as she gestured for Sam to get off. The dark-haired girl threw up her hands in mock fear, ridiculing the older woman. It was all it took for Allison to contain her laughter. Susan glared at the girls. "We're playing cards. Be there in two minutes." She spun around and left the room haughtily.

Sam proffered a hand and helped Allison up. The shorter girl was wheezing from giggling so hard. "That was fun!" the hearing girl signed. She grabbed the sign language book and encircled her counterpart's waist as they made their way into the dining area.

Susan looked up as the girls entered. Her daughter's hair was sticking out everywhere, her clothes twisted and messy. Samantha's appearance was not much better. "Allison. Go in the bathroom and fix yourself up. Comb your hair and straighten your clothes." Susan turned to Sam and raised both of her eyebrows. "Samantha. There's a spare brush in the bathroom if you want to go in and straighten up as well."

Sam didn't understand the older woman's speech and simply sat down at the table and stared straight ahead, not acknowledging her. Allison turned around and went into the bathroom as Barry shuffled and dealt the cards.

Susan had a half mind to have Beauregard order Samantha as well but didn't want to upset her dear. Allison returned to the table, every hair neatly in place, her clothes wrinkle-free, her face freshly scrubbed.

Susan reached under the table and got out a box. "Samantha, before we proceed, I wanted

to give you a small gift. You'll be pleased. Allison helped me pick it out." Barry interpreted for his fiancée as previously arranged.

Allison had a horrified look on her face; the gift was ugly and no way anybody in her right mind would like it. She did not want her name associated with the gift but it was too late. Barry beamed at his sweetheart as she handed his daughter her present. He could tell that Susan genuinely cared for Sam and that made him love her even more. He had found himself a gem.

Sam simply shrugged and put the present down on the chair next to her, not opening it. Her father sighed; his daughter sometimes lacked in social etiquette. She went to military school, not finishing school. "Sam, open it up and see what Susie-poo got for you," Barry coaxed firmly.

Sam smiled thinly at her father and opened the gift. It was an ugly red lace sweater that was too small for her, not that she would wear it anyway. She returned the mangy thing back to the box and closed the top firmly.

Barry stomped down on his daughter's foot and she looked up at Susan with annoyance written all over her face and in her eyes. "Thanks." She signed to Susan. Allison realized the 'blowing a kiss' gesture was actually the sign for thank you and blushed slightly.

Barry glared at Sam but she chose not to get the message. His fiancée looked hurt and Barry knew he would have to do some damage control later. "Let's play cards," he said cheerfully.

Sam scowled as she realized Allen was sitting next to her. How the hell she was supposed to help the kid with cards, she wondered. Allison saw the expression on the deaf girl's face and decided to brag about her brother. "Barry, tell Sam that Allen is really smart for his age. He could read by the time he was one year old and he can do math equations although he's only three. He's a smart one."

Barry proudly conveyed the message to Sam but she honestly couldn't care less.

"Ahem. So Allison, you're a junior in high school right? What do you want to do after graduation?" asked Barry. He promptly forgot that his daughter was in the room and was incapable of understanding anything going on. Sam face became even more hostile. This was exactly why she hated socializing with hearing people. They always left her out. Here he goes. I'm not even going to bother to ask him to interpret. After 17 years you'd think he would remember.

Allison blushed yet again. "Well, I love children and would like to be a children's book author. That's hard to do but I'll settle for being an elementary school teacher." Sam was surprised that the answer was only two sentences. She had absolutely no idea what Allison had said but it was short and that's all that mattered.

"That's not too hard. You can do anything you set your mind to!" he encouraged. Susan fawned over her Beauregard, fluttering her eyelashes at him and covering his hand with hers. He was such a good man! She was indeed lucky to have him.

"Allison has won some writing contests. She'll have to show you and your darling Samantha her winning entries. Beauregard, what does darling Samantha want to do? I bet she has a lot of fun at boarding school."

Barry answered, "She wants to go to law school after graduating with a degree in computer science and math."

Allison and Susan both ahhed appropriately as Sam waved for her father to interpret.

"Oh, sorry," Barry chuckled. "We're just talking about you and your law school plans."

The deaf girl was aghast. Her father knew art was her passion, and how dare he speak about her as if she wasn't there? With Susan, Allison, and Allen, she could understand their insensitivity, but her father had no excuse. Sam's eyes narrowed as she replied furiously. "Really? I didn't even know that myself. Thank you so much for interpreting!"

Susan frowned at Samantha's ugly expression. Honestly, there was no need for such language. But she could do nothing about Beauregard's poor deaf fashion victim until the marriage was legitimate. Susan felt like crying as she imagined what poor Samantha had to go through not being able to hear. Well, as soon as she was Mrs. Cannizarro, she would ensure that Samantha received extensive instructions on how to dress and act like a proper young lady. And she'd send Samantha to work on her speech. Regardless of what Beauregard had told her, she just knew that if you threw enough money and time at the problem, it would resolve itself. Samantha would object to spending two hours daily at the speech therapist but down the road she would thank her stepmother.

Barry apologized and promised to do better, but as usual, he had forgotten his promise within the next few sentences. Sam just settled back, not feeling like a fight tonight; she was used to feeling like an observer. The next few hours were among the most boring of her life as the minutes crawled. Finally, the newly engaged couple called it a night; Sam nearly jumped for joy until she realized at this rate, that fleeting happiness probably would be the highlight of her vacation.

Susan returned to Allison's room as soon her Beauregard and his distasteful child had departed. She jerked her daughter awake and flipped on the lights.

"Allison Alexandra! What was that display earlier? You better be careful with Beauregard's daughter. Do you have any idea what she's done? I don't want her being an influence on you! She's been in reform school, I repeat, reform school, for the past three years. She put two elderly cafeteria workers in the hospital, got expelled from various schools and attempted mass murder with a bomb when she was only in the seventh grade! She's a thief, thug, hooligan, vandal, and a troublemaker. You better watch out!" Susan waggled her finger at her daughter as she flinched with the proper mortified expression in place.

"Oh momma. I had no idea she'd done such things." Allison was pretty sure her mother was exaggerating, but she didn't want trouble so she just went along.

Susan wasn't the only upset parent; Barry and Sam had argued in the car. "Samantha Alice Cannizarro!" Sam cringed at the use of her full name and knew her father was furious. "Why were you like that? Couldn't you have been nicer to Susan and her kids?"

Sam sighed. "What did I do? I didn't insult her or anything." She hadn't done anything except be quiet. Her father rolled his eyes.

"You could've been more communicative. I know you're on the quiet side but you could've at least answered Susan's questions and said thank you for the sweater. She put a lot of effort in that gift."

"More communicative? Look who's talking! Or rather, who's not signing!" Sam nearly screamed.

Her father roared back. "It wouldn't hurt for you to take some initiative and start up a conversation!"

Sam seethed as her father entered the garage but realized she'd better make nice. After all, she didn't want to spend the next two weeks grounded or doing community service.

"Sorry, daddy. I was just tired and reeling with the sudden shock of the engagement. The sweater is very pretty and I like it. Susan seems to be a nice woman. I've been daddy's girl for seventeen years so it's hard for me to relinquish the spotlight. Besides, it's very awkward for me to communicate with people I don't know and you know I'm shy about using my voice."

Barry sighed. His girl could get away with murder and this was one of those times. "Honey, I understand. I love you too. I'm sorry, too. I will try to remember next time." He squeezed Sam and sent her upstairs with a nice sized bowl of ice cream.

The next day, Sam sat down at her Aunt Julia's cozy kitchen table, sipping a cup of steaming coffee. Aunt Julia bustled around in the kitchen and finally sat down in front of Sam. She was a dear woman, Sam's mother's older sister.

Sam had always gone to Aunt Julia whenever she needed comfort or advice her dad couldn't provide. Throughout her troubled childhood, Julia had always been there for her niece, and probably knew Sam better than the blue-eyed girl knew herself. As soon her aunt was seated across from her, Sam started in. The pair signed at each other with great ease and fluency as they discussed Sam's woes. Julia, along with Norene, had learned sign immediately after Sam's deafness had been diagnosed. She could easily communicate with Sam in her native language. Julia was the only person that included her in conversation with other people, unlike her father.

"Daddy's getting married to a woman named Susan. With two kids, one that never shuts up." Sam's face was filled with despair as she drowned her sorrow in the coffee. Aunt Julia clucked and reached over to cover Sam's hand with her own.

"Susan Albrecht?" Julia shook her index finger at Sam and sighed. "Oh Sam. You want your daddy to be happy don't you? He hasn't been with anyone in ten years. It's time he moved on. I'm not saying he should forget your mama, God bless her heart, but he's getting older and needs companionship. You should give Susan a chance. You have only known her for what, a few hours? Spend time with her and her kids. Perhaps you are only in a foul mood because you aren't looking forward to the dress and being a bridesmaid? Hmm." Julia nodded at her niece knowingly.

Sam conceded the point. "I guess I should try to get to know them better but I don't like them. There's something, especially about Susan, that I don't like or trust."

Julia nodded. "Yes honey, you don't know them. It takes time to build trust and love but at least you give an effort. After all, your father is happy with her. That's the important thing."

Sam sighed and swigged the rest of the coffee, not happy with the advice. She wanted nothing to do with the unpleasant redhead and her kids. Exhaling, Sam changed the subject. "How's the vegetable garden going?"

Julia exclaimed excitedly then dragged her niece across the kitchen and into the vegetable plot, chattering about the new plantings she had made.

Allison groaned and glanced at the clock above her head as she swept the floor in the nearly deserted Addict. Her shift would be over in thirty minutes, and she couldn't wait. She was bone tired and desperately needed a foot massage.

As she worked, her thoughts brightened. Tonight they were going to Barry's house to spend the night. That would be fun. Maybe Sam would tickle her again. A smile unconsciously crept across Allison's face as she recalled Sam's hands on her hips. Ahh, she was being a bad girl. She shouldn't think about her soon-to-be sister in such a way.

"Hey!" a voice called.

Allison looked up. That guy with the shifty eyes and strange voice was back. She leaned the broom against the sink and went to take his order.

"Hello," she said pleasantly. "What would you like today?"

Mickey grinned. He had finally worked up the courage to come back after only a day. His initial bravado on Friday had faltered during the night as doubts about the girl's interest began to plague him. He'd paused for a minute outside, butterflies in his stomach, as he watched her work behind the counter. She was so perfect and he didn't want to look like a fool. But it seemed as if his efforts weren't in vain; here she was, gazing at him with that special smile to boot!

He inched closer to her. "Same as before." She'd remember; after all, she had practically been falling all over him.

"I'm afraid I don't recall. What would you like?"

Disappointed, Mickey sighed. "A large hazelnut latte." He smiled and paid for the order, then watched the girl as she bustled behind the counter taking care of his order. "So, what's your name?"

Allison smiled as she pumped a shot of hazelnut syrup into a cup. "See?" She turned to the customer and pointed at her nametag, which read: ALLISON.

"Didn't see that before," Mickey chuckled. "Say, I really liked that latte you made yesterday." He smiled as he watched Allison. She seemed even lovelier today. He'd thought about her all day; there were countless girls he wanted to fuck, but this young woman was different. He didn't just want to fuck her, he wanted to make love to her, and hold her in his arms.

"Here you go. I hope you enjoy this one just as much as the other." Allison proffered Mickey's order and glanced at him shyly.

He gathered in his breath and steeled himself for potential rejection but she wouldn't turn him down, would she? His confidence had been restored by the way she was looking at him and drooling all over his handsome boyish looks. "Could I persuade you to sit down with me for a bit? We'll talk." Mickey winked at Allison and sipped his coffee.

The young worker blushed. She didn't want to be rude but there was no way she wanted to sit down for even a minute with this guy. "Uhh… that sounds good but I'm at work right now. Maybe another time?"

Mickey bowed his head and compressed the rejection. "Sure, sure. I'll see you around. Mmm. This latte is even better. Like fine wine." He bade her good-bye and pushed his way out. Once outside, he hit himself on the head. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was so lame! Like fine wine? What was he thinking? And honestly, how had he really expected her to stop working and drop everything for him? He should've asked her out on a date. Next time.

Sam opened the door to her father's study and slipped in, waiting for him to get off the phone with one of his endless clients. That was her dad, the quintessential workaholic, raking up the big bucks even on the weekends. The divorce business didn't take weekends off. Barry looked at his daughter across the massive cherry wood desk, saw the glimmer of concern in her blue eyes, and waved her in. The lawyer spoke into the phone for a few seconds then hung up.

"Honey. What's bothering you?" He hated to see his daughter unhappy and would gladly kill any man, woman, child, or plant that caused any sorrow in the eyes of his girl. She wasn't little, but she would forever be his baby. Sam sighed, not wanting to upset her father, so she gingerly brought up the subject.

"Daddy, I want to make sure that Susan makes you happy and that marrying her is something you really want. You've known her for, what, a few weeks?" Sam held her breath, awaiting her father's response. Barry smiled at his daughter. How could he convey to her just how delirious he was with Susan?

"Sam, I'm happier with Susan than I've been in a long time. We hit it off right away. Marrying her seems like the most proper thing in the world for us to do and she's simply wonderful. I know I'm not making a mistake here. I need companionship, love, happiness and Susan provides that for me. I really do love her, Sam. And I know for a fact that Susan's really excited about getting to know you. I hope, with time, the five of us can become a family."

Sam smiled slightly and hugged her father. Other than her aunt, he was just about all she had left in the world. She wasn't going to alienate him but she still wasn't sure about Susan.

"Sam, I decided to have a 'fun night' for us all. Movies, pizza, games, relaxation. Maybe a slumber party. You and the kids can crash in the living room in sleeping bags and make a night out of it." The lawyer grinned ear to ear as his daughter inwardly groaned at the thought of yet another bonding night with that family doing touchy-feely, getting in touch with your inner self crap. She used to do the movies and pizza thing with her dad often and having three additions was going to be strange. She managed a smile, simply nodded, and walked out, hoping that at least she'd get to see a decent movie.

Susan et al. arrived promptly at seven o' clock. Their appearance was announced by a ringing doorbell accompanied by rapidly flashing lights. The lights allowed Sam to know if someone was at the door, or to indicate that the phone was ringing, or to indicate the fire alarm going off. The strobe effect was the fire alarm, the slow one was the phone, and the rapid flashing was the door.

Barry was in the kitchen on the phone with yet another client and noticed that Sam made no move to get off the couch. He glared at her but she stared at the television as if she'd never seen her father or the lights. The muscular man exhaled and murmured something into the phone, then flashed the living room lights abruptly. Sam looked up, annoyed. Her father simply stared her down as the doorbell kept ringing. "Don't be immature. Go answer the door. Remember what we discussed today!" he signed to Sam.

"Geez." Sam mumbled something under her breath as she trudged off the couch. She had won the erstwhile prize of answering the door

She slouched to the door, threw it open, and retreated into the living room, the door wobbling from the force of the throw. The Albrecht trio stood uncertainly on the doorstep, having not been invited in. After recovering from the momentary shock of Samantha's rudeness, Susan sashayed in and Sam got her first look at the ladies' outfits. Even though Susan Albrecht was poor, she had again worn an expensive tacky outfit consisting of dangling hoops of '80s earrings and tight stirrup pants with boots. Her blonde daughter wasn't much better. She looked like an eighth-grader in her velvet pants and kitten sweater. Her smooth angelic face, an ear-to-ear grin, and braids didn't help. In Allison's hands was the sign language book. Allen was wearing a polo shirt and khakis. The kid looked like he was going to church, not to 'fun night' as Barry had so aptly described it.

Susan gave her future stepdaughter a disapproving look-over, mentally ripping the sweatpants and T-shirt in shreds. "I presume you didn't have time to change into something more appropriate. Go upstairs and change. We won't mind will we Allison?"

Allison murmured, "She doesn't have to…" Her mother interrupted the mild protest with a silencing look and stepped into the kitchen to greet her Beauregard.

Sam smirked at the controlling witch and stalked upstairs to her room, a feral grin on her face. Two can play this game.

Since Barry was on the phone and Sam upstairs, Allison took the time to survey the house. She could only see the kitchen, the music room and the living room. Already, they were bigger than her apartment! She had noticed a huge bed in Barry's room; the bed could easily have been the size of her brother's bedroom alone. Her green eyes widened as she took in the fine furniture and the tasteful decorations. Her mother had told her that Barry was well-off but this was beyond well-off; he was filthy rich. Apparently, the divorce business was booming.

A few minutes later, the dark-haired girl sauntered into the living room with a causal attitude and a barely suppressed grin, wearing even sloppier clothing-a pair of faded sweatpants with a few holes and an ancient shirt with several old stains. There ya go. Susan's order had incensed her; no one told Sam Cannizarro what to do.

Susan jumped back in fright then gasped indignantly, clasping her hand over her heart, her dull gray eyes narrowing. Allison watched cautiously as her mother and the taller girl assumed their battle stations. Sam was pushing it a bit far.

But then the lawyer hung up the phone. "Susie-poo!" he giggled as he greeted his fiancée with a heads-on lip smack. Sam turned away abruptly at the spectacle of her father. Good Gods, never had she seen her father giggle, especially like a schoolboy. She didn't want to admit she'd never seen him this happy before.

After the lip-lock had concluded, Allen proudly announced the two movies for the evening's viewing: The Lion King and 101 Dalmatians. "Lion King first!" the kid proclaimed as Sam silently counted to ten. At least he hadn't picked out something starring Barney the Purple Dinosaur or the teletubbies.

The blonde excused herself to the bathroom as Barry called in the pizza for delivery then snuggled up with Susan in the loveseat. Sam plopped on the couch, her lithe body draping its entirety. The little boy made himself comfortable in the living room's sole armchair as the opening scenes for the first movie played.

A toilet flushed and after washing her hands, Allison exited the bathroom and surveyed the living room. It was standing room only and her mother and her boyfriend were entwined in a sickening display of affection.

Sam noticed the chatterbox's indecision and smirked. She put her hands against her head as if she was sleeping then handed her a thumbs down gesture. From that, coupled with the mouth movements, Allison deducted that the deaf girl had said something to the extent of "You snooze, You lose." She shrugged and sat down on the floor, her back leaning against the ottoman. "That's fine."

Sam raised her eyebrow. What a wuss. She tapped her companion's shoulder and when the blonde turned, Sam teasingly finger spelled: "Wimp."

Sam's word bit into Allison. She wanted Barry's daughter to think highly of her. So far, it seemed as if the blue-eyed girl did not hold her future stepsister in high regard. Well, Allison would show Sam she was no wuss. The teenager stood up as Sam silently dared the blonde to ask her to move.

Allison noted the challenge and sat on Sam's butt. "I'm no wimp," she signed.

Sam registered the movement with a grin. "At your own risk."

Allison smiled. "I can hold my own, Sam." Sam winked and adjusted herself a bit. As the deaf girl shifted position, Allison could feel the shifting body underneath her and whew, her butt was nice and firm.

A puzzled expression crossed Allen's face as boxed words appeared at the bottom of the television screen. "Momma, what's that?" Allen pointed to the television.

"That's the closed-caption, Allen. That puts the sound into words so Sam can understand the movie," Barry explained. "It may seem in the way at first but it's really helpful. We also have lights that flash for the phone and doorbell. You'll see those when the pizza gets here."

The group settled down to watch the film. After a few moments, the sitting arrangement between Allison and Sam had become mighty uncomfortable, as Allison's arse was sore from sitting on Sam's uneven surface. Her weight was crushing Sam but the dark-haired girl would never admit it. Both were determined to "win" their game.

After a few moments, Allison just had to start talking again. She gently rubbed Sam's shoulder and pointed at her. "Do you," Allison indicated the couple on the loveseat, "know how they met?"

Sam nodded, not wanting to encourage the motormouth to embark upon yet another narrative.

"Don't you think it was so romantic?" Allison beamed, wearing a goofy grin.

"Yeah." Sam simply bowed her head.

The green-eyed girl frowned. "You don't know, do you?"

Sam groaned. "Just tell me," she signed.

The hearing girl jumped up and down in joy, twisting her seat's back in the process. Her victim muttered a choice word but it went unheard as Allison took a notepad out of her pocket and wrote a few sentences. She handed the paper to Sam with a flourish.

"Barry eats at the diner where my mom waitresses and one day instead of leaving a tip, he left his business card with his phone number on it, a poem, and a line asking her out. The poem was so romantic. Your dad is such a darling. 'Rose Cheeked, hair like the sunshine, sweet as the spring, exhilarating, o' Sweet Susan my flower, Sweet as chocolate yet more satisfying' That's a line from the poem your dad wrote." Sam mentally scoffed at the last line of Allison's note: "I can only hope to meet someone as romantic and thoughtful as your father."

The taller girl made a gagging sound and pointed to the last line. She was anything but a romantic. "Not me." Sam threw a glance in her father's direction and saw a doe-eyed middle-aged man making gooey eyes at a gaudy woman. That was love?

After the pizza arrived, Sam claimed the chair, balancing a plateful of four slices of greasy pepperoni pizza in her lap. Time to be comfortable.

"Allison, don't forget your diet. Only get two slices of cheese pizza," the older woman cautioned when she saw her daughter eyeing a slice of pepperoni pizza. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have diet soda tonight."

"Right, momma." Allison smiled and got her dinner.

After closing credits for The Lion King rolled, Susan and Barry hemmed and hawed. "I'm so tired!" the redhead exclaimed, arms stretching behind her back with exaggeration. "Oh, Beauregard-baby, you wouldn't mind if I retired to bed early?"

Barry shook his head gravely. "I'm exhausted also. The kids will be ok." He yawned widely and stretched his back as he and his fiancée made the good-bye rounds then headed off to bed.

Sam rolled her eyes and made an obscene gesture, one finger moving fluidly in and out of her fist. She also thrust her pelvis up and down in the air. She knew she was being immature but didn't care. Her dad was being even more childish. Allison quickly covered her brother's innocent eyes but still giggled; she'd never seen that before. She held up the second videotape and finger spelled: "Ready?"

"Ha!" Sam snorted. "Ciao!" Now that her father and Susan were otherwise occupied, she wasn't going to sit around brown-nosing and playing nice. She grabbed the rest of the pepperoni pizza in the box and marched upstairs.

The blonde frowned, puckering her lips. Now that momma was in bed, she had her sights set on the remainder of the pizza. She wasn't going to let Sam get away with it. She chased Sam upstairs to the older girl's room, flinging the door open.

Sam's room was dark and impersonal; the only source of lighting was a sturdy lamp casting a weak yellow glow across the room. The blue walls were bare and unadorned save for a solitary poster of a professional baseball player near the entrance to her bathroom. Her room seemed like a military barrack-functional and uninviting. Sam's wooden desk had a small picture of the four Cannizarros-Norene, Lucas, Sam, and Barry, their last family picture. An entertainment center, complete with a large television and various game systems, stood at attention near the far wall. The glow from the television flickered as the dark-haired girl turned it on. She was leaning on her large bed against the bedpost when Allison stormed in and scowled.

"Hey! No fair. Let Allen and me have some of that pizza!" Allison reached for the box but the agile girl denied her by slipping the box behind her back. Sam rubbed her eyes and gestured like a baby. Her message was clear. "You're being a baby."

Allison was fed up and flipped the finger. "Fuck you! I'm not a baby. Stop treating me like one!" She grabbed the pizza box and stomped out. Sam couldn't read Allison's lips all too well except for one choice word, but it was obvious she was mad.

Sam followed her guest downstairs. The girl had some spunk after all. "So the baby has teeth," she thought. Allison glared at Sam as the taller girl thrust a paper plate into her hands, then grabbed several slices of pizza for herself and returned upstairs.

"Boy!" the blonde whispered to herself. "What's her problem?" She opened the lid of the pizza box and reached for Allen's hand. "Want some more pizza?"

Allison gasped. The sole resident of the box was a threadbare piss poor excuse of a pizza slice. The incensed girl grabbed the rest of the soda pop from the refrigerator and marched upstairs with Allen in tow.

Sam's door was slightly ajar and Allison rushed in the room and stood in front of the prone figure. She held up the solitary slice of pizza, her other hand on her hip. Her face was red with rage. "One!"

"She's beautiful when she's mad. I oughta do this more often," Sam thought to herself and grinned. Again, she rubbed her fists in her eyes and rocked an imaginary baby in her arms to signify a grouchy infant. Methinks baby Allison is gwumpy. The blonde's temper boiled. Sam was infuriating but she couldn't resist the playful corners that danced on the edges of her lips.

"Share," Allison finger spelled as she turned on the light. She hopped into Sam's bed and helped herself to a couple of pizza slices as Allen crawled into the other side. The reluctant hostess made a mock expression of outrage but kept silent. Susan's kids had every right to that pizza.

The boy picked up the remote control and flipped through the channels, settling on a sitcom. Allison, as was her nature, rested her head against the athletic girl's shoulder and munched on a slice of pizza. Sam stiffened at the touch and gently pushed Allison off.

Allison, rebuffed from the brush-off, finished her slice and fished out the notepad. Sam obviously wasn't one of those touchy types-can't forget that rule.

The blue-eyed girl noticed the movement and sighed. Couldn't the windbag make it through one half-hour show in silence? However, at the same time, Sam found herself looking forward to what Allison had to say. She seemed to really want to communicate. The blonde finished writing the note and handed it to her companion, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Sure is cold in here," said the note. "Must be like 30 degrees, you think? Haha!" Of course, a smiley face trailed the sentence.

Sam drafted a reply. She wasn't cold. "It's room temperature," she countered, grinning to show she was just teasing.

Allison laughed and signed, "Funny!" She patted Sam's hand then leaned across Sam to her brother. "Hey, Allen, show Sam your abc's." Allen, always a shy boy, had been so enthusiastic to learn sign language. He wasn't outgoing like her, but when she encouraged him to display his talents like she was doing right now, it signified a lot because he was willing to do so. It really was sad that her mother wasn't willing to learn, instead declaring to Allison that Samantha needed to deal with real life. Of course, that wasn't what Barry heard. Far as he knew, Susan was brimming with the excitement of a new signer.

Sam was forced to watch and nod encouragingly for what seemed to her like hours as the three-year-old kid plodded his way through the alphabet, albeit without a mistake. Then it was Allison's turn. The little kid had been cute but Allison was getting annoying and overbearing. She made a few mistakes, particularly with her k's and p's but the youth was a smart whip and caught every one.

When Allison got her z wrong, Allen jumped in and showed her the right sign. "You make the z in the air with your big finger, not your little finger!" he exclaimed. His sister frowned as she made a better second attempt.

Sam smiled; it was more like Allen was helping Allison than the other way around. Who was teaching whom? His finger spelling was much better and faster than his sister's. The blonde also had to practice her numbers 1-20 and showed her brother, who was learning those signs for the first time. Sam helped a bit, but the sign-language students were doing well.

Finally, after the mini-lesson concluded, Sam's hand whirled through the air as she awed her captive audience with a breathtaking display of the alphabet. Now, that was finger spelling! Their jaws dropped and their eyes widened in respect.

"Wow!" Allison breathed. "Do you think I'll be able to spell that fast later? You'll have to teach me more signs!"

The towhead reached across the bed and whispered into his sister's ear. Allison listened for a moment then whispered a reply.

Sam tilted her head in question. What had the boy said?

Allison shook her head and waved it off. "Nothing."

"What?" she signed, irked. She hated it when hearing people shut her out.

Allison shook her head and reached for the remote. Sam tapped the blond girl's shoulder, offended. "Tell me."

Allison sighed and reached for the paper and pen, thinking quickly. "He just wanted to know where the bathroom was. I told him to wait until commercial."

Sam read the words skeptically. The hearing girl was lying. Sam turned to her future stepbrother and pointed to the bathroom connected to her room, a mere few feet from where they were sitting on the bed.

Allen shook his head, confused. "I don't need to go."

Her suspicion confirmed, Sam turned back to her future stepsister and raised an eyebrow. Allison glanced down in shame, unable to look into the stern face. She didn't want to insult the deaf girl so she fudged again. "He was just gloating about being a better speller than me," Allison voiced as Sam watched her write.

Allen stomped his foot indignantly. "I didn't ask that! I just wanna know why she can't talk."

Allison glared at her little brother, warning him to be quiet. "I said I'd explain later, ok?" To Sam, she pointed at Allen, finger spelling and gesturing: "He's just being a brat."

"Whatever," Sam muttered as she leaned back against the bedpost.

"Don't be upset," Allison pleaded but Sam just stared ahead at the television, conspicuously ignoring Allison.

The blonde sighed and began to write on the notepad. She had to admit she was somewhat curious too. She just hoped that her brother's question wouldn't upset Sam even more.

She skimmed the message quickly. "Allen wants to know why you can't talk. I've heard that some deaf people can talk. Wouldn't you like to learn?"

Jesus Christ, Sam thought. She hated when well meaning people encouraged her to talk more. They didn't know just how hard and complicated it was. The interrogator studied Sam apprehensively, but she didn't seem too upset.

A few minutes later, Allison had her answer. "I've been profoundly deaf since birth. I've never heard my own voice so that means if I pronounce a sound or word or whatever, I can't regulate myself for accuracy, tone, pitch, etc. I used to go to speech therapy every day for an hour until my parents realized that they were just throwing away thousands of dollars. Even just a little sentence requires preparation. I have to think out every word, every syllable. I get out of breath easily the same way your mother would after running a mile. People can't understand me anyway. Ok?"

Allison nodded and looked at the dark-haired girl, who smiled encouragingly. She wasn't mad. The curious blonde took the pen as she and Sam began to write back and forth heatedly.

"You could talk to me while I work on learning signs. I don't mind helping you learn how to talk. We can teach each other!"

"What did you not understand?" Sam was angry. "I don't like to talk. I can't talk! If a therapist, a professional, couldn't do it what makes you think you can? Why should I have to conform just because you're too lazy to learn sign?"

"No, no. I didn't mean that at all. I just… sorry." Allison sighed. "I am really enjoying learning sign language. It's so beautiful. I was just trying to help."

"Fine. Just drop it." Sam changed the channels while the blonde briefly answered her brother's question. Then the trio polished off the rest of the pizza and a gallon of ice cream. At midnight, Sam shooed Susan's kids into the guest room, none too soon for her.

The next morning, Barry and Susan continued their sickening display of germ swapping and sappy pet names. Gross.

Sam was glad for the chance to get out of the house and away from them. She'd visited with Aunt Julia and with the 'new' family yesterday but today she had plans to hang out with her pals Paul and Mickey.

"Oh Sam. Take Allison with you, won't you? It'll be fun to introduce her to your friends," Barry proposed. He and Susan had discussed the idea yesterday. Barry had managed to convince his fiancée that they could trust his daughter. She and her friends hadn't gotten in trouble for the last few years and he knew that if Sam found herself in a bad situation, she'd leave.

Sam groaned inwardly at the thought of having to deal with the chatterbox all afternoon and looking like an idiot in front of her friends. "Fine," she signed snappily. At least Allison would experience the isolated feeling of not being able to communicate with others. Then again, maybe not. Although Paul could not speak at all, Mickey had a very mild degree of hearing loss and as a result, his speech was easily understandable.

The tall girl walked out of the house without giving Allison the opportunity to even get past the door. She caught up with Sam's long strides half way down the driveway and strongly shook her shoulder. "Slow down!"

Sam stopped walking and glared at her future stepsister. "Don't touch me like that to get my attention," was her message. Sam tapped her own shoulder then slashed her throat with her hand. She waved her hand lightly at a distance from Allison's face, then nodded with a thumbs up sign. As an afterthought, she also rubbed the busybody's shoulder lightly. That was ok too.

"Oh. Sorry." Allison took a few minutes to mentally interpret the deaf girl's gestures. She must've meant she didn't like being poked on the shoulder but it was okay for her to get Sam's attention by waving at her or touching her softly.

Sam sighed and got into Dino, Allison right by her side in the passenger seat. After Sam pulled out of the driveway, the passenger was silent for a moment, then decided enough time had passed for her chauffeur to cool off.

"Sam?" At a red light, Allison waved her hand the way her teacher had shown her.

This time, Sam turned to Allison without a scowl on her face, but she was annoyed and it showed. The hearing girl was going to be a fifth wheel today. "What?"

"Where are we going?" Allison asked, gesturing at the same time.

"You'll see," Sam responded, pointing her finger at her passenger then at her own eye.

"Ok." Allison was quiet for the rest of the ride; the older girl clearly didn't want her along. Well, it wasn't like coming along had been her idea.

As Sam drove, her thoughts slowed down. It wasn't the girl's fault that her father and the bimbo had forced her to go along. At the next stop sign, she turned to Allison and spelled Paul's name. "We're going to his place," she signed.

They arrived at Paul's ranch house a few moments later. The dark-haired driver hopped out of Dino and closed the door gently. Nothing but the best for Dino. Paul was probably in the basement as usual so Sam led her charge around back and they entered the house from the basement entrance.

Paul was a green-haired young man, with pierced ears, eyebrows, lips, and nose. "Hey!" Sam greeted her good friend with a slap on his back. "What happened to the purple hair?"

Paul grinned and returned the affection. "Perks of not going to drill school."

Sam plopped down on a moth-eaten couch and popped open a beer she'd grabbed on her way in. The uncomfortable newcomer fidgeted near the doorway as the duo talked, their hands flying in the air. Allison couldn't understand a thing.

Paul noticed Sam's guest and jerked a thumb towards her. "Who's the broad? Your latest conquest?"

His friend shrugged. "She's hearing; daddy's girlfriend's kid. I had to play nice and bring her. She's all yours if you like." Paul glanced at Allison again and waved her closer.

"You don't like her?"

Sam exhaled noisily. "She's not that bad… naïve kid. She knows the abc's. Just that…" She motioned to Allison and patted the couch.

The green-eyed girl shook her head, looking at the couch apprehensively. It was filthy and had holes everywhere. You could see the stuffing and springs spilling out.

Sam shrugged. Her problem. "So where's Mickey?"

"He's upstairs taking a dump," Paul replied. He turned to the visitor, the beginnings of a plan sprouting in his mind. They could have fun with her.

Allison swallowed her pride and squeamishly sat down on the edge of the couch. She felt something cold and wet in her hand and when she looked down, she found a bottle of beer in her hand. The inexperienced blonde shook her head, unsure of what to do.

The pierced youth grinned. "Hi. I'm Paul," he pointed to himself then finger spelled his name.

Allison nodded gratefully. Sam's friend seemed nice. "Allison," she finger spelled back.

Paul touched the beer and made a drinking gesture.

Allison shook her head. "No thanks," she signed.

Footsteps screamed from the steps above as someone clambered downstairs. The blonde nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Hey!" Mickey strode into the basement. He'd heard Sam arrive and couldn't wait to tell her and Paul about the girl that was bonkers over him. His exuberant pace halted as he met her eyes-she was sitting next to Sam.

"Allison!" he voiced in surprise. "Missed me, huh? Couldn't stay away?" So they were indeed fated to be together. How else could it happen for her to be sitting in the very basement of his closest and best pal? She must've tracked him down somehow, knowing their destiny. Well, he wasn't going to disappoint her. Whatever had happened before was moot. His conviction was back full blast.

Allison did a double take as she recognized the customer. What was he doing here?

"Hi," she said weakly as she placed the bottle of beer on the table next to her.

Paul met Sam's eyes, puzzled. They didn't understand what was going on.

"Allison, baby." Mickey sauntered over to his chick. He picked up the bottle of beer from the table and popped it open for her. "Here ya go," said Mickey with that strange voice of his. "You could've come straight to me. No need to go through my friends."

Allison grimaced warily and pushed the beer away. The guy had an ego. "I had no idea. I'm just here because Sam's dad and my mom are engaged. Uhh… how about you?"

"Sam and me's best buds," Mickey leered. "We go way back." He rested his hand on Allison's back and began to caress it. His subject subtly evaded the movement and turned to face Sam.

Sam jerked her head. "What's going on?" she gestured. Allison stood up abruptly, disassociating herself from Mickey as he began to fondle her hair.

Mickey explained for his friends. "Allison and me met at where she works," he signed. He turned his attention back to his crush. "Hey angel-face. Ya attached? Need some Mickey? That's me." He imagined them rolling in bed together, consummating their passion for each other. She was probably the type who liked to be wined and dined first, though. But she was giving him a look; she wanted him bad.

"Thanks for opening the beer for me. I'm attached. Very attached." Allison eluded the lovesick boy's grasp by sliding behind the couch. "I have a boyfriend. He's a lineman and he's tall and big and mean. Except to me of course." The blonde laughed nervously as she reached for her beer and took a tentative swig. The beer tasted horrible and it was all she could do not to gag. She wanted to look cool and have Sam's acceptance so she just kept the beer in her hand. What had Mickey told Sam and Paul?

Mickey smiled at his girl. She was just playing hard to get, seeing how far he would go for her. "Well Allison, let me tell ya, I'm more man than any of those boys you know. I'll treat you right, like a queen."

"Let's sign for Sam and Paul, ok?" Allison asked as she ventured out from behind the couch. "It's not nice to leave them out."

Sam watched the scene unfold, amused but still smarting from last night. She didn't know what was worse, being left out by her father or by a fellow sufferer.

She doubted her friend was Allison's type. Although she couldn't understand the conversation, she could sense that Mickey was hitting on the green-eyed girl but she didn't seem too resistant.

Paul hit his bud on the shoulder, exasperated. "Dude, what's going on? Sign for us."

"Allison and me's just getting re-acquainted," Mickey signed. He sat down in a ratty chair across from the couch as Allison returned to her place next to Sam. Paul sat down in another armchair next to Mickey.

Paul and Sam drank their beer, trading dirty jokes and stories. Allison could only catch bits and pieces of the conversation but she'd caught plenty of lewd and obscene signs. Anyone could understand those, even a monkey. The hearing girl was getting bored and hoped they'd leave soon or at least include her in the conversation. She'd tried but Paul signed really fast and the dark-haired girl didn't seem inclined to be patient that particular day. And even worse, Mickey was only participating in the conversation half-heartedly, spending the rest of his time sneaking looks at her, his rat-like eyes penetrating her clothes.

Sam noticed her younger companion blushing at some things she and Paul had said and decided to see if Allison had any good jokes or anything. "Got any dirty stories?" she asked.

Allison gulped. "Well, uhh…" Her green eyes shifted nervously among the trio as she shuffled through the stories she knew. There was nothing! Well maybe that one time…

Sam rolled her eyes and raised her dark eyebrows in anticipation.

"Well? Done anything wild?" Mickey asked, voicing and signing simultaneously.

Allison sighed. "Mickey, could you sign for me?"

"But of course," he replied gallantly. He was a gentleman. Anything for the pixie. "I'm going to interpret for Allison," he told his deaf friends.

"Well, there was this one time I committed a major crime. Petty larceny, actually."

Sam and the boys leant forward in anticipation and smiled as they waited for the juicy details.

"I was seven years old and stole three of those five-cent licorice sticks. I felt bad and guilty about it so I returned them to the store. Mr. Jenkins was mad and I felt really low for a long time. It was a wild adventure. What happened was that my friend Chris and I…" Sam groaned.

"We get the picture." Mickey translated for Sam and Allison sighed.

"You don't think I'm horrible or anything do you?" Allison asked apprehensively.

Sam smiled at Allison's comment and worried expression; it'd been a while since she'd seen such endearing innocence.

Mickey surveyed the girl's face. "Well, not at all. You're an angel." He nodded slowly to let his point across.

Paul grinned. Time to give the little blonde talkie an education. "Let's go out and have some fun. We can take my car since Dino fits only two. It's parked at the store because my sister drove it to work today. She won't mind if we borrow it cuz she gets off work late tonight. You can even drive, Allison." Mickey again translated for Paul and Allison smiled, amazed at Paul's generosity. He barely knew her but was letting her drive!

"Well, thanks, but my momma said I can't drive. I just had my license revoked."

Sam smiled mischievously. The last time she'd checked, her friend didn't own a car or have a sister, but Allison didn't know that. She could imagine the naïve blonde's face when she found out.

Paul shrugged as Mickey continued to interpret. "I trust you. Don't worry. You drive so Mickey, Sam and I can catch up. Come on, it'll be fun."

Sam and Paul finished up their beers while Mickey swigged the rest of Allison's. They walked the ten minutes to the grocery store up the block, Allison holding her breath most of the way. The creepy guy was leaving her alone for the most part but she could still remember the feel of his rough hands on hers. Up ahead, he was conversing vicariously with Sam and Paul. Allison felt left out as she observed the merrily signing people in front of her. Was this how Sam felt, alone in a hearing world?

They arrived at the store's parking lot. Paul took a covert look around and discovering no prying eyes, chose his target. He indicated a silver four-door sedan to his unwitting accomplice.

Paul, Sam, and Mickey approached the car nonchalantly as the green-haired boy jiggled around in his pants. "Aw!" He threw up his hands in disgust and gestured to Allison that he had forgotten his keys. "And my sister hates it when I bother her at work."

"Did you lose or forget your keys? I hate it when that happens," Allison exclaimed. She saw Paul retrieve a piece of wire hanger from his pocket. "That's so much easier than calling a locksmith or AAA! I remember one time when… are you signing for me, Mickey?" Mickey nodded as he signed to Sam.

Paul slipped up to the car and jimmied the door open. Once the door was open, he jumped in and opened the panel under the steering wheel and touched off some wires against each other. The engine came to life and he grinned.

Allison reached for her notepad but Mickey held up a hand. "Hey, I'll interpret for you. I don't mind." He winked again as his new acquisition put away the notepad. She had so much more potential than the last one. She hadn't understood and so she had paid the price.

Allison didn't want to depend on him to interpret but he was willing. Sam interrupted Allison and motioned towards the car. She was signing but the blonde heard Mickey's strange voice behind her. She now understood why he always sounded like he'd been drinking; his hearing impairment caused his speech to be slightly slurred.

"Get in and drive. Go to the overlook on the parkway."

Sam rolled her eyes as Mickey shouted: "Shotgun!"

Sam and Paul stuffed themselves in the backseat and started chatting as the driver pulled out, with her unwanted admirer circumspectly drooling over her legs. He couldn't wait until summer when he'd be able to see her legs in all their glory each and every day. He'd require her to wear mini-skirts and very short shorts.

Very soon they all learned why Allison had her license revoked as she sped through a school zone at 65 miles per hour. She wasn't a horrible driver; she was just reckless and couldn't grasp the basic commonsense rules of driving.

"Whoo! Go faster! Gooooooo!" The passengers encouraged Allison on as she sped up to a steady 90 miles on the side streets. Sam prayed they didn't run into a cop or a pedestrian, but otherwise she enjoyed the ride. The blonde had a wild streak in her after all.

Once they'd gotten to the highway, Allison turned in her seat and started to sign slowly at Paul, pretty much spelling almost every word. "Your hair's so cool. I would love to dye my hair the same color. I saw this in a magazine but yours is so much better. Hey, do you think fuchsia would look good on me?" Allison was interrupted by three screams. Sam and Paul pointed frantically at the road as Mickey shouted, "Watch the road!"

"Oops. I forgot all about that silly rule." Allison laughed as she swerved around an 18-wheeler. "Keep your eyes on the road? Sheesh. Who comes up with those rules?" She mainly spoke to herself but Mickey had translated for her. Sam and Paul both gave her an incredulous look. The dangerous driver caught the look and laughed. "Not funny?"

She slowed down to a reasonable speed and watched the road. They'd be at the parkway any minute now. Allison shook her head nervously as she felt a hand on her thigh. Mickey had a lovesick gaze on his face and was shifting up in the front seat. Allison whacked his hand away as she swerved several times. Mickey's sneer grew; the girl liked to play rough as did he. They were destined to be together. Fate had found them for each other. How else to explain all the coincidences? He needed to make his move soon and claim her before anyone else did.

"Where the hell did she get her license?" Paul asked Sam. "She's jumping all over the place!"

The dark-haired girl grinned. "Yeah, she's not bad. Looks like Mickey's got a thing for her."

Paul laughed. "Mickey fucks anything that moves. You better warn Allison."

Sam agreed. Mickey's record was longer than her own, he was notorious for sleeping around and was far from ideal boyfriend material. If Allison wanted a romantic and thoughtful lover, Mickey definitely wasn't the one for the job.

They arrived at their destination and spilled out of the car. Paul chose a comfortable spot and all sat or stood outside talking, enjoying the brief respite from the harsh winter weather.

Mickey figured it was now or never. Allison needed to know to whom she belonged. He sidled up to her and gently cupped her ass. He couldn't wait one minute more. The blonde jerked away and scowled at him.

"Hey. We're destined to be together. Don't you agree?" He purred in what he thought was a sexy tone.

Their audience watched the exchange and raised their eyebrows simultaneously.

"Uhh… no thanks. I have a boyfriend, remember?"

"He won't find out will he? I can take care of the little runt. I'm more worthy of you than he is."

"I have more than one boyfriend… I, uh…" Sam grinned as she watched Allison's jaw work. She was at a loss for words. That was a first, but Mickey had better cool down soon.

"You understand them, Paul?" Sam asked. He responded in the negative.

Mickey shrugged and pulled Allison closer to him. "Don't you feel the chemistry? The sparks?"

Allison shoved him away. Why weren't Sam and Paul helping her out? They were just laughing at the scene, not lifting a single finger to help. Mickey scowled at his friends, his face reddening. He was a stud and they knew it. He pulled his beautiful woman even closer and ground his pelvis against hers.

"Feel that? Don't you want any?" he grunted. Allison spun around and slapped him soundly across the face, leaving a mark.

"Shit!" Sam thought. He was getting out of hand.

Mickey growled. They should've been rolling in the grass by now, tearing their clothes off each other. She was playing a bit too hard to get.

Allison stared at Mickey nervously as his face contorted. She hoped he'd gotten the message she wasn't interested.

With a snarl, he took Allison's arm. The smaller girl writhed but was unable to get out of his firm grip.

"Let me go, Mickey. Please. I'm not interested." Allison pleaded. Sam stood up, ready to intervene.

"Enough, dude," Paul signed but Mickey wouldn't budge.

"She led me on. She owes me. She knows it. She likes me. She's just playing hard to get," Mickey scoffed as Sam's eyes hardened.

"I believe the lady said no," Sam signed furiously as she towered over Mickey. "Let her go. And apologize."

Mickey knew that look in Sam's eyes all too well. He'd seen it plenty of times when she'd been pissed off about something or the other. It would be better for him and Allison to get to know each other when Sam wasn't around. The unromantic girl wouldn't understand the meaning of true love. That was why he hadn't said anything about the others to Paul and Sam.

"Right." Mickey breathed as he let Allison go. "I don't know what I was thinking," he said, signing at the same time. "I'm sorry, Allison. Really." He pasted a fake expression of regret and sincerity on his face, chewing his mouth in shame. "Wow." He ran his hands through his hair. "We cool?"

Allison smiled nervously. Mickey seemed to be truly sorry and she was an easygoing sort. There was no sense in holding silly grudges. "Fine," she signed, then wiped her hands on her pants. If she never saw Mickey again, that would be great.

Sam surveyed Allison. "Sure. Don't do it again," the taller girl signed firmly.

Mickey nodded. He needed to cool off. "I'm going for a walk," he announced. "Be back in a few."

Allison watched Mickey leave then turned to Sam. "Hey. Thanks…"

Sam shook her head, refusing credit. "He can be a creep," she finger spelled. "But once you get to know him, he's fun to hang out with."

Meanwhile, Mickey had reached a secluded area surrounded by trees. He pounded his fist into his hand. How dare Sam interfere with him and Allison? She was obviously preventing Allison, against her will, from getting closer to him. "Agahh!" Didn't Sam know he and Allison were perfect for each other?

When Mickey rejoined the group, he interpreted again. Paul indicated that it was time to go.

"Paul, maybe you should drive back. I didn't do great on the way up," Allison suggested.

Paul shook his head and smiled. "Nah that's ok. You didn't wreck the car, did ya? You can drive back." The blonde sighed. It was his car after all, but she didn't want the creep sitting next to her. She met Sam's eyes and the dark-haired girl nodded in understanding, taking the passenger seat.

"This time, keep your eyes on the road ok?" Sam told the driver.

Allison pulled out and immediately went to 80, running several red lights on the way back to town. After the third one, Sam and the guys were getting nervous; they didn't want to get busted for stealing.

When Allison finally stopped at a red light, the blue-eyed girl handed her a note. "It's ok to stop at red lights."

Allison gasped. "You're supposed to do that?" she answered.

Sam stared at her in disbelief as the driver burst out laughing. "I was joking!" She swatted Sam's shoulder as she pulled into the grocery store's parking lot.

They made their way back to Paul's house as dusk settled. Mickey made a conscious effort not to grope or gape at his angel. He had something better for her, for them, in mind. Especially with Sam away from home at least half of the year. Back at Paul's, he excused himself, saying he had to go home.

As the minutes passed in Paul's basement, Allison was getting increasingly bored as Sam and Paul swapped stories and got buzzed.

"We should be getting home," Allison pointed out to Sam, writing. "Let's go."

Sam shook her head. "I'm having fun. Loosen up."

"I don't call staring at four white walls for hours while you two get drunk a load of fun!" Allison replied furiously. "Look at Paul. He's stoned."

"Poor baby. That's what you hearing people do to us, gab and gab while we stare out into space. Just be quiet. Now you know how I feel." Sam took another hit from her joint.

"You hearing people?" Allison was mad as she scribbled the words. "Don't call me 'you hearing people'! I am not like them!"

Sam responded in kind. "Aren't you? Remember dinner Friday night? Cards? You're just as guilty. Kid, just go play in the road, ok? Leave me alone since you don't know how to have fun."

Pools of tears welled in Allison's green eyes. She hadn't meant to exclude the deaf girl. Why did she have to be so mean? "I didn't realize I was leaving you out. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

Sam harrumphed. "Like I really want to hang out with you anyway. You're such a child. Any moron would know we stole that car. Paul doesn't even have a sister. I mean…we hot-wired the goddamned thing! How could you not know?"

Allison's chin trembled but she resolved not to show weakness in front of her more experienced associate. "Fine. I'm going now. See you later." She shoved the paper in Sam's lap then ran out of the basement.

The young woman scoffed as she read the note, waving her arm at Allison and dismissing her. "Go run to mama," she signed to Paul.

Continued in Part 3.