"I don't have dreams. I have goals." -- Harvey Spector.

- - - - -

"No ways, that's not possible. You couldn't have scored!" Jeff argued, running a hand through his messy mop of light brown hair.

He was sweating profusely and highly frustrated by now.
Sam rolled her eyes. "You have eyes, don't you? You saw it yourself. I kicked the ball, it soared through the air, you missed it and it hit the net."

He rolled his eyes, the brown looking lighter than usual in the Sun.

"Yeah. I was there, too. She scored, Jeff, and being the horrible goalie you are, you missed it," Megs hit the back of his head.

"I'm not a horrible goalie. I'm the best there is," Jeff shot back.

"Sure you are," Sam said sarcastically.

"Better than pro's, too. You should join your fav soccer team then, don't you think? Barca sure needs you."

Megs giggled. "I still can't believe that your team is Barca. I mean . . . come on! Barca of all teams!"

"They're good players, Megs, and --"

Sam chuckled. "You loved Barca, too, Megs. Mostly because Messi's in the team. Who's your team now? I don't think you really have one 'cause you're always changing."

"I, uh . . . um."

"What 'bout you, Sam? If you're accusing us here, then I laugh if you don't even have a team," Jeff said.

"Pfft. United have always been my team. It'll never, ever change."

"United?" Megs spluttered, "United!"

"Yes, Megs, United."

Jeff laughed and pointed a finger at Sam. "They're horrible. I mean, have you seen what shit they play?"

"They've always been good, Jeff. Their current playing is only because of the manager issues. Once they have a proper manager again, they'll be back and playing better than ever," Sam argued.

"Sure they will, sure they will. No doubt 'bout that, Sam," he said.

Sam rolled her eyes and kicked the soccer ball, scoring an easy goal.

"Let's go inside. It's getting too hot out here. Summer is the worst, even when it's late," Sam turned around and led them back in the house.

"What we gonna do now?" Megs asked.

"How about a marathon?" Jeff suggested.

"Yeah, right, where we gonna run to?"

Sam laughed. "He means a movie marathon, Megs, not the actual thing."

Megs blushed a deep red. "Oh, right."

"But I say, no. Let's do something fun. I'm not gonna sit in this house, boiling like a kettle, when we can do so many better things," she disagreed.

"What you got in mind?" he asked.

Sam shrugged. "Anything."

"Oh! I know," Megs pointed her index finger in the air.

"Do we still have those boards in the forest? Y'know, the ones we always shoot at with the bow and arrows."

"Yip, we still do. The bow and arrows, too," replied Sam.

"But, Sam . . . ,"

They both looked at Jeff, who was looking at Sam with a shocked expression.

"What is it, Jeff?" she asked.

"You're not allowed out of the house."

"So?"

"Sam, it's for your safety, you can't risk you life for something so stupid."

"Look here, Jeff, I can't stay here all the time, okay. I have to get out, I need to."

"Sam . . . ,"

"No, Jeff, I'm going," she said in a firm voice.

"You don't understand what it's like to sit here all day, completely isolated and locked out from the world, bored out of your mind and exploding with so many thoughts that's torturing you. I can't sit here any longer. Anything could be happening out there and I wouldn't know. I'm going out."

Jeff and Megs stared at Sam, utterly shocked at her sudden change of mood.

Jeff sucked in a breath.

Now he understood how she felt. He hadn't realised that she felt this way about everything.

She seemed so calm and relaxed, and now he realised that even though this was how she always was, she was constantly fighting that battle inside, and being who she was, she never once bothered anyone else with it.

He knew that there was nothing he could do to hold her back so he didn't say anything.

Sam sighed. She shouldn't have said that.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay, but I just can't stay locked in the house anymore. I need to go out."

She quietly left and went up to her room to grab her things. When she went back down, she saw them getting ready, too.

She left a note on the table with a reason scribbled onto it and sneaked out the back door, making sure that they didn't see her. She slung her backpack over her shoulders and pulled out her phone, calling the Chief's office number.

"Hey, Lucas." she greeted

"You ready, Sam?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah. I just left, I'll meet you there now. You left the note?" asked Sam.

"Yup, made sure of that," Lucas replied.

"Okay, good."

"Listen, Sam. I got some back up, too. We gonna need it, okay. But don't worry, you all ready know them and everything's taken care of. You got all the things you need?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm just gonna hope you know what you're doing with this, Lucas."

"Don't stress, Sam, I know what I'm doing. Just meet up here as soon as you can, we can't waste too much time," Lucas said.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes. See you," she replied.

" 'Kay," he hung up.

Sam looked up and down first before scurrying off to her destination -- the tree she and her friends always met up at by the lake.

A short while later, Sam was sitting under the tree, memories surfacing and taking over her mind.

She was brought back to reality when she heard footsteps, indicating that Lucas was here. She stood up and slung her backpack around her shoulders again. She looked around at her surroundings before walking out from under the tree.

A gentle breeze whipped past her and glided through her hair. It was a peaceful and relaxed Summer night.

It was nice to have a cool night after being under the scorching Sun the whole day. Sam tilted her head back and looked at the Moon. The Moon was big and bright, casting everything in a soft white glow.

Sam removed her gaze and focused it on the people walking towards her. That rattled her -- only Lucas was supposed to come.

She searched her mind and recalled Lucas saying that he was bringing others. Sam sighed and walked towards them, meeting them halfway.

"Hey, Lucas," she greeted and nodded at him.

He grinned at her. "Sam, hey. You're ready, right?"

She nodded and scanned the group before her, recognising familiar faces -- not all of them were here, though.

She groaned softly and looked at Lucas again.

"The whole point of me asking you was because I didn't want to get my friends involved."

He gave a sheepish shrug. "They heard me talking to you at the office and demanded I let them come along."

She sighed. "You guys have all ready been through enough, I can't let them hurt you, too."

"No ways, Sam, we're not letting you do this on your own," Jay-Jay protested.

"That's what friends are for," George agreed with him.

A chorus of agreement echoed around and she knew that there was no way out of it.

"How far are you going to go without us?" Carter asked, gesturing to himself and Chris.

"Yip, you need us around, too," George and Natt said in unison.

Sam rolled her eyes.

"Okay, guys, let's just get going before we delay too much and our parents find us," she said loudly so that they could hear her.

Everyone nodded in agreement and they walked together as a group.

They passed the sliver of the lake -- the Moon's reflection made it look silver --, hiked up and down numerous hills, big and small, passed all the roads and walked on the gravel instead and kept out of sight.

"Sam," Jay-Jay paused and sighed. "Look, I know your intentions are all good and whatever, but . . . didn't you stop to think about the situation at all? I mean, these people are -- are murderers who kill without a thought. Look at us, and look at them. We're like a speck of dust compared to a boulder or something. We could die, you know, and no one will know what happened because no one was there to see it," he tried to reason with her.

Samantha sighed. "Jay-Jay, I've been thinking about this non-stop for the last few days now, I'm hundred percent aware of the situation we in and I know the danger, too, but I need to do this, okay. Trust me."

Jay-Jay sighed, giving up. "Okay, I trust you."

"Yo, Sam," Brand came over and joined Sam on her other side.

"Hey, Brand."

"Listen, only you, me, Jay-Jay, Carter and Chris, Natt and George managed to come. Oh, yeah, and Lukey over there and his friend."

Sam laughed. "Thanks, Brand. I saw for myself, you didn't have to give me the break down, but thanks anyway."

Brand shrugged. "Just thought you should know. And just so you know, everyone wanted to come, they just couldn't."

"Yeah . . . ," she nodded. "It's better they didn't. They're safer at home."

"Lucas," she called him over.

"Yeah?"

"Did you manage to get anything new from your dad?" she dropped her voice.

"Yeah. I'll show you later."

She nodded. "Who's your friend over there?" she jerked her head in his direction.

"Oh!" he laughed. "Forgot to tell you. That's my mate, Reece. Y'know that guy, Flynn, who was speaking to my dad the other day?" she nodded.

"That's his son and mah partner in crime. Reece!" he called him over.

She chuckled. "No doubt about that."

Reece came over and grinned at her, looking her up and down. Lucas noticed this and hit his head to get him to stop. Sam, however, was oblivious to this.

"Hey, I'm Reece. Pleasure to meet you."

Sam cocked a brow and stifled her laughter. "Sam."

"Isn't that a boy's name?"

"Yip. It's Samantha, but it's easier to call me Sam," she replied.

"Right, Sam."

She rolled her eyes.

Reece was walking backwards and didn't realise a large stone in his path.

He tripped over it and fell backwards. Lucas laughed and held his hand out. When Reece gripped his hand, Lucas pushed him back down instead of helping him up.

Reece huffed and got up himself. "Ass."

Lucas smirked and folded his arms. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling yourself that?"

Samantha laughed. "Guys, drop it."

Everyone else looked on at the scene in amusement before carrying on walking.

"I just have one question," Natt said, still looking at Reece in amusement."

"Shoot."

"Where're we sleeping?"

Samantha shrugged. "Camp out."

Nathan spluttered. "That's ridiculous, Sam, we'll easily be caught."

"We don't have anywhere else to go, do we?"

"Well . . . I do."

"Where is that?"

"It's a cabin-like thing more on the outskirts of town. We never use it, only for emergencies, but it's in good condition and there's enough space for us all."

"Ask around and we'll see what they think," she suggested.

Personally, she thought it wasn't a very bad idea. She wasn't too sure, though.

Just see what the others think, she thought.

Natt came running back to her with George at his heels.

"They agree," he panted.

George sighed, "Natt . . . never mind. Listen, Sam, I can't think of anything better than this, but there's a possibility, a major one, that someone will see us."

Natt nodded along, his brown locks bouncing on his head.

"I thought of that, too. I guess this is the only problem when you live in a small town; everyone knows everyone."

"And one more thing, too . . . ," George trailed off.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"Well, you see, our parents have a housekeeper there to look after the house. She practically lives there. She won't have a problem with us staying there, but there's no guarantee that she won't tell on us. And she's also racist," George glanced in Jay-Jay's direction. "She'll throw a fit of she sees Jay-Jay there."

Sam huffed.

Now what? What are we gonna do? she thought.

"There's nothing we can do?" she asked.

George shook her head sadly. "Nothing."

Jay-Jay, overhearing their conversation, butted in, "Does that really matter right now? There's nothing she can do even though she has a problem with me 'cause I ain't gonna go nowhere. No matter what she she says," he added the last part quickly.

Natt sighed. "We know that, you idiot. We're trying to figure out what to do 'bout it."

"Natt, I know that. I'm simply stating a point," he replied.

Natt only rolled his eyes in response to his question.

"Quit bickering, we need to get going," Brand said, moving to the front of the group.

Jay-Jay huffed and moved along in front of Natt.

"How far exactly is your cabin?" Lucas asked George.

"Not too far; it's on the outskirts, but a bit closer in," she replied.

"Okay. Your name, again?"

"Georgianna, but please call me George."

"What's up with you girls having guy's names?" Reece whined.

His only answer to that was a series of punches from George and an eye-roll from Sam.

The walk to the cabin wasn't long, as George had said. Thanks to Lucas and Reece knowing all the routes around town, they made it there without being caught by anyone.

The cabins lights were still on when they reached. It was a decent size, not too big nor too small. It stretched into a rectangular shape and had a small garden at one end. The windows were covered by curtains from inside and the door was left slightly ajar.

George and Natt walked ahead of everyone else, ringing a bell next to the door.
It was opened after a few minutes by a plump women who looked like she was in her mid-thirties. She wore a bored expression on her face and an oversized apron. Her expression soon changed to one of shock when she saw them standing there.

She spluttered for a few moments before being able to form a coherent sentence.

"What are you kids doing here? You're out so late!" Her voice was loud and scratchy.

"Miss Evans, hi," George spoke first. "We were just wondering if we could crash here for the night."

"W-What? Why?"

"Well, it is my parents cabin, isn't it?" she replied.

"W-Well, it most certainly is! But what are you kids doing out so late?"

Natt smiled at her. "So you wouldn't mind if we come in, then?"

"W-well, I . . . uh . . . ," she stuttered.

"Come on, guys, lets go in. Make yourself at home, please," George smiled at her and walked past with the rest following behind.

The cabin inside was just as cosy as it looked from outside.

Exhausted, they all avoided Miss Evans and set out sleeping bags on the lounge floor. George, Natt and Jay-Jay managed to get free rooms.

Everyone fell asleep almost instantly, tired from the sudden turn of events and their unexpected adventure that lay ahead of them. Sam couldn't sleep, though, her mind was wide awake, thinking about the next few days and what could happen.

Silence filled the room, her friend's steady breathing the only sound there. She turned on her side and switched the lamp off, casting the room in darkness. She tried to sleep and hoped she would have a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

The housekeeper, Miss Evans, simply shook her head and returned to the bedroom she was currently using.

She couldn't understand what they were doing here, but she learned not to question them. Every time she did she would only end up embarrassed and confused.

- - - - -

Don't forget to vote comment and share the story! It'll make me unexplainably happy :)

Follow me on social media:
Instagram: crocodiletears__
Twitter: crocodileears__
                (I typed it
                incorrectly and
                can't fix now :/)

Peace,

Croc