The Many Loves of Samantha Greene

15 | Tim: The Aftermath

"Which it didn't."

"--which it didn't," I could practically feel Jess rolling her eyes. "It might be a nice breath of fresh air to date someone who isn't from around here."

I thought about it for a second.

A new guy, with no relation to Houston or my family, someone who hadn't grown up knowing he lived within driving distance of Lincoln Carter. Someone who wouldn't know many people coming into Houston, who would need new friends, and who hadn't been privy to my mass of unrequited loves of the past few years.

"Alright." I agreed. "But on one condition."

"Of course."

"I don't want you to tell him who I am before we meet."

Jess laughed.

"I'm not stupid, Sam." She replied, "I'll tell Kevin to set something up."

"Sounds good." I replied, before hanging up. I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror across from my bed.

Maybe my life wasn't going to fall apart after all.

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"I'm asking him the questions."

"You know, usually I would argue with that, but after everything that's happened with Tim, I'm gonna say go for it."

The past week since Jess had set up my date with Andrew had been full of terrible drama between Tim and me. The day after we had talked on the phone, he had posted a picture of him and a drop-dead gorgeous girl making out to Instagram, captioning it, "Scoring two days in a row". I had logged onto Twitter after reading that and saw a tweet from him directed at me, and a subtweet-war had ensued, ending only with me blocking him and trying to forget it had happened in the first place.

For someone who had been so level-headed on the phone, he was highly on the offensive online.

I had been so wrapped up in the issues with my ex that I had almost forgotten about my date with Kevin's cousin until this morning, when Jess had texted me announcing that she was coming over to help me get ready.

I had the set of questions that I had prepared before meeting Tim sitting on top of my dresser, ready to go. They weren't exactly subtle questions, and I was determined to ask them and only date people who answered them all correctly.

Of course, those answers depended on my mood at that exact moment. So it was highly unlikely for anyone to completely pass this test.

It was also highly unlikely that I would ever date someone again.

Jess finished up my hair and picked the cards up from off of my dresser, flipping through them.

"I forgot this one was in here." She said, whipping out a card that read, Would you ever rob me on a dare? "Who would answer 'yes' to that?"

"Jason."

Jess rolled her eyes, laughing slightly.

"You're a nutcase."

"I love you too."

The doorbell rang and we both stood up before hearing voices from downstairs, high-pitched and arguing, meaning that the person at the door was not Andrew. We snuck out of my room and into the hallway, where we could get a better listen to what was going on.

"It's not my fault!" Vera's voice. She had been staying with us every night for the past few days, without much word as to why she couldn't crash at the place she shared with Aidan. "I can't just leave the man I love, Mother."

"Don't raise your voice at me." My mother snapped, "You're lucky that I haven't told your father about everything going on, or he would have cancelled the wedding already."

"Don't be so dramatic. It's not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal? There is something about that man that is very wrong, and you know it. And with everything going on between your father and I already, I do not want to have to keep lying to him about why our oldest daughter is constantly knocking on our door for a place to stay."

"It won't be for much longer." Vera promised, "Just until we can work out these differences."

"If he touches you--"

"I'm a big girl, Mother. I can take care of myself."

The doorbell rang and both women jumped at the sound.

"That must be Sam's date." My mother sighed, heading to answer the door. "Go to your bedroom and don't make a peep about anything. We'll settle this later."

Vera nodded and left, heading down to the basement floor, where she had moved her bedroom to at the age of seventeen to get away from our parents. Jess and I stood up, both of us looking at each other in confusion over what was going on with my sister.

We didn't have much time to ponder on it.

"Samantha! Come downstairs!"

Jess gave me a quick hug.

"Good luck. You'll be great. Do you have the cards?"

I nodded, pointing to my purse.

"All set. Thanks for everything."

"Of course."

I walked down the stairs carefully, trying not to appear too eager to see this man. I looked up as I headed towards the door, smiling at the guy standing in front of me.

He looked completely non-threatening; dark brown hair that fell to his shoulders in waves that could easily be pulled back into a man-bun, and bright green eyes that seemed to invite you to share all of your secrets, because they were safe in those eyes.

"Hi. I'm Andrew."

"Samantha."

Perhaps in the aftermath of one relationship, I could find a beginning of another.

A/N: The best chapters are the ones I write the night that I'm supposed to upload when I want to finish them and just go to sleep.

I have to work tomorrow and I don't want to, I honestly cannot wait to be done with my job and just go to college far away and not have to deal with stupid customers who yell at me for things I can't help. Like are cashiers supposed to know that the eggs in the back corner of the store are cracked? How am I supposed to help you with that? We have customer service for a reason, go talk to them.

IS ANDREW THE ONE?? I don't know, but the cast list and trailer could help you find out.

That's my lame way to tell you to watch the trailer--because after spending an entire afternoon making it last week, I showed it to my sister and her sole reaction was, "I don't like it." But I published it anyways.

-Katherine