Jason finally got up, and put on a pair of jeans and a black CK tshirt, and flipped on the TV, looking through the channels. So far, no "gossip" shows were on, so he turned the TV off. Jase reached for the phone, and thought about calling Sam, but thought better of it. She'd been completely zonked after the party last night, so he figured letting her sleep would be good. Besides, he needed to know what was going on, before reporters started asking questions.
He dialed up, and a somewhat groggy voice answered on the other end. "Hey, Lynn, had your coffee yet?" Jason grinned.
"Yes, wunderkid. Did you get the belle of the ball home before pumpkin hour?"
Jason laughed, "Yes, I did."
"Did you get her, HOME?" Lynn asked more pointedly.
Jason rolled his eyes, "Yes, she's sleeping soundly in her own dorm room now."
"That's good, because you two made an impression last night."
"Did we?" Jason smiled, "Good, I intend on having her come with me on a lot more."
"Well, you make sure you do. No more messes like Staci Haliburton."
Jason sighed, "Lynn, this is totally different than that. Sam's...different." He smiled.
"You better make sure she is. You should go grab the Paragon Tattler, and make sure you watch E! later. They're going to want to know more about Sammy, so either you can get her prepared, or I can, or maybe both of us. First thing we need to talk about is her father."
"Come on, Lynn, he's got nothing to do with the way she..."
"Jase! I know that, and you know that, but you know what the pirrhana out there are going to do with that info. So, you can either get her ready for it, or let them eat her up with it. I'll work on it from this end, but Jase," Lynn's voice showed concern, and care, "she's a nice girl and lovely, but I don't think she's aware of what this will all be like." He could hear the smile in her voice, "I like her, and I'd like to see her stick around, so let's make sure she's armored against the idiot media."
Jason chuckled, "Okay, Lynn, I'll do my best, and then turn her over to your tender care."
The Reporters (PM for invite)
Moderator: Student Council
Samantha didn’t have to check the caller ID to know who was calling her cell phone at 6:15 in the morning, but she smiled all the same, turning her head and letting it drop back lazily on the pillow. It was Katie, it had to be Katie, she’d be clamoring for every last detail of the big event. And Sam knew she’d have no problem recanting it, each moment was safely tucked away in her brain, from the primping pit crew to the play itself, the party scene to the faint scent of Jase’s cologne as she fell asleep leaning against him on the ride home. That was her favorite part, she decided. Wrapped in his arms, feeling safe and warm and … she laughed slightly out loud, beat. At the party, she felt like she had hours and hours left in her, like sleep would never come, but her eyes seemed to close the minute her head rested against him. Katie didn’t need to know everything, details like that she’d be sure to leave out. Private moments between her and Jase.
The phone rang again, causing Sam to shake her head, her cousin was persistent if nothing else. This time, her hand shot to the phone to check. It was 6:20, she had four messages, all from Kate. She can wait a bit longer, Sam figured, turning the ringer off. She caught sight of the garment bag hanging from the wheel of one of the skateboards on the wall rack. Propping her head up on her elbow, she smiled again, picturing Jason‘s “I‘ve got a secret“ look when they met up with Doug. . Jase was full of surprises. With him, you never knew if you’d end up in the hot tub or a hot air balloon, but it didn’t matter, just being with him is what she enjoyed the most.
The backs of her calves ached as she made her way to the shower, taking another laugh when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Though she’d been extra careful to hang up Valentina’s dress, her hair was another story. She’d flopped into bed without removing a single hairpin, the soft curls looking more like dreadlocks after a sound nights sleep. But after a decent hot shower, it was back to it’s original form, Sam smiling and thinking how it now looked more “Sammish.” Pulling on a pair of baggy jeans and a cropped T-shirt, she crawled back into bed on top of the covers, turning the ringer back on. 7:05. Two more messages from Katie. She thought about calling Jase first, she vaguely remembered muttering that she had a good time when Doug pulled back up to the gates, but the long ride and big night had made her groggy. She didn’t want him thinking she didn’t have a good time. Meeting his mom was awesome, too, she was just an amazing woman with a presence as incredible as Jason’s, people just gravitated towards them. Part of her wanted to ask about his father, but maybe this sort of gala was old hat to them by now, or maybe it was a sore subject. “You have a knack of finding a scab and ripping off the band-aid.” as her dad would say. In anycase, she didn’t want to disturb him. It was still early- he’d been working so hard lately, between the album, and school, and the dance and patrols and the opening… thinking about it all made her want to take another nap. Best let him sleep.
Sam said Kate’s nickname into the phone and listened as it dialed, then held the phone at a safe distance from her ear as Kate picked up.
“SAMMY! Where have you been? I’ve been calling forever! Well? Details? I’m waiting! Oh, OH! Know what? The premier was shown a bit on the news last night, and ET is going to cover it tonight, and Hollywood Insider too, and you HAVE to Tivo it, and I’ll be checking the paper, and why haven’t you given me any details yet, I’m dying to know! Oh! And….”
Sam laughed. It’s a good thing that’s not heriditary.
Sam was, glad for the unlimited nights and weekends because over two hours flew by. They covered every subject from the premier, to classes to the soccer team back home, and finally to boys. Sam smiled as Kate went on about Randy, Trent and Zane, boys she remembered from back home.
“What about you, though?” Her cousin got around to. “Tell me about you and Jason Berenzhin.”
“He’s just…Wow.“ Sam started. “He’s unpredictable and confident, and sweet, and he’s got a great sense of humor, and these incredible eyes , and he’s just got this smile that makes you feel like you put on a sweatshirt right from the dryer, you know?” Katie giggled.
“You got it bad.”
“I got it good.” Sam replied, with a smile of her own. “He‘s amazing, Kate s’all”
“So….“ Kate continued. “Has he kissed you yet? Have you kissed him?“
“Llisten, I gotta go scrounge up some food.” Sam told her in response. “I was too nervous last night to eat anything, and now I’m all sorts of starving. “
“He did! How was it? You said every detail!”
“Kiss your mom and your sis for me, will you? And say hey to the team.” Sam quickly pressed END to finish the call. She laughed as she stood up, checking herself in the mirror a final time before grabbing her sweatshirt and heading to the door. As her hand reached the knob, her cell phone rang again, and Sam didn’t bother to check the caller ID. Katie was persistent if nothing else.
“Jeez, we’ve talked enough already, I’m starving, I want to go eat!”
“And good morning to you too, Sam.” Jase said with a laugh. “Is that an invite? Because I was just going to grab something myself, if you’d like to come.”
“Jason! Oh, sorry, I thought you were, I mean, I was just talking to… and I hung up quick and…” She smiled. “Yes. It’s an invite for breakfast. On my way out now, I‘ll meet you by the gates.”
The phone rang again, causing Sam to shake her head, her cousin was persistent if nothing else. This time, her hand shot to the phone to check. It was 6:20, she had four messages, all from Kate. She can wait a bit longer, Sam figured, turning the ringer off. She caught sight of the garment bag hanging from the wheel of one of the skateboards on the wall rack. Propping her head up on her elbow, she smiled again, picturing Jason‘s “I‘ve got a secret“ look when they met up with Doug. . Jase was full of surprises. With him, you never knew if you’d end up in the hot tub or a hot air balloon, but it didn’t matter, just being with him is what she enjoyed the most.
The backs of her calves ached as she made her way to the shower, taking another laugh when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Though she’d been extra careful to hang up Valentina’s dress, her hair was another story. She’d flopped into bed without removing a single hairpin, the soft curls looking more like dreadlocks after a sound nights sleep. But after a decent hot shower, it was back to it’s original form, Sam smiling and thinking how it now looked more “Sammish.” Pulling on a pair of baggy jeans and a cropped T-shirt, she crawled back into bed on top of the covers, turning the ringer back on. 7:05. Two more messages from Katie. She thought about calling Jase first, she vaguely remembered muttering that she had a good time when Doug pulled back up to the gates, but the long ride and big night had made her groggy. She didn’t want him thinking she didn’t have a good time. Meeting his mom was awesome, too, she was just an amazing woman with a presence as incredible as Jason’s, people just gravitated towards them. Part of her wanted to ask about his father, but maybe this sort of gala was old hat to them by now, or maybe it was a sore subject. “You have a knack of finding a scab and ripping off the band-aid.” as her dad would say. In anycase, she didn’t want to disturb him. It was still early- he’d been working so hard lately, between the album, and school, and the dance and patrols and the opening… thinking about it all made her want to take another nap. Best let him sleep.
Sam said Kate’s nickname into the phone and listened as it dialed, then held the phone at a safe distance from her ear as Kate picked up.
“SAMMY! Where have you been? I’ve been calling forever! Well? Details? I’m waiting! Oh, OH! Know what? The premier was shown a bit on the news last night, and ET is going to cover it tonight, and Hollywood Insider too, and you HAVE to Tivo it, and I’ll be checking the paper, and why haven’t you given me any details yet, I’m dying to know! Oh! And….”
Sam laughed. It’s a good thing that’s not heriditary.
Sam was, glad for the unlimited nights and weekends because over two hours flew by. They covered every subject from the premier, to classes to the soccer team back home, and finally to boys. Sam smiled as Kate went on about Randy, Trent and Zane, boys she remembered from back home.
“What about you, though?” Her cousin got around to. “Tell me about you and Jason Berenzhin.”
“He’s just…Wow.“ Sam started. “He’s unpredictable and confident, and sweet, and he’s got a great sense of humor, and these incredible eyes , and he’s just got this smile that makes you feel like you put on a sweatshirt right from the dryer, you know?” Katie giggled.
“You got it bad.”
“I got it good.” Sam replied, with a smile of her own. “He‘s amazing, Kate s’all”
“So….“ Kate continued. “Has he kissed you yet? Have you kissed him?“
“Llisten, I gotta go scrounge up some food.” Sam told her in response. “I was too nervous last night to eat anything, and now I’m all sorts of starving. “
“He did! How was it? You said every detail!”
“Kiss your mom and your sis for me, will you? And say hey to the team.” Sam quickly pressed END to finish the call. She laughed as she stood up, checking herself in the mirror a final time before grabbing her sweatshirt and heading to the door. As her hand reached the knob, her cell phone rang again, and Sam didn’t bother to check the caller ID. Katie was persistent if nothing else.
“Jeez, we’ve talked enough already, I’m starving, I want to go eat!”
“And good morning to you too, Sam.” Jase said with a laugh. “Is that an invite? Because I was just going to grab something myself, if you’d like to come.”
“Jason! Oh, sorry, I thought you were, I mean, I was just talking to… and I hung up quick and…” She smiled. “Yes. It’s an invite for breakfast. On my way out now, I‘ll meet you by the gates.”
Not half an hour later, they’d been seated at the diner, Jason with a Sobe, and Sam an antifreeze colored soda through a straw, and waiting for their food.
“I had such a great time, last night, Jase. It was so… “
“Wow?” He finished for her with a smile.
“Wow.” She replied, matching his smile. “I know. I have to buy a thesaurus.”
“Wow works.” He said with a wink, taking another sip.
“So what’s up?” She asked, as their food finally arrived. “Post party bleh’s?
“No. “ He chuckled. “I had a pretty wow time too.” She studied his expression for a moment. His trademark smile was still there, but his eyes didn’t have the spark that she was so used to seeing. It was like when he sang that song he wrote for the fan.
“Y’all right?” she asked, playing with the straw to her soda, an edge of concern in her voice and a questioning look on her face. He smiled again, and reached his hand across the table, taking her free hand in his, and giving it a squeeze.
“I’m fine.” He reassured her. “I was just talking to Lynn earlier, and there’s some things we’ll likely need to talk about, before any of the tabloid shows or magazines hit. The media are sort of like sharks, if they get wind of a drop of blood, they frenzy.” Sam looked relieved, and squeezed his hand back, using another to grab a piece of toast and take a bite from the corner.
“I didn’t think I gave ‘em anything to frenzy on.” She smiled. “I smiled, nodded and waved. ‘Sides, like I told you, whatever they say? It’s just words. I’m a little tougher than I look and all.” Inwardly, she replayed some of the events from the previous night in her head, but couldn’t think of what Lynn would be worried about. She went to take another bite from the toast, but hesitated, tilting her head to the side and looking back to Jason. “I didn’t give ‘em anything to frenzy on, did I?”
“I had such a great time, last night, Jase. It was so… “
“Wow?” He finished for her with a smile.
“Wow.” She replied, matching his smile. “I know. I have to buy a thesaurus.”
“Wow works.” He said with a wink, taking another sip.
“So what’s up?” She asked, as their food finally arrived. “Post party bleh’s?
“No. “ He chuckled. “I had a pretty wow time too.” She studied his expression for a moment. His trademark smile was still there, but his eyes didn’t have the spark that she was so used to seeing. It was like when he sang that song he wrote for the fan.
“Y’all right?” she asked, playing with the straw to her soda, an edge of concern in her voice and a questioning look on her face. He smiled again, and reached his hand across the table, taking her free hand in his, and giving it a squeeze.
“I’m fine.” He reassured her. “I was just talking to Lynn earlier, and there’s some things we’ll likely need to talk about, before any of the tabloid shows or magazines hit. The media are sort of like sharks, if they get wind of a drop of blood, they frenzy.” Sam looked relieved, and squeezed his hand back, using another to grab a piece of toast and take a bite from the corner.
“I didn’t think I gave ‘em anything to frenzy on.” She smiled. “I smiled, nodded and waved. ‘Sides, like I told you, whatever they say? It’s just words. I’m a little tougher than I look and all.” Inwardly, she replayed some of the events from the previous night in her head, but couldn’t think of what Lynn would be worried about. She went to take another bite from the toast, but hesitated, tilting her head to the side and looking back to Jason. “I didn’t give ‘em anything to frenzy on, did I?”
"Nah, nothing for them to frenzy over, but then it doesn't take much." Jason put down some tabloids he'd bought earlier and opened them to the pages dealing with the premier, and sure enough, there were pictures of everyone, including he and Sam. They'd at least made the 'best dressed' list. In the Paragon Tattler however, there was a picture of Jason and Sam sharing a kiss at the end of the Red Carpet, in the middle of a highlights article. He read the bit. "...on the Red Carpet, normally a place where couples will be happy, had a new couple show, and looking happy, Jason Berenzhin escorted a starstruck, beautiful Samantha Douglas. Look out for more from Jason later this year, and all the information we can find on his new heartthrob, Samantha."
Sam’s jaw near dropped at the picture, as she grabbed the paper from Jason, grinning from ear to ear at the picture and rereading the caption.
“Hole-lee Cow!” Sam laughed, covering her mouth with one hand and grasping the paper tightly in the other. Jason Berenzhin escorted a starstruck, beautiful Samantha Douglas… “It has my name and everything! And the best dressed list! And …” She blushed slightly at the picture of the two of them kissing. It was a sweet kiss, a brush on the lips really, and they used the word heartthrob? Sam giggled from behind her hand.
“Well, your name is shorter than repeating “Jason Berenzhin’s guest” over and over.” Jase said with a smile.
There was info about Jason working on his upcoming album with a possible tour to follow, and to her dismay, a blurb about him being in some disagreements with his producers. Crud- the media did dig up everything, didn’t they? Sam looked at the fronts of the papers, making a mental note of the titles, and she barely heard Jason tell her he’d bought the copies for her. It was funny, while she barely recognized herself, Jason looked brilliant in every photo. Photogenic, that was the word, the camera absolutely loved him.
“There’s your mom!” Sam pointed out, in the same excited tone. Like Jason, the camera absolutely loved her.
“Hmmm, I’ll have to call her to let her know her picture made it to a magazine,” Jase laughed, causing Sam to swat at the air since his arm was too far across the table to smack.
“Don’t make fun.” She said, with a smile. Jason chuckled again as Sam went back to pouring over near every word that was written, shaking her head when she was finished. “Wow.” She commented, with a grin from ear to ear, leaning over to take another sip of her soda, her appetite now all but forgotten. She took another look at the picture of Maria before turning a set of inquisitive blue eyes towards Jason.
“Hey Jase? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I was just wondering, on account of I didn’t see your Dad there? I remember you said he was a neruoscientist? Is this just not his thing, or I didn't want to pry or nothing, it's just I had a blast, I can't picture someone saying... Well, I'd go, but the season premier of Nova is on, or something.”
Sam’s jaw near dropped at the picture, as she grabbed the paper from Jason, grinning from ear to ear at the picture and rereading the caption.
“Hole-lee Cow!” Sam laughed, covering her mouth with one hand and grasping the paper tightly in the other. Jason Berenzhin escorted a starstruck, beautiful Samantha Douglas… “It has my name and everything! And the best dressed list! And …” She blushed slightly at the picture of the two of them kissing. It was a sweet kiss, a brush on the lips really, and they used the word heartthrob? Sam giggled from behind her hand.
“Well, your name is shorter than repeating “Jason Berenzhin’s guest” over and over.” Jase said with a smile.
There was info about Jason working on his upcoming album with a possible tour to follow, and to her dismay, a blurb about him being in some disagreements with his producers. Crud- the media did dig up everything, didn’t they? Sam looked at the fronts of the papers, making a mental note of the titles, and she barely heard Jason tell her he’d bought the copies for her. It was funny, while she barely recognized herself, Jason looked brilliant in every photo. Photogenic, that was the word, the camera absolutely loved him.
“There’s your mom!” Sam pointed out, in the same excited tone. Like Jason, the camera absolutely loved her.
“Hmmm, I’ll have to call her to let her know her picture made it to a magazine,” Jase laughed, causing Sam to swat at the air since his arm was too far across the table to smack.
“Don’t make fun.” She said, with a smile. Jason chuckled again as Sam went back to pouring over near every word that was written, shaking her head when she was finished. “Wow.” She commented, with a grin from ear to ear, leaning over to take another sip of her soda, her appetite now all but forgotten. She took another look at the picture of Maria before turning a set of inquisitive blue eyes towards Jason.
“Hey Jase? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I was just wondering, on account of I didn’t see your Dad there? I remember you said he was a neruoscientist? Is this just not his thing, or I didn't want to pry or nothing, it's just I had a blast, I can't picture someone saying... Well, I'd go, but the season premier of Nova is on, or something.”
"My dad?" Jason was sort of shocked by the question, not in a bad way, but Sam never really talked about him much. "He's not much of a premier type. Well, unless Mom's IN the show, or I'm in the show." Jason shrugged, "I think he just doesn't like the limelight on him unless it's in front of his peers. So, he let's Mom and I go and soak it all up. I'm sure if Mom were up for an award or something he'd show up."
Jason took a breath. It was a perfect seguay to talking about her father, and that needed to be done. He'd told Lynn he would. "Sam, " He paused, "while we're talking about fathers..."
She looked at him curiously, head cocked slightly, "Yeah?"
"The media will dig into everything, Sam." He looked at her pointedly, "And I do mean, everything. As long as you're with me," he grinned, "and I do expect you to be with me often, the media is going to dig. They'll find out about your Dad, Sam, and write things that aren't going to be nice." He fidgeted a bit. "I just want you to be ready for it. They're going to want to get reaction out of you, make you say things you might not really mean, because you're angry or upset, so they can print them." He reached across the table to take her hand, "It can get nasty, and I don't want you to be caught off guard."
“What would they go and do that for?“ Sam blurted out, but she knew the answer. It was a story, and they’d be looking for stories. She thought for a second, absentmindedly stabbing some of her hotcakes with a fork and looking at nothing in particular, before turning her eyes back to Jase. “I mean, my record is spotless. Well, not spotless, this one time, in third grade, we were playing ball and I threw to Teddy Winston who was playin’ third base only he wasn’t looking because Debbie Meyers was riding by on her bicycle, and the ball went clean through the side window of Mrs. Gibbs new car and she freaked and called the police, and I spent the rest of the summer havin’ to mow lawns to pay it off even though Teddy shoulda had to pay half, but aside from that, I never was caught with nothing.” She smiled again. So maybe it was hereditary. “Besides, what bad could they say about my Dad?” She asked with a smile. “I mean, he did something goofy and got busted at it, he’ll tell anyone that himself. It’s not like he’s got a long record, or is a career criminal or nothing. There was only the one charge brought against him. He’s a good guy, Jason, really, he’s a good guy. And I'm not going to get caught off guard and say anything mean to them, what they'd say would just be words. I just want you to know though, because I care about what you think, not what they think. He's a good guy."
Jason smiled back, squeezing her hand, "I don't doubt that he's a good guy, but the media won't care. They'll ask you questions, take the answers and turn them inside out, and print that." Jason sat up, and looked at her, "Let me show you what I mean."
Sam looked at him curiously, "Okay..."
"Sam is your father in prison?"
"You already know that he is."
"Convicted of a felony? What exactly did he do?"
"He made a mistake, and he's paying for it."
"Thanks." Jason scribbled something on a piece of paper and turned it around for her to read.
It was recently discoverd that Samantha Douglas, Jason Berenzhin's new flame, is the daughter of a notorious felon. When asked about it, Douglas was close mouthed about exactly what her father did, leaving one to wonder what exactly is his crime, and how much does she really know."
just below that was another,
Jason Berenzhin's new girlfriend, Samantha Douglas comes from a family with a checkered past. When asked about her father, convicted and currently in prison, Douglas only replied "...he's paying for it." Could it be that the new belle hides some secrets of her own? What exactly does she want her father to pay for
"That's the kind of thing you can expect. You have to be really careful or they'll twist things around. After my accident they had me strung out on drugs, an overdose victim, and in rehab. As long as they make it clear that they're speculating, they can print just about anything." He watched her dismay at what he wrote and he could see her fear. He brought her hand to his lips. "Just remember one thing, we'll see it through together, and I'll be with you."
She smiled a bit at that, and Jason added, "And Lynn will be behind us both, and God help anyone that gets her mad." He looked at her again, "You sure you'll be okay with all this?"
Sam couldn’t believe how a simple statement, how just 8 words could be twisted around to make her dad sound like some sort of big-time criminal. She let out the breath she was holding and poked at an ice cube melting in the remnants of her drink with her straw, still holding tight to Jason’s hand.
“I’ll be okay.” She nodded, adding another smile while concentrating on the glass on the table. “I’m a little tougher than I look and all. I’m just sorry it’s an issue. I didn’t even think it’d be a problem, I mean, it was his mistake, not mine, you know? “
Jason nodded, and squeezed her hand. “They don’t care.”
“Sucks that they’re like that to get a story. I can’t believe they made all that crud up about you after your accident.” She said, a hint of sympathy in her voice. “I mean, it had to be bad enough on you without being pecked at by a bunch of buzzards.”
“It wasn’t easy.” He admitted, still holding a faint smile.
“I’ll bet.” She replied, a thought flashing through her as she finished off the remainder of her drink. A smile crossed her lips as she set the glass back down. Jason shot her a puzzled look, a curious grin spreading on his face as well. He was amazing. He could just cut ties and go off with some starlett who didn't get all flustered by Valentina's pit crew, and had nothing the press could get into a frenzy on, and here he was worried about her feelings.... he was amazing.
“Sam?” He asked.
“You’ll be with me.” She repeated back to him. “It means a lot. And I told you, you just being around makes me smile. But really, if this is a problem, for you, your image and all, that’s what I’m more worried about. My image gets tarnished…” She grinned again. “I can always go badass. Spike my hair, get a few tatoos. Who’s gonna mess with the daughter of the next Al Capone?” She scoffed lightly. "Just... you and Lynn let me know what I should say, if anything. And I'll make sure and stay on Lynn's good side, while I'm at it."
Jason laughed "No! no hairspikes or tattos...ugh. Well, unless I can choose where they go." Sam let out a shocked sound and smacked the arm that was extended across the table. "Sam, it's not going to be a problem with my image. There's a saying in the business that goes "Any publicity is good publicity." Even if they did start out with this, there's nowhere for it to go. It'd be a buzz for a very short period, and then die when it couldn't go anywhere." He saw Sam taking it all in, so added, "Take the whole thing with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. How many times have they been going to split because of the "other woman" or "other man", then nothing get heard about again, because there was a simple boring answer? I'm just saying it's going to be a splash, and talked about. The other thing to remember is...don't believe most of what you read. Or more to the point, pay attention to what's NOT said."
He grabbed the paper he'd scribbled the 'headlines' on, and pointed it out, "Everything they said was true, the only reason it makes your dad sound bad, was because of the things they didn't say. Sure, you were close mouthed, because they didn't ask you anything else. The other one? Anyone that's convicted can be considered notorious, and you did say that he's paying for it. What they're not saying is that he's sorry for it, and is being responsible for his actions."
Jason laughed again, "I remember one time, I was literally being rushed to a rehearsal after getting caught in some bad traffic, and a reporter tried to stop me to ask me about the show. I told him 'I can't talk', meaning because I was in a rush. The paper the next day came out saying that I must think the show was in trouble, since I didn't show up till the last minute, and when asked about the show my reluctance to talk showed that I had serious misgivings. Prefaced of course by the famous words 'in the opinon of this reporter'. It doesn't matter what you say, but you have to say something, because if you say nothing, then you get a bad rap, and the media makes you out to be against them, like your Sean Penns, George Clooneys, or Alec Baldwins."
He looked over and saw the wheels spinning, and squeezed her hand. "It's a big pain in the ass, annoying, and aggravating," he winked, "and fun as hell to outwit them, and Lynn is one of the best."
“Nah, it is important.” She insisted, giving him a warm smile. “It’s important because it’s a part of you. I loved all the red carpet stuff because I got to spend it with you and see that side of you.” She pointed to his photo in one of the magazines. “This guy. But then again.” she slightly kicked his foot under the table, and nodded to him. “I’m kinda partial to this guy too. And I trust you, so I trust Lynn. As far as what they say… I don’t pay it a lot of mind. Sorta like school.” Sam continued, with a nod, making the connection. “You know, there’s some major breaking news in homeroom and everyone’s buzzing about it, and then by lunch? We’re all onto different topics.”
“Well, it goes a little further than that with the press, but yeah, that’s the jist of it.”
“The rumor mill was going with a few good ones while you were in New York, you know, how you always play the field, or were making out with some huge star somewhere, and how you were going to ditch the school dance, or how I’m seeing you ‘cause you have money, and I didn’t pay them any mind either, on account of I knew nothing was true. Mainly it made me realize that they didn’t really know you, or really didn’t know me, that’s what I wrote it off as, then figured how lucky I was for getting to know you. And yes.” She looked at the paper again and laughed. “Getting dressed up was a blast.”
Jason took a breath. It was a perfect seguay to talking about her father, and that needed to be done. He'd told Lynn he would. "Sam, " He paused, "while we're talking about fathers..."
She looked at him curiously, head cocked slightly, "Yeah?"
"The media will dig into everything, Sam." He looked at her pointedly, "And I do mean, everything. As long as you're with me," he grinned, "and I do expect you to be with me often, the media is going to dig. They'll find out about your Dad, Sam, and write things that aren't going to be nice." He fidgeted a bit. "I just want you to be ready for it. They're going to want to get reaction out of you, make you say things you might not really mean, because you're angry or upset, so they can print them." He reached across the table to take her hand, "It can get nasty, and I don't want you to be caught off guard."
“What would they go and do that for?“ Sam blurted out, but she knew the answer. It was a story, and they’d be looking for stories. She thought for a second, absentmindedly stabbing some of her hotcakes with a fork and looking at nothing in particular, before turning her eyes back to Jase. “I mean, my record is spotless. Well, not spotless, this one time, in third grade, we were playing ball and I threw to Teddy Winston who was playin’ third base only he wasn’t looking because Debbie Meyers was riding by on her bicycle, and the ball went clean through the side window of Mrs. Gibbs new car and she freaked and called the police, and I spent the rest of the summer havin’ to mow lawns to pay it off even though Teddy shoulda had to pay half, but aside from that, I never was caught with nothing.” She smiled again. So maybe it was hereditary. “Besides, what bad could they say about my Dad?” She asked with a smile. “I mean, he did something goofy and got busted at it, he’ll tell anyone that himself. It’s not like he’s got a long record, or is a career criminal or nothing. There was only the one charge brought against him. He’s a good guy, Jason, really, he’s a good guy. And I'm not going to get caught off guard and say anything mean to them, what they'd say would just be words. I just want you to know though, because I care about what you think, not what they think. He's a good guy."
Jason smiled back, squeezing her hand, "I don't doubt that he's a good guy, but the media won't care. They'll ask you questions, take the answers and turn them inside out, and print that." Jason sat up, and looked at her, "Let me show you what I mean."
Sam looked at him curiously, "Okay..."
"Sam is your father in prison?"
"You already know that he is."
"Convicted of a felony? What exactly did he do?"
"He made a mistake, and he's paying for it."
"Thanks." Jason scribbled something on a piece of paper and turned it around for her to read.
It was recently discoverd that Samantha Douglas, Jason Berenzhin's new flame, is the daughter of a notorious felon. When asked about it, Douglas was close mouthed about exactly what her father did, leaving one to wonder what exactly is his crime, and how much does she really know."
just below that was another,
Jason Berenzhin's new girlfriend, Samantha Douglas comes from a family with a checkered past. When asked about her father, convicted and currently in prison, Douglas only replied "...he's paying for it." Could it be that the new belle hides some secrets of her own? What exactly does she want her father to pay for
"That's the kind of thing you can expect. You have to be really careful or they'll twist things around. After my accident they had me strung out on drugs, an overdose victim, and in rehab. As long as they make it clear that they're speculating, they can print just about anything." He watched her dismay at what he wrote and he could see her fear. He brought her hand to his lips. "Just remember one thing, we'll see it through together, and I'll be with you."
She smiled a bit at that, and Jason added, "And Lynn will be behind us both, and God help anyone that gets her mad." He looked at her again, "You sure you'll be okay with all this?"
Sam couldn’t believe how a simple statement, how just 8 words could be twisted around to make her dad sound like some sort of big-time criminal. She let out the breath she was holding and poked at an ice cube melting in the remnants of her drink with her straw, still holding tight to Jason’s hand.
“I’ll be okay.” She nodded, adding another smile while concentrating on the glass on the table. “I’m a little tougher than I look and all. I’m just sorry it’s an issue. I didn’t even think it’d be a problem, I mean, it was his mistake, not mine, you know? “
Jason nodded, and squeezed her hand. “They don’t care.”
“Sucks that they’re like that to get a story. I can’t believe they made all that crud up about you after your accident.” She said, a hint of sympathy in her voice. “I mean, it had to be bad enough on you without being pecked at by a bunch of buzzards.”
“It wasn’t easy.” He admitted, still holding a faint smile.
“I’ll bet.” She replied, a thought flashing through her as she finished off the remainder of her drink. A smile crossed her lips as she set the glass back down. Jason shot her a puzzled look, a curious grin spreading on his face as well. He was amazing. He could just cut ties and go off with some starlett who didn't get all flustered by Valentina's pit crew, and had nothing the press could get into a frenzy on, and here he was worried about her feelings.... he was amazing.
“Sam?” He asked.
“You’ll be with me.” She repeated back to him. “It means a lot. And I told you, you just being around makes me smile. But really, if this is a problem, for you, your image and all, that’s what I’m more worried about. My image gets tarnished…” She grinned again. “I can always go badass. Spike my hair, get a few tatoos. Who’s gonna mess with the daughter of the next Al Capone?” She scoffed lightly. "Just... you and Lynn let me know what I should say, if anything. And I'll make sure and stay on Lynn's good side, while I'm at it."
Jason laughed "No! no hairspikes or tattos...ugh. Well, unless I can choose where they go." Sam let out a shocked sound and smacked the arm that was extended across the table. "Sam, it's not going to be a problem with my image. There's a saying in the business that goes "Any publicity is good publicity." Even if they did start out with this, there's nowhere for it to go. It'd be a buzz for a very short period, and then die when it couldn't go anywhere." He saw Sam taking it all in, so added, "Take the whole thing with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. How many times have they been going to split because of the "other woman" or "other man", then nothing get heard about again, because there was a simple boring answer? I'm just saying it's going to be a splash, and talked about. The other thing to remember is...don't believe most of what you read. Or more to the point, pay attention to what's NOT said."
He grabbed the paper he'd scribbled the 'headlines' on, and pointed it out, "Everything they said was true, the only reason it makes your dad sound bad, was because of the things they didn't say. Sure, you were close mouthed, because they didn't ask you anything else. The other one? Anyone that's convicted can be considered notorious, and you did say that he's paying for it. What they're not saying is that he's sorry for it, and is being responsible for his actions."
Jason laughed again, "I remember one time, I was literally being rushed to a rehearsal after getting caught in some bad traffic, and a reporter tried to stop me to ask me about the show. I told him 'I can't talk', meaning because I was in a rush. The paper the next day came out saying that I must think the show was in trouble, since I didn't show up till the last minute, and when asked about the show my reluctance to talk showed that I had serious misgivings. Prefaced of course by the famous words 'in the opinon of this reporter'. It doesn't matter what you say, but you have to say something, because if you say nothing, then you get a bad rap, and the media makes you out to be against them, like your Sean Penns, George Clooneys, or Alec Baldwins."
He looked over and saw the wheels spinning, and squeezed her hand. "It's a big pain in the ass, annoying, and aggravating," he winked, "and fun as hell to outwit them, and Lynn is one of the best."
“Nah, it is important.” She insisted, giving him a warm smile. “It’s important because it’s a part of you. I loved all the red carpet stuff because I got to spend it with you and see that side of you.” She pointed to his photo in one of the magazines. “This guy. But then again.” she slightly kicked his foot under the table, and nodded to him. “I’m kinda partial to this guy too. And I trust you, so I trust Lynn. As far as what they say… I don’t pay it a lot of mind. Sorta like school.” Sam continued, with a nod, making the connection. “You know, there’s some major breaking news in homeroom and everyone’s buzzing about it, and then by lunch? We’re all onto different topics.”
“Well, it goes a little further than that with the press, but yeah, that’s the jist of it.”
“The rumor mill was going with a few good ones while you were in New York, you know, how you always play the field, or were making out with some huge star somewhere, and how you were going to ditch the school dance, or how I’m seeing you ‘cause you have money, and I didn’t pay them any mind either, on account of I knew nothing was true. Mainly it made me realize that they didn’t really know you, or really didn’t know me, that’s what I wrote it off as, then figured how lucky I was for getting to know you. And yes.” She looked at the paper again and laughed. “Getting dressed up was a blast.”
**********************A few Days Later*************************
Jason was finishing a workout, pleased with the progress he was making. The working out was paying off, keeping him fit, and helping with other problems. The strain that his heightened vocal chords placed on his neck had him concerned, but Doc Syl set him on a workout regimine that helped strengthen his shoulders, neck and core, and the strain seemed to lessen.
He was headed for the locker room when his cell phone rang. He sighed, picking up the phone to see who it was to call them back later, when he noticed the call was from Lynne, so he picked up.
"Hello, Lynne."
"Hey there Wunderkid. Have you seen the latest Paragon Tattler?"
"Haven't had a chance. Bad?" Jason's brow furrowed wondering what he might have done wrong that they'd pick up on, but came up blank. "I didn't think that I'd given them anything to gossip about."
"Not you, Jase. Sam." Jason throat sank, as he swallowed. "I don't know if it's bad, but you should talk to her. I'll work damage control from this end.”
“Okay. Thanks, Lynne.” Jason shut the phone, and headed for the shower.
After a quick shower, Jason found Sam, and wrapped her up from behind, kissing her neck fondly. “Hello there, Samantha.”
Sam placed her hands over his, tilting her head to the side slightly, smiling. “Hello there, yourself.”
“What would you say to lunch at the Café?”
“I’d say yes, and bring your wallet, I’m starving.” She laughed.
Jason laughed in return, and they left, soon getting a table on the heated patio. After ordering, Jason pulled out a copy of the Paragon Tattler, and flipped to an interior page.
“Sam, there’s something I think you should see.” Jason, turned the paper around so she could see the article, and held his breath, slightly.
Sam read the article, and Jason could see the rage building up as her brow furrowed. “How can they say these things! They’re painting my dad to be the next coming of the mob hit man.” She looked up at Jason, and he could see that she was holding back tears of frustration, just barely.
“I know, Sam.” He took her hand, squeezing a bit, “This is what I was talking about the other day.”
“But Jase, they tried to link him to my mother’s accident! It doesn’t even say that this was all looked into, and there’s no way my father could have done that! Where are the quotes from people that say he was a good guy, that he loved my mother, or that he took care of me on his own and loved me?!”
Jason looked around, thankful that because of the cold, not too many people were on the patio. “Sam…shhh, I know.” He smiled at her and reached over to brush a thumb lightly over the ridge of her cheekbone, and she leaned her cheek into his palm, calming down a bit. “They’re not going to print those quotes, they don’t sell paper. This is all the stuff we talked about.”
“I know, but this…this is just not fair!”
Jason leaned back in his chair, grinning at her with that slightly crooked grin, which caught her attention.
“How can you just sit there grinning? This is bad.”
“No, it’s not. Well okay, it’s a little bad, but we have help. Lynne’s already on it, and we may have something to do shortly. I understand that your Dad became a big advocate for driving education, and anti drunk driving campaigns after the accident?”
“Well, yeah.” Sam looked shocked “How’d you find that out?”
Jason shook his head still grinning, “I told you Lynne was good. So here’s how we tackle this…..
Jason was finishing a workout, pleased with the progress he was making. The working out was paying off, keeping him fit, and helping with other problems. The strain that his heightened vocal chords placed on his neck had him concerned, but Doc Syl set him on a workout regimine that helped strengthen his shoulders, neck and core, and the strain seemed to lessen.
He was headed for the locker room when his cell phone rang. He sighed, picking up the phone to see who it was to call them back later, when he noticed the call was from Lynne, so he picked up.
"Hello, Lynne."
"Hey there Wunderkid. Have you seen the latest Paragon Tattler?"
"Haven't had a chance. Bad?" Jason's brow furrowed wondering what he might have done wrong that they'd pick up on, but came up blank. "I didn't think that I'd given them anything to gossip about."
"Not you, Jase. Sam." Jason throat sank, as he swallowed. "I don't know if it's bad, but you should talk to her. I'll work damage control from this end.”
“Okay. Thanks, Lynne.” Jason shut the phone, and headed for the shower.
After a quick shower, Jason found Sam, and wrapped her up from behind, kissing her neck fondly. “Hello there, Samantha.”
Sam placed her hands over his, tilting her head to the side slightly, smiling. “Hello there, yourself.”
“What would you say to lunch at the Café?”
“I’d say yes, and bring your wallet, I’m starving.” She laughed.
Jason laughed in return, and they left, soon getting a table on the heated patio. After ordering, Jason pulled out a copy of the Paragon Tattler, and flipped to an interior page.
“Sam, there’s something I think you should see.” Jason, turned the paper around so she could see the article, and held his breath, slightly.
Sam read the article, and Jason could see the rage building up as her brow furrowed. “How can they say these things! They’re painting my dad to be the next coming of the mob hit man.” She looked up at Jason, and he could see that she was holding back tears of frustration, just barely.
“I know, Sam.” He took her hand, squeezing a bit, “This is what I was talking about the other day.”
“But Jase, they tried to link him to my mother’s accident! It doesn’t even say that this was all looked into, and there’s no way my father could have done that! Where are the quotes from people that say he was a good guy, that he loved my mother, or that he took care of me on his own and loved me?!”
Jason looked around, thankful that because of the cold, not too many people were on the patio. “Sam…shhh, I know.” He smiled at her and reached over to brush a thumb lightly over the ridge of her cheekbone, and she leaned her cheek into his palm, calming down a bit. “They’re not going to print those quotes, they don’t sell paper. This is all the stuff we talked about.”
“I know, but this…this is just not fair!”
Jason leaned back in his chair, grinning at her with that slightly crooked grin, which caught her attention.
“How can you just sit there grinning? This is bad.”
“No, it’s not. Well okay, it’s a little bad, but we have help. Lynne’s already on it, and we may have something to do shortly. I understand that your Dad became a big advocate for driving education, and anti drunk driving campaigns after the accident?”
“Well, yeah.” Sam looked shocked “How’d you find that out?”
Jason shook his head still grinning, “I told you Lynne was good. So here’s how we tackle this…..