Second Time Around

Hey guys. Here's the final chapter of Second Time Around. Hope you like it :) As always, thanks to Mococoa. You're the bestest!!

--LilMami07

*

Tanner leaned in closer to her and she could feel his warm breath on her face. Samantha gave him a skeptical look before scooting away from him.

"You don't have to be all up on me to talk."

"You want other people to hear about the type of people we were in our past life?" he asked loudly.

A few curious heads looked up from newspapers, books and laptops and over at them. He smiled as she noticed the wandering eyes on them.

"Okay," she said quietly. "But not too close. I shouldn't be able to smell what you ate last night."

"That's my girl," he said smiling. "And pussy. Pussy is what I ate last night."

"Oh my fucking God, will you come on?"

"Okay, okay. So we were together once upon a time. We met back in high school and were inseparable since."

"High school? I don't remember you from high school. You're full of shit," she said, her voice raising a few octaves.

"Shut up."

"Excuse you?" she asked taken back.

"You heard me. Shut your mouth and listen for once," he said seriously. She shut up.

"This is past life shit, okay. Not stuff that happened like 5 or 7 years ago. This happened like... a lifetime ago. Understand?"

Samantha nodded slowly and listened.

"Home life wasn't the greatest for either of us, so we ran away. We kinda lived day-to-day. We did a lot of dumb shit. I would steal cars, and we would take them to a warehouse where we kept them. You were into cars big time. Your dad taught you all about them when you were younger. When he got put away, you used what he had taught you to get shit."

"Put away? My dad got locked up?" she asked.

"Yeah. He went to prison, and you lived with your mom for a while. Things didn't work out between you two, so we left."

"My dad's not in prison though," she said nervously. Tanner's eyebrows shot up, but he was quiet, so she continued.

"He's dead. My mom was a pain in the ass afterwards. I didn't run away, though. My aunt and uncle took me in."

"Really?" Tanner was quiet for a while. "What happened to your father?"

Samantha gave him a look -- a blank stare.

"You say we left. Where'd we go?" she asked ignoring his question.

"Umm... Around. Abandoned buildings and barns. Basically anywhere we saw fit."

"So you're trying to tell me I, no, we were homeless runaway hobos?"

"We weren't hobos. We had nice rides, okay?" he smiled. "Anyway, we were young and dumb. Got into a lot of trouble. Our relationship was...strange to say the least. Kinda shitty."

"How so?" she asked interested.

"Well for starters, you were fucking nuts!" he said excitedly, causing people to turn around and stare.

"And I'm guessing you were the angel."

"Oh no. I wasn't an angel. I was fucking nuts too, but you were on a different level of nutty. I was a dick then. Always snapping on you and treating you like shit. You were the crazy, violent one though."

"Me violent? No," she said, her voice oozing with sarcasm.

"Anyway," he said dismissing her, "we were both crazy in our own ways, but we were crazy about one another. And I do mean crazy. The last thing we did together was take a road trip to California. Well, I guess you would consider it like half a trip."

He focused downward at his phone as it lit up. He smiled and his fingers moved a mile a minute as he sent a text message.

"What happened?"

"What? CJ wants me to take over the shop for him today," he said looking away from his buzzing phone.

"No dumbass. What happened next in the story?"

"Whoa, missy. Do I sense hostility?" he asked smiling. She sighed loudly.

"Can you tell me what happens next in the story?"

"Okay. That's better, but it's not a story. Stories are like a bunch of fake shit written to entertain people. This is real life. Everything I tell you is truthful and real "

"Tanner!"

"Okay! The good part. You killed us."

"What?"

"You blew us up. Kaboom! I'm still not exactly sure how it happened. I don't know shit about cars. You went under the hood and came back talking crazy and shit. You said maybe we'll get it right next lifetime. So here we are. Next lifetime." He leaned back in the chair trying to gauge her reaction.

Samantha looked at him wide-eyed and in astonishment. She couldn't believe it. She wasn't sure if she could trust anything that fell from his lips, no matter how beautiful they were. But when he stared at her with those playful baby blues, how could she not?

She wasn't going to.

She powered down her laptop as quickly as she could and fished her keys out of her purse.

"I gotta get out of here."

"What, why?" Tanner stammered. "You asked. I told you. It's not a big deal, Sam."

"Shut up. Just shut up," she hissed. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"Whoa, potty mouth. Tell yourself what you want, Sam. You know I'm telling the truth. How do you think I know so much about you?"

"I don't know. Stalk much these days? You read my shit on the sign-in sheet at the parlor, and it hurts your ego that I never called, so you stalk me. You find out where I work and try to lure me in with some psycho story. Get a shrink, sweetheart."

"First of all, don't flatter yourself. I don't have to stalk anyone, sweetheart. Look at me," he smiled, eyes gleaming.

"Fuck you."

"You offering?" Sam sighed loudly out of frustration.

"Sam, calm down."

"I am calm, Tanner. I'm leaving. I would say this has been fun, but I would be lying."

"You never answered my question."

"What question?"

"What happened to your dad?"

Samantha grabbed her laptop and tucked it under her arm before answering. She shrugged.

"I killed him."

************

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn.

But that's alright because I like the way it hurts.

Just gonna stand there and hear me cry.

That's alright because I love the way you lie.

I love the way you lie.

Samantha sat up in bed breathless. She held her hand to her chest and felt her heart beat through her chest.

She blew up.

Tanner had told her. They were together in a different lifetime. Their relationship was reckless. Destructive. They loved each other, but it was a different type of love. An obsession maybe. She killed them both. He was telling the truth. Samantha looked around her dark room before reaching over to the nightstand to flick on the lamp. She looked over at the clock, 12:47.

She hopped out of bed, walked to the bathroom and looked into the mirror. She wasn't a killer. There had to be more to the story. She wouldn't just kill them without reason, unless she WAS crazy. Samantha opened the medicine cabinet and reached for the Celexa. She took two with ease and cast another look in the mirror.

Samantha walked over to her desk and opened her auto tech book. She tried to read over the chapter and take notes as she went along. She couldn't focus because thoughts raced through her mind a mile a minute. She closed the book and sat there and stared off. She was alone in her thoughts, and a strange sense of possessiveness washed over her.

She was going to go talk to Mia. Samantha walked down the hall to her room. She put her ear to the door but didn't hear anything. She turned the door knob and walked in. She saw Mia lying in bed wrapped in her pink comforter and clothes scattered about the floor. She walked in and sat on the bed but felt something hard. She stood up and looked at what she had sat on. She hit the spot on the bed with her fist a few times before it moved.

"Oww. What the fuck?" a muffled voice asked.

Mia stirred and looked toward the other side of the bed and then over at Samantha. CJ's head popped up from underneath the bundle of covers.

"CJ? What the fuck!" Samantha yelled.

"Sammy, get out! We're naked," Mia whined.

"Oh my God! I'm gonna go burn my eyes out," she said heading for the door.

She went back to her room and slammed the door. She looked at the clock again, 1:02. It was going to be a long night.

****************

Samantha walked into the parlor and saw CJ standing at the front desk. He gave her a shit-eating grin, and she scoffed.

"I can't believe you're fucking her."

"Don't say it like that. You make it sound so dirty. We're just having fun."

"Y'all didn't have to try to hide it. I mean, I really don't care."

"It wasn't my idea. It was hers. She said she didn't want to rub in your face that you don't have a man and haven't had one for a while."

"That bitch," Samantha laughed. "Don't listen to her. I've had guys."

"Yea, she said you'd say something like that."

Samantha laughed. Mia was right. Samantha hadn't been with a guy in a while. Guys just weren't too high on her priority list.

"When are you going to finish my sleeve?"

"Whenever you want baby girl, but not now. I have an appointment in about 15 minutes."

She shook her head in agreement and heard Tanner's voice in one of the rooms accompanied by another. She walked around until she saw him in the first room. A light-skinned girl was laying on her stomach with her shirt rolled up getting a tattoo on her lower back. The girl had her neck craned awkwardly trying to stare at Tanner. He looked up when Samantha walked in and then back down at his work. Samantha stood there a bit longer watching.

The girl he was tattooing turned and looked at Samantha irritably before turning back toward Tanner.

"Umm...can we talk?"

Tanner nodded slowly, concentrating on the tattoo at hand as the machine hummed.

"After I finish this though. It'll be another 10 or 15 minutes."

"Okay," she said before giving the back of the girl's head a last dirty look. Tanner was able to catch a quick glimpse of her ass before she disappeared. The girl cleared her throat and Tanner looked down at her and smiled.

Samantha walked out of the small room and over to the row of blue chairs and sat down. She reached on the end table and picked up an auto magazine.

"There's a music festival going on at the waterfront tonight. You going?" the girl asked.

"Nah. I'll probably be working."

"That's too bad. I would love some company. I mean my girlfriends are going but a male companion would be nice. You should take off after this and come with me," she blabbed.

"I'm sure you girls will have fun without me. But if I knock off early, I'll check it out."

"That's what's up," the girl said excitedly. "You want my number so you can get up with me if you come?"

"Umm...yea. There's like a 99.9% chance I'm not going though, but okay. I'll get it when I finish, but you gotta be still sweetheart. I've come too far to fuck this tattoo up now."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl laughed.

Samantha looked up from the book. She could overhear their whole conversation, and for some strange reason she wanted to strangle the bubbly girl. For one, the girl was getting a tramp stamp. Secondly, she was trying way too hard.

Tanner finished the tattoo and guided the girl to the full length mirror 15 minutes later.

"It's gorgeous," she said excitedly looking at the "Redbone" tattoo.

"I try," he smiled.

She gave him a $100 bill and he went to go get change for it.

He looked over at a cross-legged Samantha. She chewed on her full bottom lip as she concentrated on the magazine. He laughed inwardly. She looked like a goddess but had the mindset of a felon. She wore a long black and white t-shirt that molded her boobs and torso nicely, with a black biker jacket with half sleeves over it. She had on those stretchy tight pants girls were wearing nowadays, and her hair hung around her face. Her studded nose ring twinkled. She suddenly looked up at him, and he smiled. She gave him a blank look.

"You almost done with her?"

"Yea," he laughed. "I just gotta get change."

"Oh, okay," she said before looking back down at the magazine.

"Everything okay with you?" he asked over his shoulder as he walked over to CJ to get change then back over to her.

"I guess," she said rising from her seat. She turned around and placed the magazine back on the table.

He noticed how her black leggings clung to the glorious curves of her thighs, ass and legs. The things he would do to her. The girl came out from the room and stood awkwardly.

"Umm..." the girl said clearing her throat.

Tanner whipped around quickly.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry. Here's your change. Forty bucks. Thanks and come again," he said before turning back toward Samantha. "So..."

"Thanks," the girl said flipping her wavy hair. "Now about that number."

"Number? Oh yea. It's on the card," he said absent-mindedly.

The girl sighed and walked over to the counter and picked up a card. She shot Samantha a dirty look before leaving.

"So what did you want to talk about, gorgeous?"

She tried not to smile and get all schoolgirl giggly, but she couldn't help it. He was so fucking cute.

"Your hair. It's different," she said.

"Different? How?" he asked removing his fitted and rubbing his short hair.

"It's shorter. It used to be much longer then. It was all fluffy and Fabioish."

He was confused for a bit, but then it dawned on him and he smiled. She remembered.

"Yea. I cut it. I keep it short now. Fabioish?"

"Yea. The 'I can't believe it's not butter guy'. And how about that black 1982 Mustang with the broken doors? You still got that?" she asked slowly smiling.

Tanner laughed loudly.

"You know I don't. You blew it up."

He smiled beautifully at her. Tanner always had a nice smile. His eyes made blue half-moons, and his dimples showed when he smiled like that.

"Just asking," she said innocently. "What are you driving now?"

"The 68 Charger."

Samantha's smile dropped.

"The one you got from that girl?" she asked snappily.

"Calm down, Sam. I gotta drive something."

"Yea well whatever. Look, I don't usually do this, but I'm sorry for blowing up on you the other day. All of this is just so weird."

"Wow, Sam," Tanner said holding his hand near his heart.

"What?" Samantha asked suspiciously.

"You're getting soft on me," he teased.

"Fuck off," she said shoving his chest.

"It's okay. I know you love me. And ouch," he said rubbing the spot where she shoved him.

"Don't be weird," she laughed.

"So what'd you come by for?"

"I had these wild dreams."

"Yea. Those are the best, aren't they? You wake up with the biggest hard--"

"Eww," she said putting a hand up to his face, interrupting him. "Shut up."

"Sorry. I get a little carried away sometimes."

"Whatever."

They stood there silently and stared at each other awkwardly before Tanner decided to break the ice."

"You wanna go to that music festival shit?"

"You mean the one you promised to go to with that girl?" she scoffed.

"I didn't promise her shit."

"Yes you did. I heard you. Don't lie."

"Aww. Is someone jealous?" he asked grabbing her hand.

"Don't do that," she said snatching away from him. "I'll kill you."

"Oh don't I know it. But anyway, I didn't promise her anything. She wanted to give me her number but she didn't. Tough shit."

"Aww, Tanner. Don't leave her broken-hearted," Samantha mocked. "I'm sure her number's on the sign-in sheet."

"Probably, but I don't wanna talk to her. I wanna talk to Samantha."

"Don't call me that," she snapped.

"What? Everybody calls you Samantha except Mia."

"Yea..." she said confused. She didn't know why she snapped like that. He was right. Everybody called her Samantha. But somehow it didn't seem right when he did.

"So let's go. CJ can handle the shop."

She looked deep into those friendly blue eyes that she knew she'd stared into a thousand times before and felt a sense of security. She trusted him. She nodded.

************

Light poles and strings of lights lit up the boardwalk. Music blared through large speakers and people, young people, danced wildly. Lots of familiar faces were scattered about. Tanner high-fived and gave a "what's up bro" to people. Samantha quickly spotted out the light-skinned girl from earlier. She was chatting with her friends and walking around with her cell phone in hand. She looked over at Samantha and Tanner and frowned.

Samantha laughed on the inside. Silly girl.

"Oh shit," Tanner muttered.

He spotted the girl out and grabbed Samantha's hand, turning the other way.

"What's the matter?" Samantha asked innocently. "See someone you know?"

"Let's just go over here Sam," he said laughing.

"Too late. She's coming over here," she said in a sing-songy voice.

Tanner, still walking, turned quickly and saw the girl and her friends walking toward them. Samantha silently sized them up. She tugged on his arm, and told him to stop walking. He sighed and obeyed. The group caught up with them, and the three girls gave them dirty looks.

"So...I thought you weren't coming Sketch?" the girl from earlier said.

"Yea," he said sighing and smiling. "I guess I changed my mind."

"Hmm..." the girl said. "Why didn't you call or text?"

"It slipped my mind. I was in such a rush, you know."

Samantha stood there and shot daggers at the girl. So many things went through her mind. She contemplated ripping all three of the girls' faces off and making a coat with their skin. She wanted to toss them into the water. She wanted to leave a fist imprint in each of their faces.

"Excuse me, but umm...don't you see me standing here?" she asked calmly.

The girl rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"If you wanna keep them in your head, I advise you to not roll them at me," she said smiling. She was smiling on the outside but boiling on the inside. One of the other girls took a step further and Samantha's gaze locked on her.

"Ladies, ladies, ladies. There's no need for this hostility," Tanner mediated while grabbing Samantha's arm tightly.

"You're right Tanner. Some people don't take rejection well. There's no need to get angry over it though. You win some, you lose some," Samantha said cheerily.

"I'm not mad," the girl said angrily. "I just don't like to be played," the girl said stepping toward Tanner. Samantha stepped in front of him.

"Problem?"

The girl examined Samantha and didn't really want to fight. Whatever. She backed away slowly and walked off. Samantha grabbed his hand violently and walked.

"You need to be more careful with the girls you play with," she said. "You're going to make me go to jail which is something I've yet to do this lifetime."

"You've changed, babe. This time last lifetime you'd be charged with murder and we'd be trying to elude the cops. You have gotten soft."

"Don't. You don't know the things that were running through my mind back there."

"You still take medicine?"

"Yea," she said quietly.

"So you're still a basket case?" he joked.

"Fuck you," she said forcefully yanking on his arm.

"Promise?"

"Shut up," she smiled.

The two walked around and laughed some more. He thought she was so beautiful with her head thrown back laughing, and he was glad he was the one who made her laugh.

Rihanna's "What's my name" echoed through the air.

"That's my shit," Tanner said excitedly, moving to the music.

Samantha laughed at his offbeat moments and covered her face. His tall lean frame glided, bopped and dipped.

"What?" he asked smiling but still dancing.

"God, please stop. You're embarrassing me," she said stepping away.

"Don't be ashamed. Come on baby. Dance with me," he said reaching for her.

"No thank you," she yelled over the music.

He sprinted over to her and grabbed her, lifting her off her feet. She instinctively wrapped her legs around him and he provocatively humped her. She laughed hysterically and pushed at his chest.

"Put me down, weirdo," she yelled laughing.