Roger?  Maybe Samantha had a pet named Roger; he wondered who Roger was.  He remembered his sister had a bunny rabbit when they were kids named Roger; oh Kiara.  He wondered where she was now.  Hey!  Erik was proud of himself; he remembered Kiara's name.  Sometimes to avoid all the hurt, he would stuff the name in his mind.  It never worked though:  the name was so pretty and it fit in with the little sweetheart sister he had.  He was about to tell Sam, but decided maybe he should wait in revealing all these details.<br/><br/>"Well you see, my parents didn't mind the kids coming and going.  Around this neighborhood, if they didn't come and go in this house - they would come and go over someone else's.  My mom always thought it would be better they ate all the food here and play nintendo over here with me than they go off to someone else's house they couldn't trust or go out in the streets and do things they shouldn't do.<br/><br/>"But, my mom's brother left her when she was really young, and she didn't want similar pain and hurt for me.  My Mom fell in love with me when she first saw me, but she said she couldn't bring my sister with me because they didn't have any room for all of us.  It tore her to pieces, but then she said maybe it was better because it was better that I not get too attached and then maybe my sister would leave me later on in life or something.<br/><br/>Sometimes Mom would rather be friends with me than my parent.  She'd let me get away with murder just so we could hang out, have fun, stuff like that.  But Dad had to be the parent I guess; and if my Mom and Dad had any disagreements or fights, I never saw them.  On the few chances they did disagree, they usually asked my opinion and stuff.  Now that I'm older, they know I'm getting interested in girls, get okay grades, stuff like that.  But they have been so understanding.  Strange though; they told me no girls over the house while they're gone, but you're okay.  They must like you, Samantha.  Actually, I want you to come over all the time.  You know what, come over anytime."<br/><br/>He was tempted now to show Sam the photo book that had pictures of him and her sister.  She seemed so open to him now; and he was relaxing with having his hair twirled by her fingers.  It was a calming feeling, and it always worked for him to do that for Kiara when they were young.  But he felt bad when Samantha started crying looking through the first picture book; he decided he better not push it, he better let that go for now.<br/><br/>When Sam made the statement of having her heart torn out, Erik wanted to grab her up, hug her, and never let her go.  But he couldn't, or could he?  Maybe if he made out with her, she might feel close to someone again and know he cared for her.<br/><br/>But he didn't know how to introduce the subject; the few girls he had gone out with just kissed him automatically.  Was he forcing things?  He knew what he would do.<br/><br/>"This is going to be weird; well, you know I want to be with you and be more than friends.  Maybe you don't feel the same way.  But, do you think ... I don't know.  This sounds weird.  But, do you think we could you know ... kiss for a moment.  Just to see, you know, if there's something there?  Umm ... and ... and, if things don't work out ... let's promise to be great friends anyway.  I don't know, maybe we could be like adopted siblings or something without the romance.  Either way; I, just don't want to let a great person like you slip through my life if I didn't have to.  What do you think?"