So I'm John Lawrence's son

Jack walked out of the cafeteria with Sam right behind him, the echoes of the fight still echoing through the school hallways. His nose was bleeding, and he could feel the pain throbbing, but he kept a straight face as he walked to the nearest laundry room.

"Sit down," Sam said, grabbing a handful of paper towels and wetting them in the sink. "You can't go around with your face like that."

"What's a tiger without a scar or two, huh?" Jack said, smiling at her as he teased her.

Sam patted him on the shoulder, laughing too.

Jack leaned against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt Sam's delicate touch pressing the damp cloth against his nose.

"You didn't have to do that, you know?" Sam said, focused.

Jack opened his eyes and shrugged. "I can't stand to see this kind of thing happening. Someone had to do something."

Sam smiled slightly, but didn't say anything. Jack always seemed so steady, so unshakable, as if nothing could get to him. But somehow, he always knew exactly what to say and do to make things easier for others. She finished cleaning up the blood and handed him a dry cloth.

"There, now you just look like a guy who got punched and not like someone who stepped out of a horror movie."

Jack chuckled softly and stood up. "Thanks, Dr. LaRusso."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "My car has engine trouble. Can you give me a ride home?"

Jack nodded. "No problem. Besides, I think it'll be cool to go for a walk."

The two headed to the parking lot, and Sam looked on in surprise as Jack unlocked a plain-looking but well-kept black car.

"Wow! Is that your car?"

"I bought it at your mother's store," Jack replied, turning the key and starting the engine. "Amanda sold it to me. She's a lot like you in some ways."

Sam blinked in surprise. "Really? My mom never told me that."

Jack gave a small smile. "She was pretty firm in the negotiation, but she gave me a discount in the end. I think she knew I really needed the car. Your mother is a smart woman, Sam. I can see where you get that from."

Sam chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, she always knows what she's doing."

They walked out of the school, and the comfortable silence between them was broken by Sam sighing and looking out the window.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

Sam hesitated before answering. "I just… I feel like everything is falling apart. Everyone looks at me differently now. Like I'm a joke."

Jack glanced at her quickly before turning back to the street. "People always talk shit. What matters is who you really are."

Sam felt a rush of heat in his chest. Jack always made things seem so simple, so easy to solve. "Thank you for that."

"So what?" Jack asked with a half smile.

"For… everything. For being here."

Jack just shrugged and turned down a side street. "So, since we have nothing better to do, how about we have some fun?"

Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"

Jack parked in front of a small amusement park. "Let's get out of the routine for a bit."

For the next few minutes, Sam forgot all about her troubles. Jack challenged her to a race at the arcade, where she beat him at the dance game, but he got his revenge at pool. Then they went on rides that spun too fast, and Sam felt dizzy with laughter. For a moment, she felt like her old self, without the pressure of stares, gossip, and judgment.

When it was getting dark, they decided to end the night by going to the movies. They picked a random movie and settled into their seats. Throughout the session, Sam realized that she wasn't paying attention to the story — she was too busy watching Jack out of the corner of her eye. He seemed relaxed, unlike the guy who was always ready to fight the world.

At the end of the night, Jack drove her home. They sat in silence for a moment in the car before Sam finally said something.

"That was one of the best days I've had in a long time," she said, smiling softly.

Jack just nodded. "Good. You needed that."

She stared at him for a moment and felt a tightness in her chest. "I don't know what I would do without you, Jack."

He smiled slightly, but he didn't realize the real meaning behind her words. "You'd do just fine."

Sam got out of the car and waved before going into the house. In her room, she lay down on her bed and hugged her pillow, feeling a comfortable warmth in her chest. Chuckling to herself, she tossed and turned, thinking about the day. Maybe things weren't so bad after all. Maybe, just maybe, Jack was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time.