What If...iSisters

What if Sam's mother wasn't the way she is? What if she was smart, caring, and wealthy? What if...she married Sheldon Shay, and had two beautiful girls? What if those girls turned out to be debutant named Sam and Carly Shay? What if Sam took after her mother, and Carly her father before he passed away? What would be different?

Sam and Carly sat around their living room, laying on the large, green-fabric couch, the two had their feet up in the air as they painted their nails red. The gold-trimmed roof went gorgeously with the red carpeting and wall paper. Music from iPods played over the stereo system, filling the room. "Do you think you're gonna ask him?" Carly asked, making sure to evenly coat her big toe.

"Nah," Sam answered, not looking away from her foot. "I'm not really into dating right now. Besides, if I go to the ball alone, I can roam around all I want." The girl's long, straight blond hair rested on the arm rest as her bracelet shined under the lights of the room. "Are you and Nevel still happening?"

"Not really," Carly answered, putting her left foot to the side and starting work on her right. "He hasn't been talking to me lately, hasn't called, says we're growing apart. I'm just not feeling it anymore. I mean, since we started dating, he's been everything but a friend to me, you know?"

"Yeah," the blond answered, her voice understanding but not very involved. "I'd say sorry, but I think you'd be way better off single." Finishing her nails, Sam put her foot straight up in the air to admire her art, then set her legs on the head of the couch to dry. "Are you gonna fly solo for the dance tomorrow?"

"I think so," Carly answered, almost with an uninvolved sight. "I never have fun when I take a date. Not to sound spoiled, but the night's never about me, you know? So, were you still going to that movie tonight?"

"You know it," Sam answered. "I love Pride and Prejudice. You?"

"No, thanks," the brunette said, setting her feet down. "I think I'm gonna head to bed early tonight. Have fun." The blond nodded, carefully moving into a seated position. "Hey, if Wendie shows up, ask her if she wants to come tomorrow, please."

"Sure," Sam agreed. "It'll be fun going to a gala with friends for once. Hey, I've gotta get going. Night, sis." The young woman stood up, gave her sister a kiss on the forehead, then walked off to her room.

"Night, sis," Carly replied, making a kissing sound back at her sister. Suddenly, the song, Don't Dream It's Over by Sixpence None the Richer came on, and the teenager settled in on the couch. It'll be fun going with friends for once. "Yeah...friends." Carly closed her eyes, and lay still a second before going off to bed.

The next morning, Carly looked at herself in the mirror, gave her cheeks a light dusting of blush, brushed out her brown hair, then left with Sam for school. "Bye, Mom," the two called as they departed from their home. Those words still buzzed in the brunette's head. "How was the movie?" Carly asked, slinging her back pack over her shoulder.

"Nice," Sam answered. "Oh, and I asked Wendie. She said sure. I'm gonna help her get ready about half an hour before."

"Cool," Carly replied. "This'll be fun." The two walked forward for just a second. "Hey...Have you ever..." The brunette folded her lips inward, and kept walking.

"What?" Sam persisted. Her long blond locks gently blew in the breeze, as did the bottom of her pink skirt.

"Have you ever felt like...we don't have, like...friends?" Carly finally managed to ask. "I mean, Wendie and Missy for sure, but...then guys like Nevel."

"Carls, don't worry," the blond comforted her sister. "Just because Nevel stopped bothering...we're smart, we've got real friends...besides, if we really need, we can just buy some." Sam laughed at her own joke.

"Don't say that!" Carly snapped. "That's just what I'm talking about...what if people only like us 'cuz we're rich?"

"Like they like Rebecca or Courtney?" Sam quickly replied. "There's a difference...we have friends. People like us for us." Carly nodded, felt her sister's hand touch her shoulder, and kept walking to school. However, deep down, that feeling; that fear...remained. "Come on," Sam said, once the teacher had departed, leaving the sisters alone in study hall. "I can tell you're still upset...sit down with me." The sisters pushed their desks together, and faced one another. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Carly answered. "I mean...what if we weren't rich? What if we lived in an apartment and just...did what we could?"

"...We'd be exactly where we are now, but not have the money or the good fortune to say we're poor little rich girls," Sam answered without any fear or weakness in her voice. "Don't wish away the good things you have...having money doesn't change anything...it's just fun we get to have that not everybody else can...they don't blame us for that, and we shouldn't blame ourselves for it or even look at is as bad."

"But how do we know that?" the brunette shot back, still uneasy. "That's the way things should be, but that's not life...people don't go by how we think things should be." The two looked at one another for a silent moment. "...How can we be sure?" Carly finally whispered.

"We're not..." Sam answered. "We just take our friends...know and trust in the fact that they are our friends...and let things happen. We're not stupid, Carls...if they're using us, we'll be able to tell...but no one's gonna do that. We love Missy and Wendie, and we know them. Having money...that doesn't account for anything. If we were jerks, we wouldn't have anyone...money doesn't change that."

"Maybe not," the brunette replied. "I guess that's just the way they play it out in movies and t.v."

"It's just an added insecurity that comes with the territory," the blond girl explained. "Just overlook it...if not, we lose what we have...and that's exactly what you're afraid of."

Carly stared into space, her jaw opened. Then, she nodded; truly understanding her sister's words. This had been premeditated; maybe not for her, maybe not for this occasion, but it was certain that Sam had, at one time or another, or even now, gone through this same problem, and she knew what to tell herself. "They're just like us," the brunette girl finally declared. "And I was the only one with the problem, it seems...Why is that?"

"It just happens," Sam answered. "You're so afraid you're gonna be seen as above everyone...that you start looking at yourself as below them on the important things. You're trying to make up for something that's not there. You don't need to worry about that, sis. You're a good person. I'm a good person...now, let's get ready for our party tonight." Carly smiled, and took her sister's hand.

"Thanks, sis," Carly said, feeling a sort of solace from this entire ordeal; in its entiredy, in its essence, in everything involved. "For everything." The two smiled at one another, looking one another in the eye, and sharing the feeling of security, the true principle of their friendship, and the satisfaction of making it through another day.