#Sam was wearing a Bonnie onesie /j

[smolmakerel]

Life after the Ghostface killings in New York City was somewhat peaceful. As peaceful as it could be with the entire internet hounding you that you were going to end up becoming a serial killer like your dad.

If Sam had it her way, she would ban the internet. Because, honestly? Most of them were a bunch of incels (whatever that even meant. Sam overheard Mindy saying Richie was an incel and assumed it to mean a shitty person - which, true) who needed a positive social life.

And incels were why Sam usually stayed inside nowadays, because she didn't want to deal with shitty people trying to kill her. Again. For the third time.

Literally isolating herself led to the worst possible outcome.

For Tara.

"Um, Sam?"

Sam didn't bother putting the impact driver in her hand down. She whipped around and grinned at her bemused and annoyed sister coming into the living room.

Tara eyed the power tool in Sam's hand, the few screws poking out of her teeth, and the halfway-put-together hammock limp on the floor.

"Is there a reason why you're drilling holes in the wall?" Tara deadpanned, pulling her arms tight across her chest.

Sam looked down at the hammock as if it was obvious. It was kind of obvious. No, it was really obvious. The hammock was still half drilled into the wall and patiently waiting to be stuck across the room to stretch out. She opened her mouth to let the screws fall into her palm.

"I'm hanging a hammock."

"Why?"

"Because?"

"At 2 in the morning?" Sam went to open her mouth to defend herself, but Tara quickly narrowed her eyes and spoke up again. "When I have a final worth 40% of my grade at 9 in the morning?"

Sam slowly closed her jaw.

Tara held her angry glare for exactly 10 seconds before her shoulders dropped as she sighed. She trudged to the chair and curled up in it, patiently watching Sam watching her. Sam perked up at the silent "go on" from her sister.

"It was supposed to be a surprise for you," Sam admitted. She began to stretch the hammock to the other wall and used her stud finder on the wall. She sighed. "I guess I lost track of time."

Tara raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "So you haven't eaten all day?"

Sam laughed at that, nearly slipping and drilling her hand to the wall. Tara jolted at that but calmed down once Sam continued to laugh.

"That's my line, Tara." Sam tugged on the newly drilled hammock and sighed once she was satisfied it wasn't coming down. "Do you like it?"

"I think I'd like it even more if I didn't have to wake up during the installation."

Ok. Fine. Whatever.

Sam dramatically rolled her eyes and discarded the impact driver and stud finder on the half of the couch the hammock didn't cover. She flopped onto the hammock with a groan, hands behind her head.

"I'll just use it then," Sam teased with her eyes closed, "since someone doesn't appreciate honest work."

She could feel the side eye Tara was giving her, and she couldn't help but feel slightly panicked.

Did Tara really not like the gift? Was it over the top? Did it remind Tara too much of... before?

Before Sam could mentally degrade herself about how she should've known better than to burden Tara with this gift, the hammock rocked.

Sam snapped her eyes open at the tipping of the hammock and immediately threw her foot down to the floor for stability. Tara, from Sam's sudden movement, fell the rest of the way into the hammock.

Tara wriggled around, trying to get comfortable, and Sam laid as still as she could. As soon as Tara relaxed, almost completely on top of her older sister, Sam wrapped her arms around Tara and squeezed.

"Gotcha!" Sam said with a kiss to the crown of her head.

Tara grumbled, exhausted.

It was quiet after that. Sam rubbed soothing circles into Tara's back and hummed whatever song came to mind.

"Sammy?" Tara's tired voice slurred into Sam's shoulder. Sam hummed. "I love it; thank you so, so much. I feel like a kid again."

Sam swallowed. Wow. No one had ever really shown appreciation for the things she gave them. To hear how much Tara loved it made Sam love the gift too.

"It's nothing," Sam tried to downplay how happy she was, but the pitch in her voice gave it away.

Tara nuzzled deeper into her sister's bodywarmth, and Sam reached out to snag the wooly blanket from the couch beneath the hammock and toss it over them. Humming, Tara fully relaxed.

"Dos oruguitas," Sam softly sang, tucking Tara's hair behind her ear, "enamoradas.¹"

"Pasan sus noches," Tara mumbled, not even bothering to try and sing right now, "y madrugadas.²"

Sam snorted. Her foot began to lightly kick against the ground to sway the hammock.

The whir of the heater drowned out the honking outside of people rushing to get home and out of the way of the incoming snow storm.

Tara's shoulders hitched, drawing Sam's attention to them. Her eyes went wide when warm tears began to soak her shirt collar.

"Tara? Mi mariposa, ¿qué ocurre?" Sam lifted the two of them up enough so she could wipe away the tears flowing down Tara's cheeks. Each tear was a punch to the gut, and Sam wanted nothing more than to lightly assault whatever made Tara cry. "¿Estás bien?³"

Tara shook her head. "No es nada.⁴ I was thinking about our backyard. We used to do this all the time." She laughed wetly, full of tears. "I didn't know how much I missed it until now."

So... Sam needed to lightly assault herself. Got it.

At least she could make up for all of those afternoon naps in their backyard hammock she missed now.

"Me too," Sam agreed with a smile. She cupped Tara's face and kissed her forehead, and Tara sank into the action with a tired sigh. "Now -" Sam pulled back with a mock stern glare -"you're going back to sleep. You have your final in the morning. Why are you even awake right now?"

"What? You're the one that -"

"Shh, less talking more sleeping."

Tara huffed, but it sounded suspiciously like muffled laughter.

Sam pulled Tara back down and continued to rub her back and push her foot to move the hammock. The soothing motions combined with Sam's warmth lulled Tara into an easy sleep.

But Sam never stopped rocking her foot. She pulled the blanket higher over both of them before hugging her sister.

With Tara now sleeping, Sam silently dissolved into a mess of tears. She was glad Tara wasn't seeing this moment of weakness from her. What would she think of Sam if she knew Sam cried so easily over her?

"Te amo, Tara," she said as she gathered Tara as close as she could, until the world shifted and the puzzle completed. She was whole again. "Te amo mucho, mi corazón.⁵"

Sam closed her eyes and fell asleep with her entire world in her arms.

— ● — ○ — ● — ○ —

1: Two little caterpillars in love

2: They spend their nights and early mornings

3: My butterfly, what's going on? Are you ok?

4: It's nothing.

5: I love you, Tara. I love you so much, my heart.

[lasvegas0]

‘American Idol’ Recap: It’s All About Personality as the Auditions Come to an End

American Idol has only been back for two and a half weeks, but we’re already about to enter the next phase of the reboot with new judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.

I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be season 16 or season 1, but what I do know is that while the auditions are fun — both the good and the bad — Hollywood Week is when it really begins.

The big stage, the pressure, the judgments, the horrors of the group round … this is where the studs are separated from the duds, and stars begin their journey. And it’s right around the corner.

But first, we have to get through these last two hours of golden ticket giveaways. And so back to Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City and Savannah we go.

Seventeen-year-old Gabby Barrett and her family drove to Tennessee all the way from Pittsburgh, and she’s a daddy’s girl. He is a maintenance man for Goodwill, and he spends his nights cleaning apartments to provide the best life possible for his family. She’s cute and bubbly but also grounded, and Carrie Underwood is her idol.

The judges find her rendition of Carrie’s "Good Girl" too gimmicky because when you try to sound country, you don’t sound country. They also reject her back-up songs — Carrie Underwood’s "Church Bells" and Gretchen Wilson’s "Redneck Woman." But her personality finally comes through on an actual church song — about Jesus.

Caitlin Lucia is 22 and gigs at the same place Katy did as a teenager, and she’s rocking a tight yellow onesie while singing her hero’s song in front of her hero. It’s a folksy version of "I Kissed a Girl," and the judges like it. They also believe that it merely scratches the surface of what Caitlin can do.

Amelia Presley is The King’s sixth cousin once removed, and her "Heartbreak Hotel" kicks off a mediocre Elvis montage that includes frog-throated Billy Crunk and wannabe impersonator Bailey Eubanks. It ends with country boy heartthrob Drake Milligan, who sounds like Elvis but impresses the judges because they think he doesn’t. Luke calls him "cowboy cool," and then it’s a mash-up of Katy’s non-stop set snacking and bunched-up Spanx.

Katy doesn’t think "Stand By Me" is a proper choice to show off the voice of 24-year-old Mylon Shamble, until Mylon sings it. Then Katy calls it the best "Stand By Me" she’s ever heard.

Lee Vasi looks like Alicia Keys, and she duets on her all-time favorite song — The Commodores’ "Zoom" — with Lionel before launching into Toni Braxton’s "Love Shoulda Brought You Home." She’s got the pipes, but the song goes horribly awry amid a slew of pitchless screeching. Still, the judges see potential in her and send her to Hollywood. Luke predicts that she’ll be in the Top 10 if she listens and stays in her wheelhouse.

Philly boy Michael J. Woodard fights his nerves and is all over the place with an over-run version of Ed Sheeran’s "Make It Rain," but the judges love his infectious personality and what they see as raw potential. It probably should’ve been a no based on the lack of control, but I’ll admit he’s likable.

A montage of fashion, hair, tats and related flair ends with 18-year-old dance choreographer Brielle Rathbun, who has fully braided hair and adopted siblings from other countries. Her mom ditched the family a few years ago, and now Dad is the champion. She raspily sings Sara Bareilles’ "Gravity" out of the side of her mouth. And while I don’t love it, her unique personality and spunk mean she’s through.

Carly Moffa describes herself as "a mess," and she’s always been a little different with a penchant for showmanship. Showwomanship? Her mother — who was diagnosed with progressive MS and had five surgeries in the last year alone — is her best friend, and she wrote her original song about "letting the lion out" to cheer Mom up when she was having a rough night. She’s got a bit of Florence Welch in her, which I swear I wrote before Katy says it, and her unique sound makes her one to watch.

Samuel (pronounced Sam-well?) Swanson is a 28-year-old Alabama farm boy who longed to see more than trees and cows, so he picked up and moved to Harlem with $60 to his name. He does a sweet and soulful take on Al Green’s "Let’s Stay Together," and Lionel compares him to Luther Vandross. It’s clear that the theme of the show is unique and endearing personalities.

Eighteen-year-old Jurnee was a recluse until she realized her truth and came out, and she has since met her soulmate and got married. It’s been rainbows — pun intended (her words) — ever since, and she tackles Andra Day’s "Rise Up." There’s no emotional connection until the chorus and way too many extreme runs crammed into a song that doesn’t need it, but the judges appreciate Jurnee’s journey and keep it going to Hollywood.

That’s Adam Sanders, who made the Top 50 when he was 19 five years ago. Rejection was difficult to deal with, but he admits he wasn’t ready back then. But the aftermath was much worse, and the social media trolls targeted his weight, told him he was terrible and advised him to end his life.

He went to a dark place and contemplated suicide, believing he might not be worth fixing. But from that, he rebuilt himself and rose from the ashes a new person confident in his identity. And so the final featured audition of season 16 comes courtesy of Ada Vox, who is a seafood waiter by day and a "part-time woman" by night.

He belts out "House of the Rising Sun" in full drag, showing off a gigantic range backed by pure power pipes. Despite the persona, he assures the judges that he’s in it to win it, and he’s awarded the final golden ticket.

Now, look, I’m not dissing the talent. But truth be told, I was actually at a drag show last night (my wife and I have many theatre friends), and Ada Vox is pretty standard for the New York scene. The vocal prowess can’t be denied, but he’s going to have a difficult time separating himself from the persona to be taken seriously. Ms. Vox will definitely have a loyal following, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out from a recording artist perspective.

Being homeless isn’t enough to deter Ayana Lawson, who goes by Rose because her first name means "lovely flower" in Ethiopian. She used to play basketball but couldn’t afford new sneakers, and now music is her life, her passion, her joy.

Her guitar playing is on point during a toned-down, no-frills version of Bonnie Raitt’s "I Can’t Make You Love Me." She doesn’t have the strongest voice in the world, but the emotional connection is raw and real. You can feel the Tracy Chapman "Fast Car"-like desperation.

The judges want to see her come back because she’s not ready yet, so it’s three nos. But, c’mon, they’ve put through far worse people. And with her backstory, she may simply need an opportunity to build the confidence and swagger they want to see now.

(ABC didn’t post a video of Ayana on the American Idol YouTube page, so I’m embedding it from another source.)

Tory N. Teasley — or TNT for short (that’s gotta be his drag queen alias) — delivers a spicy rendition of Cee Lo Green’s "F*** You" that makes Luke fall out of his chair laughing while Lionel grimaces at the coarse language.

Lucy Clearwater dedicates her folksy take on Sir Mix A Lot’s "Baby Got Back" to Luke’s backside.

Jarom Banks, sometimes known as JoJo Jerom, wears pajamas and butchers REM’s "Losing My Religion" on the piano. It’s a yes from Katy but only because he’s so weird.

Another montage of rejection ends with a guy in a red jacket dancing like Michael Jackson (pictured at the top of the recap) who sings Wham! And as Deadpool pointed out, there’s an exclamation point. So it’s not Wham. It’s Wham! Then heavy metal junkie Damiano Scarfi butchers Boston’s "More Than a Feeling," and here he goes again on his own, going down the only road he’s ever known: rejection.

And just like that, Hollywood here we come. No one emerged as a real contender from this episode, but I’m most interested to see what Carly Moffa can do to harness that Florence and the Machine vibe.

The hell that is Hollywood Week kicks off in the next episode. It’s time to put up or shut up. Literally.

Who were your favorites and who do you think has the most potential? Is there a superstar in this mix? What are your thoughts on Adam Sanders’ transformation, and can Ada Vox be taken seriously in a competition like American Idol? Should the judges have put through Michael J. Woodard and Lee Vasi, or do they need more seasoning? And should poor homeless Ayana Lawson be heading west or did the judges make the right call? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

(Images and videos courtesy of ABC)

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