Samantha Greenbriar

Samantha "Sam" Greenbriar is the protagonist of "Gone Home" and the younger sister of Kaitlin Greenbriar. Sam is only ever seen in-game in family pictures and is heard through her journal entries to Katie.

Early life
Growing up in Oregon alongside her sister, Sam had few friends. She did not have many close friendships with other girls, aside from her sister, with whom she had a strong relationship. Sometime before puberty, she realized that she was gay; however, she never mentioned this to her parents or her sister.

Junior year
Just prior to starting her junior year of high school, Sam experienced a major upheaval in her life. Her elder sister, Kaitie, left to travel abroad while at the same time the Greenbriar family moved into the house on Arbor Hill, which had been willed to Sam's father, Terrence Greenbriar, by Sam's great uncle. Sam also moved schools at this time, which left her with no one to talk to as she had always struggled to make friends.

On her first day, Sam told her new classmates that she had recently moved in to the house on Arbor Hill, which was known to the community. Due to Oscar Masan's introversion, it had gained the colloquial name of the "Psycho House". From then on, most students knew Sam as "The Psycho House Girl". Students often teased her about it, asking her if her uncle's mental instability ran in the family.

Meeting Lonnie
Sam had difficulty making friends at her new school, due in part to her own introversion, though it was not aided by her new nickname. Two weeks into the term, she first sees another person whom she describes as having a "big gold star" around them. She notices the girl and her friends play "Street Fighter" at a local 7-11 each day after school, and eventually works up the courage to ask them if she can have a turn. Despite her practice playing at home, she is thoroughly defeated by them. Afterwards, the girl asks her if she is "that Psycho House Girl", and states that she has always wanted to see the inside. Sam learns that her name is Lonnie and invites her over for a tour the following day.

As Sam becomes friends with Lonnie, she feels uncertain of herself while hanging out with other girls, as the only close friend she has ever had is Daniel, a boy from her old neighborhood with whom she hung out with because of his proximity. Despite this, Lonnie becomes the first person she feels normal around. Sam begins to spend more and more time with Lonnie, performing "Ghost Hunts" in the house, including attempts to spot and even contact her Great Uncle Oscar's spirit, and dyeing Lonnie's hair red at her behest. It is during this time that Sam's feelings begin to grow, though she is unable to voice them at the time.

Secret Dating
Sam also attends a concert in the city, about which she lies to her parents, with Lonnie and stays at a friend's place afterward. Sam and Lonnie share a futon to sleep on, and Lonnie looks at Sam in the darkness, smiling at her but Sam felt nervous and rolled over. After a minute, she puts her arm around Sam, telling her that she really likes her. Sam just nodded and hoped Lonnie could tell. However, Lonnie feels guilty about it later on and doesn't face Sam when she comes over next. Sam insists that there was nothing wrong with her actions, but can barely say anything more than that. Lonnie then sits next to Sam and kisses her. From there, they become girlfriends in secret.

Unfortunately, when Sam tells Lonnie about getting into a College Summer Reading course and suggests that she come visit her in her dorm, Lonnie tells her that she leaves for Basic Military Training on June 6, after graduation (something she has been planning to do for a long time). Sam is left confused by this, but Lonnie dismisses it and offers that they have fun together while they can.

"Getting" Lonnie
Later in the year, Lonnie, after returning from a school trip to Mexico (during which she sent Sam postcards and a decorative skull), joins her friend's band as their lead singer, leaving Sam awestruck by her singing abilities. Unfortunately, their new relationship also causes Sam and Lonnie to get into trouble at school, such as straying from the group and nearly missing the bus on a school field trip. Sam's mother, Janice, grows very skeptical of Lonnie and her influence on Sam. Sam begins to worry about what would happen should her parents find out about their relationship.

When Sam's parents confront her about her behavior and low grades, she tells them about her relationship with Lonnie. Sam expects them to react with anger or sadness, but instead they completely deny it, believing it is a "phase" that she is going through and telling her that she simply hasn't "met the right boy" yet. Sam writes to Katie that their parents would "be in for a very long phase."

Daniel comes over to collect his Nintendo games, bringing with him a story that he and Sam wrote when they were younger. Sam begins to cry and tells him about what has been happening in her life and how regretful she was that their friendship hadn't lasted. He hugs her and tells her that everything would be all right. She takes some comfort in this, but still has trouble coping with the fact that Lonnie will be gone.

Leaving Home
On June 3, Sam's parents leave for a couple's retreat to celebrate their anniversary, returning on the same day as Katie came back from her year abroad. Two days before Lonnie leaves, Sam attends her farewell concert. She forgets everything that is going on and is once again in awe at Lonnie's talents, but when Lonnie dedicates the final song to her, Sam goes out into the alley and starts to cry. Lonnie joins her later, apologizing for everything and stating that she only wanted to make Sam happy. They both agreed that their last evening together would be their happiest.

On the last night, they performed their ritual in contacting Oscar and "seeing him off" to the other side, and then looked through all the photographs they had taken together in the Attic. In doing so, Sam realizes that all of her times with Lonnie were in the past and that none would follow. Sam began to cry again; Lonnie attempted to comfort her, telling her that life would move on. However, Sam didn't want her life to continue without her. Lonnie begins to cry as well, and Sam eventually falls asleep in her arms.

She awakens the next morning to find that Lonnie has already left. She spends that day in the Attic, wishing that Lonnie would come running up the steps as she always did. She falls asleep in the Attic again, missing the two times Lonnie called the house on a payphone. She only barely managed to answer the third call: Lonnie couldn't bring herself to go through with joining the Army if it meant being away from Sam, and got off the bus in Salem. She tells Sam to pack everything she can into her car, come find her and just drive until they find a place for them. She then asks Sam if she is able to do that. Sam agrees.

In one final journal entry to Katie, she apologizes for not being able to see her return and telling her about her experiences in person. She hopes that Katie will understand what she had been through and why she made her choice, without being saddened or angry towards her. Sam concludes the final entry telling Katie that she loves her and promising that they would see each other again someday. Sam puts a note on the front door to her (in addition to two others in the house), and then departs to find Lonnie and begin their new life.

Katie
Sam and Katie are very close; Katie is the only person to whom Sam speaks openly about her feelings, since she grew up with few female friends. Sam felt a little uncertain about going into a new school without Katie's counsel, but she continued to speak to her indirectly through her journal entries, which boosted her confidence.

In her journal, Sam tells Katie almost everything about her experiences at the new school, including her relationship with Lonnie, most of which she would not be comfortable telling to her own parents. When Sam decides to go find Lonnie and begin a new life together, she writes Katie one final note apologizing that she couldn't be there when her sister returned and telling her how much she loves her.

Lonnie
Sam was captivated by Lonnie when she first saw her, and while they became acquainted through Sam's high school label, "The Psycho House Girl," they quickly formed a strong friendship. During their time together, Sam feels that she could be herself around Lonnie, something she had never before experienced. As time goes on, they begin to develop stronger feelings for each other. Initially, Sam became infatuated whenever Lonnie hinted at her feelings and she eventually came to realize her love for her.

Despite the trouble they often got into together, Sam and Lonnie maintained a strong relationship throughout the school year. The two spent the most time in the attic, Sam's darkroom, where they developed all the pictures they had taken together. Sam is very upset when she learns that Lonnie will be shipping out to Basic Training in the summer. Despite Lonnie's persistent attempts to cheer Sam up in her last months before leaving, Sam cannot bear the thought that they wouldn't see each other anymore.

Sam and Lonnie agree to make their last night together their happiest, but it only serves to remind Sam that days like that were over, and she cries herself to sleep in Lonnie's arms. The following day, Sam is lonely and depressed; she feels like Lonnie will come over again like always, only to realize that she is gone. But Lonnie calls later in the day to tell Sam that she couldn't stop thinking about her and that, consequently, she couldn't go through with joining the Army. Sam agrees to go find her in Salem to be with her in their new life.

Daniel
Sam often thought of the boy next door, Daniel, to be a kind of 'default friend'; they were only friends due to their close proximity. Despite this, they had similar interests, and though she thought he was weird, she still kept in contact with him.