Before the ink

Part 8

Sammy slammed his apartment door when he got home. His stomach was churning, and he hadn't felt emotions like the ones inside of him for quite a while.
Emotions like he could feel even the tinies bit attached to someone. But he couldn't let himself trust Norman.
He just knew it would end with broken trust. He shoved all his doubtful thoughts down into the abyss of his brain, never wanting them to resurface.
He couldn't let himself get attached to anyone, so he knew from now on he had to avoid all contact with Norman.
Sammy sighed and slid down his door. He couldn't believe he let himself cry in front of someone, they probably thought he was weird, and Sammy doubted Norman would want to talk to him again anyways.
The musician grumbled as he flopped himself onto his bed.
He tossed and turned but just couldn't sleep. His thoughts wouldn't leave him alone. "You don't have to trust me Sammy, but I trust you."
Norman's kind words from before forced themselves into Sammy's mind. He violently shook his head. No. He wouldn't let Norman get to him.
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After the weekend on Monday morning, Sammy went to work and when he opened the door, he walked to the music studio. He passed Wally on his way.
Of course he tried his best to ignore the janitor. "Good morning Sammy." Wally said cheerfully. "Is it?" Sammy responded coldly.
Wally had a blank face. He just shrugged and went back to cleaning an ink puddle. Sammy entered the music department and sat down at the piano.
He sighed and glared at his hands. The musician still couldn't shake his thoughts away, no matter how hard he tried.
He didn't notice that Norman was up in the projector booth, fidgeting with a projector. He didn't notice Sammy either.
That was until the musician angrily grunted and let his head fall onto the piano keys, making a terrible, loud noise.
Norman jumped and almost dropped his projector. He peered over the railing of the booth to see what the noise was.
"I hate myself so fucking much." He heard Sammy mutter, the blonde's face still laying on the keys. Norman wanted to give him a hug again, but decided against it.
He didn't even know if Sammy would talk to him. So, he decided to talk to Sammy. Norman walked down and into the music department, knocking lightly on the door frame.
Sammy jumped and spun around on the stool. He looked panicked when he saw Norman. "I said leave me alone and I meant it." Sammy said.
"O-oh, right. Sorry. I-uh...just want to let you know that-um...if you ever need someone to talk to I'm always here." Norman said, then turned on his heel and left.
Sammy stared at the doorway for a few seconds. He then grabbed at his blonde hair in anger. Why! Why did Norman have to be so nice to him! Why did he say such nice things when Sammy thought he was clear about being left alone.
His stomach was wriggly again, and he didn't know what this weird feeling inside of him was, but he didn't like it.
Norman was walking down the hall, Sammy's cold expression still pictured in his mind. He sighed, hoping that Sammy would eventually be okay. He really didn't want the musician to become depressed, it wouldn't be a good thing.
He almost ran straight into Alice and Susie talking in the hall. "Hello! I forgot to ask how it was with...Y'know, yesterday?" Alice asked.
"Oh uh...that." Norman weirdly mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "What?" Susie asked. "I-it's um...personal." Norman replied.
"Say no more, I've gotta go do some work anyhow." Susie smiled kindly at them, then left. "So, uh..." Norman told Alice exactly what happened.
He also told her about this morning. "Hmm..." Alice held her gloved hand up to her chin as she thought. Her face suddenly brightened up.
"I know what to do!" She announced. "What?" Norman asked. "Well, you'll have to do it since you kind of already did." Alice said.
Norman tilted his head in question. "So just say something very nice to him every morning, and afternoon if you can, Y'know, a compliment or something to brighten his mood." Alice explained with a grin.
"Perfect! That's a great idea, Alice!" Norman smiled. "Alrighty, if anything backfired or goes wrong, just tell me and we'll come up with a new plan for cheering him up." Alice said.
She then waved goodbye as she skipped down the hall to go find Susie again. Norman's goal seemed impossible considering how Sammy acted, but that fact didn't falter his determination.
When it was lunch break he was dragged over by Wally and Jack, Wally wanting to make another friend.
So Norman and Wally and Jack were all talking while having their lunch. Norman still didn't really know most of the other workers.
He saw one person standing alone that had a plaid shirt on. "Who's that?" Norman asked. "OI! Shawn c'mere!" Wally yelled, startling the toy maker.
He walked over with a cheerful smile.
"Hallo." He said. "Hi." Norman said. "So Wally told me he'd seen ya and Sammy, and Sammy was cryin! Is that true?" Shawn asked.
Norman didn't want to lie, but he also didn't want to embarrass Sammy. "No, I don't know why he said that." Norman glanced sideways at Wally.
The janitor opened his mouth to argue, knowing what he saw. But was interrupted.
Shawn had yelped as someone poked him in the shoulder from behind, startling him. It was Grant, and he almost had a smile on his face, but he really wasn't one for laughter.
"This is the first week this year you haven't spilt an ink bottle." Grant said. "It's...halfway through Monday..." Shawn squinted at the accountant. "Exactly my point." Grant smirked.
Wally gasped very loudly. "What?" Jack asked. "Oh my god Grant smiled." Wally said. Jack snorted with laughter at the response of expression on Grant's face.
He looked at the janitor if saying 'seriously?'