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24 - Broken Bridge

 I crossed the hall to Sam’s room, resisting the sore temptation to open the door to the room next to mine. Sam’s door was open, he was at his desk, holding his phone in his hand and staring at it.

 I leaned against the doorway, quite accustomed to seeing him doing questionable things like that, so it wasn’t a surprise.

 “Whatcha doin?” I said casually.

 His gaze snapped up to meet mine.

 “Oh, nothing. I just – I don’t know if I should text Meera or not.”

 Ugh, Meera.

 I made up my mind on the spot.

 “Uh...yeah, about that.”

 He glanced at me as I pushed myself off the doorway and perched on the desk in front of him, pushing his math textbook out of the way.

 “What?”

 He looked wary.

 I plucked the phone out of his hands. “Don’t text her.”

 Raising his eyebrow, he leaned back in his chair.

 “And why not?”

 I swallowed as I stared at him. He was looking right back at me, eyebrow cocked and lips set questioningly.

 “She’s cheating on you,” I blurted.

 For a moment his expression didn’t change, and then his shoulders relaxed and he blew out a breath, looking away from me.

 “I knew it.”

 Then it was my turn to be shocked.

 “Erm – what?”

 He tapped his pen on his lips, looking at the corner of his room thoughtfully.

 “I was getting...an inkling.”

 I gaped at his nonchalant demeanour.

 “Sam! You had an inkling and it’s not been bothering you?”

 He looked back at me, expression intransigent.

 “I was going to break up with her anyway.”

 I shifted a little, trying to absorb this information.

 “Huh.”

 “Thanks for telling me anyway,” he said, a smirk slipping onto his face. “Who with?”

 I wrinkled my nose.

 “I dunno man, it was some guy I’ve never seen before. I don’t think he goes to our school.”

 Sam nodded to himself, his expression not really betraying much. But I could tell that it hadn’t affected him as much as I thought it would, especially since he was going to break up with her anyway. Jeez.

 “What’d you get Luke for his birthday?”

 I blinked at the abrupt change in topic, as if we’d been discussing the weather. Actually, I don’t know what I was expecting – a moment of silence to mourn the lost girlfriend?

 “That’s what I came to ask you,” I said. “I didn’t even know you knew tomorrow’s his birthday.”

 Sam grinned at me widely, pushing himself off his chair.

 “Look.”

 From his closet he extracted a box – it was a shoe box. I stared at it.

 “Y-you got him shoes? Oh, my God.”