Simulation

Chapter three - Not what you think

Sam contemplated this for a bit. It wouldn't hurt. The worst that could happen was they didn't believe them, which would be completely understandable. He shrugged. "There's no harm in telling them." He said before taking the last bite of his sandwich. Jim nods, before he turned towards Susan and Gitti, ready to tell them everything. He didn't get to, however, as Susan shot her hand up pointing towards the school fence. Sam turned his head in the direction of her finger to see what was up. There on the school fence sat the man, petting a cat and swinging his leg.

"What's he doing?" Gitti asked. "Who knows." Jim answered, head tilted to the side slightly as they all watched the man. Sam had a sudden urge to go talk to him. He could finally get the answers to some of the many questions that were forever bouncing around in his head. He just wanted answers, why was it so hard to find them?

The man glanced up from the cat to the group on the lawn. He smiled at them, waving. Sam felt a smile rising on his lips and his hand raising to wave back. He looked at the others to see their reactions. Gitti looked confused, looking down at her phone. Susan slowly raised her hand to wave back. Jim smiled slightly, giving a short wave before turning to Sam.

"I don't really think he's as bad as they say he is. Look at him. He's doing nothing they say he does. I think the adults are just shallow minded and just picking on a homeless man." Sam nodded, thinking the same thing.

The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Conditioned for many years to follow the sound, students began filing back into the classrooms, mostly against their wills. Except one.

As the students made their way back to class, Sam made his way over to the man on the fence. Everything he's ever been taught told him that this was a horrible idea, but a gut feeling deep inside said that this was fine. He didn't know when he decided to follow his gut for anything but food, but here he was, in front of the man everyone said to stay away from.

Sam stopped a few feet away from him, just in case. The man gave Sam a smile, before placing down the cat and hopping off the fence to stand in front of him. "Finally decided to approach me, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, confused. The man gave a deep chuckle. "You've been watching me for quite some time. What interest do you have in an old man like me?"

"The adults tell us a lot of stories about you. They say you're crazy." Sam said with a strange surge of confidence that he didn't know he had. The man smirked. "And do you believe them?" Sam shook his head making the man chuckle once more.

"Good, cause that is just one of the many lies they tell you kids." He leaned back against the fence. Sam tilted his head in confusion. One of the many lies? He hoped that this wouldn't bring up more questions. He already had so many. It was starting to feel like homework trying to figure out the answers to all these questions. He almost didn't want to know the answers, almost didn't care just because it was difficult. But he just didn't want to give up yet.

"You probably have many questions. They will be answered in time. I promise you that." The man said, pulling out a cigarette, lighting it. He blew out a puff of smoke away from Sam before speaking again before Sam could. 

"You know, adults always keep secrets to themselves from children. It's just something that we do to save you the trouble of thinking about problems you don't have to worry about. Except sometimes, they keep secrets that'll hurt you in the long run, even if they don't mean to. Although, sometimes they do. There are a lot of secrets in this town, but not enough time to tell you them all right now." He took another drag of the cigarette between his fingers, blowing the smoke into the sky.

"Why can't you tell it all right now? What secrets?" Sam asked, stepping closer to the man. The man gave Sam a warm smile. "You were always curious. I can tell you a few things right now before they stop me." He flicked his cigarette, pushing his black, scruffy hair from his face and scratching at the stubble on his chin.

"Like what?" Sam watched the man for a few seconds as he threw his cigarette into the dirt and smothered it with his heel. "My name is Matt. The reason why the adults call me crazy, the reason they tell you kids to avoid me is because I know their game. I know their secrets and they fear me for that. They'll never admit that though."

"Their game?"

"Listen kid. I'm going to tell you everything. Not all at once. Every question you have, I'll do my best to answer it, some day. It's my job after all." Sam was now more confused than ever. His job? What the hell did that mean? How is he raising more questions than answers? Matt chuckled at Sam's expression, ruffling his hair. Sam's heart felt lighter at the action, for reasons unknown to him. In fact, the more Sam looked at the man, the more he just seemed almost familiar to him. Maybe it was just because he'd seen him so much on the street. Who knows.

The sound of police sirens called throughout the air. Matt looked through the fence. "They took longer than I expected. They're getting slow." Matt turned back to Sam and gave him another warm smile.

"Take care Sam. I'll see you around." Sam nodded and smiled back as he watched Matt hop the fence. Two police officers ran in his direction. Matt saluted towards Sam causing him to chuckle as he ran away from the two men chasing him. 'I hope they don't catch him.' He thought as he turned and wandered back into the school to finish the day, feeling lighter and calmer than before. 

Word count: 1751 - edited

A/N: Chapter three is finally edited. Now things make much more sense. I'll edit chapter four soon and then hopefully I can begin the next chapters. Maybe even post them regularly. Who know! I certainly don't.