The Initials | Nanowrimo 2023

46| Freya Of Fury

Sammy and Justin wave politely at Officer Langley as he drives past them and after a long pause of comfortable silence, Justin turns to confirm something with Sammy. "Who was that, Officer Langley?"

"Yeah, it was," she replies nonchalantly, her brains momentarily occupied with thoughts about her father when his words eventually snowball in her mind. "Wait, are you telling me you waved without knowing who it was?"

"Don't say it like that."

"Say it like what?" she queries, toying with him as she can already guess at least three responses he could give.

"Like I'm an idiot."

Sammy tries her best not to smile but finds it impossible to do so in her best friend's company. "Well then why were you waving?"

"Because..." Justin utters, strolling next to Sammy on the edge of the pavement, wobbling with each step. "Because you waved and we know all the same people."

Justin yelps when Sammy lightly pushes him off the pavement into the empty road. "Okay, what was that for?"

"Because why are you like this?" she laughs, pinching the bridge of her mustard coloured beanie to pull it further down her head. "This is up there with eating Cheetos with chopsticks."

"In my defence, I hate getting my hands messy."

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before." Sammy teases, her mood taking a nose dive when her mind stumbles back on her father, thinking that the two of them would get along well. "Never change on me, alright?"

Justin waits to cross the street with Sammy, making a humming sound as he takes his time thinking up a response. "We all have to change at some point."

Sammy stops at the bus stop, swiping at one of her dreads that keeps smacking her in the eye. "That's true enough I guess."

"Okay, what is up with you?" Justin asks, pointing an accusatory finger towards her. "And don't say it's nothing. You've been sulking the entire time we've been walking together."

Sammy tightens her grip on the strap of the vintage brown leather satchel that was once owned by her father. "I told you earlier, you didn't have to walk me to my bus, especially when your fosters gave you a car for your birthday."

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know that." he replies, lightly falling into her shoulder. "Come on, I know you better than that."

Sammy is forced to hold his shoulder until he straighten up, choosing to lean against the bus stop with her arms folded. "I've just been thinking...a lot."

"Uh, oh, I know what that means."

"Excuse me?" she scoffs, raising a brow in utter shock.

Justin, in an effort to smooth things over, hurriedly shakes his hands. "I'm teasing, I'm teasing, don't bite my head off."

Sammy rolls her eyes but continues nevertheless. "It's just, y'know, all this new stuff."

"You mean magic?" Justin grins at the look of panic on Sammy's face, laughing as he runs his fingers through he jet black hair. "What, no one's around, we can say whatever we like."

Sammy double checks, falling back into her spot after doing a quick three-sixty. "It just been bringing things up for me personally."

Justin drops his eyes to the ground, his smile shrink as he awkwardly scratches the back of his neck. "You mean, er, your dad? That kind of thing?"

Sammy nods her head, diverting her gaze once she sees the look on his face. "I've been looking through some of my dad's old research and this one symbol keeps popping up...I think I want to look for him."