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Part Eighteen

   With the way Skip's truck was designed, two passengers could fit in the front and three could squeeze into the back with enough effort. Thankfully, only one was necessary for the back, and Elijah was given the very important role of taking over the backseat while Leo held Sam in the front. Skip, the driver, like usual, didn't have any problem pulling up a GPS to locate the movie theater, which was approximately twenty minutes away from Leo's house without traffic.
  
   The deep overcast of the day broke Sam's spirit from the minute he was taken outside to the minute he was placed on Leo's lap and rode shotgun, but he decided it best to not complain when it was only his second day outside in his entire life. Though he preferred the sunshine and a bright blue sky to marvel at from the window, the clouds did put a perspective of just how dangerous the beautiful outside could be without his friends to back him up. Sam heard stories of his parent's friends getting caught in the rain and never being heard from again, and so he decided he was much happier being in the comfort of Leo's lap, where he could hide from the terrifying threat that the clouds seemed to radiate.

   "You okay?" Leo asked, taking notice of how Sam scrambled closer with every bump of the truck. He twisted a soft finger around Sam's tail, casually petting up and down to relax him the best he could, and Sam seemed to appreciate it.

   "I'm getting there," he responded and leaned into the touch.

   The ride from Leo's home to the movie theater was only supposed to take 15 minutes total, but ended up falling around the 30 minute range with how careful Skip drove considering the fragile passenger beside him. It was left unsaid that all three boys had more than enough to work on when it came to making Sam feel comfortable, and Skip wouldn't allow a car accident to even think of happening while he was at the steering wheel.
   A soft flurry of slush came drifting through the sky the longer they drove on, lingering in the air and calming Sam down when he realized he wasn't outside, caught in a storm. He was in a warm car, surrounded by warm hands and a warm lap, with warm people wherever he looked. The more he thought about it, the more he wished he would've revealed himself to the humans sooner. Although the fear was never going to leave his instincts, it was obvious that Sam wanted to be with his friends from the start. And now that he was, he didn't want to go back to hiding in the walls ever again, no matter how traditional his parents raised him to be.
   Such a revelation caused Sam to lean deep into the crevices of Leo's fingers, who in turn rubbed around his body like a pet cat who had fallen asleep mid-car ride. The thought made a smile spread onto Leo's face, and he decided to try something a little more risky.
 
   Leo took his index finger and brought it up until the top of his nail brushed against Sam's pointed ear. Then, with the touch of a feather, he scratched behind it, softer than he would pet a sick kitten.

   Sam nearly fell asleep the moment Leo found his weak spot, and he had to force his eyes open in an attempt to stay awake long enough to make it to the theater.

   Skip and Elijah, however, were forced to put up with obnoxious purring that filled the whole car despite the tiny body producing them.

  

   "We're here," Skip announced, pulling into an empty parking lot and zipping his jacket up to the chest. He had a pair of gloves that went along with his gear, but gave them to Elijah last minute when he noticed the redhead bundled in a bright orange scarf. "Who's hiding Sam?"

   "I'll do it!" Eli called out, a little too eager, and brought a portion of the scarf near his neck out for everyone to see. "He can fit inside and nobody will be able to tell."

   "Sam, you good with that?" Leo brought his hand up to check out the opening in the scarf, while Sam rubbed away any remnants of sleep from his eyes and took cautious views of his hiding place.