"Samson!!" Joey shouts on top of his lungs, trying to compete against the tens of kids laughing and shouting in the hallway, on their way to the cafeteria. "We're over here!"
Sam turns to the group of about eleven boys and shrieks.
So many.. I swear they reproduce asexually and double every day..
Within the week, he was trying his best not to hang around his crowd of friends so often. It was often so chaotic, and a lot of them were so immature. He always felt like the parent in the bunch when they went out and half of them acted like animals, always risking getting kicked out of stores and restaurants. Most of the group consisted of basketball boys, all of them were boys participating in more than one school sport. He was part of the popular athletic crew. This year, he's just felt the need to be more independent. He was cool with his group of four. Kyle, Joey, and Tanner and him, but when it was the whole squad it was just too much. It was like having a party every day. In which, they actually did frequently host parties. Sam didn't want to avoid them or anything. He loved his friends, but he also loved some peace and quiet every once in a while.. which is very reasonable.
He looked away, acting as if he hadn't heard Kyle, but it was no use once Kyle started walking faster towards him as Sam tried to find the nearest exit.
"Samsung!!" Kyle exclaimed, running towards him.
Sam dropped his shoulders. "Oh um- Hey, Kyle. I was gonna head to the library to do some homework for the next period I forgot." Sam lies through his teeth.
"Man, you need to frickin' eat, you always do this. Hey- you want us to come with you?" Kyle suggests, pointing out the group of boys all waiting for Sam.
Sam sighs, giving in. "No, we'll end up getting kicked out if I bring all of you.." Sam look from the end of the hallway leading to the library to the cafeteria entrance. "Nevermind it, I'll go to lunch with you guys."
Kyle cheered and wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulder, leading him to the cafeteria.
They make it inside the crowded cafeteria and approach an empty table somehow always reserved for every one of the boys.
No one knows not to touch this specific table. How much privilege does Samson really have over the students in this school? Sam thought. He was always favored and loved, until Casey. Anyone who tried to go against Sam, there were always people to back him up. When it came to Casey, nobody had the guts to stand up to him. The stories of people who have tried to are brutal and traumatizing.
No one would dare.
Sam would push it to the edge, not fat enough to completely tick off Casey. The worst Casey had done to him was beat him up.. and that was ever so often in middle school.
Sam waited until Kyle was too busy mingling with other people. He kept his head down so he wasn't as presentable, worried other people would approach him as well. He crept his way out of the cafeteria. Once free, he made his way to the stairs. He needed to find a place where no one would find him, somewhere where he wouldn't get in trouble for going.
Just as he holds a firm grasp onto the staircase railing, someone calls Samson's name. The voice of a girl. It's soft and gentle. A bit recognizable. Sam turns around to find Wendy. Her hair long by her sides as she draws it out over her shoulder.
"Hi, Sam."
"..Hey, Wendy."
"Why aren't you with the boys?" Wendy asks, walking up to him slowly, hesitant as to when she should stop.
"Um.. I need a break from them. If they ask, you didn't see me." Sam says.
Wendy knows how to keep a secret.
"Okay!" Wendy exclaims, a smile spreads across her face.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." She swirls a bang with her pointer finger and her face reddens a bit.
All I said was thank you..
Sam turned back, his view up the stairs, and he continued forward. He made his way past the second and third floor, not sure of where exactly he wanted to go. He couldn't be caught by hall monitors, so he continued up the stairs and to the roof doors.
The last time he'd been up here there were thick chains and a big lock around the door handles. No one was allowed on the roof due to some incident the school doesn't tell the kids about. The door was slightly creeped open. "This place is perfect.." Sam says, feeling the breeze through the crack of the door as he reaches for the door handle, swinging it open. He felt a cold breeze slap him in the face. A perfect spot by the railing, he ran over and sat by it, eagerly pulling out his lunchbox. "Why didn't I think of this spot earlier..?" He questions.
"Hey, asshat!" A voice shouts, not far from Sam's new designated spot. "I'm here, y'know. This is my spot. Leave." The boy demands.
Samson slowly turned his head to the school's most infamous malevolent bully, most people's former bully, Sam's bully, and crush. The man he refuses to fear, Casey Waldon. Sam sighs and curses under his breath, his mood immediately ruined. He needed this spot. "I don't.." Sam was reluctant to comment. "I don't see a name written anywhere."
Casey crosses his arms. "You think you're hot shit just because you fucked with me this morning?"
"No, I-"
"You're pesky, and a bug, man." Casey sneers, stepping closer.
"Pesky bug?" Sam repeats. "I can assure you I'm a little more than that." He tries his best not to mind Casey, as he didn't want to seem as fearful as he was feeling.
Casey smirks.. he smirks?
"You're not as tough as you think you are, Samson, but you fume me. You're like a.." He taps his chin. " A steaming hot pile of nothing. He approaches Sam face-to-face. "You're a delusion. I can't stand delusions."
Casey's mention of Sam's name makes Sam's heart skip a beat. "Well then maybe you're delusional.." Sam mumbles.
Casey smirk fades, but he recovers it quickly, leaning closer. "What was that, punk? You wanna know what I think?" Casey tilts his head, eyeing the lunchbox. "I think you're a cocky little shit who thinks he's untouchable because of his little shit show squad." He snatches the lunchbox and holds it up so it's out of Sam's reach. "You're fluking, no one else is up here but you and me. You should've ran the moment you saw me." Casey leans closer, his gaze locked on Sam. Not breaking eye contact in any way shape or form, not even a blink. "You know what happens when you cross me, Samson. You haven't experienced it yet, but you've seen it. Don't let you be the next." He clicked his tongue, whipped his head, and walked away, leaving the rooftop and trotting downstairs whistling with Sam's lunchbox in his hand as if nothing happened.
Sam dropped his stiff shoulders and took a deep breath. With Casey up so close, he forgot to breathe. He put his head down, and his hands over his face. "Damn it, Casey.." He grasped tight onto his shirt over his chest, where his heart was.
Casey was right, and could see right through Sam, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Sam thought about it for a moment; well can he also tell that he's in love with him? Probably not.
Sam, upset about his food, sulked all the way back downstairs and in the cafeteria to get a school lunch. Grabbing a new lunch he turns to his lunch table, his friends fooling around, throwing food and laughing about. He smiles, shakes his head, and joins them.
~~~
In Samson's classes, he couldn't shake off this feeling of alertness. Ever since Casey had left on the rooftop after taking his lunchbox, something didn't feel right. It was his lunchbox, he could care less about that. But something kept him on the edge of his seat. What was he forgetting?
He couldn't even focus in class. He was afraid his school performance would affect him. He got up and left for the bathroom. His back felt tight so he stood up straight so it didn't feel as weird. In the bathroom he approached the sink to splash water on his face, staring at himself in the mirror just to ponder again. He put his hands on the mirror towards his face, touched his own face, then put his hand on his stomach. He still felt as nervous as the time Casey was mere inches apart, threatening him. When he took his lunchbox.
His lunchbox..
"SHIT!" Samson shouted, looking around himself as if he'd brought his stuff along with him.
He had completely forgotten that he had shoved his little love letter in his lunchbox this morning when his father barged into his room.
Casey has the lunchbox.
Casey has the letter.
Samsom put his hands over his head. Now his body felt tight, from his noggin to his appendages. Even his teeth, gritting and grinding them tightly. "No, no, no!" He claws his nails within his skin, though not enough to leave marks. "What am I gonna do?!"
What if he saw it?
What if he read the letter?
What if he thinks I'm a fucking weirdo?!
What if he hates me?
What if he shows it to someone?
What is he gonna do with it?
What's gonna happen to me?!
...I wonder what he thinks of it.
Sam's breath was heavy but fast. He grasped tightly onto the edge of the sink while he tugged on his shirt over his chest and heart. He almost looked as if he was hyperventilating. His hand, shaking. He felt regret, thinking back on why he ever decided to write such a thing, make it hand-written, keep it with him always? He felt like a complete idiot. Of course, the worst of the worst had to happen. Of course, it had to go to the right person, but the wrong person.
Still, he would hate the fact that he wrote such a thing, but he would cherish it.
Sam heard voices approaching the boy's bathroom. He booked it, ran out of there afraid of the risks and probability of one of the people being Casey. When it was mostly not likely.. He felt he needed to stay away from him. At all costs.
I'm gonna get bullied for the rest of my life and lose all of my friends. I know how they are, I know how they treat other people. Kyle! What is my best friend going to think of this? Being gay is one thing, and liking Casey out of all guys is a whole other!! Damn it, bro, this shit is so embarrassing! I just wanna sit in a hole forever and die in it right about now!
Sam made it back to his class, his chest rising and falling. Half the class stared at him when he walked in. Sam immediately thinks of an excuse to draw attention away from him. "Sorry, I ran. I didn't want to miss anything." He smiles as he speaks to his teacher, and makes his way to his seat. Next to a girl, Jasmine. One of Wendy's friends actually. She was pretty well known.
"You don't like this class that much, Sam." She chuckled. "What happened?"
"Ahh.. um, I ran into someone and I got caught up talking to them. I was afraid I'd get in trouble for being gone for too long." Sam responds.
"You're such a goody goody." Jasmine says, raising her eyebrow and picking up her pencil.
Samsom focused his eyes directly on his desk. His paper, he couldn't even focus on. He put his hands up on his desk and balled up his fists as he tried to make up the squiggly lines on his paper. It just made him more irritated than he already was. By the time Sam realized he was in a daze again he picked his head up realizing everyone was gone, even Jasmine, and it was the bell that caught his attention. He looked towards the classroom exit to find the remaining kids exiting the school building. He looked at the time, it was 2:02 PM, school ended at 2:00. He jumped from his seat and picked up his backpack, swinging it around his shoulders. His arms felt heavy and limp.
He left, worried about his afterschool performance in basketball, and the upcoming next day.
---
Next chapter's my favorite!