It had been two months since the incident and most of the students went from sending Samuel dirty looks and whispering about him, to mainly just ignoring him. A step-up in Samuel’s mind. He didn’t need people to like him. He had Sam and Carl, his two friends.
In these two months, he had been able to avoid Austin, ducking, and hiding whenever he passed or glanced in his direction.
Samantha and Samuel were together most of the time. Sometimes he wondered if the whispers stopped because Samantha was sending a look that could kill to everyone that dared to open their mouth about him. He didn’t need protection, but he also didn’t mind the help.
Samantha had long, flowing blonde hair, something that truly entranced Samuel, and after they had grown close, he started to beg her to teach him to style it. He learned to braid not long after, and he loved it. Whenever Samantha wanted to rant, the two would find a quiet or empty room and she would sit on the ground in front of Samuel, who would braid her hair while she emptied her mind.
She had become louder than Samuel thought she would be but compared to Austin and his group she was a mime. The Sams didn’t need to talk when they were together, often they would just sit in silence reading books. Both adored the horror genre so they would read and swap.
Most of the time Samuel still ate alone, something he enjoyed, it was a nice break from everything. Samantha would spend the first 10 minutes of lunch with him, where she would gobble her food down, then rush to the library to help the librarian shelve books, leaving Samuel in the silence and tranquility of the boiler room. Every once and a while Carl would pop in at lunch and sit and listen to Samuel talk about his classes and his boxing life, something Samantha was still on edge about. He had learned Carl loved boxing in his youth, so it was easy to discuss new techniques and recent matches.
Aside from the social part, Samuel breezed through school. The classes were easy to follow and his ability to learn at an accelerated rate already had him leading the class in test results.
Ms. Gionna had become quite fond of him. Samuel would often stay after class to ask questions since during class even Samantha couldn’t stop the glares if he dared to raise his hand. Ms. Gionna enjoyed her talks with the boy. She could tell he loved to learn, and his questions were always so inquisitive. She wasn’t the only teacher to notice, most of Samuel’s teachers had picked up on his inquisitive personality and he quickly became their favorite. Not that they’d let the students know. Hell, they wouldn’t even admit that they looked forward to their after-class conversations with the boy to the other teachers. He attacked the Mayor, they couldn’t like him. But they did.
Samantha was the only one who knew about the teacher’s true feelings towards Samuel, as she would also stay behind in class. She would sit on one of the desks, often reading, and wait for the conversation to end. Samuel knew she didn’t care about what he and the teachers were discussing so he kept assuring her she could go ahead, and he would meet up with her later. Samantha always refused. If she let this boy walk down the hallway by himself, he surely would end up in some sort of troublesome predicament.
For those two months, everything ran smoothly, each day similar in routine to the last. It was just what Samuel wanted.
It was just another day as the Sams strode down the hallway. Samantha was going off about her newest novel, which apparently had the worst ending in history and it was not something she was going to let Samuel even look at. Samuel just walked silently next to her nodding along, although her rantings were negative, the passion she spoke with made him want to read the book.
Samantha must have sensed this because she jumped in front of him suddenly causing him to stumble backward. She just shook her head and narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not going to tell you the title, so ha!”
Samuel laughed and looked at the floor, hiding his smiling face, “You’ve given me such a vivid description that I doubt it will be hard to figure out.”
“You better watch it, Samuel Wilson. I’m protecting you by not letting you read this book. I’m telling you it will kill your brain cells. And you need those, don't you Mr. Teacher's Pet?”
Samuel responded with a flip of his center finger while holding back a laugh. Samantha returned the favor, before returning to his side, and continuing her ramblings.
They walked for 5 minutes without seeing anyone in the hallways. Curious. Their year had a 30-minute break right now and several of the cliques always held the hallway. But not today. Samantha was too busy in her analysis to notice but Samuel was on guard.
Just as Samuel was about to point out the emptiness, two large boys sprinted around the corner. Samuel grabbed Samantha’s hand and pulled her to the wall, just narrowly avoiding a collision. Samantha yelled at the boys, demanding they stop and apologize but neither did.
Samuel stood in silence, his eyes darting towards both ends of the hallway. Unfortunately, his eyes did not pick up on the fact that he had pulled them next to a door. A door that led to the stairwell. He turned his body to the right, and just as his eyes noticed the door, it swung open with so much force that it was surprising the hinges managed to hold on. Miserably, Samuel’s face was just the height of the glass window on the door, which smashed on impact with his head.
Two more boys darted from behind the door, not stopping to see the scene that they had caused. Samantha let out a loud yelp as Samuel crumpled to the ground, causing the math teacher Mr. Boxable to bolt from his room. His eyes widened at the sight. He quickly knelt by the unconscious boy, getting on his com and giving out orders, while also trying to calm the fuming and panicking Samantha, who was very happy to describe the culprits.
------------------
Ms. Gionna stood with her arms crossed at the top of her class, “During the break, someone seems to have organized a year-wide game of team tag. This is outrageous behavior. This is a school, not a playground.” The students all looked at their laps. They weren’t used to being scolded. “Now we don’t know who started this ‘game’” That’s a lie. “No one seems willing to give the mastermind up.” That’s true. “But once we find this person-” Once again they know who it is. “-they will be punished accordingly.” Another lie.
The culprit sat in that very room. Everyone was trying their very hardest not to glance over at him. He knew Ms. Gionna was talking directly towards him, but Austin Mayor was too distracted trying to figure out why the Sams’ lab table sat empty.
“Whoever was behind this, I hope you feel guilty. If we hadn’t stopped it when we had, then who knows how many more innocent casualties we would have had. This is truly disappointing.”
Austin’s head whipped to Ms. Gionna as the word casualties echoed through his mind. His hand bolted up, but he didn’t wait for his teacher to acknowledge him, “Where are the Sams?”
The entire class turned to the empty desk. Turned out, Austin was the only one of his classmates to notice their absence.
Ms. Gionna sighed, “Austin, I am trying to give a lecture about this unbelievably stupid ‘game’.”
“Yes, yes, that’s wonderful. Where are the Sams?”
Ms. Gionna’s jaw tightened, this boy was getting on her last nerve and if he didn’t leave soon, she would have to be restrained. ‘Sorry about this Samuel’ she thought. “Nurse’s office.”
Austin lunged from his seat, and bounded out of the classroom, down the hallway, the stairs, and into the nurse’s office.
------------------
“What the hell are you doing here?!” Samantha marched up to the Mayor boy abandoning her conversation with Nurse Jack, a very distressed, 22-year-old ginger. Samantha didn’t give Austin a chance to speak before starting again, “I don’t care who you are, you’re an idiot. I bet you came to gloat at your victim!”
Before Austin could deny her claim, a voice called out from behind a curtain, “Sam, who the fuck are you yelling at? And why so loud?” Austin let out a sigh of relief. That was Samuel’s voice. He was okay. Well sort of. At least he wasn’t dead.
“Who? Oh. Just the reason you’re in this condition.” Samantha’s voice was rasp and quick. It was obvious she was annoyed.
Samuel stood up. “Oh? I didn’t know doors could walk.” Samuel pulled back the curtain to reveal a very angry Samantha staring down at a very nervous Austin. “What’s he doing here,” he sneered.
Austin maneuvered past Samantha and over to Samuel. His forehead was bruised, and small cuts covered his face, and although none were even deep enough to draw blood, Austin’s stomach sunk. His hands curled as his eyes traced the floor. “I-I feel terrible. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Why do you feel bad? You didn’t slam the door in my face.”
“It was his game, Samuel.” Samantha’s face was still full of rage.
Austin kept his head down while whispering, “I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. It was supposed to be a stress reliever. I thought the hallways had been cleared since everyone knew about it.”
Samuel snarled, “Not everyone.”
Samantha turned to Austin, eyes filled with flames, “Yeah, how did you get the word out, without the teachers finding out?”
Austin met her eyes, “Word of mouth, I guess. You know on the dl. You guys seriously didn’t know?” Samuel narrowed his eyes at the Mayor, telling him to think about what he had just asked. Austin quickly understood. So, people still weren’t talking to him. And because Samantha hung out with him, she must have been looped into the hate. “I’m sorry that you got hurt. It was a stupid idea.”
“Apology accepted. You may leave now.” Samuel turned around and went back to the hospital bed, sitting with his legs crossed, leaning his back against the wall.
Austin shook his head, “Nope. This is my fault so I’m staying. Sorry, you’re stuck with me.”
“Why am I being punished for your stupidity,” Samuel groaned, but he scooted over to allow Austin to take a seat next to him, which he graciously accepted.
Samuel’s phone buzzed breaking an awkward silence. Samuel reached to grab it only for his hand to be blocked by Nurse Jack, “Samuel for the 5th time, no phone. You probably have a concussion, and you should not be using it.”
“Why can’t you just tell me if I have one or not, no need to be all mysterious,” Samuel snickered.
“As I explained to Samantha, I am not a doctor, I’m a school nurse. I can’t legally diagnose you. Just keep off your phone, please. At least until you can see an actual doctor.” Nurse Jack was shorter than Samuel, his hair was a fire orange, orange freckles covered his pale face, and he was exhausted. He had been offered this job right out of college, and he accepted because he had assumed it would be a nice easy-going starter job. He was incorrect, turns out smart people are ridiculously good at getting hurt and/or sick.
“Ugh my doctor is going to kill me,” Samuel grasped his head dramatically before falling sideways. “‘Samuel, this is your second concussion in two months are you trying to get permanent brain damage?’ blah blah blah,” he mocked, his hand opening and closing with each word.
“Second? In two months? Oh my god, a student is going to die on my watch.” Nurse Jack walked to the back of the office and sat with his head on his desk.
“Wait, second? Does this have something to do with the bruise on your face on the first day?” Austin looked over to Samuel with questioning eyes. Samantha nodded along, also curious.
“So, it was noticeable?” They nodded. “Great. Well, uh yeah it does. No more questions.” Samuel turned to grab his phone.
“Samuel, I swear to god!” Nurse Jack’s exasperated voice ripped through the office.
Samuel looked to Samantha who understood and grabbed his phone to check it for him. “Oh, your mom says she’s about 5 minutes away.”
His mom. His mom was coming here. Now. His mom who didn’t know Austin went to his school. His mom would surely freak out over the fact and pull him out immediately. Why wouldn’t she? Especially after his slip in front of Callie. He needed to get Austin out of sight before she arrived.
He whipped his head to Austin, “You need to leave. Now.”
“What no. I’m staying until your mother gets here. I need to make sure you get out of here safely. Non-negotiable.”
“Please Austin. Please leave. I’m begging you.”
Austin couldn’t figure out why Samuel was so insistent for him to leave. They were fine a second ago. Then he had an idea. “Ok, I’ll leave. If... you have lunch with me tomorrow.”
“What? Lunch?” Samantha was ready to lunge at Austin, as her patience for his stupidity had run out. But Samuel stopped her.
“Fine. But we’re doing it on my terms, understand?”
Austin leaped from the bed in surprise, he started to jump around with giddy. “Yes. Yes. Agreed. Tomorrow. Lunch. I’ll find you.” He started to the door with Samantha on his heels after she had been instructed to make sure he went back to their classroom.
“Tomorrow. You shouldn’t come tomorrow. You should rest.” Nurse Jack walked over to Samuel, who promptly stood showing his height.
“I’m not missing school. So, guess I’ll have to suffer through one lunch with that guy.”
Nurse Jack hung his head. Why did he even bother? No one listened to him. Teenagers sucked. Just as he sulked back to his desk, the door was once again flung open, and a woman ran over to Samuel. Either she was his mother, or a terrible kidnapper, either way, he didn’t care, he just wanted silence.
Comments (10)
See all