When Samantha Puckett was feeling particularly down, she disappeared.
No one knew where she went. No one ever really asked.
She used to wonder, briefly, if anyone cared when she didn't show up to school for a week.
And then she remembered that people had their own problems. Carly was too caught up in herself, Freddie too caught up in Carly.
And so she forced all thoughts of Seattle out of her mind and preceded to board her train to the first destination that popped into her mind.
This time, that location happened to be San Francisco.
She sat in the back of the train, head against the window, her red hair curtained against her face, her eyes closed. She thought about how ridiculous she was for running away.
Why was she so unhappy?
"May I sit here?"
Sam broke out of her reverie and glanced up.
Freddie Benson stood in front of her.
"Freddie! What are you doing here?"
Freddie plopped down in the seat across from her, rested his hands on his lap. They appeared to be shaking, and she fought back the urge to rest her own on top his.
"The same thing you are?" He said tentatively, and Sam gazed at him with curiosity.
"What am I doing here?" She whispered.
"Disappearing," Freddie stated, his voice confident.
Sam glanced downward for a moment, and then her eyes settled on his with a sadness that mirrored his own.
"Why would you want to disappear?"
He looked to his left and gazed out the window, at the trees passing them by. His eyes held a look that Sam recognized. She saw it when she gazed at herself in the mirror.
"I think I should be asking you that," she said, and they both grinned hesitantly.
"Everything's falling apart," he finally said after a few minutes. Sam wondered what could possible be falling apart. He had all As, a mother that loved him. What could he possibly have to worry about?
She shook her head. "No, it's not, Freddie. Think about it. Everything about your life is perfect."
He gazed at her, his mouth slack. "Perfect? Perfect? Do you have any idea how much pressure I'm under?"
She turned her head, surprise etched across her face as she returned his gaze. "What kind of pressure?"
He shook his head slowly, looked away. "It's stupid. Why are you disappearing?" He asked.
"Because I need too." She stated simply. "Maybe we all need to sometimes."
Freddie nodded his affirmation, and returned his gaze toward her.
And so they disappeared together.