I'm back! Did anyone miss me? Well, I've missed writing and have actually had a really rough past few weeks mentally. It may reflect in my writing but it made for some good angst. One comment stood out to me recently, mentioning how they liked my writing and the ship but didn't like that I disregarded Sam's feelings for Danny. I usually like to think that Sam and Elsa would end up as friends. But, I decided to resolve that with this. It's a little different then what I usually do but I thought it would be interesting and satisfy all those who think I've forgotten about our dear Sam.
It hurt. God, it hurt so bad. To watch them laugh together and joke.
Sam sat at the lunch table fuming silently to herself. Elsa Arendal, a girl who was undoubtedly Sam's #1 archenemy, sat with her group of friends, emphasis on her group. The girl had moved here at the beginning of the year and had been added to the small trio. At first it was nice to have another friend, but as the days got warmer and school was coming to a close, it became less nice.
Elsa had never been mean to Sam. In fact, she was one of the nicest blondes the goth knew, She was sweet, humble, always willing to help, but that's what made it so hard for Sam to hate her. She really couldn't.
Sam wasn't blind. She knew what it meant when Danny and Elsa shared a laugh or a lingering gaze or how they would give each other their undivided attention when the other spoke. At first, she had dismissed it, telling herself that she was only imagining it. But as the days when on and on, it was becoming more apparent that Elsa had feelings for Danny.
Her blood boiled at the thought of her lifelong best friend and long time crush liking this girl who'd only been around for not even a full year. And what made her sad was that Danny seemed to like her back.
It was last period on a Friday when she finally snapped. Elsa and her had been paired for a chemistry lab and it was relatively easy to deal with until Tucker and Danny started talking to them.
"Hey, Elsa" Danny said as Sam finished pouring a liquid into a beaker, "We're all going to the movies after school then hitting up the Nasty Burger, you wanna come?"
The empty test tube slipped from the goth's grasp and shattered on the lab table, a few shards of glass cutting her other hand. Sam could just picture that stupid bright smile on Elsa's face and she hated the shocked gasped that came from the girl.
"Sam?" she turned to her, "Are you alright? Do you want me to take you to the nurse?"
Sam shook her head no as she clutched her hurt hand and the teacher rushed over to them. "Ok girls, you can see me later about making up the assignment. Elsa, would you take Sam to the nurse please?" the teacher asked.
The blonde nodded as Sam grit her teeth. Both girls left the room and started down the hall. They walked in silence for a while before Elsa looked over at the other girl. "Sam?" she asked, "How do you feel?"
"What?" Sam bit out.
The blonde shrugged, "It's just, you've been acting a little… weird recently."
"Weird?" Sam scoffed to herself before shaking her head.
Elsa paused, trying to think of something to say, "Well… I just want to make sure you're okay."
"If I'm okay?" Sam asked before she stopped and turned to the blonde, "You know what Elsa? I'm not. I'm not okay. And you're not making it any better."
"Me?" Elsa asked softly as her eyes widened.
"Yes you," Sam rolled her eyes, "Don't give my that wide-eyed look. You know that your little intrusion has disrupted everything we do." That wasn't a lie. Ever since Elsa joined their group, it had been so much harder to deal with ghost attacks without revealing everything to her. "You're nothing but a burden."
"But…" Elsa looked around as if she were trying to make sense of it all, "But I thought-"
"You thought wrong," Sam cut her off harshly, "It's the three of us. It's always just been the three of us. And here you come, waltzing into the group like you're the best thing to happen to us. We were just fine without you and you're ruining everything!"
The ring of the bell filled the silence that came after. "I'm here at the nurse, now go," Sam spat before turning and walking into the office, slamming the door shut.
Elsa stood in the hall alone, breathing heavily with a lump in her throat. People began to get dismissed from class and cast questioning glances her way. She just bowed her head and turned to get her stuff from chemistry and go home.
She didn't even look at Danny or Tucker as she made her way out of the school and home, her fast pace making her pass most of the people on the sidewalk. She held her head high until she reached her house. She was home alone at the moment with her parents and sister out. She marched straight up to her room and threw her backpack down, slamming the door.
Elsa was not as strong as some people may think she is. America had been hard on her. She was in a new place with a new culture and new people and not many students her age wanted anything to do with her. Though she always turned her nose up to bullies and people with bad attitudes, it hurt her inside and she just didn't have the mental capacity to cope anymore.
How do you feel? Elsa mocked herself. "God, could you be more of a wannabe therapist?" she sneered into her vanity mirror as she choked back tears. "You're nothing but a burden," she spat at herself as she slowly sunk onto her bed.
Elsa began to think through everything since she arrived in America. Sam was one of the coolest people she knew and she wasn't a mean person. Surely, Elsa must have done something wrong. She began to analyse every word she'd ever said to the goth. Her breathing began to get short, the room spun, and tears gathered in her eyes.
You're being stupid, she told herself, You're overthinking again. Just stop. If she could she would, but her mind whirled as she fell back into her pillows and began having a breakdown. Scared and alone, she curled up on her bed and tried to focus on her breathing for the rest of the night, falling asleep with anxious thoughts and a saddened heart.
That Monday was bright and sunny, despite what Elsa was feeling inside. Downtrodden and anxiety ridden, she walked to school and kept her head down as she went about her business.
The trio, however, due to the weather, was sitting outside on a picnic table chatting and hanging out. Danny thought for a moment before looking up at his friends, "Guys, I was thinking… I was thinking I want to tell Elsa. Everything."
Sam and Tucker both froze in their place, blinking back at the boy in front of them. "Are you sure about that dude?" Tucker asked as Sam's grip tightened on her backpack strap, "We haven't known her for that long if you think about it."
Danny shrugged, "I don't know. I can't explain it but… I really feel like I can trust her. And I don't believe she would ever do anything to hurt me or any of us."
Before they could discuss it more, the bell signalling they should head to class rang. They all shared a look, wondering where Elsa was. She should have met them on the front lawn before class like always but didn't show. They all resolved that she probably wasn't feeling well and they would finish their conversation later.
But she was at school, avoiding them as dark anxious thoughts filled her mind, thinking everyone was looking at her, talking about her. She kept her head low and disappeared from the world, trying to be as invisible as possible.
Lunchtime was the hardest. Her old friends sat at their usual table and she was about to join them out of habit when she stopped herself. What was usually her instinct now felt like an intrusion and she shrunk a bit when Tucker looked up and beamed her, waving her over. Elsa smiled uneasily and offered him a small wave before turning and sitting at an empty table by herself.
"Is Elsa okay?" Danny asked as he watched her, "She seems… down."
Tucker reached up to scratch his head in thought as Sam watched the blonde carefully. She scoffed when Paulina and the populars move to sit with her. Typical, Sam rolled her eyes as Tucker and Danny gaped at the girl, Not even a day has passed and she weaseled her way into the A-listers. "Come on guys," Sam said as she stood from the lunch table, "Let's go check that back room we found for suspicious activity." The two boys blinked at her, before shrugging off Elsa's behavior and following the goth out of the cafeteria.
"So little miss Norway," Paulina snickered with her friends, "What happened to hanging with the three stooges?"
Dash laughed, "They probably got tired of that annoying accent of hers."
They all burst into laughter as Elsa's face burned bright red and she placed a hand over her mouth. Her accent wasn't that bad… was it? Danny told her that he could barely hear it but…
"Look at her, she's bright red!" Paulina cackled, "Tell me Elsa, how does it feel to have the losers not even want you?"
"That's quite enough from you guys."
Elsa looked up to find Valerie, a girl in a few of her classes staring angrily at the group. "I'll give you five seconds to clear out before I make you."
Paulina stood and fluffed her hair as she strode passed, "Chill Val, we're just having a little fun."
"If your idea of fun is picking on somebody else, you have your own issues to work out," Valerie deadpanned, clearly unamused by the situation.
Paulina turned her nose up and left in a huff, the whole group following her. Valerie turned her attention to the poor girl who sat alone with tears in her eyes. "Hey," she sat down next to her, "You okay?"
"I'm fine," she sniffled, quickly wiping her eyes, "Just a little shaken that's all."
Valerie placed an arm on Elsa's shoulder, "Well, you want some company for the second half of lunch?"
Elsa smiled shakily, "That's very kind of you Valerie and I'm really grateful for what you did but… I have an assignment I have to go makeup."
"Alright," Valerie sighed, "But those kids give you anymore trouble, I got your back."
"Thanks," Elsa smiled genuinely before standing and leaving the cafeteria, tears still in her eyes. Great, now she was nothing but a burden to Valerie too.
The next few days were the same. Elsa sat in the back of every class, didn't talk to anyone, and skipped lunch most days, not to mention running the other direction when the trio showed up. For days at a time she would even skip school. This went on for about a week and a half until Elsa found herself in a situation she couldn't disappear from.
"Hey Elsa," Danny smiled as he caught her at her locker at the end of the day. She practically jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked as he reached out to sooth her in some way.
"I-I'm fine," she gave him a shaky smile and back away slightly from his hand.
Danny took the hint instantly and brought his hand down, away from her. "So, listen," Danny grew nervous as he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, "I-I was thinking… um, well… well I wanted to-uh… would-would you like go out with me sometime, Elsa?"
Elsa froze and stared at the adorable boy in front of her, her heart racing a million miles a minute but a lump in her throat beginning to choke her. Danny's eyes had been on the floor when he finally got the question out but he closed them in defeat when he got no response. It had been a leap of faith to ask her out and he'd lept alright. He looked up to apologize and tell her it was fine but found her in tears in front of him.
"Elsa?" he asked as he watched her start to shake.
"I-I," she stuttered as she leaned against the lockers for support, "I-I don't… I c-can't…"
Danny put aside the awkward situation and gently pulled her in for a hug, "Hey it's okay. It's no big deal." She cried softly into his shoulder as he held her tight but she didn't hold him back. "You know," he started, "You don't have to go on a date with me. It was just… you know, we can still be friends if that's what you want."
"No," Elsa shook her head before pulling away from him, "I-I want… I-I really w-want to but… I-I…" she stopped and met his eyes. She closed her own and shook her head before moving around him and getting out of the building as fast as she could.
Danny watched her go, a little let down but more concerned than anything. He walked out of the school and down the steps to where Sam and Tucker were, deep in thought. "Hey Danny," Sam greeted with a smile, "Where've you been?"
"I just asked Elsa out," he said plainly.
The other two just stared at him in disbelief before Tucker cracked a huge smile. "Way to go man," he praised, "I know how much you liked her. So what did she say?"
Sam's blood began to boil again at the thought of Danny and Elsa out on a date. There was no doubt in her mind that Elsa would say yes. But the next thing Danny said brought her back to reality.
"Well, when I asked her, she just started… crying, like… like she was having a breakdown," Danny said softly, "She couldn't even get a full sentence out."
The goth's demeanor immediately softened. Could Elsa really have taken her words to heart? Now that her anger and jealousy was starting to settle, she acknowledged that she may have been a bit harsh.
"I just… like… Did I say something that would have upset her," Danny wondered allowed, feeling guilty about what had just happened.
Sam's heart sunk further into her stomach at her best friend's defeated expression as Tucker moved to his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "Hey man, don't beat yourself up. She's probably just got some stuff she's dealing with on her own. You know, like the anxiety she has. Just give her some time to work it out."
The anxiety she has, Sam's heart stopped for a moment. Oh man, she really messed up, like big time. "Hey guys," she spoke up, "Uh, I'm gonna head home early to finish Lancer's paper tonight. Call me if you need me for patrol."
They both nodded at her and with that, the goth set off towards Elsa's house.
When she got there, she stood in front of the door longer than she'd like to admit, nerves filling her stomach, before she finally got the courage to knock on the door.
Elsa answered, wearing her pajamas and an oversized sweatshirt, surprising Sam. She had never seen the girl in anything less than leggings let alone pajamas. In her anger filled mind, Sam had mocked her and thought that she slept in skirts and night dresses. But there she stood, her body swallowed in the sweatshirt and no light in her eyes.
"Sam?" she asked, raising a brow, "What are you doing here?"
The goth just took a deep breath before looking the blonde straight in the eye, "We need to talk."
Elsa stared at her for a moment before stepping further into the house and letting Sam in. She was home alone yet again this week and had just been hanging out in the living room with her laptop.
It was neat and tidy, just as Sam had expected it to be, but she noticed the box of tissues on the end table and the half full trash can. "Haven't really seen you in school lately," she started awkwardly, "Have you been sick?"
"Not really," Elsa spoke softly as she sat on the couch before shrugging, "I just got tired of being alone at school all day."
Sam sighed, "Elsa… I never meant to-"
"It's not your fault," Elsa shook her head, "I'm not as sociable as I should be," she paused and stood, getting something from her backpack before moving in front of Sam. "Here," she held out a packet, "I finished the Chem lab."
Sam blinked in disbelief before taking the stack of papers, "But… I thought… The A-listers, they sat with you at lunch. Y-You were doing just fine on your own."
A dark blush rose in her cheeks as she shook her head, "Do you really think Paulina would come sit with me just to be nice?"
Sam sighed to herself as everything clicked. Her anger had blinded her to the fact that Elsa was probably getting picked on. "Well… why didn't you try to get out of the situation?" Sam tried to understand what happened.
"I felt cornered, like I couldn't go anywhere. I was on my own," Elsa just shrugged and the fact that she said is so matter-of-factly didn't sit well with Sam. Elsa shook her head, "I'm not like you Sam. I'm not tough enough to shrug everyone off and just be okay."
Sam clenched her fist in frustration. "But that's just it," she shook her head before sighing in defeat, her eyes on her feet, "I'm not okay."
Silence was heavy in the living room as the two girl just faced each other. "I wasn't lying when we last talked," Sam started softly, "I did feel like you were intruding on our friend group. It had always just been the three of us and we… we were always so close. Then you came along and found a place within it," Sam met her eyes, "You were never mean, Elsa. You never inserted yourself into anything or put any of your problems on us. In fact, you were always so conscious of what you did. I was just so blinded by jealousy that I was just mad at you."
"Jealousy?" Elsa scoffed, "Sam, what could I possibly have that could make you of all people jealous of me?"
Sam avoided the blondes eyes. "I-I…" she looked around the room, trying to avoid the question she knew she would have to come to terms with. "You were just getting so close with them and I…" she took a deep breath, "I know you like Danny." Elsa's eyes widened at this and another blush painted her cheeks. "And he likes you too," Sam shrugged, "But I like him."
Elsa gasped softly, "Oh Sam…" she breathed out before suddenly feeling very out of place, "I'm so, so sorry. I-I never thought- … I mean… I should've- …" she then place both hands on her head and growled, "Ugh, stupid! I don't blame you for hating me."
Sam's head jerked up and she shook her head. "I don't hate you," she spoke softly, barely above a whisper.
More silence followed as neither girl made an attempt to make eye contact. After a while, Elsa heard a sniffle and she looked up to find Sam with tears in her eyes. "I just…" she squeezed her eyes shut, "I was just so mad at you for nothing. That one day I just… snapped. I'm sorry."
Sam gasped when she felt small arms wrap around her as Elsa silently leaned on her shoulder. "I feel like we both need a hug after last week," she said softly.
The goth sniffled for a moment before grabbing onto her and sobbing into her shoulder. Elsa also felt tears gather in her eyes at the thought of Sam being so upset the whole time she was hanging out with the trio. Not out of malice, just insecurity. She silently scolded herself when tears ran down her cheeks. She was supposed to be comforting Sam, not crying like a baby.
She pulled away and sat down on the couch, bringing Sam down with her, before reaching over and grabbing the box of tissues for them. Both girls took many as they dried their tears and blew their noses. Sam suddenly scoffed, "Typical, you just cried as hard as I did and you still look good. You're the worst."
The blonde laughed at her, her tone obviously joking and that was proved when she smiled as well. After a while, Elsa spoke again. "Does anyone else know?" she asked quietly, throwing her tissues onto the coffee table without a care.
Sam just shook her head and picked at a clean tissue. Elsa thought to herself for a moment. "You really shouldn't bottle up your emotions like that," she teased, "Or you'll become a mess, like I am."
The goth burst into laughter, diffusing all the remaining tension in the air. "I was just about to watch Nightmarica and Titanic all by myself," Elsa paused, "You wanna stay and watch with me?"
Sam raised a brow at the first movie name, "You like horror?"
Elsa shrugged with a teasing look, "Every girl likes a little excitement in her life, Sam."
The goth practically snorted and shook her head with a smile, "Oh Elsa, you have no idea."
She reached forward and set up the movie before standing and going to the kitchen for a little while. She came back with two mugs of tea. "I find this type of tea really soothes mental breakdowns," she shrugged as she handed one to Sam.
"You think you could write down the name for me?" she asked with a smirk, causing more laughter before they quieted down for the movie. About halfway through, Elsa's phone pinged and she reached over to check it before a sound of disgust came from her. "What is it?" Sam suppressed a laugh.
"Paulina just went live," Elsa rolled her eyes, "And she's making sure the whole world knows it."
Sam shook her head, "That girl, I swear to the heavens above she's the embodiment of every mean girl on earth."
"Ooo," Elsa set down her phone and paused the movie, "Spill the tea."
That's what started and hour long discussion about Sam's multiple encounters with Paulina. The girls found their shared hatred for Spanish Barbie to actually bring them closer together. They talked through the whole night, learning things about the other they never knew. Sam turned into the gossipy girl she tried not to be and Elsa grew sassier with each comment. They even brought up Danny at one point.
"Okay, for real," Elsa set down her tea, "As cute as Danny is, he is so goddamn oblivious to everything."
Sam's eyes widened and she pointed at Elsa to put emphasis on what she just said, "Right?!"
They actually ended up staying up later than they thought they would. "Oh man, I should get home," Sam spoke up finally.
Elsa sheepishly played with the edge of her paper plate that held the remnants of a pizza they'd ordered earlier, "You could stay over if you wanted to."
Sam smiled brightly at her, "That's really nice of you Elsa but my parents would actually kill me. But… we could meet at the Nasty Burger for lunch tomorrow."
"I'm in," she smiled back at her as Sam stood and made her way to the door, "See you tomorrow?"
Sam nodded, "See you tomorrow." With one last wave, Sam was out the door and began walking home. She felt lighter, better about the situation, much better than when she'd just yelled at Elsa. She could feel a definite and strong friendship beginning to build between them. After all, tonight was the night she found out they had a lot more in common then she first thought. She had actually really wanted to sleep over and get to know more about her newest friend while simultaneously pissing off her parents but there was one more thing she had to do to resolve this mess.
Elsa walked with a much lighter step into the Nasty Burger the next day. She found the trio's usual booth, which was empty, and sat down, waiting for Sam.
It took another ten minutes but the girl soon arrived with someone else in toe. "Elsa!" she beamed as she walked up to her, dragging her friend behind her. "I'm so sorry but I'm gonna have to take a rain check on lunch. But look who I found! You can keep her company, right Danny?"
The boy was shoved into the seat across from her and blinked back at her with wide eyes before sending her a shy smile. "Welp," Sam clasped her hands together, "You two have fun."
Just as the goth was going out the doors of the restaurant she felt a tug on her arm. "Sam, wait," she heard Elsa say before turning and finding her looking at her with and unsure look. "Are you sure about this?" she asked quietly, "Now that I know how you feel… I wouldn't want to-"
"He's my best friend," Sam smiled softly, "That's what's most important to me. I want to see him happy more than anything. It might take some getting used to but…" she trailed off as she glanced back at Danny who sent her a big smile and mouthed a thank you to her, "I think I can cope."
Elsa stared at her for a moment before grabbing her in a big hug. "If this works out, I'll be sure to keep the PDA to a minimum."
"Thanks," Sam laughed before her expression got annoyed, "Wait, but did you see what Paulina posted this morning?"
Elsa took Sam's hand with a nod and a serious look, "We'll talk later."
After saying goodbye, Elsa returned to the booth, a blush settling on her cheeks as she brushed a stray hair out of her face, "Hi."
"Hi," Danny smiled back before he sheepishly looked down at his hands, "So, when I last, well, tried to ask you out… um…"
Elsa looked away from him with her face burning bright red, "O-Oh, about that. I-"
"I just wanna make sure you're okay Elsa," Danny cut her off before offering her a comforting smile and reaching across and taking her hand in his, "Before anything else, I am your friend."
"I'm alright Danny," she beamed back at him, "Just… going through some stuff. But…" she stopped and glanced out the front door of the restaurant Sam had left through.
"I think it's all worked out."