Chapter Seven: A New Development: Simon's Betrayal

Simon had been walking for hours, not sure where he was going. He just kind of wandered for a while, trying to calm himself down. After about an hour, he was calm. But he was also lost and he was pretty sure he wasn't even in his own neighborhood anymore. He had walked past a house that had clearly seen better days several times. Simon wasn't sure he believed in fate or destiny. But maybe he was meant to find this house.

It looked inhabited. There was a light on in the second floor and a silhouette went by the window every once in a while. It was clearly a girl's silhouette. He sighed. It was almost five in the morning. It was still pitch black out, but he needed to get something to drink. He was parched and tired and his legs were barely working. He was practically falling asleep on his feet.

He trudged up to the door and rang the bell. There was the sound of footsteps from upstairs and a tall young woman with large blonde hair. She sighed.

"What do you want, kid? Isn't it literally a bit late at night to be visiting friends? Are you one of Linky's friends?" She asked. Simon shook his head.

"Could I get something to drink?" Simon asked bluntly. The blonde girl rolled her eyes.

"Come on in. Keep quiet. Most of the family is asleep. How old even are you?" The girl asked as Simon collapsed on the couch.

"I'm eight. My name is Simon." Simon said.

"Lori. Here. Is water literally okay?" She asked, still on her phone.

"Thank you." He said draining it in a few gulps. Now that she looked at him, he looked flushed and exhausted. She got a thermometer and took his temperature. He was running a slight fever. He was around 100oF. It wasn't anything to panic over. But he needed rest.

"Simon… How long have you been outside?" She asked. Simon looked at his phone.

"Well… I left home at 2 in the morning. Why are you up s-s-s-so early?" He asked, his shivering had gotten worse since he got inside. It was hardly frigid outside, but it was only in the high 40s, and he just had a sweatshirt and pajama bottoms on. He wasn't dressed for the weather he was in.

"Would you like me to call your family?" Lori asked gently, sitting down next to him. Simon gasped, shaking his head violently.

"No! I can never go back!" He cried. Lori's eyes widened.

"Why not?" She asked. He broke down, sobbing.

"I just can't! I betrayed Sammy and they took her clothes off and dumped them in the garbage and she got really badly hurt because of me! It's all my fault."

"What do you mean?" Lori asked.

"There was a dark alley and a bunch of guys and they hurt her and it's my fault!" Simon sobbed.

"And Sammy hates me now!"

It was obvious to Lori that Simon didn't understand what had happened to Sam. He seemed to have a basic if superficial knowledge of the events as they happened, but not what it actually meant. Luna had been talking about a girl named Sam and how she was the newest member of their band. Could it be the same Sam? Sam was a common enough name. It could have been another Sam.

"What is your last name?" Luna asked.

"Sharp." Simon said. Yep, it was the same Sam. Luna had mentioned Sam Sharp. Lori sighed. She couldn't just send Simon home. First of all, it was five in the morning and she couldn't just walk home with him, especially if he was lost. Second, she couldn't drive yet. She was only 15.

"Simon, give me your phone." Lori ordered. Simon timidly opened the phone's home screen and handed it to Lori. She was so authoritative. He had to obey her.

She looked in the contacts and dialed 'Home'. The phone rang three times and then a male voice picked up.

"Hello? Sharp Residence. Erik Sharp speaking. How may I help you?" he asked politely.

"Mr. Sharp? My name is Lori Loud. Simon is at my house right now. I'm not sure what happened, but he says he left at 2 in the morning." She said.

Erik thanked Lori and said he'd be right over. As he hung up, Rita and Lynn came downstairs to see Lori awake and Simon sitting on the couch, not looking so hot. Rita went over to him and felt his forehead.

"Ooh, you feel pretty warm." She said gently, getting some medicine from the cabinet and giving it to him with some juice.

"Thank you." He said, looking exhausted.

"If you don't mind my asking, who are you?" Lynn asked.

"I'm Simon Sharp, sir." Simon said.

"I-I was just about to leave. I just needed a drink of water." He said. Rita shook her head.

"Nonsense. You stay until we can get everything sorted out. How did you come to be here?" She asked.

"Well, I walked." Simon said as if it was obvious.

"In 45 degree weather? In that?" Rita asked. Simon shrugged.

"I couldn't stay at home." He said. She scowled.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Because Sammy hates me and it's my fault she got hurt." Simon said. Rita raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Simon explained to the best of his knowledge what had happened to Sam, how some kids at her school hated her. He didn't say it was because Sam was gay. He had no right to tell anyone that.

He explained what he knew of what happened to Sam in that alleyway. Rita gasped in horror, immediately understanding what had happened and why they had to move.

"Simon." Rita said, hugging Simon tightly.

"That wasn't your fault. Sam is angry because of what happened to her, not at you"

"I know it's hard to understand right now, because you respect Sam and her taking her anger out on you makes it seem like she doesn't love you anymore, doesn't it?" Rita asked. Simon nodded helplessly, relaxing instantly in this very motherly woman's embrace. Her hug felt so warm and gentle.

"It wasn't your fault and I'm sure Sam still loves you. She just needs you to be understanding. She probably doesn't understand how she's feeling right now either.

"I know it's confusing. But sometimes you'll need to give her space, and sometimes she might need you to reassure her. It's complicated." Rita said, Simon nodded, feeling slightly reassured already.

"So I understand why you ran away. But I need you to go home and try to work things out with your parents and your sister." Rita said. Simon nodded.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Lori answered it. When Simon saw that it was Amanda, he ran over, hugging the woman tightly. Amanda smiled at him, hugging him back.

"Come on, sweetie. Thank Mr. and Mrs. Loud and let's get you home." Amanda said lovingly.

Simon thanked the ones who were down there and left with Amanda, going back home, where Erik was waiting and sat on the couch with Simon. He went over and sat next to Erik, curling up next to him.

"I'm sorry." Simon whispered. Erik smiled and pulled Simon close to him.

"It's alright, son. I'm sure this is really confusing for you right now. I want you to know that Amanda and I are here for you." Erik said.

"You can talk to us whenever you need to." He said. Simon growled.

"Where were you when Sammy was being bullied at school? Drunk on the fucking couch? And what about you mom? When Sammy said she needed to talk to you about something important?

"You were too busy getting to your second job! And what about all those times Sammy wanted to spend time with friends or go to a birthday party or just spend a Saturday doing something she wanted to do and you were too busy at a job and you were too drunk on your arse to do anything about it? Where were you two then? Don't even answer that! I don't want to hear your bullshit!

"Sam was here for me all these years and I tried to be there for her when she was suffering! You two were nowhere to be seen! Don't pretend you care now!" Simon snapped, storming back up to his room, slamming the door, causing Sam to wake up with a jolt. She moaned lightly and fell back asleep.

-0-

Sam went down to the kitchen in the morning, sighing. It was going to be another long day, but maybe she could try to enjoy it. She would at least see Luna and her other new friends, and Simon was always there for her. When she got downstairs, she saw Erik and Amanda sitting on the couch with a third person who looked like a priest or something. The priest was dressed in his black button up shirt and pants with a belt with the white strip in his collar.

He had a Bible with him, though he looked like he was just carrying it. It was a fancy white and gold, leatherbound Bible with gold leaf that looked like it was the most expensive thing he had on him. She was pretty sure he wouldn't read from it. Sam didn't know exactly why the priest was there, but she was sure it couldn't be good. There was something oddly ominous about the way he was looking at her. Like he felt sorry for her. Like he was caught between pity and disgust for her.

Simon was there too, looking nervous and a little bit guilty. He couldn't look her in the eye, like he knew he had done something bad and had hurt her.

"Sam… We'd like to talk to you." Amanda said. Sam nodded nervously, sitting down with her parents. She was trembling with nerves, not sure what to expect, but positive that it wouldn't be good.

"Sammy… You know we love you, right?" Amanda asked. Sam wasn't sure she liked where this was going, but she agreed. Of course she knew they loved her.

"And we want what's best for you… We know, Sammy. We know you're gay." Erik said. His voice was gentle, but there was a sadness in it that cut Sam to her core.

"We don't think it's your fault, Sammy. Nobody's perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. Your father and I aren't free of mistakes either. But we want to help you find your way. We hope that one day, you'll be cured and you'll marry a nice man and be happy. We know you're not happy now." Amanda said.

"So we signed you up for camp." Erik said. Sam gasped.

"C-camp?" She asked. Amanda nodded.

"It's-it's a religious camp. They'll help you confront whatever demons you have in your life and they'll help you get better. They have a very high success rate. Many people have written testimonials about it and how the camp helped them find their way free of sin." The mother said.

"What? Sin! But you and mom aren't even religious!" Protested. She had been raised to be vaguely Christian. But they didn't really go to church, except maybe on Christmas and Easter, and even that wasn't a given. How could they be spouting this Christian Right crap? But more than being angry, Sam was terrified.

"Mommy! Daddy! Please! I don't-there's nothing wrong with me! I'm just not attracted to boys!" Sam pleaded. The priest spoke next. He had been silent up to that point.

"My child, it's not your fault. The Devil has so many ways of tricking people away from the light, and despite our best efforts, Satan's call is very alluring.

"LGBTs have heard so many lies about their condition. They were born that way. It was genetic. They're a woman in a man's body. They didn't have a choice. I'm here to take you somewhere you can learn that you may not have chosen to be gay in the first place. But you can choose to be straight now. You can choose the right path." The man said softly.

He had such a calm, soothing voice, Sam almost forgot how terrified she was.

"H-how… How did you find out?"

"I told them." Simon said sadly.

"I could tell that you weren't going to get better on your own, and I thought that maybe if you weren't gay anymore, you could be happy again. Maybe you could be my Sammy again." Simon whispered.

Sam gasped. The one person she'd always told herself would never ever betray her had turned his back on her. She'd trusted him. She believed in him and told him things she wouldn't have told her best friends. Because as sad as it was, Simon was her best friend. She gaped, opening and closing her mouth a few times, before she leapt up and screamed at the priest.

"NO! There's NOTHING wrong with me! I won't go to your janky ass camp!" Sam yelled. Erik observed her levelly for a moment.

"Then you're not welcome here anymore." He said, his voice turning cold. Sam whimpered lightly, but went to get her shoes and left the house.

It was surprisingly cold outside that day. She walked around, not knowing where she was going. She still didn't know the town very well. Fortunately, she ended up running into Lincoln on her way past the arcade. He smiled at her. But his smile was cold and cruel now.

"Hey, Sammy… You know, Simon was at our house this morning." Lincoln said. His tone was mean and condescending. She nodded, hoping she was mistaken.

"He was? That's nice. Thank you for calling us and bringing him home." Sam said.

"Yeah, of course. He told us something pretty interesting. You're gay, huh? A little dyke, huh?" Lincoln laughed.

"God, you're pathetic! Did you actually think someone as amazing as Luna would want to be friends with a freak like you?" Lincoln mocked. Sam gasped, tears filling her eyes.

"N-no… She-she'd be okay with it!" Sam protested. Lincoln's laugh got louder.

"Yeah right! Keep telling yourself that! I wonder what she'll say to you when you get to school today!" Lincoln said. Sam sighed. He was right.

"Now, we'll treat you exactly how you deserve to be treated." Lincoln said, shoving Sam down and holding her down while some boys, probably Lincoln's friends gathered around them.

Sam screamed, waking up, gasping for breath.

"Just-just a nightmare… It's alright, Sammy. It's-it's alright. It's not real. Simon would never betray you. She felt tears running down her cheeks as she got up and got a drink of water before going back to bed.

-0-

Amanda and Erik woke Simon and Sam up. They took Simon's temperature, seeing that he had gone down and was fine to go to school. They brought the two kids downstairs and served breakfast. Sam was still a bit hesitant to eat, but Simon convinced her that she should at least eat a little to keep up her strength for the day. She seemed conflicted.

"Simon, I'm-I'm not really that hungry." Sam said. Simon shook his head.

"No. I'm not gonna let you keep starving yourself. I want you to eat breakfast at least. I can't make you eat lunch. I'm not there with you. But I can insist that you eat breakfast and dinner." Simon said. Sam sighed and ate her breakfast. She smiled at Simon, thanking him.

Sam and Simon went to school. Overall, it was a pretty good day. Sam had thought that it wouldn't be. Her nightmare was still ringing in her head, casting doubt on everything she thought she knew. Sam had an appointment with Doctor Lopez the next day. She was really nervous about it. She was going to see Doctor Lopez after school and in some ways, she was looking forward to it, and in other ways, she just wished she didn't have to go. Would Doctor Lopez support her or judge her.

She didn't know, and she couldn't get the thought out of her mind. What if she judged her, and decided to tell her parents about her abnormality? Sam knew that she had an obligation to keep their sessions private unless Sam was a danger to herself or others. But she was having trouble trusting anyone. What if Doctor Lopez decided Sam really did need to be 'fixed', and recommended a rehab camp to her parents? Sam didn't really like being gay, but it was who she was and she was pretty sure she couldn't 'fix' it.

Simon's day at school was pretty good. Oz was kind of a jerk to him. But according to Gil, Oz was a jerk to everyone, and Simon had made an enemy of Oz. Oz's anger at Simon was palpable at recess. It wasn't like he was doing anything overt. It was obvious he was angry. Simon had beaten up his goons. But overall, Oz wasn't too worried about them.

Oz was also cautious about trying to fight Simon himself, especially after he had seen how Simon had fought the last time. Although Simon seemed like a really clean cut guy, he could be vicious when he was fighting. In a way, he admired Simon though. Simon's cunning in a fight was impressive, and although he had chosen the wrong side, he was willing to give Simon another chance to be his friend. When recess was over, he went to art class and continued his work from yesterday.

He worked on his painting of Sam in art class. He continued on the outline, finishing up his picture of her surrounded by music and dressed in a gorgeous blue dress with her hair in a long braid. He'd always loved her long hair, and was sad that she wanted it cut. But he respected her decision nevertheless. He started painting, and although he didn't finish, he got about a fourth of the painting done.

He worked very carefully and meticulously, making sure every brush stroke was perfect. He didn't have a choice. He needed to be careful so when he showed it to Sam, she would like it. He had to make sure that it was perfect, just like Sam. Despite what she was going through. Despite the pain she was in, she was still perfect, and Simon had to make everyone see what he saw when he looked at her.

He was told that the painting was very impressive, even though it wasn't done yet, and he went home at the end of the day to see Sam curled up on the couch. She'd had a panic attack at school and was sent home early. Simon went and sat down on the couch with Sam, cuddling up with her. He looked at her lovingly, wrapping his arms around her. She gently stroked his hair, smiling weakly at him. She was still exhausted from her panic attack, and she needed to rest. Simon needed her now though.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you last night." She said, hugging him tightly.

"You didn't deserve that. It wasn't your fault about my hair. I appreciate that you cut it for me and you did a good job." She said, her voice trembling slightly. Simon looked worriedly at her.
"Sammy… Are you angry at me for what happened?" Simon asked. Sam sighed.

"Of course not. None of that was your fault." Sam said. Simon sighed.

"Do you still love me?" The young boy asked. Sam walked over and sat next to Simon, holding him in her arms.
"Of course I still love you. Simon, I-It's not your fault. I'm just… I'm having trouble keeping my emotions in check right now.

"I'm trying, but just know that if I yell at you or say mean things, it doesn't mean I don't love you." Sam said gently. Simon hugged his older sister tightly.

"What are Luna and her friends like?" Simon asked. Sam sighed happily.

"They're actually a lot like the friends I had back in Columbus. They're really cool and really nice and I feel really at ease with them.

"I'm a little worried that they'll find out about my abnormality and abandon me. But I guess that hasn't happened yet, so I should just be happy with my friends while it lasts." Sam said. Simon hugged her, kissing her on the cheek.

"There's nothing abnormal about you. You're smart and strong and beautiful and anyone would be lucky to be your friend. They should be grateful they have you." Simon said.

Sam smiled at Simon. It was sweet how innocent he was. But she was pretty sure that wasn't the way the world worked. She was pretty sure that if and when George, Ruth, Finny and Luna found out, that they would abandon her like the sack of crap she really was.

"That's sweet, but things don't work that way." Sam muttered. Simon cocked his head.

"Why not? Luke, Estelle, and Bridget didn't abandon you when they found out you were gay. Why should Luna, George, Ruth and Finny?" Simon asked. Sam sighed.

"My old friends had known me for years. I don't know if I'll have the benefit of that with my new friends, especially if I keep lying to them. I…" Simon cut her off, putting a finger up to her lips and looking her right in the eye, demanding that she look at him.

"Samantha Abigail Sharp. There is nothing wrong with you. You're an amazing person and anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend. If they reject you because of who you are, that's their problem. Not yours." Simon said, hugging his Sammy tightly.

"I love you, Sammy, and there is nothing wrong with you." Simon said, hugging her and comforting her until she calmed down a bit.

"Sammy? Could I sleep with you tonight?" Simon asked gently. Sam sighed.

"I wake up sometimes with bad dreams. You should sleep in your own room. You'll get a better night's sleep." Sam said. Simon sighed.

"Please?" he begged. Sam shook her head.

"No. You're eight. You can sleep in your own bed." Sam said impatiently.

"But maybe me being there will make it so you don't have bad dreams!" Simon said.

Sam exploded.

"I SAID NO!" She shouted, turning her back on him. Simon gasped, heading up to his room, feeling a little resentful and angry. It was Sam's fault they had to move. It was her fault he lost his friends. No. It wasn't Sam's fault… It was his fault. He took deep breaths, trying to calm down. He needed to calm himself down. He couldn't be panicking.

He needed to do his homework. He sat down, trembling slightly with anxiety, but he found that he didn't really have the focus he needed to do it. He went downstairs and sat with Amanda. He wasn't sure he fully trusted her yet. But he needed help.

"Mom? If-if Sammy told you something different about her… Would-would you still love her?" Simon asked. Amanda hugged him tightly.

"Of course I would. Nothing she tells me or does could ever make me not love her. Is this about what happened back in Columbus?" Amanda asked. Simon nodded.

"Do you know what happened?" Amanda asked. Simon nodded.
"What? What happened to Sammy? What is it? I want to help her, but I can't if nobody will tell me anything." Amanda said.

"I-I can't tell you. I promised not to." Simon said guiltily. He could tell how badly Amanda wanted to help Sam. He may have been angry at Sam, but he would still never betray her confidence. She trusted him with her secret. She trusted him to keep it, and he would never tell anyone as long as he lived if she didn't want him to. He would die with her secret if he needed to. Most people would consider him a fanatic for Sam. But she deserved his complete loyalty.

She had always been good to him. She'd taken care of him. Even when she wanted to go out and hang out with her friends. Even when she just wanted to be alone, she was always available for him. And he owed her nothing less than his complete loyalty.

So why was he having so much trouble keeping his mouth shut? Why did he want to tell his mom so badly what was bothering Sam?

"Please, Simon? I know how loyal you are to Sam. I know how much you love her. But I can't help her if you won't tell me and she won't tell me. I know you want to keep her secrets. I know you love her.

"But sometimes loving someone means doing what's right for them, even if they don't want you to. Sam didn't want you to stop her from killing herself. But you did because you loved her, right?" Amanda asked. She knew that was a low blow. She knew it would come back to bite her in the future. She knew that Sam would be furious at her for using that. But she just wanted the chance to be the mother that she hadn't been in the past.

Simon was in tears.

"Fine! Sammy is gay! She was being bullied because she confessed to a girl who wanted to punish her for being in love with a girl!" Simon sobbed. After he said it, he heard a gasp and looked up.

"S-Sammy…" Simon said.