Danny tapped with fingers on the edge of the table, waiting on the waitress to bring back their drinks and for Sam to arrive. Tucker was in the bathroom, so it was just Danny at the booth. His phone buzzed. Pulling it out of his back pocket, he looked at the screen, smiling when Sam's name popped up.
On my way.
Danny smiled again, sending a quick message back.
We're sitting at our usual table. Want me to go ahead and get you something?
He asked, closing his phone and waiting for the buzz again. Tucker emerged from the restroom.
"Sam here yet?" He asked, sliding in across from Danny, putting his feet up so it took up the rest of the booth. Weird, Sam usually sat there.
"Nah, but she's on her way, I just got a text-" Danny's phone buzzed, cutting him off.
Grape soda would be good.
Danny read the text, let the corner of his mouth peek up in a smile, and then shot a new text back.
Got it.
"Was that her?" Tucker asked, seeing the waitress come over now.
"Yeah, she'll be here any minute." Danny said, smiling at the waitress when she put his drink down. "And can we get a grape soda as well?" He asked, the waitress simply nodded and write it down on her notepad. Once the waitress was out of ear shot, Tucker started again.
"Are we, ya know, going to talk to her?" He asked. Danny looked up from his drink. He thought about it a lot today. He thinks they should, but also doesn't want Sam to feel pressured or push them away more than she has.
"I think we should, but ah, calmly. I don't want her to push us away." Danny says, stirring his drink with a straw.
"Whatever you say man." Tucker replies, pulling out his PDA. They wait in silence for a couple of minutes, listening to others peoples conversations around Nasty Burger. The familiar 'ding' of the bells when someone enters the store tears Danny apart from Day dreaming, looking up to see Sam's entered. Danny smiled, and put his hand up, waving Sam over. His eyes connect with hers and he sees her lips perk up in a small smile. A small he hasn't seen in ages. Sam weaved her way through the small crowd, finally coming over to the booth. Her smile faltered a touch when Tuck was taking up the other side, but quickly sat next to Danny with no problem. The only reason Sam didn't like this, is because Danny had a better chance of seeing her bandages, and she couldn't use the 'My cat scratched me' excuse, because she (sadly) doesn't own one. She was desperately racking her brain for an excuse when the waitress startled her out of her thoughts, roughly placing a glass of soda on the counter for her.
"Thanks." She managed, using her non-bandaged hand to take a sip with the straw.
"Nice sweatshirt." Danny smirked.
"Oh ha ha. Very funny." Sam kidded. Danny smiled, and looked over at Tucker, who was looking at Danny. They both had almost pained expressions like 'You go first man.' 'No way.' "What?" Sam asked, eyeing both of them. Danny shifted in his seat, and Tucker shot daggers at him. Sam swallowed. This can't be good.
"Sam.." Danny starts, turning to face her. Sam shifts, putting her hands in her lap. Danny opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it, his brows knit in confusion. "What's that?" He asks, pointing towards her bandaged hand. He reaches to grab it, but Sam casually moves it out of the way, like she didn't see the gesture. She folds her hers in front of her chest.
"What's what?" She asked, using her eyes to dare him to ask again. Danny looked up and met her eyes, his blaring with the same look.
"Your hand. And how's your arm?" He asks, toughly, but there is a big sense of worry hidden in there too.
"I burned my hand, and it's fine thank you." She replies, turning to face Tucker, trying to avoid further topics in this conversation, but to her avail, Tucker was staring right at her,same as Danny.
"Well if it's just burned, you don't mind us seeing it, right?" Danny asks. There was no edge in his voice, he asked it like he would normally ask a question, but its as if he knew.. 'No, he doesn't, and he can't." Sam reminded herself. He and Tucker both would hate her, absolutely hate her for what shes does to herself. She couldn't lose them, no matter how much she felt that they would do better without her. Sam stops. She's feeling backed into a corner. She takes a sip of the soda, as if the question went right over her head.
"Eh I don't know, it hurts pretty bad and I don't really want to bandage it up again, that's the worst part." She says, shrugging her shoulders, trying to seem calm and collected but can't help but feel like Danny can see right through the sweatshirt, see the secret shes hidden for months now. Danny looked at her quizzically, and seemed to accept it, leaning back in the booth.
"Are you okay? You got hit with a couple text tubes there." She asked. Danny just shrugged.
"Only a few pieces hit me, a couple scraps that's it. You're the one that took one dead on in the arm." He says,swirling his drink. She hated this. Not being with the guys, but the conversation was so awkward, she didn't-
"Cut to the chase Sam we're worried about you." Tucker's voice interrupts. Sam gulps, but remains calm. Danny turns to Tucker, mouthing a thank you,then turns to Sam.
"There's nothing to worry about." Sam says, nonchalantly, stiffening.
"Sam.. you've been acting a lot different the past few months.." Danny starts. Tucker stares at him, as if 'GO on dude.' Danny just gives him daggers back, and all Sam can do is squirm in her seat.
"All we want to do is help." Tucker added, leaning his arms against the table, leaning forwards.
"Exactly but we can't help if you won't tell us what's going on." Danny says.
"There's nothing going on guys. I'm just different, that's all." Sam says, not daring to meet either one of their eyes.
"But I want my old Sam back. The Sam that would yell at us for eating to much meat and the Sam that had that crazy smile after chasing down a ghost. That Sam is still in there. I want to help get her back." Danny says. Sam almost stops breathing. My Sam. Those words echo in her mind. She wanted to say 'I miss her too," but her mouth wouldn't work, it's like it was glued shut, the only thing she could hear was her heart beating so wildly in her ears.
"I changed, I'm sorry." She says, barley above a whisper.
"I don't think that's the case. Something's bothering you and taking you away from us. " Danny says, and Tucker nods. Sam sets her jaw and looks up.
"I'm done having this conversation." She says.
"But Sam-" Danny starts, but Sam stops him. She pulls three dollars out of her pocket, and puts them on the table.
"Thanks for the soda." She says, taking a final sip and storming out. She couldn't deal with this, not tonight, not any night.
"Sam.." Danny starts, getting up to go after her, but a hand on his shoulder stops him.
"Let her go, for now at least. We can talk to her about it later, its obviously a touchy subject." Tucker says. Danny looks down, frustrated at himself for blowing it, but he had a plan. A really bad plan, but a plan to help.
"Tuck, I have a plan." He says.
Hello dears! Sorry for my two day hiatus, my wifi went out:( have another chapter! I probably won't update tonight, but tomorrow most likely. And also. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review. It inspires me to write more and I desperately want to see what you guys have to say, but no flames please. Well, I'll see ya'll tomorrow, and please review!
-Savii