A/N: This fic contains potentially triggering subject matter including but not limited to: suicidal references, gun violence, sexual trauma, homelessness, drug abuse, depression, homophobia, and cancer. It may contain inaccuracies. No copyright infringement intended. Thanks for reading!
BOOK TWO - PART THREE - CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
Before heading to Yingo's, the group stopped by Inside-Out Burger. Cat had been casually rambling about the day she met Sam, and brought up the fact that she still stopped there for an occasional free cheeseburger.
Sam had completely forgotten about their VIP status. She didn't understand how she could've forgotten something like that. All those nights scrounging for food—she could've been living off of free burgers this entire time. Things would've been so much easier. It was extremely frustrating, but it made perfect sense. Sam had intentionally blocked anything having to do with Cat out of her mind. She tried not to dwell on it.
Now everyone was seated at the teacups at Yingo's, finishing up their meals. Cat had scarfed down two burgers and a generous amount of fries. Sam had managed to finish one burger and half a chocolate milkshake. Hamburger wrappers were piled in the center of the table, and they were all leaning back, rubbing their stomachs. Then Sam sat up suddenly. "Hey, do you guys mind if Cat and I go walk around for a while?"
Cat wiped her mouth and her hands with her napkin. "Where are we going?"
"Public indecency's a serious offense," Jade muttered jokingly.
Sam rolled her eyes. She climbed out of the teacup, then grabbed Cat's hand and pulled her out too. "It's not like that, alright? I just wanted to show her something."
"You know this place pretty well, huh?" Robbie asked. He hadn't been present for the previous conversation.
"She lived here," Jade spoke up.
"Jade!" Cat scoffed. Sam looked embarrassed—clearly she hadn't expected the whole group to find out about that. Cat sighed and protectively grabbed her arm. "Jeez, do you know how to keep anything to yourself?"
"It's fine," Sam muttered. Then, louder, she said, "I'm fine. Can we please just go?"
"Sorry," Jade said offhandedly. She didn't sound sorry, but the fact that she was apologizing at all was more than they could've asked for. "Need a condom before you go?"
"Jade!" several members of the group said at once.
"Okay! Okay; I'll shut up. Doesn't anyone know how to take a joke?" Jade complained.
Sam dragged Cat away before anything more could be said. Then they walked side by side through the old park. There were broken down rides all around them; vandalized and inoperable. They didn't talk for a while, but it was a comfortable silence. Finally, Sam said, "I wonder what people are saying about the EP." They had all agreed not to go online until after their appearance on Jimmy Fallon tonight, just in case the response was negative.
"It could go either way, honestly," Cat shrugged. "I think people will like it. It's much different from anything JTC has ever done before."
"People are gonna hate my song," Sam casually remarked. "Compared to the rest of you guys, I sound like a dying walrus."
Cat snorted with laughter and grabbed Sam's hand. "No, you don't. Not even close. I think your singing voice is really sexy."
"You think everything about me is sexy," Sam responded playfully.
"Yes, I do," Cat confirmed. They fell silent for several seconds, then Cat finally spoke up. "Sam?"
"Mm-hmm?"
"I just…" Cat nervously, quietly said, "I just wanted to say thank you for last night. I know we haven't really had time to talk about it or anything…"
"We don't need to talk about it," Sam quickly assured her. "And you don't need to thank me. It was… nice. I mean… it was good. I had no idea it was gonna happen, but I'm glad it did. I really, uh, enjoyed myself. You… you did too, right?" She managed to stop talking, cringing at herself.
Cat giggled and gave her hand a squeeze. Sam was so cute when she was nervous. "Yes, I definitely enjoyed myself," she confirmed. "And I really appreciate you trusting me. I wasn't expecting that to happen—you surprised me."
"You don't mind that I fell asleep right after, right?"
"No. I'd already gotten my turn, remember?" Cat answered with a sheepish smile. "I was wet all night, though. And I had a sex dream about you."
"Oh, yeah?" Sam arched an eyebrow at her. "Wanna tell me about it?"
Cat bit her lip and went a bit red. "Um… no."
Sam gave her a look.
"You wouldn't be into it," Cat shyly explained.
"What? Why not?" Sam asked confusedly. "How do you know?"
"'Cause you didn't like it before."
"Didn't like what?" Sam questioned in frustration. Then it occurred to her. "Wait, is this about the armpit thing again?"
"It's fine," Cat mumbled. The previous rejection still stung a little.
"No, Cat—you completely misunderstood me before," Sam told her seriously. "It was a really long day that day and I just wanted to clean up a little first. It was actually really hot to see you like that."
Cat was pouting. "You said it was gross."
"It wasn't gross. I'd totally let you do it again," Sam told her.
"Now?"
"Huh?" Sam looked at her in surprise.
"Are you sweaty?" Cat asked, hardly masking her excitement.
Sam sniffed under her arm and then recoiled a little. "Yeah." She smiled at her playfully. "Does that turn you on?"
Cat looked around, then quietly asked, "Can we go somewhere more private?" They hadn't seen anyone else since they'd been here, and they were far from their friends, but she wasn't taking any chances.
Sam's eyes flashed. "Yeah. We can do that."
Sam and Cat continued to walk with purpose, hand-in-hand, until they finally arrived at the entrance of the abandoned haunted house. Sam fearlessly stepped up onto the front porch and pushed the door open. "There's no working lights for this part, so just follow close behind me."
Cat was nervous. "Is it safe?"
"I'll protect you," Sam assured her. "You don't have to worry."
The two of them crept into the dark house. It seemed to be a sort of maze—Sam led them down a corridor, then turned left, then right, then left again. There were no windows, but parts of the roof had cracked and fallen away, allowing them small patches of light to see by.
"Do you actually know where you're going?" Cat asked after a while. It felt like they were going around and around in circles.
"Just trust me."
Cat did.
Eventually they reached a dead end with a wooden trapdoor on the floor. Sam kneeled down next to it, grabbed the handle, and pried it open until it stayed, stuck by rusted hinges. "It's a ladder. Are you cool with that?"
Cat peered down into the darkness. "This house wasn't actually haunted, right?"
"Well…"
"Sam!" Cat scoffed.
"If a ghost tries to attack you, I'll kick its ass," Sam replied, smiling with one corner of her mouth.
Cat's eyebrows were furrowed. "You're just joking, right?"
Sam grinned. "Yeah, I'm messing with you. Even though I really would kill a ghost to protect you."
"You can't kill a ghost, Sam," Cat chuckled. She stepped up to the trapdoor. "You have to go first."
Sam shrugged. "Alright." She stepped down onto the ladder and began descending. Halfway down, she stopped and waited. "Come on. I'll break your fall if you slip."
Cat sighed. Being with Sam was always an adventure. She carefully began climbing down the ladder, into the pitch darkness. "Sam?"
"Just keep going, we're almost to the bottom," Sam encouraged her.
"Oh, no, I was just gonna tell you to stop looking up my dress," Cat replied casually.
Sam blushed and looked away immediately. "Sorry." She hadn't realized she was being so obvious. Cat's panties were white with little pink hearts on them, and Sam wanted to rip them off with her teeth. She made it to the floor of the basement and felt along the wall for a switch. Moments later, the small space was illuminated by a dim lightbulb hanging from the ceiling.
Cat made it down next and looked around. There wasn't much to see—some old wooden crates, some metal shelving, a box of haunted house props covered in cobwebs, and a sleeping bag and backpack in one corner.
"Looks like someone moved in," Sam observed. "Good thing he's not home." She moved her fingers to the front of her own shirt and began undoing the buttons.
Cat wasn't complaining, but she was a little confused. "What are you doing?"
Sam slipped her shirt off and let it fall to the concrete floor. She was wearing a white wife beater underneath, and her padded bandages, but no bra. She leaned back against the wall and lifted her right arm. "Come here."