Another Flynn

4

(((⚠Trigger Warning⚠: mentions of death, abuse, and drinking. Please skip or read with caution. Your mental wellbeing is important.)))

While walking down the halls in search of Wally Shawn took the opportunity to give Samantha a tour of the place she might be working in. He pointed out the main hall and stairways that would help her get around the studio faster and advised her to never use the lift.

"You are acting like I already have the internship," Samantha laughed.

"They would be stupid not to pick you, Sammy. You are a great writer."

"Wow," she sighed. "You sound like Aunt Riona and Uncle Cillian."

Shawn stopped in his tracks. Samantha didn't notice until she was ahead of him and saw that he was no longer walking beside her. She turned back to see him frozen where he stood with a look of shock on his face. She hurried back to him and waved her hand in front of his face.

"Hello? Shawn? You in there?"

She looked around to see what might have put him in this state but they were alone in the open hallway.

"Shawn, come on," she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "This isn't funny." Samantha was about to grab hold of his shoulders when he quickly raised his hands and shouted "BOO" in her face.

She jumped back with a squeal and he bent over in laughter as she tried to calm her heart from the scare.

"Shawn Flynn! That was not at all funny! I thought something was wrong with you!"

Shawn held onto his sides as he tried to stop himself from laughing. Samantha was unamused as watched her brother laugh as her heart calmed down from the scare.

"Why did you do that?" She asked.

Gasping for air he coughed as he answered, "You shocked me by comparing me to our Aunt and Uncle."

"Oh Shawn!" She huffed as she turned on her heels and walked down the hallway. Even though she had no idea where she was going she didn't care. He should know better than to scare her like that. Seeing him in that state brought memories of their father sitting at the kitchen table staring at nothing after hours of drinking.

That's how she found him that morning before school. She rushed into Shawn's room in a panic because he wasn't moving. Shawn told her sternly to stay in his room until he came for her and she had done what she was told. It had taken longer than she expected for him to come back and get her. His face was unreadable and he told her that everything was fine. He grabbed his book bag from the chair he had in his room and together they went through the now empty kitchen and headed for school. What she didn't know was that Shawn had managed to carry their father to his room until he could get back to their home. When school was over and Shawn wasn't where he normally was waiting for her that's when she knew something was really wrong. Shawn always waited for her by the big tree outside the school. When she saw he wasn't there she ran back inside to find his teacher and ask where he was. When the teacher told her that he had not been in class that day she didn't even hear the teacher ask if anything was wrong. She quickly turned and ran out and headed home as fast as her legs would take her.

Arriving at home she saw Shawn talking with a man outside. Shawn saw her and told her to wait where she stood. This time she didn't listen. She walked to him and hid behind him snaking her arms around his waist. He introduced her to the man he was speaking to but when the man took a knee to shake her hand she held on tighter to Shawn and hid her face in his back. Shawn tried to get her to say hello but she wasn't listening. He apologized and carried on with the conversation they were having before she arrived. The man wasn't there long. They shook hands and before the man left he gave his condolences. Samantha didn't know what that meant at the time. It sounded familiar but she couldn't remember why. When the man was gone she felt Shawn grab her by the wrists gently to pry himself free to move. She reluctantly let him go and he was able to kneel in front of her. He did his best to explain what was going on but all she could understand was that they were now alone. No parents. Shawn did what he could to arrange things for their father. It was a challenge but he managed.