A Hallway of Leaves

Eight

I woke up the following day seemingly much relax and refresh. I could finally breathe in and out easily, and my heart rate seems to be on its normal beating. But, for unknown reasons that I couldn't name at all, I find myself clearly on my dormitory's bed, and I'm already on my pajamas.

I try to remember what happened last night, but my head goes directly onto one very abrupt stop once it hits the boundary of what I remembered.

My bedroom door opens slowly, causing me to reach out for my butterfly knife underneath the mattress and point it dangerously at arm's length to threaten the intruder of my room. Hell, I couldn't even remember what happened last night and found myself here... I am starting to grow paranoid that someone kidnapped me. But when the door opens up wider, I so wished that I am pointing the knife so threateningly and deadly to that stranger, who touched me, other than my childhood friend.

Sam stands frozen by the doorway half-naked, with only his jeans on, and he instantly holds up his hands in total surrender as his face shows a clear description of fear. He chides to ease me down since I completely have no intention of placing down the knife, "Wait... wait, you'll regret killing me."

I roll my eyes. "Don't tell me something that you've memorized so well from your scripts. I want you to stay there as I ask you questions."

"Just... damn, bring down that knife and I'll honestly answer all of your questions. Please," he pleads and he slowly sits down upon closing my bedroom door, dropping against it onto the floor, as I lower the knife as well, but not deciding to return it. He breathes out heavily. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet. Remember that I still have a weapon."

"I know that you won't dare do that."

I bite my lip. "What are you doing here? How come I end up here? My clothes, and you..." Damn, I could never even take a look at his body! "Hell, what did you do?!"

"Easy," he says in defense. "Just one question at a time." He smirks. "You were pretty loud, though. I bet everyone outside could hear you. I didn't know you had it in you."

I throw him a deadly glare, wishing to incinerate him at that very moment. But I know too well that teasing is one of Sam's forte as well. "Yeah, whatever. Even if we're the best of friends, let me remind you that I'm still a girl. I demand to know everything that happened."

He laughs. "First of all, what is the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

"I am at the Acquaintance Party," I answer. "I lost sight of Airin and Peter, and I..."

WHAT THE HECK?!

I look at Sam with wide-eyes, causing him to raise one eyebrow of his. He then tells me, "Continue."

"A man touched me, inviting me for a dance. And I—"

"What?" It is not a question to be exact, but the shocked on his face and his sudden abruptness as if ready to punch someone is very visible on his usually charming and soft features.

"It's fine," I assure him. "Nothing happened. I slipped from his grasp before anything could have happened."

He relaxes, but the tension on his face is still visibly taunt.

"I tried to move away from the crowd and finally made my way out of them, because the place started to suffocate me. Before I finally lose my consciousness, I saw someone..." I eye him for a while.

Sam nods and remarks, "That was me."

I look at him, trying to find something to hint that he is lying or perhaps that he'll laugh about it. But he didn't. He remains cold and stoic, completely not in the mood to joke about what happened.