Mixtapes & Polaroids | Sam x Deena

6

Kate and Simon refused to leave Deena's side.

The moment they get to Deena's house, Kate parks the car and both her friends step out with her. As confused as she was, she kind of understood. It was some unspoken act of solidarity, and of course Simon was already barging into her house like he owned it while Kate slowed behind, walking alongside Deena who had been quiet for most of the ride back.

"You okay?" Kate asks as they reach the steps up to the porch, earning Deena's attention as she snaps out of her own head.

"Yeah— yeah. Nothing I haven't heard before." Deena shrugs, swinging the door open all while Kate just watches.

She had known Deena long enough to tell when she was lying, and though Deena trusted her friends with her life— she wasn't always the best at talking about her own feelings. She's just really used to sucking it up, to shoving it down even when it broke her heart. Deena was never the type to fall into their arms with tears in her eyes, but Kate always knew when she was hurt. She could always tell and sometimes, even when they weren't always so serious, she wishes Deena would talk about it.

Because Kate does worry about Deena, more than she lets on. Kate understood what it was like to have responsibility fall into her lap at a young age, with her family constantly shitting on her dreams, telling her nobody gets out of Shadyside, Kate had the responsibility of going against the odds all on her own. She sold whatever she could until she found a steady income with the pills, because she was just so dead set on proving her family wrong.

And Deena, Deena had Josh. Deena had to be the responsible one, because ever since her mother died her father had been nothing but a drunken mess who only really showed his face at home like three times in a whole week. If he wasn't plastered drunk on the couch, he was at O'Connell's. She had to grow up quicker than she expected, and she had to do it all while struggling with her own demons and Kate understood what that was like— how lonely it could be.

So without even talking about it, Simon and Kate already decided they were spending the night because even if Deena didn't like to talk about it, they knew when she needed them to stay. And she was glad they were there, and Simon was taking it upon himself to go down to the basement and grab the extra mattress just to lay it out on the living room floor, pestering Josh who was still on the computer along the way and Kate was in the kitchen, reheating some Pizza for the three of them.

Deena makes up some excuse to go to her room, all the alcohol had drained from her system and she was so painfully sober as she stripped herself of her clothes. When she was down to her underwear, her eyes travel down to her hips, right where Sam had held her and a bittersweet feeling crawls beneath her chest. It was almost disheartening, the way Sam just watched— but then again Deena expected it anyway. They had practically just met, she kept trying to tell herself it was fine that Sam didn't choose her.

Even when it didn't feel fine at all.

"I need clothes because I am not sleeping in jeans. Tonight was already uncomfortable enough." Kate barges in, and Deena jumps to cover herself with a blanket because she was still standing there in her underwear while Kate heads straight for her drawers.

"Oh please, it's nothing I haven't seen before." Kate scoffs, and Deena lets the covers go with an annoyed huff.

"No that's my favorite one!" Deena complains as Kate pulls out an oversized blue cotton shirt she won at a passing carnival two summers ago, but Kate was already tearing off her top to slip Deena's shirt on.

"Well too bad." Kate grumbles, grabbing the first pair of shorts from Deena's drawer and slithering out of her jeans while a pouting Deena grabs a shirt for herself.