salted wound |sameena|

eighteen.

"where the hell did she even go?" deena sinks her shoulders into her armchair. she's still restless over sam's strange disappearance.

"she could have gotten a ride home from someone else." simon reaches over and lays his hand on deena's shoulder.

"no, she was going to ride with me. i told her i was waiting out in the car for her." she raises her fingers to her mouth and chews off her last bit of nails she has left.

still chewing, she speaks up again. "she could be hurt guys, it's all my fault. i should have stayed with her. i just wanted to not act clingy. i just didn't want to... i just didn't want to scare her away." her head dips into her chest. she wanted to cry, her paranoia that sam was in trouble was strong.

"deena, that girl is in love with you. you could never scare her away, everybody sees it." simon moves his hand over her flannel covered shoulder.

"she probably got a ride home from her cheer friend, she's okay." simon smiles. "come on, you go to bed. i'll crash on the couch?" he asks.

"yeah that's fine," deena walks off to her room.

she slips the covers over her cold body, it would be warm if she was laying with sam. she turns on her side and closes her eyes.

she can't rid herself of that thought of sam being in danger, it was driving her crazy.

"she's okay, she's okay." she whispers to herself cuddling a pillow like it was her.

—
deena whips open her door waiting for sam to be sitting outside of the school on the bench for her, kate, and simon as usual.

deena felt her stomach sink when her bench spot was absent from the sweet blonde.

"no," she breathes heavier.

she watches a maroon car pull in the parking lot as a guy in a blue letterman slams the door shut. underneath his letterman is a hoodie, the hood pulled over his head. he looked off, hiding something. or someone.

deena watches zeke speed away from his car, she shakes her head trying to assure herself he wouldn't do anything extreme by sam.

she was hoping to herself that sam just went inside, it was breezy out that morning with slight drizzles of rain. she could have gotten cold.

deena heads inside the building, searching everywhere for sam.

she moves along to first block, awaiting sam's return to the premises. tapping her fingers on the desk while the first period bell rings officially beginning school.

still no sam.