it's you, it's always been you

chapter 8

As soon as Caleb's hands were off her body, Sam ran down the hallway. She trusted Deena to keep him away. She couldn't breathe. His hands on her without her permission, his lips about to touch hers without any indication Sam wanted to kiss. It was too much for Sam to handle after the past week in the hospital.

She ran until she could breathe anymore. She leaned onto the brick wall of the school, bent over and breathing heavy.

"Sam?" A familiar voice called to the left of her, but she couldn't see who it was until they came around the bus.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked when she was near Sam, leaning down to get a better look at her.

Olivia was in the grade below Sam and Deena's. It had been months since Sam saw Olivia, and as soon as Sam realized it was her, guilt washed over her.

"Y-Yes, there was.." Sam paused as she attempted to stand up straight. "Nothing, I just needed fresh air."

Olivia took a tissue out of her book bag and put it on Sam's nose. Sam flinched as Olivia moved towards her face, and then realized that blood was dripping down her face.

They stood there for a moment, not saying anything. There was a tension in the air between them and Sam didn't know what to say to Olivia. Olivia stepped closer to Sam, putting another tissue under Sam's nose. Sam was aware of how close Olivia was and how she could feel her eyes and breath on her.

"Sam!" Deena rounded the corner of the school and saw Sam there with Olivia. She was confused at the sight between the two of them, but worried when she saw the blood.

"What happened? are you okay? What's going on?" Deena out her hand on Sam's shoulder and looking her up and down. Deena didn't pay attention to Olivia. She hasn't seen her since everything happened years ago, and she didn't want to ever see her again.

"Yes I'm fine, I just needed some air. I couldn't breathe when he touched me, Deena." Sam took ahold of the tissues and shrugged Olivia's hand off of her. "Thank you, Liv. For uh, the tissues and checking on me."

"Of course... I'll see you around." Olivia walked away, but kept her eyes on Deena and Sam until she was inside.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked Deena. She brought her hand to Deena's face, as she looked deena over for any injuries.

"Yes I'm fine and he won't touch you again, Sam. I'll make sure of it. But why is your nose bleeding? Do you feel sick? You need to go home if you feel sick. It's not worth it to stay."

"No, no. I'm not going home. That's the last place I want to be. And I feel okay now, not sick. I don't know why my nose bled, but it's probably just a side effect of a medication." Sam, wrapped her arms around Deena's neck and rested her head on the crook of her neck.

Deena immediately wrapped her arms around Sam's waist, bringing her body closer against hers.

"We are already late for our first class. Do you want to come over to my house? It's already been a bad day, and you deserve rest." Deena offered Sam. She wanted the day away from school also, plus she missed being alone with Sam outside of the hospital.

Sam agreed to Deena's plan right away. They went to find Kate and Simon to show them that Sam was alright and what their plan was. Simon hugged Sam right away, but didn't say anything about her being sick, not wanting to upset her.

As Deena drove Sam to her house, Sam reached for Deena's hand and interlocked their fingers and their hands sat on Sam's laps. Deena blushed the second Sam reached for her hand.

Josh was at school and her dad was at work, so it was just Deena and Sam.

Sam curled up on the couch and wrapped herself up in Deena's favorite blanket. The one she soaked when she came over that night after running from her house. She thought about how much her life changed in just a matter of weeks.

Deena came back from the kitchen, bringing water for Sam, and a box she had of Sam's favorite candy. And Sam's face lit up at the sight of it.

"My favorite, you're my hero," Sam told Deena, and kissed her cheek the second Deena sat down right next to her.

The kiss brought up the memory of the kiss the other night, but Sam turned on the TV to try to get her mind away from the kiss they still haven't talked about.

Sam ended up laying her head on Deena's lap, and Deena running her hands through Sam blonde locks. She watched Sam as she laughed at the show on the TV. She watched as Sam's dimples appeared then went away and then back again.

As she sat there with Sam, Deena finally felt okay for the first time since she learned of Sam's cancer. But she was terrified how long the feeling would last and something would happen again.