Mixtapes & Polaroids | Sam x Deena

26

"I have a proposition!" Kate calls out, excitedly treading down the stairs to the basement with a movie tape in her hand and a beaming smile on her lips.

"Oh yeah?" Sarah replies, standing by the mirror she bought just a few days ago as she straightens out her top.

The moment Kate sets eyes on her, the girl practically screeches to a halt. Sarah was too busy trying to fix her necklace, shiny silver with an 'S' pendant that hung right by her heart. Moments like that make Kate almost uneasy, but in a foreign 'I have never experienced being awestruck by anyone other than myself.' kind of way.

But it was hard not to look at Sarah and not feel... something. She was the kind of girl that seemed to have no idea— or she really just didn't pay any mind to how pretty she actually was. And usually, Kate would find it a waste but for some strange reason, this time, it was endearing.

Kate has to take a few moments to collect herself, before finally approaching to toss the tape onto Sarah's bed and step behind the blonde, sweeping her locks aside and helping with the latch of the necklace.

"This is... pretty. Who gave it?" Kate asks, bleeding feigned nonchalance as Sarah smiles at her through the mirror's reflection. Kate was a little smaller, so she could only really see the brunette's eyes over her shoulder.

"My mom, right before she left." Sarah replies with a small, fond smile. She can feel Kate's hands still by the nape of her neck, a split second falter as their eyes meet through the reflection.

"Left? Like dead? No! sorry, that was—"

"It's fine. No she's alive somewhere, I think. Just not here." Sarah replies gently, her voice rounded almost to reassure Kate her words held no offense.

"And you still wear the necklace she gave?" Kate raises a brow, lightly scolding herself for the way she could never seem to get a grip on her curiosity when it came to Sarah.

"Yeah. It's pretty, and it means a lot." Kate latches it perfectly, stepping back as Sarah adjusts the necklace and turns to finally face her.

Kate looks conflicted, reluctance dripping off her features ever so perceptibly, like she couldn't dare comprehend the nonchalance swimming in Sarah's words. Usually, parents and leaving equal a very bitter mix in Kate's experience. It comprises mostly of lifelong trauma, lots of drama and issues that bleed out of every crevice no matter how well it looks to be patched up and yet Sarah radiated no such thing. Just a content smile, like she was merely telling a factual tale.

"Whatever you wanna say, just spit it out. You look constipated." Sarah chuckles, stepping around Kate to swipe the car keys that hung on a lanyard at the side of her bed's headboard. Kate can be so painfully transparent, that sometimes it was amusing.

"She left for no good reason and you're... not mad?" Kate finally asks, plopping down to sit at the base of Sarah's bed as she pulls on a loose, grey cardigan over her tank top.

"I never said it was for no good reason." Sarah says with raised brows, opting to take a seat next to Kate who looked too intrigued to be left behind.

"So... what was it?"

"I don't know." Sarah shrugs casually and Kate looks at her with slightly widened eyes, like she's trying to make sure if she heard it right. As beautiful as Sarah is, sometimes she just didn't make any sense to Kate.

"You don't know?"

"Nope."

"And you're just okay with that?"

"I don't see why not. My dad did a good job with my sister and I, and I'd like to believe that my mom left for greater things. When I picture her in my head, I like to imagine that she's happy. She's happy living her dream somewhere." Sarah explains, biting back a smile at the utter confusion on Kate's face. She was looking at Sarah like the blonde was speaking tongues, horrified that anyone could ever be... not miserable, in a place like theirs.