Mixtapes & Polaroids | Sam x Deena

37

Deena has had the most magical week.

Despite, of course, her best friend pretending she doesn't exist and her father gone— Deena thinks she's the happiest she's been in a long time. A whole week of rainy days and class suspensions, a whole week of Sam using any and every excuse under the sun just to go to Deena's every day, a whole week of blooming into a routine that is uniquely and untaintedly intertwined.

It didn't take long for Sam and Deena to find their rhythm, after all they had been through it wasn't hard to find comfort and safety in one another. Soon enough, Sam would be over just to spend time with her, or listen to new music, or even play video games with Josh when Deena was busy trying to catch up with her homework. Sam fit so perfectly into their lives, like a space has always been meant to be filled by her and only her that just watching the blonde tread around her house with a carefree smile makes Deena feel like all the stars have aligned for them.

And maybe it has.

Maybe things were finally different, now that they were dealing with the aftermath. She could tell Sam when she was afraid, Sam could tell her when she was being pulled into her doubts and quickly, like pieces falling into place, they soon found that things were a lot easier if they just stopped pushing each other away.

But of course, there was still a part of Deena that felt incomplete without Kate and everyone could tell. Sometimes Sam would catch her staring off, looking just as somber as she did the day in the lot. Sometimes when Simon would mention Kate, Deena would do this awkward little smile like she'd rather do that than show them how much it hurt and when she got home on Saturday night, Sam decides to continue her roll of courage and just give Kate a call.

Three rings and she picks up, only it's not Kate.

"Sam?" Sarah replies to her hello, the blonde's light voice bleeding through the other end and as much as Sam hated to say it, it was kind of relieving to have caught Sarah instead.

"Is Kate around?" Sam asks sheepishly, still gunning for her goals as Sarah clicks her tongue.

"No, sorry. She's... I tried to talk to her too. I don't think she's ready to hash it out." Sarah sighs, assuming Sam's intentions just by her reluctant tone. She was right anyway, as always.

"Deena is really beat up about it." Sam states sadly, she could practically hear Sarah's frown through the phone at her remark.

"I know. Maybe try on Monday? She hasn't been home much so I've really got no power here." Sarah replies with a defeated breath, leaving Sam practically no choice but to actually talk to Kate in person.

"Yeah, of course. Thanks." Sam nods even when nobody can see her, and she goes to put down the phone when Sarah hurriedly calls for her once more.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you... maybe free on Tuesday? After school, I mean." Sarah drags out her words, nervous and reluctant in a way Sam had never heard her before. Sarah was almost always a poster for confidence, but with a simple question she sounded almost anxious and that in itself piques Sam's curiosity.

"I think so, why?" Sam answers with just as much uncertainty, quick silence falls between them as she hears Sarah take a breath.

"I kind of need a favor."

Deena's phone rings too.

It's almost one in the morning when it does and she's up trying to put together another mixtape when it echoes throughout the house. With Josh asleep downstairs, Deena treads to the phone with much confusion wondering who could possibly want anything from her at that hour. A part of her hopes it's Kate, that a miracle would fall into her lap and she'd hear her best friend's voice because she misses Kate more than anything but when she picks up and her hello goes unanswered for a good minute, Deena almost hangs up when a voice finally spills through.