The Long Game, Lucas Sinclair

024. i finally manifested a girl's day

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.
3x02: The Mall Rats

This wasn't the first sleepover Sam and Max have had since becoming friends—they've had numerous at either of the girls' houses, especially since summer started. What this essentially meant, was that Max was in no way, shape, or form surprised when Sam had to be woken up from her night terrors that often occurred. She was used to this by now, as sad as that was.

"Sam. Sam," Max tried urging Sam awake with a sad look. "You're just dreaming, it's not real—"

"Bob!" Sam writhed on the bed, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry!"

The lights in Max's room were going insane, and everything electrical flashed and clattered like mad. Not only was blood pouring from Sam's nose, but her arms were wrapped around herself subconsciously. Max saw that her fingernails were beginning to dig into her skin, and she immediately began panicking.

"Sam, no!" Max shouted, trying to pull her hands away from her arms. "Sam, wake up!"

Sam whipped her body away from Max in her sleep, curling into herself and sobbing. "Don't leave him! I'm sorry!"

"SAM!" Max grabbed Sam by the shoulders, pulling her.

Sam shot awake with a gasp, sobbing. She tried thrashing backwards, but Max was already throwing her arms around Sam and pulling her into a hug.

"It's okay, you're okay," Max muttered, holding the back of Sam's head with one hand and wrapping the other around her shoulders. "It was a nightmare, Sam, it's okay."

Sam continued to cry, dazed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean—don't want—"

"Sam." Max held Sam tighter, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "It's okay. You were dreaming."

Sam gasped in breaths, trying to not only calm herself down, but calm herself down enough that she could be that bubbly girl again. But she felt bad. She shook her head solemnly and returned Max's embrace, curling into her.

"Sorry. Sorry, Max, I didn't mean to..."

She didn't know how to finish it. I didn't mean to wake you up. I didn't mean to freak out. I didn't mean to be like this anymore. They were all plausible options that sounded like something Sam would say, but right now, she couldn't manage to say a thing.

"I think I'm getting blood on your shirt," Sam croaked apologetically into Max's chest.

Max huffed, holding her tighter. "I really don't care. I'm more focused on the fact your nose was bleeding at all."