Her Muse

Chapter fourteen

  Mom paced in the living room, her hands flailing dramatically as she spoke in louder volumes with each sentence. I sat meekly on a sofa bowing my head and fiddling with the edge of my shirt.

I had zoned out to what she was saying but should probably listen in case she asks me a question and I'll end up looking like the world's most confused person.

Quick question-will I get an award for winning that?

Even quicker answer-no you'd be dead before you get the chance.
Cause of death-mom.

Okay I should listen now.

"You know what happens when you get detention? you get more detention, then you start skipping classes, then you flunk high school and in the next five to ten years I'll have to start bailing you out of jail." Okay maybe I missed a lot. Mom has gone into full overthinking mode.

"I'm sorry mom. Pierce and I were just-"

"Pierce? Who is this Pierce? Don't tell me he's one of those bad boys." she said sternly.

"No mom, he's kind of a nerd and you've been reading too many cliché novels.

"Whatever. I'll just let this pass as a misunderstanding." she huffed.

I hugged her. "Thank you mom. I promise I'll try to never get detention again."

She chuckled and patted my head.
"That's my girl. But you still have to be punished." she grinned. I let go of her and pouted.

"Fine. What's my punishment?"

She's tapped her chin with a serious expression, her blue eyes staring at me to determine what would cause me utmost torture. She finally smiled with a glint in her eyes.

"I heard that our neighbour's daughter goes to your school." She began.

"Sam? we don't really talk much." Sam is a cheerleader at our school. Unlike teen fiction, they aren't really rude or like 'you're never going to get with him' and blah blah. Most of them are really nice but being the kind of person I am, I've never had the chance or occasion to talk to Sam.

'That's right Roxy, blame it on something as superficial as chance or occasion and not your own inadequacies.' my inner voice teased.

Shut up inner voice. Return to the shadows from whence you came.

'Never.' inner voice replied smugly.
I could even imagine her folding her arms. She's so sassy. *rolls eyes.

My mom noticed I've been zoned out for a while and snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Hello? I was saying something curls. Pay attention."
I nodded rapidly and she scoffed. She acts so much like a teenager sometimes.

"Anyway," she eyed me "The Adams told me that Sam got the flu and she had to stay home for a while." Poor Sam. She gave me her pen once and never asked for it back from me.

"So I was wondering if you could go see her you know, offer morale support." she gave an encouraging smile.

I paused for a moment. "I don't think I could offer anything to her, much less moral support. We don't really talk much." I fiddled with my fingers.

Her smile did not waver as she continued "Even the more reason you should see her. I love Asher and Lori but you need more friends."

Ha! jokes on you mom. Pierce is my friend too and maybe Jay by a super long stretch and four is a party so boom! I have a party of friends.

'No you don't' inner voice deadpanned.

I bit my lip. "Okay mom. I accept your punishment." I said as I headed out the door.

"Wow that's was easier to pull off than I thought." she muttered under her breath but I heard her. I inwardly chuckled.

"Bye mom." I shut the door and stepped outside. I sighed and began walking down the pavement to Sam's house. I stopped at a perfectly mowed lawn and went in to ring the expensive looking doorbell. Psh. Back at my home, I just knock. Mrs Adams opened the door and her expression suddenly turned into a surprised one. I quickly put on a smile.

"Good evening Mrs Adams I heard that Sam wasn't feeling too good and she hasn't been in school lately so I came to check on her. Is that fine by you?" I gave her a hopeful expression and she smiled.

"Yes of course. Sam could use someone had age right now. She was feeling down because she had to miss the game last week and couldn't do cheer I'm sure you could make a her feel better." she looked at me with retired eyes. As far as I know, Sam really loved cheer. She was always so enthusiastic about it and I couldn't imagine her feeling sad.

She let me in and told me the way to her room and I hesitantly walked up the stairs and down a hallway to reach her door. I knocked quietly, some part of me secretly hoping she'll tell me to go away or ignore my existence completely but I heard a "come in" from the other side of the door so I opened it.

"Roxy?" She said in beliwderment. Wow, she remembered my name. Pity I didn't want to go before. She looked pale but still beautiful as she lay on her bed. She dropped her phone on her bedside table to give me her full attention.

I shifted on my feet nervously. "Hi Sam. You're not feeling too well and I know that because you look pale and my mom told me to come see you so I chose to because you gave me your pen once. No scratch that-it's because I wanted to check on you so I'm not a bad person because I totally came willingly." I said in one breath with a fake grin. I mentally facepalmed.

'We so did not go over this." inner voice grimaced.

Mhm. I totally forgot I had to-

'At least a million times.' She completed.

I heard her giggle a bit and my eyes turned to look at her's to find her looking much to amused.

"Where have you been all my life?" she mused.

"I don't know? two houses away?" I joked.

"So your mum put you up to this huh?" she said and sat up but lay her head on the headrest. I walked over to a chair and sat down.

"Let's just say it was 30% her and 70%  the pen thing."

She giggled again, her blue eyes lighting up. "If it makes you feel any worse, that was my favourite pen."

"Oh kill me now and spare me the horror." I gasped dramatically. We both laughed but mine sounded more like cow fart.

Too much?

Too much.

"We talked about everything from clothes, to school, to even boys.

"I still don't get how you know almost everyone's names. I mean I forget even my brother's name sometimes." I said incredulously.

"I mostly remember their names from the things that stick out distinctly from them." she shrugged.

"Okay, what stuck out for me?"

  "Your hair. I always thought it looked so curly and dope." I instinctively touched it.

"So like, Roxanne the curly haired kid." I mused.

"More like Roxanne the curly and dope haired kid." she winked at me.

"Why dope though?"

"Don't blame me, blame my 14 year old brother going through his cringe stage." I giggled and she had a lazy smile on her face.

We talked some more and didn't realise that time had passed so much. I almost barricaded myself through her doors just to get home but surprisingly, my mum didn't notice I've been gone for that long. Sigh. This is not looking good for me if I want to contest for favourite child.

I made it to my room and wrote of a funny but geeky guy and a cheery cheerleader with two people in my mind.

...

So, how do you guys see Sam? Is she going to be an important character in the long run?

Please vote, comment and share. Grazie 😁😘