Take it or Leave it

Breaking

WARNING: WARNING STILL APPLIES.

It had been a week. A week since Sam had told Jamie he like Brandon. A week since Jamie had even looked at him. A week since Sam had fucked up his friendship with her.

Was this how everyone was going to react? Was everyone going to hate him for liking Brandon? Would he wake up one day to find himself with no one who wanted anything to do with him?

What if Brandon found out? What if his family found out? Would his parents throw him out? Disown him? Would they ship him off to boarding school so they wouldn't have to have him around his brothers?

It was Saturday. The band was supposed to have a competition today, but it had been canceled. There had been an accident at the school that was hosting it, so they postponed it until the next free week.

Sam didn't know what to do with himself. His parents were out of the house with his younger brothers, and Sam had opted to stay home. He was almost forced to go just because of how quiet and removed he had been that week, but eventually they had caved and let him stay.

Brandon would be coming over soon, but Sam had a little while before he got here. Not knowing what else to do, the brunette went out and sat on the porch. He had intended to just watch the driveway until Brandon showed up or he thought of something else to do.

'I don't think I can handle this...' Sam thought to himself.

Suddenly, his vision started to go blurry, his driveway and front yard blurring together in a swirl of gray and green. The tears dripped down Sam's cheeks, falling from his chin onto his lap. He pressed his face into his palms and let himself cry. He let quiet sobs escape him, let his shoulders shake almost violently. He could feel his lower lip quivering without permission.

Sam hadn't meant to cry. He hadn't meant to gasp and whine like a child with a boo-boo.

He also certainly hadn't meant to not notice Brandon pull into the driveway and park in front of hia house.

"Sam?"

The teen jumped violently, looking up at his friend. Brandon was wearing his glasses, which must have meant that either he'd run out of contacts or his eyes were really bothering him today. Sam wiped at his cheeks, attempting to remove the tears there.

"Brandon. You're early." Sam managed to keep his voice somewhat level, but he could detect the slightest quiver in it that he couldn't get rid of. Brandon sat beside him, closer than he probably realized.

"What's wrong?" Brandon asked. His eyebrows had pulled together, creating a crease between them.

"I...nothing. I'm fine."

'Don't make me ruin our friendship too...'

"Look, Brandon, forget it. Yeah, something happened, but I'll be fine. I promise. Can we go play games now?" Sam said hurriedly when he realized that Brandon would see straight through his transparent lie.

Brandon didn't answer right away. But eventually there came a quiet, "Sure.".