The Dimmest Timeline

Pilot

Sami raked her eyes across the page of dialogue and stage directions in front of her, scribbling shorthand wherever she saw fit in a deep, red ink. This media assignment was eating at her; her final grade of the semester depended on her ability to write and produce a short film about the topic of her choosing, but nothing she wrote ever seemed worth committing to. Next to her, Jeff idly scrolled through his messages, his 'David' blaring through his headphones. This was one of those rare occasions where the group was actually dedicated to doing work. Well.

She couldn't help but wonder what masterpiece Abed had planned. It had been a pleasant surprise when she walked into Mr Jacobs' classroom to find that he'd saved her a seat- especially since neither had actually confirmed that they were taking the class. She knew it was stupid but she couldn't help but get her hopes up. But surely it had to mean something more? Surely all the inside jokes and references and movie nights and invitations to conventions and attempts at making her laugh had to mean something more, right? But then again, she reasoned, this was Abed. There was never anything more.

She chanced a glance at him, admiring his Riddler t-shirt among other things.

She let out an exasperated sigh as she sat back in her chair, throwing her head back in annoyance. 'I'm gonna get something from the machine- anyone want anything?' she asked the study group as she put her notes into her X-Men messenger bag before tucking it back under her chair. 

As expected, she left the room with the names of various snacks and drinks scribbled across the back of her hand. She fished in her pocket for what little change she had- she'd have to start charging them soon- but for now, she would have to sacrifice her Reese's cups.

Before Sam even made it back to the library, she could hear the argumentative voices of her peers coming from study room F. What now? 

As she turned the corner, she noticed various scraps of paper strewn across the table and noticed that Pierce stood by her chair, holding her bag upside down over his head with a zealous passion on his face. It wasn't long before she realised that each sheet of paper had her handwriting scribbled across them. She cleared her throat. 

'What's going on, guys?' Sam asked, silently hoping that none of them read shorthand whilst fidgeting with the sugary contents of her hoodie pockets. Nobody answered and for once, there was actually silence in the library. Why does shit like this always happen to her?

She nodded thoughtfully at their secrecy before sitting down in her usual seat once again. She passed Jeff his Skittles; Annie her M&Ms; Shirley her Cheetos; Pierce his Wine Gums; rolled Troy his Mountain Dew; Britta her water; and slid Abed's Reece's cups across the table in a stoic silence. Abed raised a quizzical eyebrow in confusion, 'Didn't you get yourself anything?' Without looking up from sorting out her notes, she stated in a matter-of-fact tone that she didn't feel like it once she got there. It was a lie but it's not like anyone around the table would really care. Abed left it at that.

After reorganising the mess that Pierce created, she put her notes back into her bag, and slung her bag back over her shoulder, got up, then left without another word. She knew that she was probably over-reacting, but how many times would she continue to give them the benefit of the doubt? How many times would it bite her in the arse? She wondered if it was because she was British- she knew that Mr Duncan was often given a hard time because of his 'being a Limey', and she knew that Pierce was 'often' racist. But that didn't explain why everybody else looked so guilty too...

She shook her head as she stepped from the building, the rain cooling her skin as she left for an early lunch.