B R E A T H E

three.

confusion.

he knew the meaning of the word very well. it seemed to become his life. confusion. now it was becoming more powerful. it all started yesterday once he left his writing class. was it because of the green eyed stranger? what was his name again?

connor?

yes that was it. connor. he like the sound of his name. the 'or' sounding like 'ah' because of his australlian mixed with south african tounge. broad shoulder, strong fisque, green eyes and flattened hair. connor. could he be the cause of his confusion? his cloud. he wanted to know his story, his life. he'd ask around. peers, administrators, teachers anyone. some says they didn't know of anyone by the name of connor. others? well, they tell him that connor was a quiet one, kept to himself and never made a sound. he was a smart one though, straight a's in all classes gets a 100 on almost anything. he tried once more, one his way to lunch if he could get something, anything about this stranger.

"i do know someone who does,' a man that goes by the name of jim says. 'but she's closed off like connor, maybe even more."

"she?" troye said.

"yes," he begins again. 'her name is samantha i think. she's always in the courtyard writing in a notebook. peculiar girl she is, her and connor used to be the bestest of friends with con-." 

troye didn't stay to hear jim's description of yet another mysterious student. curiousity piqued him. he quickly found himself in the courtyard scanning the people out her and search of the girl that goes by samantha. sure enough he did find her. she was sitting on the opposite side of the fountain that sat in the middle of the courtyard. she was small from what troye could see through the cascading water. her long hair had fallen into her eyes from the movement she was making. she pushed it back to reveal her hazel eyes and a soft smile. troye began to walk towards his as if she was nothing of a significance to his current affiars.

the closer he got to her the more he could see her features. a simple black beanie was placed carelessly on her head but still manage to fit the outfit she was wearing. she had a notebook, like jim said she would but she couldn't quite make out what it had said. he had assumed that the word was escape in really curly fancy letter since it started with an 'e' and ended with a 'e'. there were scars on her body some were new, some faded. after a few more minutes of just watching sam and watching her movement (which he did to everyone often) he finally spoke up.

"excuse me," He started. "are-are you samantha?" 

the girls closes her notebook and looks up moving the scattered hair out of her face. "i prefer sam but yes, i am samantha and you're troye i'd assume." she said casually. 

troye was taken aback. how did someone that he just now met and notice know his name? had they talked before and he forgot? he tended to forget things, the small things. like names and birthday's, sometimes even faces. it just depended on the person. sam had figured out his confusion and explained herself. 

"i people watch. it's something that i do when my face isn't in the spine of a notebook. i learn people. i watch their little habits, things they do when they get nervous. like right now you're starting to play with the hem of your shirt." sam says gesturing down to the bottom of troye's jumper. 

troye followed the gaze and sure enough he was messing around with the bottom of his navy blue jumper. he blushed to himself as he pulled his hands away. 

sam chuckles, "so what can i do for you troye, since you obviously know that i don't explain my past, you're lucky enough that i even told you i people watch. but since you look so terrified might as well not make it seem like i'm not some type of stalker or something." 

"what do you know about connor franta?" troye said not even trying to 'beat around the bush' as they say.

"connor franta," sam says. "i know almost everything about old conrad, why the curiosity?"

"i've talked to him, briefly and i just have this feeling that i just have to get to know him, ya know? someone told me that you are the only one that knows about him and i want to know how. even if you don't tell me what you know about him at least tell me how you got to get to know him."

"well," sam started. "connor is a tough nut to crack. i can't tell you how i got through him but i can tell you one thing," sam signaled troye to lean in closer. "connor isn't like these other basics around here. personally i call him twisted. not in the crazy way but in a different way, i can't put it into exact words but just know that there is a reason behind his isolation." 

after that sam simply got up and left troye. his confusion going crazy, almost making him crazy. the encounter with the girl opened up his mind gave him a wake up call so to speak. connor was twisted. twisted. what was the meaning of the word? what was the deeper meaning of it? he didn't know, he wanted to know. 

but one things for sure. his confusion drove his mind wild and connor would be the one to put it at ease.