The SVE Club

22. Snow

Sam was dreaming about ISH, Chemoclad and White Flame when she awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing. She forced open her bleary eyes to find her cell.

    Midas was sound asleep against a wall. The vibrating phone sat by his feet. He stirred for a moment, but Sam reached out and silenced the phone before he could wake up. She glanced at the caller ID. It was her mom.

    "Hello?" she answered in a whisper.

    "Samantha, do you know what time it is?" came her mother's stressed voice.

    Sam cringed. "No..." she yawned.

    "It's one in the morning," her mother said. "And where are you?"

    Sam pulled her jacket tighter around her, biting back shivers. "Sorry, Mom. I forgot to tell you I was spending the night at Kate's."

    "Why?!" was the exasperated reply. "Samantha, I've told you not to stay at Kate's anymore. Where is she?"

    "Who?" Sam breathed, still trying to wake up.

    "Kate. Where's Kate?"

    "I don't know. Sleeping I guess. She's not going to want to talk to you."

    "Then you talk to her. Tell her I want her to drive you home right now or she's going to get an earful and then some tomorrow morning. Got it?" her mother snapped angrily.

    "Got it," Sam answered before hanging up.

    She lay on her stomach for a moment, resting her chin in her hands. Something was different. She looked down at her hands.

    Oh, yeah, she thought, I was glued to the floor.

    She scooted herself into a sitting position and stretched her stiff left arm. Her jacket, which had been draped over her shoulders, drooped a little. She caught it and pulled it back on, then paused. Where had it come from?

    She looked at Midas, who still slept against the wall, and then back down at her jacket. Had he put it on her? In her mind, she attempted to imagine Midas gently placing it over her as she slept, concerned that she would be too cold. She shook her head and almost laughed, unable to see it. But still...

    You say you're a villain, Midas, she mused, but you're a lot nicer than you think. Nicer than some heroes, even.

    She stood up, tiptoed over to Midas and nudged his knee with the tip of her shoe.

    "Hm?" Midas muttered, his eyes opening instantly.

    "I'm un-stuck," Sam said. "And just in time, too. I have to go home now."

    "How come?" Midas asked, standing slowly.

    "I forgot to text my mom and she wigged out," Sam answered. She gathered up her jacket, phone and backpack, all of which she assumed Midas had brought from B3.

    "But I texted your mom for you," Midas replied, also grabbing his backpack. "She never replied."

    "You told her I was staying with my sister?" Sam asked.

    "Yeah. Kate, right?"

    "How did you know?"

    "I looked for her name in your old texts."

   "You went through my messages?" Sam accused.

    "Had to. I tried to wake you up and ask what her name was, but you just told me to buzz off and went back to sleep," Midas said defensively.