Growing Pains

Chapter 26

Turns out that I do not enjoy what Sam had planned. Not one bit.

For the entire week, he has been dressing in my clothes and acting as outrageously flamboyant as he pleases. Usually he considers social boundaries but this week, they don't appear to exist.

He's been clinging to my arm, skipping down the street, even kissing me on the cheek. Okay, I'll admit that I don't exactly hate the last one, but the rest are embarrassing.

If I thought people were bad before, now they're just a ruddy nightmare. Everywhere we go people stare and whisper and it's starting to drive me insane. It shouldn't matter if someone chooses to behave in the way Sam has been, they're no less of a person because of it.

But the truth of the matter is that this behaviour isn't natural for Sam and I'm tired of putting up with his fake persona. I want the real him back.

Not the version of him that is sat opposite me, wearing my rainbow shirt as well as outlandishly large sunglasses and an array of bracelets. Where he is finding the accessories, I don't know. He gesticulates with a floppy wrist, popping another grape into his mouth and I sigh heavily. I'm not even contributing to the conversation anymore, as that too is fake.

I roll a grape around in my fingers, reminding myself that I have a doctor's appointment today, on top of all the other crap that's going on in my life. All of a sudden, a part of me breaks and I make a snap decision.

I place my phone into my pocket and grab my bag, deciding to leave my lunch for 'Sam', If that's even his real name, as I've long lost my appetite.

"Where are you going?" He demands suddenly, sounding like his old self again.

"Home." I mumble, tugging down the brim of the baseball cap on my head.

"Why? You have another lecture in half an hour." He asks, genuinely concerned now. He pulls off the sunglasses and I'm relieved to finally see a part of him I recognise.

"I'm sick of this, you made your point. I'm tired of people staring and whispering but more than anything else I'm tired of this," I state, gesturing to his get-up.

"I want to spend time with you. The real you, not this person you're pretending to be." I continue, pulling my bag onto my shoulder and walking away glumly. It was harsh but it's true and I've run out of patience. I usually pride myself on the hold I have over my temper, but whilst I didn't shout, I definitely lost my temper today.

On the walk, I wonder whether this entire week has been an elaborate set up to embarrass me, or perhaps a vengeful plan. Was the thought of being with me publicly so repulsive to him that he felt the need to do this?

I'm broken from my thoughts when I feel a sharp pain in my wrist, burning so viciously, tearing up my arm that I'm lost for breath. I know that this pain isn't mine and I clench my eyes shut, gritting my teeth so as not to scream. This time it hurts like a bitch, more than anything I've ever felt before and I struggle to even draw in a breath.

I lean against the wall of a building for a moment, knowing I have to turn back. I have to make sure Sam's okay. After all, this is only an echo of his pain, right?

My forehead is slick with sweat but I stagger forwards, moving back in the direction that I came. My eyes are desperately trying to focus but huge spots of black cloud my vision. That's not good.

The burning sensation runs further up my arm and I inhale deeply, groaning lowly at the pain. I finally spot Sam, only by the colour of my shirt that he's wearing and move towards him. He's struggling to get up, cradling his wrist to his chest. I quickly assume that he fell, probably whilst running to catch up with me and I internally groan. Of course, this was all my fault.