Once Upon A Moonlight✅ {BOYXBOY}

Chapter 19: Lawful Liability

 SAM'S POV:

I rubbed my eyes in a futile attempt to rid my eyes of the sleep that plagued them. My fingers ached from the frantic typing in a hurried endeavor to find a way out of the nightmare that was the upcoming court case but alas it was to no avail. With a disgruntled sigh, I carelessly closed my whining laptop and took off my glasses, glancing into my mirror. 

I looked dreadful - more than usual I meant. 

Which was saying something. 

It was three in the morning, or so my phone said, and just like every singly other night for the last week, I hadn't slept a wink. As a result, the bags were heavy beneath my dull, chestnut eyes and my hair was much longer than I usually let it become; dead at the ends. My skin was pale and I could almost see the bones in my cheeks. I rubbed my face, groaning.

Our summons would take place the next day, Monday 13th November, and I was dreading it. If we lost my mother would lose custody of me and I would be forced to go live with him. The summons itself made little sense considering I would be eighteen in a few months time and I figured they didn't usually redo this kind of case this late.

Unless he had said something that changed their minds.

I was dragged out of my never-ending woes when my phone began to ring. I stared at it the lit-up screen for a moment and, my eyes unfocused and unable to read the ID without my glasses. 

Who the hell would call me at such an hour?'

I pondered on it, too exhausted to find where I had discarded my glasses moments ago, before answering so as not to wake my mother from her troubled slumber.

"Hello?" I said wearily and sighed.

"Sam? Hi, it's Emily. Are you okay?"

Emily.

I thought about her question for a moment, every single second and every shaky breath that ailed me from the last two weeks raking my mind. In the end, I settled on the usual lie. 

Because what did she care?

"I'm fine. How's the trip?" I asked nonchalantly and flopped down onto my bed, landing on a pile of papers.

"It was great. I'm on the coach back right now." She explained and my eyes shot to the calendar on my wall. 

How could I have forgotten she came back today?

"Oh." Was all I said and a silence settled over us.

"Sorry." She whispered and I frowned.

"What about?"

I knew exactly what she was apologizing for, I just wanted to hear her say it.

"For what happened before I left. I'm so ashamed of what I did. I was only joking around and never meant to out you like that..." She told me, her voice breaking whilst mine remained steady and unwavering.

"It's supposed to be up to me who knows, what they know and when..." I replied monotonously and I heard her sob. "You took that from me."

Just like how Fred took my first kiss.

"I know! I'm so sorry! Both you and Fred were avoiding the kiss at the party, it was getting silly," Emily said. "And seeing as you wouldn't tell Fred... I was just getting a little fed up, I guess. Have you denied it?"

Always making it her about herself.

I hadn't really addressed the rumours concerning my sexuality, though I was certain my panic attack induced reaction indicated as much since I'd been receiving a lot of shoves from people other than just Mike. Yet, I felt like the rumours had more depth to them as if they'd been around for a while.