Hell To Pay

Fighting Problem

"That's a wrap!!" Dave is screaming out, drunk from some bottles. They just finished the gig today and they're partying real hard. The people just cheering meanwhile Taylor is planning to go out with Sam. "Hey, you see Sam?" He ask Dave who can't even stand properly. "Sam who?"
"Nevermind." He goes from Dave to Chris at the corner of the room. "Chris!"
"Yeah?"
"Di you know where Sam is?"
"Oh, wait. I think I saw her walk out from here half an hour ago." He watch the clock and then assure Taylor about it. "Oh, okay. I'm gonna go out then."

After a cigar away, Taylor see someone on the side road that looked like Sam. "Sam!" He run to her and then quickly turn her body around. "What the.. what happened to your face?" There are several bruises near her lips and forehead. "Umm..."
"Sam?"
"I...fight somebody."
"Why???"
"Because he grab my ass."
"Well. Not blaming you.. but really, I told you we're gonna hang out together and you wondered around fighting somebody. Please don't do that again."
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Should we go now?"
"Nope. Changed my mind already. Let's go back and give your face some ice." Taylor grab her arms and drag her in again.

"You got ice?" Taylor set her on a chair while he ask the bartender for ice. "Sure."
"Thank you." He then turn to Sam, still poking her bruises. "Why do you love to play punches so much?"
"I don't. I'm just...having a fighting problem. I can't help it."
"Yeah right, even Fred wasn't an exception."
"Come on! Please don't say his name again. It pissed me off."
"Stay out of problem then."
"I told you he grab my ass!"
"I know. It's just..."
"What?"
"I told you to go out with me. You should've waited for me." He sighs and then Sam blows her hair. "I'm sorry Taylor." She wait for him to smile again. "Please? I was boring and you were busy." Taylor finally smile, get the ice and put it on her bruise. "Okay. But next time, just told me about it."

Her bruises are no longer swollen but slowly turn green. Taylor used all the ice he got from the bartender and now his hand is wet from melted ice. "How's my face?"
"Better. Still hurt?"
"Umm not really. Thank you."
"Anytime." He take the glass and then return it to the bartender. "She's cute. Girlfriend?" The bartender ask as he take the glass. "Haha. No. She's not."
"Ah sorry. My bad. But seriously you guys looked nice together."
"You think?" Taylor tries to hide his smirk. "Yeah. Genuinely." Taylor doesn't say anything further and just smile to him. "Well, thanks. I guess.."

Back to their seat, Taylor grab Sam's hand and ask her to stand up. "Where do we go?"
"Picking up where we left?"
"Oh, I thought you changed your mind already?"
"Yeah, do you mind if I change that again?" He smiles to her, "Come on. We still have an hour to be out somewhere before the guys done partying." She nods and let Taylor leads the way.

He walk her to a late night market that sort of more like a festival. "Oh please no.." she's whining. "Why? Don't like these stuff?"
"I'm not a kid, Taylor."
"Me neither. But for real, stop pretending to be so tough around me, okay?"
"But.."
"No. Whatever stops you now, just let it go, and enjoy everything." He put his arm around her shoulder and finally she put hers on his waist.

Taylor buy two bags of cheese sticks and gives Sam one bag. "How do you know I love cheese sticks?"
"Umm.. Chad?"
"You asked my brother?"
"Sure I did. What's wrong about it?"
"Nothing. Just weird."
"Nothing's weird about asking someone's brother about their things." He smirks and Sam pinch his waist. "Things? What else Chad told you about me?"
"A lot.. for example.. you don't really like bikes, you were afraid of riding them as a teenager. But you ended up riding them everywhere because that's what Chad's gonna do. You looked up to him."
"Chad told you that? I will smack him when I back home." She giggles and eat some sticks. "Wanna hear more?"
"Come on, what else?"
"Everyone think that you never cry when you're sad or upset. But according to Chad, you just so good at holding tears."
"Stop."
"What?"
"Just stop. I know Chad would say that, and I know you're agree with him. But I enjoy holding my pain for myself. It's not like I want to be a pain in the ass for everyone each time I'm upset or something. You guys need to leave me alone about that one."
"That's not healthy, Sam. At one point, you will no longer need any tears. But you will feel numb at the same time. It's all emotion-less. You'll be like a corpse with a heartbeat." Even though it does sound right, but how true it is makes her kinda pissed. "I think that one hour has passed." She walks, leaving Taylor behind. "Sam. Hey!" He tries to stop her. "And for once, Taylor. Just because you're the first person I can open up to, and I see you as my friend, doesn't make you have any rights to tell me what to do. Have some boundaries." She let go of his hand and about to leave again but this time Taylor really grab her arms and turn her back. Quickly put his hand on her cheeks and land a kiss. The kiss is so gentle, that she doesn't even want to fight. They don't even care that they're standing in the middle of the crowds because it feels like no one can see them anyway. But when it starts to feel unreal, Taylor takes a step back. This time with no smile on his face. "You think I crossed the boundaries by telling you something? This..is how I cross that." Without any warnings, Sam land a hand on his cheeks. She lost words and leaves Taylor behind. Stoned for almost 10 minutes later.

Back to their hotel room, the band had already done partying and prepare to go to sleep. Dave especially, he's drunk and fall asleep before anyone else. When Taylor enter the room, he notices that Sam is already on her bed, covering herself with a blanket. "Where have you been? When she's back, I thought you're with her." Chris comes out with toothbrush on his hand. "No. I walk alone." He says. Sam who's pretending to be asleep, actually hear that but she can't say anything.

Taylor take the couch and lay down while looking to Sam's direction a couple times. Looking for a sign that she's still awake. "What you keep looking at?" Chris waves his hand in front of Taylor's face. "Nothing."

All of sudden Sam's phone is ringing and she quickly take the phone, indicating that she's awake all the time. She bring her phone and go out from room to the balcony. They still can see her through the slide door but they can't hear her. "Yes Chad?"
"Heyyyy. How's your job today?"
"Good. Why calling this late?"
"What? I'm still your brother. Why can't I call you late?" Talking with Chad gives her a little smile considering things with Taylor tonight. "Of course that's fine. I'm just really happy to talk to you right now."
"Something happened?"
"What? Noo. Haha. Everything is fine."
"For real Sam, if you feel like you need to talk to me, tell me."
"No, really. Just another bad mood. You know me. Maybe because of the breakup."
"Geez. Really? Fred isn't worth your feelings. I'm sure you'll get a better guy."
"You sure? Haha." She steals a look inside the room, looking at Taylor who is laying on the couch. "Alright, I need to sleep now Chad. I'm really tired tonight. Bye."
"Good sleep Sam." And then she hang up.

She goes to her bed again, walking past Nate who's just coming out from bathroom. "Oh, Sam. I'm sorry I forget to give you the letter."
"What letter?"
"Umm. The one on the table. I thought it was for us, but I read your name on it."
"Oh, okay. I'll open it tomorrow. Thanks Nate."
"Sure." She walks to her bed, passing the table and notices the envelope on it. With her name on. But then she turn her eyes to Taylor who's sleeping on the couch. He looked tired.

She sit on her bed and waiting for everyone to sleep. And when it happens, she goes to the couch and make sure Taylor is really sleeping. After she get the envelope, she goes back to her bed, open it carefully and there are several pictures of her and Taylor at the bar when he tries to put ice on her bruises. Freak out, she gasp and it wakes Taylor up. "What's wrong?" Sam doesn't even hear Taylor's questions and keep flipping those photographs. "Hey Sam." He decided to see what she's staring at and walk to her bed. And when he got there, he's in shock.

"Shit. What's that?"
"Someone's following us."