Hell To Pay

Getting a Little Cold

"Sam?" They shake her arms, carefully wake her up. "Uhh?"
"Sam it's Dave, and Nate." Slowly Sam lift up her face and rub her eyes. "Oh, you two. What are you doing here?"
"Checking on you? God.. it's freezing here, you can get sick. Come on."
"There's no room left. I'm fine sleeping here, I got all the blankets that I needed. You two need to rest too." Dave sighs, knowing how stubborn Sam is. "You sure won't sleep in our room? We can stay on couch if you need a bed."
"I'm good. Also, that's your bed, I won't take that. It's just I can't take the couch, because it's uncomfortable."
"Well, if you say so... We'll fix the thermostat later, just in case like this one again."
"Haha, yeah you should." Sam rolls back and cover herself under the blanket again. "Let's go Nate, at least we know she's here. Dave and Nate leave the bus and get back to their room.

Night turns to day and they're getting ready for another rehearsal. A lot of works needed since it will be a big show. Huge stadium and things can go wrong unless they have the best team. "Leo, can you get a pair of new cable there? This one was chewed by rats." Sam is trying to fix some equipment when she found that cable. "We don't have it Sam, another techs took it this morning. They thought we didn't need those." Leo is an assistant that Nate brought to help Sam some weeks ago.

"Oh, okay. That's okay. But I need a tape, and scissor. I'll try to cover this."
"Okay. Make sure you wouldn't touch it before I get back." He runs outside to get what she needs and Sam is by herself, trying to prevent someone getting struck by electricity. "Better Leo is back fast, I need this to be done."

Just a couple of minutes, he comes back but he looks like in hurry. "Hey here's what you need."
"Thank you... Is everything okay?"
"No, umm.. my sister got trouble at school. I think I need a day off. Is that okay?"
"Oh geez.. sure. I got this."
"Really?"
"Yeah, of course. Just go. I can handle this."
"But you had cold. I will ask someone to replace me and..."
"No, really. I can lay my head later. After this cable. You don't need to do anything."
"Okay Sam. Thanks a lot. I owe you this."

After Leo left the place, Sam continue to fix cables. Cut it first, peel the isolator, extend it. There are plenty of cables need to be extended so she skip her lunch just for that. "Hey Sam. You need help?" Chris walk in and see her fixing cables. "No, thanks. Just 4 more and all done."
"Oh, okay. Don't forget to take a rest okay? Dave told me you had a cold from sleeping in our bus."
"I will. Thanks." Chris left and she's back to work. Suddenly someone poke her shoulder. "Yeah Chris, what else..." She hasn't finished her sentence when she turns her head and find Nina there. "Umm.. can I help you?" Sam is trying to be polite while still cutting all those cables. But Nina doesn't say anything. "Umm.. is everything okay? If there's nothing wrong, I will back to work." Sam then ignore her but she is going pissed. "I know what you do."
"What are you talking about?"
"The band likes you, are you sleep with them all?"
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, like all of them. Even Taylor. I know how you two look at each other."
"Whoa. Stop, okay. I'm not doing anything to them." Sam tries to continue her job and ignore her but Nina won't stop bothering her. "Chris, Dave, Nate. All hates me. I know you made them to."
"First of all. I never make them to hate you because they hate you even before I know you and Taylor are dating. Second, maybe you should ask yourself about why everyone dislike you. Exactly because of this behavior. Now excuse me, I have work to do." Seems like Nina is more pissed than before and she decided to ruin Sam's work. Nina grab her by the hand but accidentally touch the open cable, hit her with a little electricity. "Ouch!! What did you do?" She's screaming and Taylor quickly turns himself from jaming with the band and go to see what's going on.

"Sam? Nina? What happened?"
"She struck me with electricity?" Nina grab his arm and quickly play victim in front of him. "Sam, is that true?"
"You believe that?" Sam just rolls her eyes. "Look! Look at my palm! It's red." She shows her hand to Taylor and his face looks upset. "What did you do to her?"
"Seriously Taylor? I didn't do anything!"
"But that's a proof! You struck her."
"No, I didn't!"
"We need to talk." Taylor grab her arm and drag her into another room.

"Sam, that's not a good thing to do."
"God! I didn't do anything!"
"Her hand said the opposite, Sam. I think it's enough that my band hates her, I expect a support from you. I think you're my friend?"
"Hey, I support you. Okay? I let her sleep on my bed."
"Yeah, but you struck her with electricity! What if it harm her?"
"Oh please. First, it's not a high voltage. Because if it was, I will be the first to die. I'm fucking trying to fix those cables! Secondly, she was the one who came to me and talking shit to me. Even accused me of sleeping with your band! Literally, she called me a slut. And as my friend, don't you think I don't deserve that?"

"What's going on?" Dave walks in. "We're in a jam and you leave." Nate and Chris is following him. "Sam struck Nina with electricity." Sam, as angry as she is hardly holding tears. "I.. didn't."
"But I saw it."
"Saw what?" Dave cut him. "Saw the mark on her hand."
"Did you see with your eyes that Sam struck her?"
"No, but..."
"But you believe her?"
"Yes! Because the mark.."
"I'm done. I'm fucking sick, and tired. I'm just..trying to do my job and this is what I got. I quit. Find another engineer, I'm not gonna do it anymore." Sam can't hold her anger any longer and burst out the room.

"What's wrong with you?" Dave is very angry. "Nate, can you stop her and just do anything to make her change her mind?"
"I'll try."
"Good. I need to talk with Taylor." Nate runs to catch Sam and left Dave, Taylor, and Chris in that room.

"You know it's not a good thing to do, it's not funny to struck someone with electricity." Taylor tries to justify his statement. "I know that. But I'm sure Sam didn't do that, why? Because your girlfriend is a manipulative."
"And I'm sure she was harassing her in the first place because I know Sam was trying to fix those cables before we go to jam. There's a lot of cables." Chris adds.
"You hear that? Now, what your girlfriend was doing near those cables? She had nothing to do there."

Even accused me of sleeping with your band!

That sentence now is playing on the loop inside his head. "Alright, maybe Nina is a little bit too harsh by saying that Sam slept with all of us but it doesn't justify what she's doing to..."
"For fuck sake Taylor! She called Sam a slut? And yet you still defend her. Unbelievable. She doesn't even have proof that Sam struck her, what if she tries to harass Sam and she accidentally just touch the cable that Sam had been working with?" Frustrated, Dave is no longer have an idea to understand what is on Taylor's mind. "Let me tell you this. If she's really that evil, she will not let Nina sleep on her bed, going outside to get a room at the hotel but can't get any, and ended up sleeping in our tour bus. With a broken thermostat. You want to know why she had cold today? That's the answer. You should know how much an evil your girlfriend is." Dave takes a deep breath and leave the room. "I don't know what spell she put in you, but I hope you get rid of it." Chris adds and then follow Dave out from the room.