Chemically Platonic

Chemically Platonic (19) Screams and Daydreams

"Hi Juliette, Nice of you to come by," Sam's mother greeted me at the door with a wide smile. In a typical motherly fashion she wore a bright print apron tied tightly across her waist. It was splattered with flour and other unknown substances.

"Thanks Mrs. Biggs," I returned her greeting as I stepped through the threshold. It still baffled me that Sam's house had such a regular appearance... well until you stepped into their basement. That was a whole different story.

"Sam waited by the window for about twenty minutes until his friends made fun of him and made him go down stairs," she laughed while shutting the door behind me.

I slipped off my shoes, kicking them into the pile that spilt into the walkway. I'd been such a regular visitor and a part of Sam's nerd herd that I recognized all of their shoes. Bailee had these ridiculous cheetah print flats that she wore everywhere; which, is a better option than Violet who wore these stupid kitten heels with whiskers and cat ears across the toes. More proud of their shoe choice was Joel and his high end high tops.

A wide smile was across my face as I looked at the stinky piles of leather and rubber.

"Don't tell him I told you that." She rushed past me and into the kitchen

I followed slowly behind her, heading towards the basement door. The threatening poster of Mordor wasn't what was deterring me from reseeding down those stairs. It was due to the realization that had occurred the night before.

I was slowly and surely falling for Sam Biggs. His quirky charm and stupid freckles were wiggling their way inside my heart but not in the cute way. He was like a serrated fish hook that was pulling and tearing at my flesh as I tried to remove it. He weaseled his way in without me realizing it.

I didn't want to face him with my new perception. After Sam had left, I had contemplated several different scenarios. Firstly, I considered that I had a large lapse in my mental capacity. After counting backwards from one hundred by seven I proved my sobriety. Shit. The realizations hit me like a one ton truck after Sam went home.

I spent an unspeakable amount of time flipping through the UofB pamphlet looking to see if there was anything offered I was interested in. Sam had me considering taking history, biosciences, social work, nursing or art and design. All of which I had no curiosity in taking or even the qualifications to get into. Eventually it was driving me mad.

"Hey," I was welcomed by several excited greetings.

Joel bent across Bailee and Tyler who were snuggled on the couch together. He picked up the remote and paused the TV. Everyone's eyes snapped to where I was standing. The whole gang was here. Violet was texting with a ridiculously goofy smirk on her face and the Germlin had his laptop and headset on ignoring the world, except to give me a spiteful glare upon my entrance.

"Hey, Juliette. I didn't think you were coming," Sam smiled rising from his spot on the couch.

My eyes starred at the vacant spot next to him. I knew that's exactly where I was supposed to go but I couldn't. Everything felt different now. My heart seemed to stumble more than my feet as I headed towards the couch. There was just something so different now that I was aware of my own feelings. Two day ago he was Sam. I could act myself around him without a care. Now... it felt different.

"Was just running late," I stuttered more than I would like to admit.

Lying through my teeth wasn't something I was used to doing with Sam. He wouldn't be able to comprehend the meaning of me sitting in the old pickup truck, thumbing my fingers on the steering wheel, debating if I could handle this.