Static Electricity | Sam and Colby

Two

He wakes up to thunder and bad moods and knows today is one of those days. It's okay, he's lived through enough of them to know the drill. He just has to plead ignorance and he'll survive without any damage.

Colby is with Brennen, something that used to get Sam's pulse rising. Now it's regular and Sam knows he doesn't control Colby. The brunette does what he wants and Sam watches because he knows one day, that's going to get Colby in trouble.

It's almost noon when Sam makes it down to the kitchen and everyone is already busy doing their own thing. Sam already has a video ready for uploading; he has nothing to do. He quickly scopes out the cupboards and the fridge before thinking he's not actually that hungry and doesn't want to eat anything.

Maybe he'll go out in the rain. There's a cafe down the road that had opened last week and he's desperate to try it. Maybe he'll escape the suffocating stiffness of the house. He wriggles into black jeans and chucks on a white shirt, forgoing a hoodie in favour of a black jacket. He toes on black shoes and grabs his keys, wallet and phone.

He changes his mind when he makes it to his car. The storm is refreshing in a weirdly scary way and Sam thinks something's gotta be wrong with him if he's walking to a cafe in a storm. He shrugs it off. Maybe his thoughts will be distracted with the rain and he can enjoy a little break.

It almost works but his mind is like rubber. The more he tries to stretch away from his thoughts, the harder they bounce back. It's frustrating but he suffers in silence. He has nobody to tell anyway.

The little cafe is cute and quiet and calm. Sam takes note of the name, Miko's, and swears to add it to his list of favourite places. He orders a Hot Chocolate, knowing that caffeine will just make him think more and that's not what he needs right now. He needs something to soften the sharp attacks of loneliness.

He considers texting Colby but ultimately decides against it. He won't get a response anyway. Sam isn't Brennen, he doesn't offer Colby exhilaration. He doesn't offer a dog and loud popularity. Sam's just Sam and he's never really seen a problem with that until now.

He sits with his drink by a window, watching the world go past. He's not sure if it's nostalgia but something makes him pull up old photos of him and Colby and he smiles sadly to himself. A lot can change in one year. He generally tries to avoid these memories but he thinks that it's okay for one day.

Then Colby and Brennen walk in and Sam freezes up.

He's just getting ready to stand up and get away when Brennen slides in opposite him, Colby following after a moment's hesitation. Sam meets his eyes awkwardly then looks away.

"Sam, bro!" Brennen greets loudly.

"Hey Brennen. Hey Colby."

Colby smiles in greeting, his face slightly strained, before tapping on his phone screen and promptly ignoring the other two. Brennen shoots Sam a meaningful look.

"How are ya?" He asks and fuck how long has it been since Sam has answered honestly?

"I'm fine," he says.

Brennen starts chatting like they're old friends and his attempts to include Colby in the conversation fall flat. Sam feels bad for the Taylor. Maybe if he wasn't here, Colby would be better.

He stands. "It was nice seeing you here, but I have a video to record." Brennen raises a hand in farewell. Colby grunts.

Sam makes his exit quickly, thankful it's stopped raining. The last thing he wants right now is more attention on him. Getting sick would attract unwelcome focus and Sam can't deal with anything like that at the moment.

He makes it home without any problems and slips into his room without any interaction. He wonders how long he can inconspicuously avoid the other housemates before they start to catch on. Not long, he thinks, because Colby will know. Would Colby even care? The thought halts him in his tracks and he frowns. Something in his chest twinges painfully.

He sits in front of his camera for hours and doesn't record anything.