Because You're Different ✔

33. Inspiration

Sam

Something was buzzing, close to my head.

Shit. Probably forgot to put my phone on silent.

Sleep drunk, I snatched the annoying thing from next to me, trying to find the sound toggle, when I noticed who was bothering me.

Hayley.

Hayley?

What the hell was that girl calling me for? At eleven am, when I'd seen her last like ten hours before? Wasn't she tired after the dance?

Whatever. I'd look at it later. I declined her, moving to put my phone away when one of her messages caught my eye.

Hayley: THIS IS AN EMERGENCY

IT'S ABOUT JUNE

This better be true, or I was going to kill her. Thinking I must be insane, I called her back. "Hayley, it's me. What's going...—?"

"You need to watch the video I sent you. Like, right now!" She sounded weird, like she'd been crying.

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

Sighing, I clicked the link. Immediately, I was wide awake, heart hammering in my chest. "Shit," I said, almost not believing my eyes. "Hayley, this is bad, isn't it?"

"Yes! It's the worst. I don't know what to do. She'll literally be devastated..." Her voice had become shrill, and she was breathing so loud and fast that I had to put some distance between me and my phone.

And that fucking video.

It was a short one, not more than twenty seconds, but the people dancing in it were undoubtedly none other than me, Hayley and June. It would've been okay if it wasn't for the caption.

Awww, look how inspiring! Cute sophomores take this special needs girl to Valentine's Day Dance!! <3

June was going to explode. My stomach twisted into a million complicated knots, though I couldn't seem to think of a way to fix it. "Well, at least we're cute," I said.

"Sam, please, don't be a jerk for once!"

"I'm sorry," I said. I just didn't know what to do about this. "I — do you think she saw it yet?"

"How would I know?! She's at your house!"

Oh. Yes. Of course. "Should I check?"

"Yes! And wake up Nathan!"

Yeah. Good idea. "Let me call you back."

"I'm coming over, okay?"

I nodded, then ended the conversation, only realizing after she wouldn't have been able to see it. Oh well... Hastily, I stumbled out of my bed, my head buzzing like my phone had been planted inside of it.

"Nathan!" I called out as I barged into his room. Only when I spotted Charlotte, fast asleep at the edge of the bed, almost falling off, did I remember she was here as well. I wished they'd break up already — she was so boring, and Nathan could do thousands of times better than her rigid ass. Ignoring her, I ran over to my brother, shaking him until he shot up straight.

"Wha'z going on?" he muttered, blinking and rubbing his face.

I shoved my phone in his hands. He stared at it for what felt like minutes, a huge frown on his face, then said: "Fuck."

"Yeah. It's got 1k views already! What are we going to do?" He didn't say anything, just kept on glaring at the screen like it was showing him a scene of Final Destination. "Nathan!"