Seven Twenty-Eight

*9.

!!tw : the following chapter contains domestically violent themes. please proceed at your own risk!!

"I can't believe this year is almost halfway over," Mary complained, dropping her head to dangle off the side of her bed.

Elisa smiled, pulling her pillow into her lap to rest her book. "We still have a whole month till Christmas," She reminded her, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but now that Thanksgiving is over, the rest of the semester is going at full speed," Mary informed her, hanging her arms over her head, "It might as well be January— I should give up now."

"You say that every year," Sam instantly replied, sitting up to look down at her, "But for the last two weeks of the semester, you shut yourself away up here with Elisa-"

"And we're standing together at the top of the class," Elisa added, pointing her finger out.

"She's right, Mars," He sighed, leaning away from her nonchalantly. He stared over at her for a moment before sitting up again, reaching his hands out to grasp her sides.

Mary screamed, thrashing around frantically as he wiggled his fingers into her sides. "Sam, stop!" She screeched, kicking her feet at him.

"I can't!" He shouted back at her, "My fingers are stuck!"

"Samuel!" She cried out, "Please!"

The laughter died as Sam slowed his attack, leaning his back against the wall and panted quietly. Mary gasped for air, awkwardly curled into his lap.

Elisa smiled softly, rolling her eyes as she looked back down at her book. "You guys are so cute," She muttered, not looking up as she flipped the page.

Mary nearly jumped into the air, sitting up so suddenly that her head spun. "What?"

"We aren't— W-we aren't together," Sam told her, his eyes nearly popping out of his head, "Or- O-Or anything like that."

"Mm," Elisa hummed, "Of course— That's my bad."

Mary pressed her lips together, sinking into the mattress calmly; Though her face was tomato red.

A knock at the door interrupted the tension, and Elisa sighed as she crawled off of the bed, sliding the book away, "That must be Jackson."

Sam's jaw clenched, glancing at Mary with angst flowing through his veins from the previous comment. "Everything okay there?" He asked, eager to get his mind on something else.

"Yeah," Elisa sighed again, deeper, "It's not the ideal way to start any relationship but this past month has been better. He's been better, I think." She looked back and forth between the couple awkwardly, lingering her hand on the doorknob with an ounce of hesitation before she finally whipped around to pull it wide open.

"Hey, Jack-" She stopped in her tracks, nearly tripping over her own feet at the sudden halt, "Oh. It's you."

Oliver stared back at her blankly, shifting his defense as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah," He scoffed, rolling his eyes, "It's me."

She offered up a tight, closed-mouth smile, also crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you'd be here," He muttered, looking away from her, "I thought you'd already be off with Jack-"

Sorry?" She frowned, tilting her head curiously, "Why would you know where I'd be tonight?"

His eyebrows raised and he dropped his hands back down to his sides in defeat. "You're sort of predictable-"