A Change with Sam

"Alright, you have me there. Though I didn't ask for this. Who would have known that our school has such great bakers?" she asked.

"There's always surprises in the strangest places," I said. "So tell me about your job. Your parents don't make enough at home that you can't just focus on your studies?"

Sam shook her head. "I wish. It's just my mom and she works doubles. I pull my own weight when I can. Mostly I pay for our meals. I think buying cafeteria food is the largest way I spoil myself," she said.

"And your dad?"

"An asshole. Gone. It's better that way," Sam said, finishing the last bite of her cake. I couldn't believe how quickly she ate or the bites she took. A voracious eater. "Look, why don't we just skip this place for a while. I'm going to be blunt here: I could use a friend. You seem like the type that won't take advantage of trust."

I nodded. "Sure, I'm always up for something different. What did you have in mind?"

She stuck her thumb out and pointed behind her. "I don't live far from here. Its more comfortable than these concrete steps if you want to hang out," she said.

I could hear the catch in her voice. What exactly was this girl asking me? There was a mystery in the situation I wasn't grasping, a subtlety I couldn't catch on to. I knew she was truly just asking me to come hang out and relax, but I could sense the severe anxiety in her. It took some effort for her to offer her home. Sometimes people make the most desperate changes to themselves in order to find comfort.

We didn't have to walk far to arrive at the front door of Sam's little duplex. She rummaged through her shoulder bag and pulled out her keys quickly, giving me a look that said, "See? Usually I don't have any problems with this thing." I held the door open and she walked inside. I was met with the smells of clean laundry and that stale house scent. It was comforting. Sam threw her bag down in the hallway, near a pile of folded towels. She shrugged as I looked around.