There was a tea set on the floor and a pair of green slippers on top of a white mini-fridge, a box of old photos rested on top of a very old television and a bottle of Fiji water sat happily on the window ledge. An array of pastels and neon colors assaulted Liam all at once before he focused fully on Samantha; sitting crossed legged on her pink and purple stripped bed with a book, and that cat, in her lap.
"Samantha. June's been screeching your name all the way from the kitchen for half an hour now. Dinner is ready." Samantha looked embarrassingly up at Liam. She hadn't gotten used to living with other human beings yet. They had weird traditions like eating together and interrupting each other hourly. It was all very new and strange to Samantha who even when her mother was alive only made human contact at work.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't hear her."
"That is very impressive considering June's a banshee." Samantha cracked a smile but only because Liam had a mini one on himself.
Once down in the kitchen Samantha settled down at the counter on a round stool. June had her flurry of red hair pinned up at many odd angles, a black and white checkered apron slightly hid her white sundress but not her bare feet.
"Here you are Gray, pancakes a la mode!" Pancakes for dinner, another odd tradition.
"Thank you June, it smells wonderful." June bounced on her heels as she watched Gray take a bite.
"Well? What do you think?"
"Mmm, very fluffy. Most likely the fluffiest pancakes I've ever had."
"But good right?" Sam felt Liam's foot slightly nudge her ankle. She looked at him, a bit startled at the contact, and saw him widen his eyes ridiculously, hinting at something.
"Definitely they are." She said finally, and honestly. June clapped and then hung both her arms around Sam's neck and kissed her square on the lips, like a peck, very sisterly. Sam was very surprised, to say the least, but found herself giggling along with June.
"Well, as delicious as these pancakes are I've got a date with Percy so I best be off. Don't wait up and keep the door locked June." He said sternly, as if leaving the door unlocked was a nasty habit of June's. She stuck her tongue out at him right at the moment that Sam lost her appetite. Since she had moved in with the Track's two weeks and one day ago Liam had gone on four dates with that Percy woman, this being his fifth. She took a sip of her water to push down the hot feeling in her gut.
"Don't stay up late children." And with a wink he was gone, the sound of the door shutting, and then locking, confirming another restless night for Sam.
"Hey, June." Sam whispered into the dark. There was a slight grumble from the warm body laying sprawled out on the couch next to Sam. It had been June's idea to watch zombie horror flicks until they fell asleep, but June had gone right to sleep and left Sam scared out of her wits in the living room; she hated horror films. Sam shook the little red head once and then twice but only received a whack in the head from the sleeping girl's hand. Sam rubbed her forehead as she got up to turn on the light. Just as she reached the switch there was movement from the doorway. Samantha screamed like she had never heard herself scream before and then grabbed the nearest object (an unused coat rack) and swung it in front of her like a sword.
"Woah, woah!" Came a man's voice. The lights were turned on and Sam rushed away from the door way, heavy coat rack in arms. It was Liam, standing there hands up in surrender.
"It's just me Samantha, calm down." The relief that passed over her face must have been comical because Liam started to chuckle.
"Let me guess, June made you watch her zombie films?" Sam glanced over at June, who was miraculously still asleep, and then nodded up at Liam.
"Yes, they were awful. Why does she like them?" Liam shrugged as he took the coat rack from Sam's firm grip and set it back down by the doorway.
"She's always liked them, don't actually know why."
"Oh....." A not so uncomfortable, yet still awkward, silence settled between the two.
"So how was your date?" She didn't actually care and she found herself hoping it was awful but Sam smiled pleasantly as she asked it anyways. Liam rushed a hand through his short blond hair in a shy way.
"It was great. Percy is a very special girl, I've never met anyone like her." Samantha wish she'd never asked. Her toes curled and her teeth clenched in an angry way, an anger she'd never felt before. She couldn't explain it, her vision was red hot, her heart beat rapidly, she could practically feel the blood rushing through her body. She felt ill. She wanted to say awful, mean, ugly things about his precious Percy, but found she couldn't think of anything.
"Well, that's good, g'night." And with that short, and quick, statement she rushed upstairs to the safety of her room, and Levii.
"Oh, you should have heard him Levii, it was horrible." Sam vented to Levii the next morning as she got ready for work.
"I've never met anyone like her, bah! There are a million girls like her I'm sure! What's so special about her anyways? I mean, sure, she's beautiful, in a sort of boring way. And and and...those hu-huge boobs; he can't possibly like them, they are so silly looking and pop out of her shirt and-" A knocking at her door shut her up quickly. She finished a messy ponytail and slipped on her red converses before opening the door. Liam stood there looking annoyed; she hoped he hadn't heard her.
"Hi." Sam blurted.
"Hi."
"Can I help you?" Liam rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Remember? June makes us leave together. She actually wants me to walk you to work but I don't think we need to be so ridiculous. So if you're ready I really need to leave now." Oh right right. For some reason, even after all Liam's complaining, June always gets her way. Sam nodded as she grabbed her bag, kissed Levii on the nose, and then rushed out, shutting the door after her. Liam looked disgusted.
"Did you just kiss that thing?"
"Of course I did. He gets grumpy when I don't." Sam shrugged and then hopped down the stairs in front of Liam. Two weeks with the girl and he still couldn't figure her out. She really believed that cat appreciated anything she did for it. She was delusional that was for sure. Sort of had a cute smile but otherwise completely insane.
"Oh good!" Are you two off then?" June smiled happily from the door where she held two brown sacks.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me. You're packing us lunches now? For Christ's sake June, we aren't six years old." Even as he said this he took the bag from June and shoved it into his briefcase. Sam grabbed hers as well, less violently of course, and opened it up to peek inside. She'd never received a packed lunch before.
"You can't open it yet Sam! It's for lunchtime, you open it at lunch." June grabbed the bag and shoved it inside Sam's bag.
"Enjoy your walk." And with one last exaggerated wink from June the duo was off.