[Souls of Paranoia]Kendall High - Rooftop Dumping [Week 26]

[Miz]

@Pineapple


Kim had gotten all prettied up in a blue gown just for the occasion. The fabric was a light-blue with white sparkles on it. She hoped it would remind people of winter but now she was feeling a bit silly wearing it outside. Sam wanted to sit on the roof-top of all places.


Typically it would be romantic, and in some ways it was, but the weather had gotten chilly weeks ago and Kim could see her own breath. Still, it was better than the alternative... the windows downstairs were fogging up with all the bodies dancing. It was a sweaty adolescence mess.


The two of them were supposed to meet Zack and Xandra at the dance but they were taking their time. The two were running late waiting up for Violet's date. She apparently got an upperclassmen with a car, according to Xandra' text message, which meant it wasn't Sam's brother after all.


Sam was getting impatient waiting though, so he asked to go to the roof. Kim still thought it was a strange request however stranger things had happened to them so far. But now they just stood around, looking at the school-grounds beneath them. "So," she said eventually turning to Sam trying to give him a kiss. "Is there something on your mind?"

 

[Pineapple]

The night was cold and dark. All the streetlights were alight, and the sounds of teens flooded the area. Sam was starting to regret sitting up on the schools roof. The wind was much worse this high up, biting at his exposed skin. As Kim was talking Sam was instand caught up in the events that had occurred just a few nights ago.


Simon and Travis. Sam didn't know the fully story, but he learned that Travis was Daniels previous body. "What's going on? Why's he trying to kill us?" Sam didn't appreciate getting chased down the street by a knife wielding thug being controlled by Simon.


"I don't know, he killed himself. Maybe he blames me?" Daniel replied. But Sam suspected something more was a foot.


"You're lying. Suicide wouldn't create a memento." Sam tried to dig deep into Daniels mind, as he had infiltrated Sams own thoughts in the past. It wasn't easy, and he found walls blocking him. "You're hiding something."


"They're my thoughts. What happened to privacy." Daniel said defensively. As he spoke Sam felt Kim's lips touch his own in a quick kiss, which brought him out of his and Daniels confrontation.


"Is there something on your mind?" Kim asked to Sam. his expression seemed quite telling to her.


"Uh yeah. Actually." Sam replied. "You remember the Queen's Province Building right? If you could go back, would you stop me from coming with you? Do you regret it? Troy never cared about me till I got in his way."

 

[Miz]

The kiss did the trick. Sam snapped out of whatever thought he was having. Kim figured it was some conversation with Daniel, the two were frequently going at it still, but she had no way to be sure. She figured the kiss would end any argument, at least for a little bit. It was a special night after all, and Kim didn't want to be ignored. Sam and Daniel had all eternity to bicker with one another.


Sam had been acting weird as of late. He hadn't been returning his phone calls or text messages. She figured he was busy or maybe was waiting to surprise her at the dance. But now here they were, both dressed up ready to go and he was still being distant. She expected to have to grapple with Sam to get him to tell her what was wrong. This time though he just spat it out.


"Uh yeah. Actually." Sam said answering the question rather frank. Yet the more he spoke, the more his speech got more and more nervous. "You remember the Queen's Province Building right? If you could go back, would you stop me from coming with you? Do you regret it? Troy never cared about me till I got in his way."


It was a weird question. Well not weird - just unexpected. Kim had thought about the same question before. Wondering whether she did the right thing to get Sam involved. "What is going on?" Kim asked Felix. However she didn't have time to get a reply from Felix, so she spoke up anyway. "Regret?" she asked. "I don't know if I regret it. I mean," she said the feelings about Troy rushing back into her. "I mean, Yes, I do regret getting you involved. It was a risky mistake," she said figuring that's what Sam wanted to hear: an apology.

 

[Pineapple]

When Kim replied to Sam's question by stating she did regret letting him get involved, it confirmed what Sam expected. If her let Kim get involved with Simon, it could end very bad for her, and lead to deep regret. while it's true that Sam didn't regret getting involved with Troy himself, he wasn't keen on letting Kim decide with Simon.


"Huh." Sam replied as he looked across the city lights polluting the night air all around the two of them. Sam pulled off Daniels ring and fiddled with it as he thought. The silver was cold from the winter air and in that moment Sam wished he could just toss the ring away, be done with it all and never deal with any of the craziness of Memento's again. Yet when these thoughts came to him he found his hand suddenly gripping the ring tightly, likely the work of Daniel.


"What happened to privacy?" Sam mocked Daniel, aware he had caught onto Sam's thoughts at that moment. Daniel didn't reply, he simply held Sam's fist closed around the ring.


"Well, it was my choice to go so don't feel bad." Sam finally broke his silence to say to Kim.

 

[Miz]

The entire conversation dumbfounded Kim. She was uncertain why Sam was questioning these things now. She went through her mental-roster in her head, wondering whether a major event had occur or if she had forgotten some important date, but there wasn't anything there to make sense of the situation. In the end, he told her not to worry about it.


The comment just made her worry more. "Well, I am glad," she said to him. "Because even though I don't ever want to place you in that position again, I wouldn't want to have to do it alone," Kim spoke honestly. "I mean I have Felix and I know he will support me and keep me safe. But its different, with a person you can actually hold." Kim tried to reach for Sam's hand.


But his body shied away, the hand moving to grip his other hand. Kim looked away from Sam, trying not to seem upset. Now she knew something was weird.


Felix though was more observant. He noticed that the moved hand gripped Sam's ring finger. Its why he decided to speak up and he didn't try to mimic Kim. "Listen, you know you can ask us for help, right?" he said. "Whether its with Daniel or anything," Felix continued. "I know you still have to find Daniel's family, but there is still plenty of time."

 

[Pineapple]

Kim explained that she was glad, and how despite it all she wouldn't want to have to go through it all alone. Felix spoke up reminding Sam that he could ask them for help with Daniel family or anything else. "He's right, we still need to find my wife." Daniel said. But sam wasn't as concerned about that anymore.


"Are you kidding? I think we have to deal with the homicidal soul after you."


"Well then, Felix would be the best help. He can't control someone frozen in time." Daniel said trying to reason with Sam.


"No. Something could happen to Kim." Sam countered shutting down any hope for Daniel convincing him.


"Yeah I know." Sam finally replied to Felix and Kim. He forced his hand open and put the ring back onto his finger. "But... I don't think it will work." Sam spoke trying to get across what he was trying to say.

 

[Miz]

The response from Sam wasn't the answer Felix or Kim was expecting. The boy seemed to jump between conversations or, at least, Felix didn't think he was replying to the same discussion. Kim anxiety only grew, her physical gestures weren't working and her soft comments fell on deaf ears. Even Felix didn't seem to reach Sam.


Nothing made sense to her. Why did they go up to such a secluded spot? Kim thought about it some. How they had to use her powers to get up to the roof without being noticed, how even now she could hear the vibrations from the party down beneath them. Then it occurred to her: she had a brother at home, Sam had a younger sister. Parents were always watching. "Does he want to make a move?" Kim asked Felix.


The man in her head was silent. He wasn't much a lover-boy anyway.


"Well, let's not get gloomy over this stuff. Besides, we are all alone," Kim said with a grin.

 

[Pineapple]

"No, I mean -" Sam started before breathing deeply. Kim didn't seem to understand what he was trying to get at. He didn't want to even say it, he didn't want this. But he knew he had to. If he lost her he would be destroyed. He couldn't deal with the loss of Kim. He would never be able to face Kim's family, or any of their friends at school. What if he met Felix again? Would Felix ever forgive Sam for getting Kim into a situation like this?


Sam could feel the preasure in his eyes build as tears began down his cheek. He quickly brushed it away with his sleeve and a sniffle. "I mean it - we won't work." Sam said. A sob escaped his mouth after wards before he started to hyperventilate.


He wanted to say something more, but couldn't stop long enough to say anything intelligible. He wanted to tell her why, but he couldn't. He knew she would just force herself to be involved with whatever it is that Travis and Daniel had going on. It would be better if she just tried to wash her hands of Sam and leave.

 

[Miz]

Kim was expecting a romantic statement from her boyfriend. Hoping maybe, just maybe, that he would be willingly to take their relationship to some other place beyond the little kissing they have done before. But the boy's face got red and tearing before he spoke, he was trying to correct himself as Kim apparently misunderstood what he was trying to say.


Kim though would have preferred him to keep his mouth shut. She didn't believe the words at first. It never occurred to her that Sam, the nervous boy who was crushing on her only a few months ago, would be the one trying to dump her. On the night of a dance, nonetheless. Yet that is exactly what happened, the words came out of him before Sam started to cry a bit himself. "I mean it - we won't work," he said.


"What?" Kim said. However she could see the seriousness on Sam's face.


Tears bounced off the fabric of Kim's dress. She was dumbfounded into silence. Uncertain whether he was being sincere and uncertain whether she was being played for a fool the whole time. Felix would have made Kim stand there, ask for clarification, figure out why such a weird turn of events. Kim's body didn't listen to him though. Before any question or further statement could be ask, Kim cupped her own face, and fled from the conversation. She didn't turn back to look at Sam who was hyperventilating.


Departing downstairs, she would use her powers to move unseen and unheard. She wouldn't want anyone to find her sobbing.