Snippet #2452868

Samuel Westhouse

He was again drifting, two different arms around him, pulling him along. He really needed to pull himself together. Deep breaths. Okay. Okay. He just needed to sit down again maybe. Take the stress off his body and put it elsewhere. There was little chance to focus now though, with all the people hurrying out in different states of consciousness and ability. Nobody wanted to get caught here. Would they know who called the cops? Sam hoped not. Charlie would get some kind of hell for that. Once Violet got better, she was going to get some kind of hell for what she'd done too. Nate's face, the way he'd been talking to her had told Sam that the boy was really shaken up by that turn of events. Sam was having some difficulty keeping all the strands of his life in their own place, mostly thanks to the booze and exhaustion in his system. Who was alive? Who had died? In which bodies? Was he even alive right now?

The dark haired boy glanced at his hands as he partly sat partly fell into Cora's car. No, he was there. So was Cora. So was Paige. That was good. Nate was alive. Charlie was alive. Violet was maybe alive. Mostly alive. That left four unaccounted for in his mind. He'd wait and see if they were okay. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

"I'm fine." He responded to the question Paige had posed in the door way much too late. She smelled like booze too. Did she drink? No, he didn't think so. Maybe he was imagining it. He tried to help her pull the seat belt over his chest, and her eyes caught his. He stared at her for a second, trying to ground himself in this reality.

His name was Samuel Westhouse. He was in Cora Donovan's car, Paige Parker was sitting next to him. They were all in their normal bodies. Okay. Okay. That was good enough for now. He'd sort out the rest of the blurry thoughts later. Yeah. That was good. Cora spoke up, asking how they were doing. "We're good." He said, his voice too soft at first but peaking much louder than he'd meant it to. "Thanks Cora."

Dark scenery passed around them, highlighted by headlights. Were they going to the hospital for Vi? Probably. That was a good idea. He didn't even know how she was doing. He'd just left her with Nate. That was the way to do things though. Nate was better with problems than he was. Of course he was. Nate was the leader. Sam leaned back in his seat and sighed loudly, letting his exhaustion rush out of his body in a huge gust of air.

"Hey." He said, his hand going to Paige's shoulder suddenly as a thought popped in his head. His voice came out very gently slurred, as if he was inventing the words just as they tumbled out of his mouth, just a little too fast and a little too slow at the same time. "You never did...get your dance." He looked away for a second, a slightly awkward expression passing his face for a half second. "You think an IOU would...be good? Or a pickup game in...that old lot...tomorrow?" Maybe now, when they were hurrying off to make sure one of their other friends was okay, wasn't the time nor the place for this kind of thing, but he really needed a distraction. He had certainly pushed himself past his bodily limit in both drinking and exertion, and perhaps in mental taxation, if his current mental wasn't a reality, and he was going to have to pay up for all those things at some point. He'd just leave it for later. It was easier to fall apart when he was alone to pick himself back up without having to worry about the well being of his friends. Right now he should focus on Cora and Paige.

He examined her for few more minutes. He could still smell sweet alcohol in her breath, off her body. Maybe he should ask her about that. She'd gotten on him for doing that kind of stuff before, she didn't seem one to just start randomly. Anyway, he only did it because there wasn't anywhere else for him to go, so what was the point in staying in top physical condition. She, on the other hand, could go off and play college level. She couldn't be doing those kinds of things to her body. Okay, maybe he was being a bit protective, and hypocritical, but really. He wanted the best for all his friends, because they deserved it.

"Have..have you been drinking?" He asked her cautiously, his own voice stumbling over the words, after a few more moments deliberation. His perpetually sleepy eyes flicked from her to the cut of Cora's face he could see in the rear view mirror. Cora would be able to answer it if Paige didn't."No-not that there's anything wrong with that...I just didn't know you..." he trailed off, losing the thought before he could finish speaking.