Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Plans and unexpected meeting

"Ah, what an amazing way to start a Sunday morning~" Samantha purred next to me before giving me a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"I'm going to make myself some coffee, do you want some?"

 

"Gladly. I'm gonna need it." I replied as I got up.

"I hadn't gotten the chance to say it yet, but I really like your room."

 

She let out a cute giggle to hide her cheeks slightly blushing.

"I'm glad you like it. I know it's far from a typical girl's room, after all. What with all the games, posters, and manga around."

 

"Maybe, but it suits you well, Sam." I smiled at her to show her how sincere I was.

 

"Thanks. Now, time for some coffee." was all she said before going to the kitchen.

 

After dressing up, I followed her there.

Samantha lived in a fairly large flat considering that she was apparently living alone.

It had a large bedroom, a bathroom with a bathtub,  and a kitchen and a living room that are separate, and even a balcony.

Furthermore, it was near the town center, where most flats are pretty expensive, especially for college students.

 

"How can you afford this place?" I asked as I observed the exterior through the window leading to a small balcony.

There were a few plant pots, well-maintained.

 

"Well, I… have my ways… And my parents are helping me." she said as she took out two cups and turned the coffee machine on. "Do you want some milk or sugar with yours?"

 

"A bit of milk, thanks."

Once I got my coffee, I continued.

"How are your parents like?"

 

After a brief pause, she answered, looking away.

"They're… fine, although I'm not sure they'd like the new me very much. Not that they were all that fond of the old me either." 

I could notice the sadness in her tone, even if she tried to hide it behind an awkward chuckle.

 

"I see… I hope they'll come around eventually, and realise how amazing you are."

 

She blushed again, brighter than back in her room.

"Oh, shush, you. I'm already in love with you, no need to flatter me more."

 

"As if you dislike it." I grinned at her, gently caressing her hair, which only served to make her even redder. She was acting a bit more like her old self, which I found adorable. I already loved her before, after all. She may have changed a lot on the surface, but she was still the same deep down.

 

She huddled herself against me, hugging me tightly.

"Indeed~ You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Davey."

A few minutes later, she let go of me and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Speaking of parents, how are yours? The brief exchange I had with your mom wasn't enough for me to learn what she's like."

 

"Oh, she's pretty chill. I don't think your look would bother her, she's fairly open-minded, and I know she had a punk phase back when she was younger."

 

"Really? Sounds awesome!" Her eyes were sparkling, she seemed to want to meet my mother even more than before.

"What about your dad?" 

 

"My dad works a lot, so he's not often home. He's kind, but not really talkative. He's the type to rarely speak unless it's about something that interests him. But if you dare mention wrestling in his presence, be ready for hours of conversations."

 

She chuckled.

"Noted. I'll avoid the subject, then. How far do they live from here?"

 

"Not too far. About two hours by train. I usually stay for a week during holidays, but I can shorten my stay if you'd prefer."

 

"Oh no, I'm looking forward to spending some time with my future parents in law." I blushed at that, looking away, while she just let out a cute giggle.

She went to caress my arm, smiling.

"I'm sure I will love them, Davey."

 

"Wanna stay here for today? We can order something to eat and play some games together?" Sam asked, looking at me with expectations.

 

I gave her a light kiss and replied.

"I'd love to. But no need to order. I can make us something."

 

"Oh, you know how to cook?"

 

"I'm not a chef, but I know a few things, yeah." I said. 

 

"Hmm, maybe you'd make for a good househusband~" Sam declared in a teasing manner, chuckling, making me blush.

 

"H-haha, maybe…" I sheepishly replied. 

 

After regaining my composure, we went back to her room to play some games until lunch.

She was really good at fighting games, despite being more into JRPGs.

 

When lunchtime came, I looked at what Sam had stored, and decided to make some Spaghetti Carbonara.

Sam stayed near me, watching me with a tender smile on her face.

 

She grabbed two plates from her cupboard and helped prepare the table. She sat and leaned closer to the pot.

"Hmm, it smells really good~"

 

I sat and served her first.

"I hope it'll be to your liking."

 

"It will." she confidently said before bringing a fork full to her mouth.

"It is delicious, Davey~"

 

"T-thanks."

 

We spent lunch talking about games we played and shows we watched, and decided to watch some anime during the afternoon.

Sam liked a variety of things, from standard shonens to dark seinen and fluffy shojos.

 

Of course, this wonderful day had to end and I parted ways with her, returning back to my flat in order for me to get ready for our Monday classes.

 

~~~~~

 

On Monday morning, I met with Sam in front of the gates of the campus, ready to start our day together.

 

As soon as we took a step towards our building, I noticed Sam suddenly turning her head and staring at a woman who was approaching us with a smile on her face. 

She seemed to be in her early thirties, her dark hair put into a bun. and she was wearing an elegant beige suit, indicating that she most likely was a professor or a secretary instead of a student.

As soon as her eyes landed on the woman, Sam made a strange expression.

 

"Good morning, Samantha. And you too… David, was it?" She said this last part while observing me from head to toe.

 

"G-good morning." I replied awkwardly.

 

"I'm Marie Durand, it's a pleasure to meet you."

 

Her attention then returned to Sam.

"How are you, Sammy? Enjoying this life of yours so much that you forgot about me? I totally dig this new look, by the way. You make for a hell of a goth girl."

For an older woman, she spoke in a very familiar manner to Sam.

 

Sam grit her teeth. She obviously was uncomfortable around her, but I had no idea why.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly.

 

"Oh my, is this how you greet an old friend?" Marie chuckled. "Or am I not allowed to talk to you while you're with your… boyfriend?"

 

Sam walked closer, her face mere inches away from Marie's, staring right into her eyes.

"I know what you're thinking, and I'm warning you. Don't you dare do anything to him."

 

She seemed shocked for a brief instant by Sam's tone before smirking.

"Do you truly love him all that much? You swing this way now?"

 

"Swing this way? Is Sam into women too?" Sam never mentioned anything like this before.

 

"And what if I do? Why would it matter to you, professor?" She emphasised this last word, for some reason.

 

Marie took a step back and made a smile that clearly felt fake.

"You're right, it doesn't matter to me. What students do and who they love is none of my business."

 

"Don't approach him, is that clear?"

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"Alright, alright. I don't want you to hate me, Sammy. I'll let you have fun with your boyfriend. But if you ever want to catch up and hang out again, here's my number." She gave a visit card to Sam, with her contact infos written on it.

As I first guessed, she was indeed a professor, teaching French literature here.

 

Sam begrudgingly took the card and shoved it into her bag.

 

"Have a good day, lovebirds~" Marie waved at us and left.

 

"W-who is she?" I asked Sam. Only when I turned to face her did I notice her slightly shivering.

"W-what's wrong?"

 

She grabbed my hand and held it tightly.

"Don't come near her, David… Promise me…"

 

"I-I promise…" I didn't understand why she made me promise this, but her reaction indicated that it was something important.

 

"I will protect you…" She whispered, still glaring at Marie who was almost out of view by now.

 

"W-we should… go to class…"

 

"We should, yes." Was all Sam said.

She didn't let go of my hand until we finally reached the lecture hall and sat down.

 

~~~~~

 

After this strange meeting with Marie, the rest of the week was thankfully uneventful.

Sam was still on edge, but started to relax, slowly getting back to her usual self.

 

We crossed paths with Marie one more time during this week, but except for a good morning, neither Sam nor her talked to each other.

 

On Friday, I went to the library with Sam to study for our upcoming exams. We sat in a quiet place, on the first floor, and spent our afternoon there.

Sam always was really smart, way smarter than me, and she often helped me understand some parts I had trouble understanding.

 

"One more week before I can finally meet your parents, I'm excited." She said as she stood up and stretched, the fatigue apparent on her face.

"I'll go to the bathroom and grab a snack, I'll be back soon."

 

About a minute after Sam left, I saw a familiar face walking towards me and sitting in front of me, on the chair Sam was using, a cup of coffee in her hand.

 

"What a coincidence, I didn't expect to see you here, David." Marie said, brushing her bangs away from her face.

"Studying for the exams, I take?"

 

"Y-yeah… Sam and I want to make sure we get good grades…"

Sam told me to avoid Marie, but I couldn't do much here until she came back, so I tried to be as courteous as I could.

 

She didn't say anything at first, just observing me in a strange way while taking sips of her coffee.

"I really don't see what she finds in you. You're fairly… bland." She flatly said.

 

"Huh, excuse me?"

 

She feigned to not notice my annoyance, instead continuing, leaning closer to me, her hazel eyes making me feel like they were inspecting my very soul.

"Tell me, did you ever wonder why your Samantha suddenly changed?"

 

"I did, but I decided that it didn't matter. She'll tell me when she's ready, if she feels like telling me someday. All that matters is that she's the woman I love."

I answered while looking her in the eyes, truthfully.

 

At that, she bursted out laughing, nearly spitting out her coffee, before quickly trying to calm herself down, remembering that we were in a library.

"Haha, how naive of you… I wonder how you'd react if you were to learn the truth."

 

I tilted my head, confused.

"What do you mean?"

 

She pointed her finger at me.

"I mean that someone like her shouldn't be with the likes of you. I know her far better than you do, and only I can truly understand her here." 

 

"Really? Then why can't you understand that I don't want to see you, and especially not near him?" Sam coldly stated, appearing behind the corner, her arms crossed.

 

It only served to make Marie chuckle.

"Come on, relax. I already told you that I don't want you to hate me, I won't do anything to him. He's all yours."

She stood up and approached Sam, taking a more sorrowful expression.

"I just miss you, you know? We used to be together all the time, but we haven't seen each other since that day."

 

The two of them obviously knew each other for a while, but I had no idea of what their actual relationship was.

 

Sam sighed.

"I'm sorry about this, but I just… needed a break… from everything… Listen, I'll meet you once the exams are over and we'll have a serious talk, just the two of us. Alright?"

 

It seemed to be what Marie wanted to hear, as she made a bright smile and clapped her hands together.

"Perfect! I can't wait!"

 

"For now, though, can you leave us alone? We're trying to study, and a professor acting this way towards a student is bound to raise suspicions." Sam added as she put a can of energy drink and a cereal bar on the table.

 

"Oh, of course. How could I forget? I'll take my leave. Good luck with your exams, you two." Marie said before leaving, still with her bright smile that, unlike during our first meeting, seemed more genuine.

 

Sam didn't say anything, she instead sat and grabbed a bite of her snack.

 

"So… May I ask about your relationship?"

 

Sam just looked away.

"She's someone… I've known for a long time."

 

"The way she acts makes me think that she loves you or something." I jokingly commented.

 

She finished her snack, gritting her teeth, but didn't reply.

 

"W-wait… She does?"

 

She weakly nodded before looking back at me, a mixture of sorrow and anxiety in her eyes.

"I'm sorry… but for now, I just… want to forget about my past."

 

"Sam… has a lot of secrets…" was what I thought after that day.

 

Fortunately for us, Marie did indeed leave us alone until our exams were over. I was confident that they went well, and so was Sam, who was smirking every time she gave back her sheets to the professors.

 

We were chilling at the cafeteria after our last exam, planning our holidays together.

 

"Ah, glad to finally be over with these." Sam said, taking a sip of her coffee. "Now I can enjoy my holidays with you~"

 

We would take the train in two days, on Sunday morning, arriving at my hometown shortly before lunch, where my mom would meet us.

 

I nodded and smiled.

"My hometown isn't all that big, but it has some nice spots to visit. There's a hill nearby with a really good view over the town, and you can even see the ocean a bit further away. We always went there during the summer with my family."

 

"Wonderful! We need to go to the beach! I'll bring my swimsuit." Sam exclaimed, beaming with excitement. "Maybe we can even have a picnic there with your parents?"

 

Seeing her so excited made me giggle.

"Heh, why not, I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

 

Sam's phone suddenly buzzed, and, as soon as she read the name written on it, she sighed.

"Of course she's already calling… Sorry, David, you'll have to spend the rest of the afternoon without me."

 

"I see. I hope it'll go well with Marie. If you have any problem, don't hesitate to call me."

 

"I appreciate the feeling, but don't worry, I can take care of myself. And besides, Marie would never cause me any harm." Sam said as she stood up, flashing me a reassuring smile.

 

"If you say so. Call me when you're done, alright?" I asked, a bit anxious.

 

"I will. See ya~" She kissed me and left, on her way to meet Marie.

 

I sat there, alone, finishing my drink, and hoping for the best.

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