*Sam's POV*
It was a Saturday, and for once, I had no plans. No readings, no assignments, no stress. Just a lazy day in my pajamas, curled up in bed, trying to ignore all the drama that had drained me over the past few months. I had decided that today, I would rest.
Or at least, that was the plan.
Without warning, my bedroom door flew open, and before I could even react, Millie and Cass stormed in like a pair of burglars.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" Millie declared, dramatically throwing open my curtains.
"Rise and shine, loser!" Cass added, flopping onto my bed and causing me to bounce slightly.
I groaned. "What are you two doing here?"
"Kidnapping you," Cass said with a grin. "It's an intervention. Operation: Cheer Up Sam! is officially in action."
"Oh my god," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "Guys, seriously? I just wanted one peaceful day."
"Nope!" Millie cut me off. "No objections. Your mom already gave us permission, so you're coming with us."
I blinked. "You asked my mom?"
"Of course," Cass said, rolling her eyes. "We knew you'd make excuses, so we went straight to the higher-ups."
I sighed, but there was no winning against these two. "Fine, let me pack."
With a dramatic sigh, I reluctantly packed my bag. As much as I wanted to argue, I knew they were doing this for me. And honestly? Maybe I did need it.
A little while later, we were at Cass's house, where the first order of business was picking a movie.
"Sam, what's your all-time favorite?" Millie asked.
"Easy. Lord of the Rings."
Cass's eyes widened. "The whole trilogy? You do realize each movie is like four hours long, right?"
"Yup," I nodded. "Extended edition, too."
Millie groaned. "Oh my god. That's, like, twelve hours of medieval dudes walking."
Cass smirked. "Buckle up, Millie. You're about to get cultured."
And so, for nearly twelve hours, we immersed ourselves in Middle-earth, only pausing for snack breaks and occasional commentary.
By the time the credits rolled on Return of the King, Millie had actual tears in her eyes.
Millie kept sniffling. "I love Samwise Gamgee so much. He's just... ugh! He's the best friend anyone could ask for! He literally carried Frodo up Mount Doom. What a king."
Cass shook her head. "I can't believe this is your first time watching it. It's literally one of the most top-rated, critically acclaimed movies ever."
"Okay, okay, I get it! I've been uncultured. I'm sorry!" Millie shot back laughing.
I just smiled at their bickering, but my mind was elsewhere.
The movie, like always, left me with a sense of hope. I thought about Samwise's speech in The Two Towers:
"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer."
That part always stuck with me. I had been feeling like I was stuck in the middle of my own darkness... confused, hurt, and unsure of what would come next. But Samwise was right. Shadows don't last forever. One day, this would all be behind me, and things would be clearer.
That was why this trilogy was my favorite. It reminded me that no matter how bad things got, no matter how lost I felt, there was always hope. A new day would come.
Later that night, we went out for ice cream and had dinner at a small restaurant before heading back to Cass's house. We were lying in bed, full and sleepy, when Millie broke the silence.
And then, of course, the conversation turned serious.
"Alright, Sam," Millie said. "Let's talk about the elephant in the room."
I sighed. I knew exactly what she meant. "Nate."
"Yeah," Millie nodded. "We're still trying to figure out what you did to make him treat you like trash."
"I don't know," I mumbled. "I don't think I did anything."
Cass sat up. "Let's analyze this like a murder mystery. Lay out all the facts. Tell us everything! Every single encounter you've had with Nate."
I hesitated, but they weren't going to let it go, so I did.
I started from the very beginning: I told them about when I was lost on my way to the university registrar and Nate helped me. Then the time he tutored me one-on-one in the library. About our deep talk at the party. The random cafe encounter where he even drove me home. Then finally, the group study session where he had that intellectual battle with Cass, and all the small moments in between how he always greeted me warmly.
Then I told them about the sudden shift... how one day at the park, he just started being cold toward me. How he ignored me at the Acquaintance Party like I did not exist. And at the after-party, how he saved me when I was in trouble but then left me crying.
When I finished talking, I stared at the ceiling, waiting for their response. But when I glanced at them, I was surprised to see both of them sitting up, wide-eyed, looking like they'd just heard the most shocking plot twist of their lives.
Cass was the first to speak. "Dude. That's not normal."
Millie nodded. "If Ashley wasn't in the picture, I'd totally think he had a thing for you."
I frowned. "No way. He told me he loves Ashley. He literally said he's always considerate of her feelings..."
"Okay, but hear us out," Cass said. "We've known Nate since grade school. And I swear, we've had fewer conversations with him than you have in one year. That means something."
I stayed quiet. Then, Millie and Cass exchanged glances before bursting into a series of wild theories.
"Maybe Ashley had a dream where Nate and Sam got together, and she got jealous!" Millie suggested.
"Or maybe Nate lost a bet and was forced to be nice to Sam for a while, and now the bet is over," Cass added.
"What if Nate is secretly in love with Sam, but Ashley put a curse on him so he'd stay away?"
"Or maybe Nate is secretly a spy and had to cut off contact for your safety," Cass added.
"Oh! What if he has amnesia?" Millie gasped.
I rolled my eyes. "You guys are ridiculous."
Cass turned serious again. "Alright, let's cut the nonsense. Back to reality. Sam, what do you feel about Nate?"
That question silenced me. Because I didn't know. I wasn't sure why it hurt so much.
"I just... I don't know," I admitted. "But I do know that I'm pissed he made me feel attached and then threw me away like garbage."
Cass hummed thoughtfully. "Fair enough. Also, what's the deal with Josh Moore? Luna said something about him."
"Oh," I said. "Well, after Nate left me crying, Josh appeared and comforted me with his stupid jokes."
Millie grinned. "Josh Moore is really good-looking, though. You should just befriend him and forget Nate."
Cass frowned. "Ugh. I don't trust that guy. He's too unserious. I don't know. That guy's a bit of a jerk."
Millie scoffed. "Shut up, buzzkill. He's gorgeous, Sam. Go for him."
I laughed. "I'm not looking to date anyone. I just appreciated that he was nice to me."
Cass sighed. "Just be careful. His friends are jerks."
We continued chatting about random things.
Eventually, Millie and Cass fell asleep, but I stayed awake, thinking. Cass had asked what I felt about Nate, and I still didn't have an answer.
In the end, I decided it didn't matter. He had a girlfriend. Whether or not I liked him wouldn't change anything.
I had to accept that he didn't want me in his life anymore.
And I had to stop trying to make amends.
And with that thought, I finally closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
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