A Change with Sam

I met Sam three days before her birthday. At the time this information was nothing to me, and she was just a shadow within the day to day of my life. The school cafeteria was busy the day we met, though I cannot recall exactly why. Some sort of event, one of the many ways my school sought to break from the minutiae of every day and supplement education with fun (in order to promote more education). I felt a tug on my sleeve and found myself being pulled by a stream of friends through the cafe line. I wasn't hungry, but I could always drink. I grabbed a chilled can of soda without thinking and slid it alone the metal line that was reserved for tray placement. My eyes roamed the room on nothing in particular, and even as I moved autonomously through the languid line, I was losing my placement on the when and now.

"Just hold on please," she said. I watched her rummage through the small bag that was slung from one shoulder, but her hand returned from its confines. A fruitless grimace, and she plunged her hands desperately into her pockets.

"Just move the fuck on," one of my friends demanded. I knew the girl then. Sam. I really hardly spoke to her, few people did. I never knew why. Rumors and decisions circle through school for little reason other than to pass the time at the expense of another person. I thought she was pretty enough: a cute smile (when she smiled), sea-green eyes, freckles sprinkled across her nose. She always had her hair up in this sort of half ponytail. It worked for her.

"One moment. I'm sorry, really," she said. The cafeteria worker managing the register was starting to get anxious, I could see him bouncing on the balls of his feet. A body was pressed against my back and I tapped my soda against the counter.

Sam grunted in embarrassment and frustrated and dove into her bag again. As she turned away form the register, her arm caught the tray of food and slipped it towards the end of the metal counter top. Quicker than anyone could follow, the tray of food slid off into the emptiness of space.