Haunted

Chapter 15

“It's a lie to think you're not good enough. It's a lie to think you're not worth anything.” ― Nick Vujicic

The bus ride home was insane! None of us could stop cheering, and laughing and singing. It was fantastic. We just won Regional’s! We were on the bus back home; Uncle Will was sitting up front holding the trophy with a huge smile.

It was the first time in almost two months that I’ve been elated. Just happy, and I felt so light. Being with Finn and this win at Regional’s just made me feel like me again. So bubbly, so free. Happy.

Finn had both his arms wrapped around me, and he had this huge smile on his face.

I looked toward the front of the bus and saw Rachel sitting alone, still in her dress from the competition. Watching Finn and I, where we were sitting closer to the back.

After the song she sang today, I knew she was nowhere close be being over Finn. I felt bad, I mean, I didn’t want her being mad at me. But, on the other hand, I adore Finn. I wouldn’t give Finn up just to make Rachel happy. I tried not to let her faze me, so I turned my attention back over to Sam who was doing some impressions. Normally, not a lot of people would find them to amusing, but today, everything was perfect.

Once we got back to the school and grabbed our bags from the back of the bus and went our separate ways. Uncle Will went inside the school with the trophy to put in the choir room. Finn and I went to his truck, he put our bags in the truck bed and we got in.

I moved my hair behind my ears, smiling still. There was an insanely happy energy in the truck, I looked over at Finn and saw him still smiling widely.

“We’re going to New York!” he said, turning to look at me while stopped at a red light.

He pulled me over to him and kissed me, we broke apart still smiling.

“New York!” I cried happily, while Finn accelerated.

--

The next couple weeks went by quickly, Kurt came back to McKinley! I adored Kurt, so I was super happy to have him at the school.

Finn accidently broke Rachel’s nose, which was terrible. She thought about getting a nose job and chose my nose to be the prototype. Which was...flattering. I guess. Rachel was a good person, deep down. I knew she still loved Finn, but it was something she was going to have to get used to.

A week after Kurt came back to McKinley, my friend Alexis called me one night when I was finishing up some English homework at 11:24pm.

“Hello?” I asked, answering my iPhone.

“Hey, Ry,” Alexis said from the other line.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked leaning back on my computer chair.

She sighed on the other line, “I’m in Lima.”

I sat up straight, “Where?” I asked.

“Some shitty hotel off Nash Road room eighteen, I ran away again,” she said quietly.

I was already walking over to my door, keys and purse in hand, “Ten minutes,” I said, and hung up.

Alexis had, had a habit of running away. Always had, ever since I had known her. Which was since high school started.

I pulled up to the hotel and went over to her room and knocked, a second later the door was open and I was walking in.

I was only in there for maybe twenty minutes; I gave her the talk down. Sometimes with Alexis it was just a spur of the moment thing with her. She didn’t pack luggage this time. Other times though, she’s gone pretty far, one time she ended up in Chicago.

I walked towards my car and was just about to hit the unlock button when a Bieber hairstyle caught my eye walking towards the vending machines.

“Sam?!” I called over.

He looked up, shocked, “Sam!” I called again walking closer to him.

He swallowed nervously, “Hey, Ryley.”

I stood in front of him, “Hey, what are you doing here?”

He looked around, “I um, huh...just grabbing some stuff to drink,” he said turning away from me, putting his money in the machine and got his drinks.

He turned back around but I was still standing there, he looked surprised, “What are you doing here?” he asked me.

I shrugged, “A friend from back home is here. Now, it’s your turn. What are you doing here?”

“Sam!” a voice called from behind me.

I turned to look, and I knew it was Sam’s mom, I’d seen pictures of her on Sam’s FaceBook.

“I’m right here, mom,” he said.

Mrs. Evans came over to us, “Mom, this is Ryley, a friend from school.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Evans,” I said smiling.

“Nice to meet you too, Ryley. I was just making sure you were alright, we were gone longer then you were last night,” she said to him.

He looked up at her, “Sorry, Ryley spotted me. We were just talking,” he said, handing the cans of pop over to his mom.

She smiled at me, “It was nice meeting you, I have to check on the kids.”

“You too, Mrs. Evans,” I said, she turned and walked back to the room.

I turned back to Sam, “You guys are living here now?”

He stared at the ground, “Yeah,” he mumbled.

“Sam,” I sighed, pulling him into a hug. He hugged back so tightly.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” I asked into his chest.

He sighed, heavily, “Why do you think?” he asked.

I pulled back from him, “Sam, none of us would have thought any different about you.”

He shook his head, “Everyone would have looked at me differently. I won’t even be able to go to New York with you guys! Or prom! And it’s not like my family could help it. When the bank takes your house, they just take it. There’s just a sign on your front door.”

He slumped down in front of the soda machine and pulled his knees up to his chest, I sat down beside him, “Sam, I swear to you, you’re going to New York with us. And prom! I, literally, adore you, Sam Evans. You are one of the greatest people I’ve ever met, and you and your family are going to get through this. If you ever need anything, let me know. Please.”

The door to Sam’s room opened once again, his mom came out, “Hey, Sam, I – are you alright, honey?” she asked walking over to us.

Sam looked up at her, and smiled just a tiny bit, “I’m fine, just talking to Ryley.”

She looked at me, and I smiled, as best I could, she smiled back, “Alright, I have to get to work, I’ll be back around eight thirty to see you guys off to school, I love you.”

“I love you too, call the room when you get there,” he said, she nodded and started walking.

Sam looked at me, “She got a waitressing job at some shitty twenty four hour diner. Minimum wage, but, anything helps, I guess. I have to go, Ry. My little brother and sister are in the room, I have to check on them,” he said standing up.

I stood up too, “If there is anything you need, Sam, let me know.”

He smiled a little, “You said that already.”

I smiled back at him, “I have to say it twice so that it gets through that hair of yours.”

He laughed, openly and freely, “Oh, I needed that,” he said once he stopped.

I giggled, “Glad I could help.”

His room door opened again and a little girl with the same blonde hair poked her head out, “Sammy?”
“Hey, Stacey, you okay?” Sam asked going to her.

She shook her head, “I had a bad dream.”

Sam looked back to me, “Wanna help me put her to sleep?”

I smiled, "Of course."

I followed them into their room, and, I can't lie, it wasn't the best. And it was that moment that it hit me, how bad it must have been for them. And I felt more of a connection at that moment to Sam then I did before.

I smiled at the little blonde boy lying in bed, "Hi," I said to him.

He smiled back, "Hi, I'm Stevie."

"I'm Ryley, nice to meet you," I replied.

"And this is Stacey," Sam said putting his sister in the other bed, "Stacey, this is my friend Ryley."
"Hi," she said, with a tiny smile.

"Hi," I said back to her.

Sam went over to his guitar that was sitting in the corner and picked it up, he held it up and looked at me, "I'm selling this."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

He shrugged, "I have to do what I have to do."

He put the guitar strap over his head and started strumming the chords to a song I knew very well, I smiled as Sam started to sing.

Well you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks, now I'm trying to get back

Before the cool done run out I'll be giving it my bestest
And nothing's gonna stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you will find love love love love

Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing
We're just one big family
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved
So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm sure
There's no need to complicate, our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and I laughed

I guess what I be saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do, our name is our virtue

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you will find that the sky is yours

So please don't please don't please don't
There's no need to complicate
Cause our time is short
This was, this was, this is our fate, I'm yours

Sam strummed the last chords of the song; he kept his eyes on his sister and brother, who were sleeping now.

He leaned the guitar against the wall behind him, he looked over at me, “Thank-you,” he said quietly.

I smiled over at him, “You’re welcome. I should get going,” I said standing up from the chair I was sitting in. I grabbed my purse and walked over to the door, with Sam following behind me.

“See you tomorrow, Sammy,” I said giving him a hug.

“Ry,” he said pulling away after a few seconds, “Please, please don’t tell anyone.”

I smiled sadly, “You know I won’t.”

He smiled back, but looked like he could cry at any second, “Thank-you.”

I opened the door and stepped out, but turned back to face him, “I’ll see you tomorrow, and remember what I said to you, okay? Anything.”

He nodded, “Okay,” he said pulling me into a tight hug.

We hugged for a minute or so before breaking apart, “See you tomorrow,” he said.

I nodded, “See you,” I said before turning and walking to my car. I closed the car door and looked out the window at Sam, who was still standing with the hotel door open; he waved a little, as did I, before driving away.

I started driving and crying. Then I started to laugh, I couldn’t believe that I wouldn’t cry over Alexis being here, and running away, but I would cry for Sam and his family. I pulled into my parking spot at the apartment about ten minutes later. Still crying. I sat in the car for a couple more minutes and realized how much I actually loved everyone at McKinley. I missed being in Cleveland, but...I was genuinely happy in Lima.

I got upstairs and saw the kitchen light on, which meant Uncle Will was up, there was no point sneaking back in, so I went in there.

“Hey,” I said, putting my purse on one of the chairs.

He looked up from where he was sitting at the table, “Where were you?”

I shrugged, “My friend Alexis ran away and was in Lima. Talked her down, she’s heading back tomorrow morning.”

He nodded, “Well, I can’t say anything bad about that I suppose.”

I laughed, “Exactly,” I said, grabbing a grape from the fruit bowl, “Anyways, I’m going to bed. Night,” I said walking out of the kitchen.

“Night,” I heard Uncle Will say.

I went back into my room and pulled my iPhone out from my pocket, I unlocked it and looked at the background picture, it was of Finn and me.

I really, really wanted to tell him. But...it wasn’t my place to tell anyone about Sam.

I plugged my phone into the charger, changed into my pyjamas and went to bed.

--

I walked into school the next morning by myself, but noticed very quickly that people were staring at me. And not the ‘oh, there’s Mr. Schue’s niece, and her family died, so she’s in Lima now, poor her,’ looks, they were...shocked, and disturbed, and unbelieving looks.

I looked at most people questioningly, I had no idea what was happening until I got to my locker and saw Finn standing there with a newspaper in his hand.

“What’s this?” he asked holding it up for me to see.

I got closer and saw the name, “The Muckraker,” I responded, doing my combination.

I opened it to a page within the paper and began reading, as I put my Law textbook in my locker, “What music teacher’s niece and blonde floppy haired guy were seen coming out of a hotel room late last night and seen hugging closely, and sensually. Can’t figure it out, well, here’s another hint, Ram,” Finn finished and looked at me, like I was suppose to know what was happening.

“Okay?” I asked, closing my locker.

He rolled his eyes, “You’re the music teacher niece, and blond floppy hair? Sam! Ryley, Sam...Ram! Were you with him last night?”

I went bug eyed for a moment, “Oh, God. First of all, Ram, is quite possible the worst nickname. Ever. Second, I was at the hotel last night because a friend from back home ran away and was there.”

“What about Sam? Why you they ever mention you and Sam if it wasn’t true? Was he there?” Finn asked, I could tell he was trying to stay calm, his breathing was more rapid and he looked really pissed off.

“Yes! Sam was there, but we didn’t do anything!” I said before I started walking away from him. I couldn’t think of a good enough reason that Sam would have been there.

“Hey!” Finn called catching up with me, he took my arm and turned me to him, he looked so confused, “Why was he there?”

I started shaking my head, “Please, please, don’t worry about it. Lay off Sam too, Finn. Don’t go after him about this. I swear on whatever you want me to swear on that I’m not cheating on you.”

He looked so torn on what to say, he let my arm go and I took that as a sign that he was going to let it go. For the time being. It wasn’t my place to tell anyone about Sam.