Chapter 30: Worried Friends

The Boffer Club had a surprisingly low turnout that night. Seeing Sam take a tumble and campus safety show up had driven away all the new people brought in with the fun-sounding Halloween idea, which, combined with people needing to study, resulted in only 9 people showing up at club that day.

But Carly pushed through it with a smile on her face, not letting her concern get in the way of having fun. It wasn’t until later that night, in the Honey Café, that she finally started talking about the issue.

“Hey, Mary, how’s Sam doing?”

Mary jumped in her seat.

“O-Oh… um… she’s… doing better? I guess?” Minus the whole “no shower” thing…

Carly sighed in relief. “Well, that’s good. So her injuries are healing up?”

Mary nodded.

“She didn’t show up at club today, though,” Cain pointed out. His expression was serious for once. “The way she fell didn’t look that bad, so it might be something else.”

“Well, hopefully she’ll come back next week. At least to pick up her sword.” Carly tapped her own sword against Sam’s Black Rose, which she’d dug out of storage on the chance that Sam might show up tonight. She hadn’t, so Carly decided to keep it with her for now.

Mary stared at the ground, her face slowly going pale. Carly picked up on that immediately and asked what was wrong.

“I, um… I talked to… Sam tonight… and I asked her… did she want to come with me to Boffer Club today…” It hurt Mary to try to get the words out. Oh, if only Daniel had come tonight, then she wouldn’t feel so anxious! But she pushed those worries aside and carried on. Right now, Sam was in trouble. Mary didn’t know why that injury had shaken her so much, but Sam’s life was falling apart right before her eyes, and she had to do something to help.

She wasn’t strong enough to do it on her own, but maybe… maybe someone tough like Carly could?

“She said… that she wasn’t coming back to club ever again.”

Carly winced. “…She really said that?”

“Yeah… she said it was a ‘stupid f-f-f…’ err, a ‘stupid club’.”

“…Oh, she did, did she?” Carly’s face immediately soured, and Mary quickly jumped to her roommate’s aid.

“Wait, sh-she didn’t mean it! Really! She’s just going through a lot right now, so she kind of… probably just was unnecessarily harsh? Please?”

Carly sighed and rubbed her temples. “…Yeah, I get it. She had a bad fall. But still…”

“It wasn’t just a fall,” Cain cut in, surprising both girls.

“Hmm?”

“You’ve seen the way she reacts towards her right arm, don’t you? She’s really sensitive about it,” Cain said. “So much so, she doesn’t even use two hands to fight. From what it looks like, she must have had a serious injury to her right shoulder, and she’s still sensitive about it. So a fall like that…”

Mary winced. “Really early, I, um… I touched Sam’s shoulder, her right one, to get her attention… and she lashed out at me. So I think… I think you’re right.”

“An old injury, huh? Darn it…” Carly groaned, slumping back into the couch. “And she was doing so well, too… it’s all Mike’s fault, the jerk, scaring her like that! What’d he think was going to happen if he jumped in front of her swinging his sword like a lunatic?!”

It was because Mike wasn’t here tonight that Carly was able to brazenly lay the guilt at his feet.

Mary felt her throat start to get dry. She didn’t like talking about Sam when she wasn’t here, but this seemed like the only chance she could get.

“Sam… she really, really likes boffer, though.”

”Yeah, we know,” Carly said. “That’s why this whole thing sucks.”

“Do you think, um… maybe we should talk to her? Try and help, if we can?” It was a long shot and she knew it. But maybe…

“What would be the point? We can’t force her to come,” Carly sighed.

“I-I know that, obviously…” Mary said, looking down. “But… it’s Sam. Sam’s helped me so much since we got here, you know? If it wasn’t for her, I’d probably… no, I definitely would have been too scared to try out Boffer Club. And I know I wouldn’t have come back after the first day, either. Sam helped me work out, eat right, she even helped me with Daniel! If… if it wasn’t for her… I would still be cooped up in my room feeling sad about not having any fun in college, instead of actually going out and doing something about it.”

No one knew what to say. But Mary’s words certainly made their hearts go out to her.

“Mary…” Carly beamed with pride at the shy little freshman she’d solicited at the beginning of the year, seeing how far she’d had come.

“So that’s why… I really, really want to help Sam,” Mary continued. She turned to Carly with fire in her watery eyes. “But… Sam doesn’t want to talk to me. And I want to be brave enough to try and help, but… I’m still not. If-If I say something, and she hates me, then…”

It felt too pathetic to ask Carly “please can you help talk to Sam for me” but it was what she needed to do. Sam was her (maybe?) best friend, and right now her friend needed her!

Luckily, Mary’s good will was conveyed loud and clear to Carly. The senior gave her a reassuring smile and stood up, grabbing her boffer weapons.

“Well, I do still need to bring back her sword, at least. And what sort of senior would I be if I didn’t help my cute little juniors out when they need me most?” She reached over and ruffled Mary’s hair, then turned to the others.

“Okay, guys! I’m calling an early night tonight! You all can stay or go or whatever, but me and Mary are headed out!”

Mary took a second to process that.

“Wait, what!? You’re going now?!”

“Of course! No time like the present!” Carly chirped, pointing her sword at the ceiling. “Onward to the dormitory!”

A flustered Mary scrambled to grab her stuff, and chased after the boisterous senior. Everyone else watched them go.

“…You’re not going with them?” Shannon turned to Cain with a surprised look on her face.

Cain took a sip of milk and shrugged.

“Really? But I thought you liked Sam?”

He smirked. “Oh, I like Sammy just fine, but that’s because she’s so fun to tease. And clearly, she doesn’t like me much.”

“O-Oh, that wasn’t… what I thought,” Shannon laughed awkwardly. This whole time she’d thought he had a crush on her or something along those lines.

“Trust me, if I went, it would have the opposite effect,” Cain assured her with a laugh. “She’d come out of her shell to beat the snot out of me, sure, but in terms of actually getting through to her? I’d wager those two have a better shot.”

He drained his cup dry and thought it through, then got out of his seat. He had a mischievous gleam in his eye.

“…On the other hand, I bet it’ll be entertaining to watch.”

Shannon just stared at him in shock.

What a terrible thing to say…

…

Sam lay curled up in the dark. She didn’t even have the strength or motivation to keep studying at this point, she just stared at the wall and wanted everything to be over with.

Then the door slammed open and nearly knocked her out of bed.

“Okay Sam! Up and at ‘em! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

The flickering light wasn’t helping either. Dazed and confused and still half-asleep, Sam fumbled for her glasses and turned to see what the hell was going on.

“Carly?! What are you doing here?! It’s… 11:30?! What the fuck?!”

“Sorry Sam, this is an emergency,” Carly scowled. She stormed over to the bed and dropped Black Rose in Sam’s lap.

“Here. I’m bringing it back, since you forgot it.”

Sam stared at her sword. Back when she’d made it, the shiny black and scarlet blade had filled her with joy and pride, but now…

“I don’t want that stupid sword,” she muttered, kicking it to the floor. She flopped back down and pulled the sheets over her head. “Just go ‘way an’ leeme alone!”

Carly scowled.

“Nope! Not happening!” With strength that belied her small form, Carly yanked the blankets clear off the bed, flinging them across the room.

Sam sat up with murder in her eyes.

“What’s your fucking problem?!”

“My problem is that my friend is feeling awful and I want to help!”

Sam was taken aback. “We… We aren’t friends, so just leave me alone!”

“Pfft. Sure we are,” Carly scoffed, rolling her eyes. “If we weren’t, I wouldn’t be here.”

Sam glared at her. “Well… I’m not your friend,” she snarled. “And I’m done with your stupid club. I didn’t even like it anyway!”

Carly rolled her eyes again. “Oh please, like anyone would believe THAT. You smiled more than a termite in a lumberyard when you had that sword in your hand, and we both know it! So come off that whole ‘I wasn’t having fun’ thing and tell me what’s really bothering you? It’s Cain, right? Insensitive jerkass. Well, just say the word and he’s out. And by out I mean ‘out through a three story window’.”

Mary sputtered with laughter at that image but Sam just seethed.

Then her face slackened into an empty expression and she looked down.

“…It doesn’t matter anyway,” she muttered. “I’m done. I don’t want to go back. So just go away and leave me alone.”

Carly crossed her arms in front of her chest and sat down in Sam’s chair.

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“Because you’re clearly doing horrible, and I care about you. So why don’t you tell me what the problem is? Just tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll try to help. And after that, if you’re still done with Boffer Club, then I’ll go, and I won’t bother you anymore, okay?”

The firmness in Carly’s stare made Sam wilt. She might have had the strength to withstand it a week ago, but she was too drained. She glanced up at Mary, who was less confident than the other girl, but no less passionate.

“…Fine.” Sam let out a long sigh and got out of bed, walking over to her closet. She began digging through her stuff. Mary watched curiously. When moving in, Sam had unloaded a really big bag in her closet, and hadn’t let Mary see what it was. She’d always been curious, but respected the other girl’s privacy.

Sam stepped out a moment later, and what she had in her hands made both girls gasp in shock.