eloiseclarke:

It wasn’t lunch, but Eloise didn’t care, he was hungry and she wanted to eat the damned Snickers sitting on the corner of her desk. Granted it was her office and she could do as she pleased, she just felt a bit guilty in case someone came in saw her shoving the chocolatey goodness in her face. Which was exactly what happened the moment she took a bite and saw a small frame enter her doorway.

With a cheek full, she spun on her squeaky rolling chair a hand going up to cover her mouth as she chewed and spoke, “Sam!” Eloise said with a laugh, tossing her candy bar aside and trying to swallow down the large mass of goo in her mouth, furrowing her brow as she reached over and grabbed her container of water.

As she swallowed and washed her mouth out, she saw the way he sheepishly looked at her, smiling like he did with those adorable little dimples. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know what was going on, especially given how the nurses station was becoming his second home.

“What happened?” She asked with genuine concern, standing up and walking towards him, pausing by him to place a gentle hand under his chin, surveying the pink hue and slight swelling that was starting to show near his right eye.

The young nurse let out a gentle sigh. Why did she even need to ask? Letting him go, she gave him a smile and placed a hand on his back to lead him into the cool room, closing the door behind him.

“Any atomic wedgies?” she asked jokingly, trying to somehow make him feel better.

     the only sweet relief sam can salvage during school hours anymore is
     the light wood smell of the nurse’s tongue depressors. &, of course,
     the nurse sam felt comfortable talking to; not about MOST of the issues
     scattered on his plate, but just a good amount that’ll prevent it from
     overflowing.

     his dimples deepen on his cheeks: the broadened-smile indicator, “no,
     not today.” 

     sam’s eyes flicker to observe the time: 10:34am. that means gym is starting
     right now & his school tormentor is starving to ridicule his weir prey.
     hopefully, sam could distribute his time in the nurse’s office instead. it
     always was easier for alan to poke fun at him at the locker rooms, but bill
     & neal could hold down the fort on their own without sam, anyway, RIGHT?

    “i– just got hit in the eye,” drawn back to reality, he recalls not being hit
     directly, but as a bystander. observing much too close, catching the eye of
     the harasser, & beginning on a relentless mental-mantra, please don’t, no –
     please. “does it look bad?”

    matters brush aside with an indirect dismissive question, brought on by
    what sam observed before stepping in her office. “um, how was the
    candy bar?” he let out a lone chuckle that hung in the air, almost undecided
    whether to soar, unaccompanied by more lighthearted laughter, or cease
    altogether.