SAMUEL ‘SAM’ EVANS / ST. JUDE’S SCHOOL FOR BOYS / AGE: 17-18 / EXTRACURRICULARS: SOCCER, CROSS COUNTRY
THE PAUPER AND THE... WELL, MIDDLE CLASS HOTTIE?
Private school had never been foremost in Sam’s plans. He’s a Queens native, who grew up in a loft apartment in an old building that constantly needed adjustments to its piping system. Mr. Evans was a small-time contractor, who made enough money to keep his family afloat, and his mother a teacher at the public school he gladly attended every week. He had friends, he was liked, he was comfortable living the life he was used to. Though he wasn’t an A student, he kept his grades at an acceptable B+ average, enough to secure him a spot in any college that was not an ivy league – he was never interested in the prestigious universities people constantly talked about. Surely Sam could secure a shiny football scholarship, trusting his athletic ability to lead him places, but not relying wholeheartedly on it.
Work was never a subject of debate in the Evans household, in fact, they were happy. His parents got along, his siblings were happy at their kindergarten class, and he was on the right track to build a future for himself. It wasn’t until his dad lost his job that things started changing at home – his parents argued, he constantly found himself taking Stevie and Stacy on a walk to avoid them being caught in between an argument. Sam would hold their hands and buy them ice cream from the vendor down the street, and he’d come back half an hour later to a strange, eerie calm at home. It kept his siblings sane, even though he was aware of what was going on, and what was bound to happen.
They were living off scraps, could barely afford necessities like water, power, and cable, forcing Sam to find a temporary job to help at home. He learned to make coffee just as quickly as he learned how to avoid the topic with his little siblings. Whenever his mom couldn’t meet the power bill, when they were short on groceries, when the TV got busted, he’d step up and willingly give his minimum wage pay to help his mother while his job searched for a job. He could lose his friends, lose his extracurriculars, his grades, but he wouldn’t let his mom lose her dignity. His mother worried Sam would spiral into a depression, even though he tried to remain chirpy and optimistic for his family’s sake, bringing the paper every afternoon after school to make sure his dad had every means to find an opening anywhere in his field. His job at the small, urban coffee shop a few blocks away from his home was time consuming, but enough to help keep that sliver of optimism everyone needed.
His father's unexpected find came as a blessing to the Evans family, but it also came with life changes. Moving to Brooklyn, for one – though not much different from Queens – to a new apartment building, new places, new people, and new surroundings to get used to, as well as a whole new pool of customs and Sam’s sudden clash with the Upper East Side. His father, wanting Sam to have the best education possible (and make sure he’d never go through the same thing with his family as they had), negotiated a sports scholarship at St. Judes School for Boys, with the promise that he’d balance his extracurriculars, enroll in sports, and keep a B+ average through his now permanent stay.
The weight of his part time, minimum wage job didn’t seem half as stressful as Sam’s new responsibility – making his dad proud and balancing the dire consequences of enrolling in a private school where trust fund kids had more authority than the people in charge. Gossip girl – the anonymous gossip charged blog he swears to never meddle with – was sure to somehow, someday, find out about his family’s struggles, which is why he chooses to remain as anonymous as possible, making sure to steer clear from scandals and people who would only put him in the spotlight (though that was easier said than done).
The Evans family owns a dog named Floyd, a German Shephard/Border Collie mix who was trained by Sam and his dad, fiercely protective of his mom and his siblings, and doesn’t leave Sam’s side whenever they go on long walks. Sometimes he picks Stevie and Stacy up from school with Bono tagging along.
Sam is dyslexic and must work twice as hard to keep up with the new expectations bestowed upon him by St. Jude’s. Classes are harder and extracurriculars are tougher, but he’s made it his mission to become captain of the soccer team before his senior year, therefore doesn’t have time for his real passion: music.
He never spends more money than necessary, hardly asks for money to go out with his new friends because he doesn’t want his family to go through tough times again. A good portion of the allowance his parents give him he saves for his siblings, to buy them things they need or occasionally, distract them with their weekly ice cream trips.
He’s only been on gossip girl once, when he transferred and so far, has been proficient at staying under the radar, and hopes to keep it that way.
Anxiety and panic are common and keeps it a secret from his family. He claims he doesn’t want them to worry any more than they need to and despite how anxious he feels about not meeting the necessary expectations, he tries to remain positive. After all, he’s known for his vibrant optimism in the face of adversity, and wants Stevie and Stacy to follow his example in the future.
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE AND YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER
Jenny Humphrey: One of Sam’s closer friends, especially because of what their families have in common. He stays clear of her brother Dan, who thinks he has ulterior motives, and doesn’t know why he brings out unwarranted panic in him.
Nate Archibald: Teammate and friend. They’re not exactly super close, but he’s one of the few people with an obscene amount of money he could trust, though his constant presence on gossip girl makes him uneasy. Sam however, promises to judge for himself instead of letting a blog dictate his opinion.
Stevie and Stacy: Sam’s younger siblings, they attend public school in the upper east side until they’re old enough to enroll in Constance and St. Judes if his dad can negotiate a scholarship (and still has his job). He would do anything and everything to make sure they’re happy.
Penelope Shafia: Asked him to set her up with Nate once. He forgot and now seems to be her bullying target, though Sam is great at ignoring her. He wouldn’t call her out publicly out of fear of falling unwillingly into the spotlight.
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