Laughter and playful taunts rang through the night air followed by the familiar splash of lake water. This was what Santana had lived for, nights where she and the gang could put all the bullshit aside and have fun. But tonight was different. The grill was going, filling the air with a delicious aroma, but it did nothing to spark the interest of her empty stomach. The beers she’d been passed lay unopen at her feet.
These were nights she lived for and she wanted nothing more than to go back to the solemn shelter of her empty bedroom. The loss of her father still weighed heavily upon her, making every happy moment around her a reminder that she would no longer hear her father’s laughter or see his bright smile. The thoughts were almost too much to handle sober and she toyed with the idea of picking up a bottle to drown her sorrows. But, before she could reach for that beer, her thoughts were interrupted by a plate of food being brought into her line of sight. Her chocolate hues traveled up the length of the male arm connected to the plate until her gaze came to a stop at the friendly face of Sam Evans.
Silently, she took the plate, expecting that to be the end of it but soon found the other Greaser taking a seat beside her. His gaze on her made her skin itch and she fought the urge to fidget under those watchful azure orbs. Instead, she picked at the food before her, reminding herself that he only had the best of intentions. “Thanks,” she muttered, shifting her focus away from her food to offer Sam a sad and forced smile. He didn’t offer her a smile in return, didn’t say a word and she was thankful for it. She didn’t want to talk, she didn’t need a shoulder to cry on but, somehow, just having Sam there made the ache in her chest lessen slightly. “Thanks,” she said once more, eyes fixing back onto her plate of food, though this time it held a different meaning. She didn’t know if he understood but he remained by her side and, for that moment, that’s all that mattered.