Sam's day was slow, with customers coming and leaving synonymously. She tried her best to ignore the heavy thoughts of regret that weighed on her mind. She should have just ignored it till the end. Now she had to meet up with Christine.

She reminded herself to reprimand Sky as his impulsive nature was influencing her. 

By the time Sam completed her job, she was already tired and was about to go home when she remembered she would have to meet Christine. She put on her jacket and walked down the street towards the tea shop, hands in her pockets as she strived to stay far away from the people who walked past her.

She was somewhat of a regular there, and the lady who ran the shop already knew her favorite bubble tea, so she didn't need to take an order when she sat down, not after saying hi. She looked around for any sign of Christine, but there was none. Annoying. The bubble tea was served with cookies, which Sam ate while waiting for Christine.

After about 15 minutes, the small glass door opened to reveal Christine, who frantically glanced around the shop after walking in. Sam knew whom she was searching for but went ahead with her cookies like nothing was happening.

A few moments later, Christine sat in front of her and let out a huge sigh. "I thought I wouldn't find you," she said when she had settled in her seat.

"You took your sweet time," Sam said, unheeding Christine's earlier statement.

"We didn't actually set a time," Christine responded, looking down at the table before glancing around the shop. "I just tried to guess when you'd close."

"Hmm," Sam took the last sip of her tea. She dropped the cup, folded her arms, and stared hard and long at Christine, making her uneasy. "I guess we didn't." She finally said, looking away.

"Uhmm, well..." Christine looked up to see Sam looking at her again. "You said you wanted to talk." She tried to speak as comfortably as she could.

"What exactly do you want?" Sam asked flatly.

Christine was looking at her with those doe eyes again that continuously irked her. It annoyed her immensely how bright Christine's eyes became when she asked the question, and she couldn't stand it. By this time, Christine had almost become a chatterbox. She spoke unendly about her art and how she would want to improve but avoided saying anything about modeling, which Sam didn't overpass.

She asked Sam too many questions, not even waiting for answers before she continued. Not that Sam cared to answer. She wasn't even listening to most of the whole thing. She only found it amusing how talkative this person could be.

"I'll do it," Sam spoke, cutting off Christine, which made her pause and give her a confused look. Well, I'll be damned, Sam thought to herself.

"What?"

"Model." Sam glanced away. She couldn't figure out the hell she was doing, but she didn't care. At least she made herself believe it was all Sky's doing. "I'll model." 

Christine's eyes were wide, and Sam thought they would burst out of their sockets. "Really?" Her voice screeched, sounding across the tea house. Christine got up immediately in an attempt to hug Sam, who bluntly gave her an icy glare.

She sat down in awkwardness, not knowing what to do, and only whispered an embarrassed thank you that Sam just nodded to in reply.

Sam got up to leave as she had concluded whatever she was doing. Plus, she didn't have patience for a small friendly talk. 

"So later," She said, and Christine looked up. "I have another shift." Sam walked out the door and stood there for a while, trying to understand everything. She didn't know what modeling was like, damn it. She had never even given it a thought once.

Sam approached the bus stop as usual when she heard Christine call from behind.

"Wait up!"

For fuck sake, what the hell did she want now? Sam turned around to see Christine run towards her, and it was the funniest thing she had seen. She found herself trying to hide a laugh when Christine reached her.

Christine was barely breathing, but she forced herself to talk. "You walk really fast," She said, still panting.

"You just have short legs, and you run...weird." 

Christine pouted, turning away. "I don't," she said as the bag she carried hung loosely on her shoulder that she adjusted.

Sam stared at Christine, and she strangely found her mannerisms weird and not annoying. No way in hell did she think that this was happening.

"I really have another shift. What is it this time?" Sam said, trying to get rid of Christine as quickly as possible. 

"I'm taking the bus, so I just wanted to walk with you."

Sam deadpanned. Everything was getting under her skin so much she could rip it off if she tried. Sam felt a strong wave of vertigo. She wanted to tell this person to leave, but Christine was too sensitive. Worse, she didn't even know why she cared about that. 

Willing herself to calm down, she turned, continued walking, and only murmured a response. "Do whatever you want."

She had never entered a bus with someone else before, and it felt awkward that Christine sat beside her when it wasn't a full bus.

"So, what's your name? I've never gotten to ask you." 

Sam rested by the window and looked blankly ahead but still replied. "Sam."

Christine slowly nodded, mouthing an 'oh' expression, and immediately asked. "Is it short for Samantha?"

Well, she trusted Christine to ask something like that. Most of them don't, even Sky didn't ask, but he did call her Sammy sometimes, which she didn't mind.

"No."

"Then tell me!"

"No! Just Sam." Sam's sharp reply immediately made Christine shut up. Sam didn't like the guilty feeling that bubbled up in her gut, and it irritated her just how her words held power over Chris. She didn't like it, but after a moment of silence, she continued, "Samularia."

"Huh?" Christine gave a questioning look.

"It's weird, I know."

"No, it's not. It sounds more like the name of a city or a planet. It's nice." Christine said, fiddling with the handle of her bag.

"Pfft. Yeah, right." This person not only had a weird imagination, but they also had a weird sense of humor.

The bus ride was now finally quiet when Christine said in a whisper. "Samularia..."

"Don't you dare call me that?" Sam snapped.

"Right," Christine said and nodded. "Just Sam."

Sam couldn't bring herself to admit it, but riding the bus with Christine wasn't awful after all.