Chapter Text
*Alright, you can do this, Samantha! New year, new school, new you!*
Sam spent nearly the whole trip from the dorms to her first class hyping herself up, convincing herself that she would enjoy this school more than the last. And to help make sure that was true, she chose an elective for the first class on Mondays. Something she would enjoy, rather than dread. Or so she hoped! All she had to do now was roll up to the door, hit the button to open it up, and viola! The start of a new semester. Except, when she pressed the access button that was supposed to open the doors, nothing happened.
"Shit," Sam said before bringing her hands up from the push rings on the rear wheels of her wheelchair. Whereupon she buried her face in them and did everything possible to resist letting out a muffled scream. This was...less than ideal. Not to mention frustrating. Couldn't she just go to class without having to struggle with a door?
"Need some help?"
The voice from behind her caused Sam to look up and turn in her seat to find another girl smiling and looking down at her. A pretty girl, in fact. With silver hair and amber eyes that stole Sam's attention (as well as her words, apparently).
"Miss?" The stranger asked again before leaning down. The action caused some of her shoulder-length hair to fall from behind an ear but she corrected it a moment later by bringing up a hand and pushing the errant strands back into place.
Oh dear.
"Um, yes," Sam finally responded before turning and pressing the button a few more times in demonstration. "The door won't open when I press this button. I can get in, it's just...annoying." Especially since she was still getting used to her new life, with all its wonderful little additions.
"I see," the newcomer said before shifting her eyes to the door. "Well, lucky for you, these babies aren't just for show!" A moment later, she stepped off and went up to the door while slapping arms hidden beneath her jacket. Not that it mattered, the gesture was clearly intended to be a joke and it had Sam giggling where she sat and observed.
After the other woman opened the door, Sam dropped her hands to the rings again and propelled herself forward at an easy pace. "My, I am lucky," she said before making her way inside. After which she turned the wheels in opposite directions and spun back to observe her rescuer come in through the door. "Seriously, thank you. That was aggravating."
"All in a day's work," the stranger said before coming up and extending her hand in greeting. "Name's Stelle, miss...?"
"Samantha," she responded before reaching up and taking Stelle's hand. Which was...rougher than she expected. Callused, from the feel of it. But she paid it no mind, it wasn't as if her own hands were smooth and silky with how much she relied on them. “But most people call me Sam.”
"Samantha, huh? That’s a pretty name." Stelle smiled as she spoke before reaching up with both hands and adjusting the straps on her backpack. "So, Sam, what class do you have now?"
"Photography."
"No way! So do I," she replied enthusiastically. "Want to go together?"
Okay, so Sam's day had certainly turned around, and for once she was glad that one of those stupid buttons didn't work. "Sure, that sounds nice."
"Would you like a push?"
"Oh...no, I can manage."
“Fair enough!” With that, Stelle stepped off toward the small lecture hall the class took place in, careful not to outrun her new companion. Who caught up a moment later. How considerate, just like a moment ago when she asked if it was alright to push the wheelchair instead of assuming that’s what Sam would want. Honestly, that could be so annoying sometimes. Even if people meant well, she’d been a helpless passenger on an excursion one too many times for her liking.
“So, I hope it’s not rude to say but I don’t think I saw you around last year," Stelle started before looking over and down slightly. "Are you new here? I feel like I would’ve remembered you, otherwise.”
“Because of the wheelchair?” Sam asked.
“Huh, yeah that too but no, because I would never forget someone as pretty as you.”
It was a good thing Sam was rolling along because her hands froze at the sudden compliment. And perhaps it was a good thing there was a height difference because the sudden flush to her cheek definitely would’ve been noticeable otherwise. “Oh, um…thank you! But yes, I am new here. I transferred in from another school.”
“Nice,” Stelle replied before walking ahead a little and grabbing the door of the lecture hall to let Sam pass through. No button required when you had someone to help. “Our lucky day, then.”
“Yeah, lucky.” Oh my, was she making a friend right now? And on the first day, no less? Could Sam really be that lucky?
Once she was inside the hall, she came to a stop at the top of the stairs and looked down over the classroom. Five rows of seats bent around the room in a stair-like pattern with a table and a podium on the bottom floor. A few other students already arrived and were currently on their laptops or listening to music. And not even one turned to see who the latest newcomers were.
“Let’s sit over there,” Stelle said before pointing at the back row. One that was level with the entrance and contained a few solitary seats sat alone or in groups of two or three with large gaps in between, allowing someone like Sam to sit with friends if such a thing was desired.
“Sure,” Sam agreed before turning and heading toward a cluster of three around the middle of the tow. She came to a stop next to one, threw on her brake when she was in position, and turned to get her backpack from where it hung between the bars. While she did that, Stelle came to sit in the chair next to her and brought out a notebook and pen, which caught Sam’s eye.
“No computer?” She asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
“No computer,” Stelle confirmed before bringing her hand up and rubbing the back of her neck. “I uh…tend to get distracted if I have access to the internet during a lecture. I mean, cute pictures of dogs aren’t going to look at themselves, right?”
Sam couldn’t help but laugh following the admission, a decidedly girlish giggle that had her covering her mouth and subsequently shaking her head. “Well, it sounds like you need someone to help you with self-control. I think I can manage if you’ll handy those pesky doors for me?”
“You’ve got yourself a deal," Stelle agreed. "If only I could have you in all my classes! I don’t suppose you're studying sports medicine, are you?”
“Sadly not,” Sam said with a shake of her head. “I’m here for entomology.”
“Oh, are you really good with languages?”
Again, Sam chuckled and shook her head. “I believe you’re thinking of Etymology.”
Stelle scrunched her face at this and shifted her hand from the back of her neck to her chin to rub it in thought. “You really like…diseases?”
“Epidemiology,” Sam corrected before holding up a hand to spare the poor girl from any further guesses. “Entomology is the study of bugs.”
“Really?” Stelle asked before leaning a little closer. “That’s so cool! Do you have a bunch of them in your room and stuff?”
“Hmm, I don’t think the building manager would like that very much...”
“No, probably not,” Stelle admitted with only a little cooling of her excitement. “Still, it’s not every day you meet someone with that major and I must admit, I wouldn’t have guessed that by looking at you.”
“Oh, really?” Sam asked before leaning to the side, on the armrest closest to Stelle with an eyebrow cocked and her head tilted. “And why not, hmm?”
“Well, uh…” Stelle started and then paused to bring up a hand before waving it over Sam's entire person. “I mean that sundress is very cute but I can’t imagine it dirty. Though, I guess the headband keeps your hair out of your eyes? Perfect for leaning down close to your subjects.”
Well, perhaps Stelle had a point. The white and turquoise dress would no doubt show dirt very easily and Sam reached up to touch a few fingers to the black and turquoise headband out of a nervous habit. “Yeah, fair enough. So, that begs the question, what major does it look like I belong to?”
“Hmm,” Stelle hummed as she thought and narrowed her eyes in silent appraisal. “Something classy. Like literature or…well, classics? Seriously, I feel like a slob compared with you. And what’s that pattern on your dress?”
Following her remark, it was Sam’s turn to look over Stelle where she sat in her chosen attire. The black athletic skirt was cute and showed off plenty of her legs, which Sam had to quickly avert her gaze from. The matching jacket and tank top underneath appeared to be made from the same moisture-wicking material and it all looked quite comfortable. Just in a different way than Sam's light, flowy dress.
Speaking of which, she looked down and used her hands to grab the edges of the fabric and spread it a little so the pattern came more into view. “This? I’m not really sure but it reminded me of a pattern you might find on a butterfly’s wings. That’s what I see, anyway.” But then she paused and brought up a hand, palm up to indicate Stelle.
“And you look fine! Very comfortable, no doubt. Judging by your earlier wish, and your outfit, I’m guessing you study sports medicine?”
“Correct-a-Mundo,” Stelle confirmed. “I also play baseball for the school and coach kids in my free time. So, it helps to always be ready to go!” But then she leaned closer as well, and a smirk kicked up on her lips like she had a secret to share. “Or that’s what I tell everyone, anyway. Truth is, I’m lazy and I like to be comfortable.”
The admission brought out another round of giggles from Sam who nodded and sat back into her seat. Eventually, when she calmed down, she reached into her own bag and brought out her tablet. “So, if you are studying medicine, why photography?”
“Good question, I guess I thought it would be fun if I could also take pictures of the games, ya’ know? Capture the moments as well as help make them.” And then that smile returned, one that Sam was quickly beginning to understand meant that Stelle was up to no good! “Also, my best friend is really into photography so I figured this would be an easy A.”
“Oh? So, what I’m hearing is, if I hang around you I can also get an easy A?”
“If that’s the reason you need, then be my guest,” Stelle quipped back without missing a beat. “But what about you?”
"Hmm, I think I just thought it would mix well with my interests. So many insects have beautiful patterns, why not capture that in a picture? Besides, I might be able to convince a few people that bugs aren’t so bad in the process. Especially some that aren't as well known."
“What a noble reason,” Stelle replied before nodding her head as if she had come to some unspoken decision. “Well, count me in. You hang with me and we’ll get our A’s and I’ll help you get good pictures of bugs.”
Sam could tell the offer was earnest and her smile turned from amusement to warmth at Stelle’s generosity. However, there was one problem. “That sounds like I get two things out of the arrangement, what do you get?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” She asked before pausing to see if it, in fact, was apparent. However, no such answer immediately came to Sam’s mind and a confused look began to appear on her face instead.
Stelle must've sensed the confusion and her smile brightened at getting to explain. “I get to hang out with you, duh!”
“Ohhh,” Sam replied before shaking her head softly. “You’re a smooth one, aren’t you?”
At this, Stelle could only shrug before offering a quick wink. “They don’t call me Smooth Stelle for nothing!”
“Do they call you that?”
“Absolutely not,” she admitted with much more boisterous laughter.
“You’re ridiculous,” Sam said through her own amusement.
“Now that, I have heard. A lot .”
“I can believe it.”
Sam had been so wrapped up in their conversation that she hadn’t even noticed the lecture hall filled up with students until the teacher rapped the podium a few times to get everyone’s attention. Gosh, when was the last time that had happened? Or she had smiled so much? At this rate, her cheeks were going to be sore tonight! A thing she would gladly trade if that meant more time with a new friend. One that maybe knew a remedy for aching muscles.