Hey love, listen up Ive got to tell you the whole saga of Sam and Cressida, its like a proper drama.
Sam always floated around the school like a ghost. Not that he was trying to disappear, mind you hes sharp, goodlooking, the kind of kid who could’ve got a few compliments if anyone actually looked his way. But in Year 7 at StAlbans Academy, nobody ever seemed to notice him. Everyone stuck with their own little cliques, and Sam just didnt fit any of them. He never got bullied, but he never got any mates either. He was a lone wolf by nature the canteen, the classroom, his flat that was his whole world.
He didnt even bother trying to be friendly. Then she turned up.
A new girl. Her story was a patchwork dads gone, mums out of the picture, she lived with her granny who barely seemed to have any time for her. She was a loner too, but instead of being aloof she seemed a bit broken, a little wilted.
The moment Sam saw her, the drab blackandwhite of his life suddenly burst into colour. Love at first sight, you know? He walked over to her desk after the last lesson.
Hey, he said, feeling a bit ridiculous.
Cressida snapped her textbook shut, looked up.
Hey, she replied.
Im Sam. And youre? he started, already realising he wasnt exactly smooth with the ladies.
Im Cressida, she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
So how are you finding our class? I saw you handed in a blank maths sheet. Everything alright? he asked, trying to sound casual.
She admitted shed left it empty, feeling a bit out of depth. Just not used to it. Im a bit behind, but Ill catch up.
She couldve asked someone for help, but she shrugged. Asking is easier said than done. Im not great at making friends, she said, standing up.
I get it. Im not much of a chatterbox either. If you ever need a hand, just shout. I know this place well well, I mean Im decent at my studies, Sam laughed. Youre not doing anything wrong, really.
She smiled, and thats how the friendship kicked off.
Sam suddenly found a reason to go to school each day. He started hanging out with Cressida, helping her with maths, literature, even covering for her during PE when shed forgotten her kit. Shed often say, Sam, youre a genius! How do you make sense of all this? Im lost, honestly. Id never get through without you. She was exaggerating, of course, but it made Sam feel warm and, well, a bit flattered.
Hed tell her, Its just a formula, youll pick it up soon. When she struggled, hed say, No rush, its not a race. Ill explain it again, a hundred times if I have to. He loved having her sit beside him, even if it meant staying a bit longer in the library.
By Year11, Sam was gearing up to tell Cressida how he felt, waiting for the perfect moment. But that moment never came. Cressida, now more confident after nailing a bunch of tests, began to drift toward other classmates. Shed make friends everywhere, a talent she never knew she had.
Sam was happy for her, but a knot of jealousy grew inside him. While he was plotting how to win her attention back, Cressida started spending more time with Tom. Tom was the loud, outgoing type, always at the centre of every gathering. He wasnt much for deep conversations, but he was charismatic, and Cressida seemed drawn into his orbit.
Sam watched as Cressida switched desks to sit next to Tom more often. One afternoon, while Tom was off with his mates, Sam asked her in the park, Cressida hows it going with Tom? You missed our study session yesterday. She shrugged, Sorry, we got carried away. Sam, I think Im falling in love. He froze, then, trying to sound casual, asked, Is he a good guy?
Sam knew Tom from primary school, so he wasnt sure. Hes easy to get along with, Cressida said. But with me? Its harder, I guess. With a boyfriend its always a bit messy, but I think well make it work.
Sam realised hed become just the friend the best friend, but nothing more.
School finished, and so did the carefree days when Sam could see Cressida every morning. She was now a proper couple with Tom, though she still met Sam in the park now and then when she remembered him.
Tom and Cressida married almost straight away. Sam was at the wedding, playing the part of the friend all the way to the last dance. He smiled, posed for countless photos, and kept wondering why theyd rushed into marriage. The answer finally came: Cressida was pregnant, and the soon was a real deadline. Sam thought, Ah, thats why they hurried. Not romance, just plain responsibility a baby, a future, a need for stability.
Sam tried to move on. He went on dates, tried to fit into university circles, but his heart stayed stuck on the image of Cressida, even the version of her that now lived a completely different life.
Cressidas married life turned out to be far from the fairytale shed imagined. She moved into the house of Toms mother, Martha, who made it clear she ran the show. Cressida, once a pretty young woman, found herself more like a housekeeper.
Thats mine, Martha snapped when Cressida reached for a biscuit from the bowl, establishing her rule that nothing happened without her sayso.
Cressida, who had only lived with her granny before, now faced a world of endless chores. She gave birth on schedule, but the house never let her rest.
When will you start work? Martha barked. Were not a restaurant, love. Everyone must pull their weight. She tossed a disapproving glance at Cressida, then turned to Tom, Youre not helping at all, are you? Tom spent his days drinking with his mates, leaving Cressida to juggle a baby, a kitchen, and a cold household.
Cressida tried to talk to Sam now and then, but even he struggled to break through the wall of Marthas control. Years slipped by, lines appeared on faces, and Sam, now twentyfive, was doing well at his job but still single, still the same wary loner.
He bumped into Cressida by accident at a bus stop after almost a year of no contact.
Sam, she said, its been ages.
Yeah, not quite a year, he laughed. Time flies, doesnt it?
He asked how she was, about work and life. She gave the usual vague answer, Everythings fine. But Sam noticed a faint bruise on her cheek beneath the foundation.
Did Tom do that? he asked, genuinely concerned.
She snapped, Thats none of your business, Sam. The distance between them was now a canyon.
Later, in her cramped flat, she wiped off her makeup, the bruise suddenly clear. She stared at herself, whispering, What have I become?
Martha swooped in, hissed about who Cressida had been seen with, and blamed her for any trouble. Who was it this time? Tom? Youre ruining everything! she ranted.
Cressida, frightened and exhausted, could barely reply.
The pressure built until Cressida finally fled to the city, seeking Sam. She showed up at his house, waited on the bench until darkness fell, too nervous to ring the bell. The flat upstairs was empty, his parents away, and Sam nowhere in sight.
She heard the intercom buzz, a voice saying theyd be back the day after tomorrow. The house was full of strangers, and the doors that once seemed open were now firmly shut.
In the end, Cressida realised some doors, once closed, never open again. And Sam, well, he kept his head down, his memories of her tucked away, knowing some stories just end in a quiet sigh.
