Chapter 5 - Sam 

Running into her house, she couldn't help but let out a little chuckle.  The two of them were a pair that was for sure.  Who would have thought that by simply having her coffee stolen, Sam had met two new friends?  Two friends that she knew were going to be trouble.

As she walked into her door, she was bombarded by the animals she had called her guards earlier.  Never had she thought they would think she was being serious, but she guessed that was a norm for them, something that didn't raise eyebrows.  If she were a betting woman, which she wasn't, she would say that Graham and Sam both had their own guards on watch.

Pulling the clip from her hair, she let the brown mass fall down her back.  Reaching just below her shoulder blades, she loved her hair.  In her opinion, it was one of her best assets, if not her only asset.  No, she wasn't self-conscious, or bitter, but she knew she was plain.  Never had a person commented on how beautiful she was.

The glasses were the next thing to come off.  Walking to her bathroom, she stared at her face.  Her dark eyes stared back at her.  They were almost too dark to call brown, but what other color could she describe them as?  Piling her clothes off, she quickly jumped into the shower bathtub combo in attempt to remove the stench from earlier.

As she reached out to grab the soap, something jumped out at her.  Letting out a screech, she took a step back, only to fall with a big plop.  Looking up at the cat, she blew her bangs out of her face.  "I thought cats didn't like water."

Its yellow eyes stared at her before it let out a tiny meow.  Pushing to her feet, she finished her shower, all with narrowed eyes at the cat who still sat on the small window ledge where she kept her shampoo.  She had never liked that window.  Who put a window in a shower anyway?  Oh, it was clouded, not allowing anyone to see in or out, but what was the point of having it in here in the first place?

With her shower done, she turned the water off and reached out to grab a towel.  Her hand connected with something fuzzy, but when that thing barked at her, she knew it wasn't her towel that she had grabbed.  Pulling back the shower curtain, she let out a sigh.  She loved her animals, there was no doubt about that, but sometimes, they were a little much, especially when she first got back from work.

Glancing at the clock hanging above her mirror, she winced.  She had only five minutes to get ready and meet the boys at the diner.  Luckily, she had never taken long to get dressed.  She dried off, pulled on a pair of comfortable jeans and threw on a hoodie.  Her hair stayed down, and her reading glasses stayed on the counter.  Ready to go, she maneuvered past the other animals to get to the door.

As it opened, she let out a shriek.  Standing there, with their faces only inches from hers, was Scott and Graham.  They both smiled at her with equally large volumes, but she saw Graham's smile slip slightly.  Looking at him in confusion, she mumbled, "What?"

"Put your glasses back on," he replied.

Her hands reached up self-consciously.  "Why?  Do I look better with them on?"

"No," Scott answered, "you look better without them.  Go put them back on."

"Wait, if I look better without them, why should I put them back on."

They both let out a sigh, as if she were the slowest learner they had ever met.  "Because," Graham started before Scott elbowed him.

"We want you to ourselves, to be honest," Scott said. 

"If you don't wear the glasses," Graham continued, "others might see that you're not as plain as you make yourself out to be."

"That's ridiculous.  Glasses don't make a bit of difference."

"Humor us," Scott said, pushing her back into her house.  They followed in behind her, not waiting for an invitation.  As soon as they entered, Graham sneezed with wide eyes.  "You don't have a pet iguana do you?"

"Yes," she asked, with a worried look.  "Why?"

He sneezed again.  "I'm allergic to iguanas."

She let out a laugh, thinking he was joking, but when he sneezed again and ran for the door, she had to believe the man. Turning a concerned look to Scott, she motioned towards the door.  "Is he going to be alright?"

"Graham?  Yeah, he'll be fine.  It's just something about iguanas that he's allergic too.  Their skin, their look, or something."

"You don't want to check on him?"

Scott flopped down on the couch, petting the cat that lazed beside him.  "Nah, he'll be fine.  He has an EpiPen if it gets too bad."

Taking Scott's complete lack of concern to heart, she walked towards her bathroom.  As she grabbed her glasses and settled them on her face, she heard Scott's phone ring and the man begin to talk.  "Tell her to put her hair up too?" Scott asked.  "Yeah, sounds like a good idea.  Hey, do you have a bigger hoodie somewhere?  It seems that would help too."

She rolled her eyes at her reflection. The hair and the hoodie were staying.  She let them get away with the glasses, but that was as far as they were going to get.  Librarians were pushovers, and she refused to be pushed over by those two men.  If they were going to be friends, they needed to be on equal ground.

She exited her bathroom, and as Scott opened his mouth, she shook her head.  "I am not putting my hair up, and my hoodie stays."

His mouth snapped shut, and he shrugged.  Standing to his feet, he motioned towards the door.  She gladly left her house and met Graham outside her door.  The man smiled at her, and she couldn't help smile back.  His blonde hair was a complete mess, his blue eyes were a little red from earlier, but he was still as cute as ever. 

Scott nudged her from behind, making her look at him.  His red hair was more settled than Grahams, his green eyes were brighter, but when it came to looks, the two of them were equally matched.

"That didn't work," Graham mumbled with a frown.

She looked towards him, feeling confused once more.  What was it with these two and making her confused?  They must enjoy it.  "What didn't work?"

He frowned at her harder as if something were her fault.  "The glasses, they didn't do anything.  You still look beautiful."

Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened.  No one had ever called her that, she would not have even believed them if they did, but Graham said it with so much sincerity that she had to believe him.

Letting out a sigh, he looked towards Scott.  "You don't have that garbage bag anymore?"

"Nope," Scott answered with a laugh.

"That would have helped," Graham mumbled before turning back towards her. "Well, I guess we have no choice.  We promised you food, and food you will get."

"You didn't promise me food."

"Hmm," Graham asked absentmindedly, looking over his shoulder at something.  All the sudden, he froze and turned frightened eyes towards her.  "Oh shit, oh shit, hide me!"

"What?  Where?"  He looked around in a panic before turning his eyes towards her door.  "No!" she shouted.  "Don't even think about it. The iguana."

"It's worth it.  You don't understand; if she sees me-"

His words were cut off by a squeaky voice.  "Graham!  There you are.  I've been looking all over for you."

He grabbed Sam and nudged her towards whatever but that frightened look in his eyes.  "Save me," he mumbled into her ear.  "I'll do anything, donate to the library, feed needy children, wash your million dogs, just save me."

Facing the blonde bombshell, she cracked her neck in preparation.  She had a feeling this was going to be harder than it looked.  Already as the woman got closer, Sam could see the crazy in her eyes.  "Anything?"

"Anything," Graham promised.

Nodding, she let a smile curl onto her face.  Graham might regret telling her he would do anything, because one she got him out of this mess, she was going to hold him to his promise.

***Picture of Graham on the side, thanks to Platypus1987!***