"Yeah," she chuckles, brushing some stray hair out of her face, back behind her ear. "That's probably the smart thing to do. I dunno, I worked really hard this semester, I kinda wanna see if all that work paid off. Next semester, graduation."

It's ridiculously easy to keep talking once the words come, and the exchange, however brief, does give Maddie at least a glimpse into Sam's character.

If she didn't know who he was and what he's done, she would assume that he was just a man, nicer than many she's had the unfortunate tendency to run into, and it makes her wonder, not for the first time, how he'd gotten tied up in the life he lives.

"Thanks."