sam's friend

The two children giggled as they swung around the metal poles of the tube, until their mother told them to sit down and be still. A man boarded our train, sat down on the girl, who squawked and faded away, the boy protesting incoherently. I was half out of my seat to voice my own indignation when the boy's mother said quietly.

"There's no room for pretend friends here, Sam."