Never Give Up The Fight

Chapter Ten-Stuff Happens

Two weeks passed by after that, with quite a lot happening to our heroes. 

For example, Luc got talking to Amelia on social media. They found out that...well, the long and short of it was that Amelia had daddy issues. 

Her father (his name was Seth) believed that, because he was rich, he was therefore better than anyone else and had worked hard to install the same belief in his children. Yes, Amelia had a younger brother called Caleb. He was sweet, fun and clever: Amelia mentioned in one of their conversations that he liked puzzles and Lego, and even helped her with her fashion sometimes. He sounded adorable. Apparently, Seth had completely failed with turning his children into jerks.

Luc had also noticed that Li was acting different around Raphael. They'd realised on the Wednesday of the first week, when the three of them were walking to school together. Li was telling them about her bake sale, which was scheduled for the week after next.

"It's a Save The Bees one, believe it or not," she was saying. "I was gonna make brownies, but I thought honey cakes would probably be more on theme."

"Besides, your brownies are sacred." Li smiled.

"That's a lie and you know it."

"You said it yourself," Raph replied matter-of-factly. "The presentation of the holy brownies, remember?"

Li glanced over at him, her eyes widening in a sort of surprised awe, though that was soon replaced with an expression of soft affection: something that Luc had never associated with her before. She then seemed to come back to her senses, her face quickly changing to deadpan.

"Screw you." She quickened her pace, apparently not caring that she was leaving them behind. Raphael stared after her, his face the definition of surprised Pikachu.

"What's up with her?" he asked Luc in confusion, as the two of them hurried to catch up with her. Luc shrugged.

"Must be exams or something," Raph muttered. "Hey, Li! Wait up!"

"No!" Li called back, now quite a way ahead of them.

Later, in Biology, Luc asked her what had happened there.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Li replied calmly, adding some detail to her plant sketch.

"Yes you do." Li sighed.

"Fine. I do. What about it?"

"Do you like Raph?" Luc asked bluntly. Li hesitated.

"No."

"You hesitated." Liana ran a shaky hand through her hair, messing it up.

"Alright, I admit it. I like Raph. Happy?"

"You're serious?" Luc gaped at her.

"Why would I joke about having a crush?" Li pointed out.

"Because it's Raph!"

"Yes, I'm aware of that unfortunate fact."

"Maybe you're ill."

"Nah, I took my temperature three times this morning," Liana replied. "Besides, if I was ill, why did I go all soft on Raph back there?"

"Cause you're not thinking right."

"I must be going insane," Li groaned. "If I'm not ill....Urgh, I could have had a crush on anyone, but it had to be Raph, of all people."