In Strange Places

8 - You Broke The Rules

Seth was sitting by the front door, tying his shoelaces when he saw me heading upstairs with a box of ice cubes.

"What's that for Lia?", he called, making me stop mid step.

"Um...I want to try eating them raw.", I answered lamely.

He gave me a weird look. I shrugged, "They actually are very beneficial you know."

"Right...", he looked unsure of what else to say.

"Julia, Juuulia..."

I froze instantly. A quick glance at Seth showed him more confused than ever.

"Oops, looks like the system started acting up again", I forced a chuckle. "It keeps getting stuck on the White album. Stupid thing. I'll go check it out."

I ran back to my room without waiting for Seth's reply.

Liam was sat in the exact position I had left him in. He was shaking his stretched out legs while he sang. I slammed the door shut.

"So I sing a song of love, Juuuuulia..."

"Shut up you prick you're gonna get me in trouble!"

He took no notice. I grabbed a cloth, wrapped it around one of the cubes and rushed to where he sat.

"Seashell eyes, windy sm - Ow!"

He grabbed my hand instinctively, pulling me in so close that I almost fell to his lap. He gazed at me in anger and pain as I pressed the cloth harder.

"Can you be fuckin' gentle please?"

"I will, once you stop singing like a John Lennon crackhead."

"Fuck you! I'm an amazing singer and way better than John fuckin' Lennon ever was."

"Yeah Liam, whatever helps you sleep at night."

He glared at me and up this close, I could almost the clogs in his head turning.

"You owe me a Lennon poster, Harris."

"And you owe me a window but I'm not complaining, am I?"

"You can live with a broken window but I can't without me poster. So you either buy me another fuckin' one or I break the rest of your gaff's windows."

"Between the slap and the bottle throwing, this is what you're hung up on?"

His eyes narrowed at the reminder and his grip around my wrist tightened.

"I 'aven't forgotten any of tha'. But the poster means more to me than tha', d'you know what I mean?"

He paused, his frown slowly melting. "You can still make up for it. Without buying it tha' is."

"I have nothing to make up for Liam."

"Yeah you do. You slapped me and threw a fuckin' bottle at me. And I kept me cool both times. I think I deserve a kiss, me."

My eyes shot up from his cheek. The corners of his lips were twitching despite his attempt at affecting the air of an angry drunk.

"I don't think you hear yourself right now", I countered. "You're fucking mad for coming here, and even more so for asking me to kiss you. Once I'm done here, I want you right out the way you came in, you hear me?"

I tried to pull my hand away but his grip was firm.

"Ay, then what's the fuckin' point of coming 'ere at all? I'm already fuckin' bummed about these fuckin' bruises. You can't send me back without anything, can you?"