Shadows of Yesterday

Chapter 28: ...Crap

Homecoming: a day I never actually thought would come until I opened my eyes and realized it had arrived.

It was the day I would be spending all of my waking hours with a guy I used to hate with my entire soul. It was the day I would go to my last Homecoming dance and the first dance I would be going to with only one person instead of a group. Even if we were just going as friends.

Our day date wasn't going to be an elaborate affair. Liam had a water polo game at a school in a different town, and because I was the best friend ever, I was going to watch the game to support him and Mat. That was all I knew. My "date" had insisted on keeping the rest of the day a surprise-- something about giving me a "proper dance experience," whatever that meant.

Currently, I was standing in front of the mirror in the basement bathroom, trying to determine whether it was worth it to actually put effort into my outfit just to sit in place for two hours. I'd learned better than to wear long pants at a pool, so I was dressed in what I was affectionately referring to as my placeholder outfit: a pair of white shorts and a blue t-shirt. I had pulled my hair back into a ponytail to keep it from sticking to my face later, but I was makeup and jewelry free. Should I be putting more thought into this? Was Liam?

Before I could decide, my phone started to buzz on the counter. I picked it up and put it on speaker. 

"Good morning, Jackie!" Liam's cheerful voice filled the bathroom. 

"If it was, I'd still be--" I yawned, "--in bed."

He chuckled. "Well, if you're open to a good morning that doesn't involve a warm bed, there's some pretty fantastic coffee and free food waiting for you out in your driveway."

Without missing a beat, I exited the bathroom and headed up the stairs, not even stopping on my way out the front door to say good morning to the Ben-shaped lump studying at the counter. "You really do know the way to my heart," I quipped when Liam's car door had been shut behind me.

He grinned and gestured to the console, where, sure enough, two cups of coffee and more of those raspberry streusel muffins sat ready for devouring. I could've cried. Or married him.

Platonically, of course.

"I try my best," Liam joked. "Are you ready to see me kick Wildcat butt?"

I snatched up one of the coffee cups and a muffin to hide my matching smile. There was something about Liam that always made me feel better, no matter how tired or miserable I was. Suddenly, I was feeling more excited about sports than I'd ever been in my life.

"Are you ready to kick Wildcat butt?" I countered.

"Oh yeah." He raised his hand for a high five, and I tried to ignore the way my palm tingled when our hands met. 

He reached over and adjusted the air conditioning so that it wasn't blowing directly in my face. A small thing, but one I noticed all the same. I took another bite of muffin and groaned. His cooking truly was heaven. "Okay," I admitted, "maybe this is a great morning, after all."

"I had a feeling I would win you over eventually." He laughed.

Liam turned up the volume on the car radio and began singing along. Before I knew it, I had joined in. The atmosphere was warm. Comfortable. Happy. I caught myself smiling a little too wide in the rearview mirror.

I wasn't sure when that had started happening.

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There was something wrong with me, surely. That was the only way to explain it.

Liam and I had arrived at the game venue at exactly 10 am--right when he was supposed to be there. He had immediately changed and headed for the pool, but not before guiding me to the bleachers, where I was currently seated, watching him like a creep. Any other time--any other year--it would have been no big deal to be here. I would be here supporting Mat and studiously ignoring Liam, probably eating a last-minute breakfast of a granola bar or banana, while Kat chatted my ear off. But now, apparently the world had gone topsy-turvy Alice in Wonderland-style, because I. Couldn't. Stop. Staring.