Savior

Chapter 2

"You are not easily entertained, are you?"  Bethany sat on the floor of Spencer's, watching Liam roll around on the floor making dinosaur noises and every now and then grunting about how bored he is. 

"I am, actually.  This is very easy and very entertaining, thank you very much!"  He smiled up at Bethany from under his curly brown bangs, making a puppy dog face and barking.  "How much longer do we have until the guys get here?"

"Fifty-five minutes."  Skinner shouted from across the store.  "You kids are annoying as hell, you know it?"

"We are hardly kids, my good sir!"  Liam yelled back in a squeaky voice.  "I am eighteen, and I will have you know that I can buy cigarettes legally!!!"  

"Still a teenager, since there's a "teen" at the end of your age.  You're kids!"  He shook his head and folded up a gay pride t-shirt. 

"Well, then you're old!"   Laughing maniacally he kicked at a nearby shelf, knocking an entire row of ashtrays over.

"Liam!  Don't get us kicked out!"  Bethany, who had been trying to get back to her serious self, huffed and picked up all of the ashtrays and put them back where they were.  

"The coffee was a bad idea, I believe."  Skinner's patience was already wearing thin, and they had only been there for ten minutes.  

"Yeah, sorry,"  Bethany mumbled.  She pulled out her phone and put in her ear buds.  Hear Me by Imagine Dragons started over again.  Liam pulled at her shirt sleeve again and mouthed, "You okay?"  Bethany nodded, giving him a faint smile.  Suddenly her phone vibrated.

Allie:  Where you been?  Found  a cute guy?

Bethany:  Something like that.  I'll tell you about it later.

Allie:  Ok, have fun ;)

Liam scooted over and leaned against Bethany.  "Whatcha doing?"

"Just texting.  Why?"  

"A boy?"  Bethany laughed; was he serious?

"No, my friend, Allie.  She was just checking on me.  Why?  Jealous?"  Liam put on a mock shocked face.

"Who?  Me?  Of course not!"  

"Good!  You have no reason to be."

"...You didn't tell anyone about me, right?"  

"No, Liam.  Of course not.  I mean, I'm gonna have to tell Allie, but she won't care or tell anyone."

"Okay, thank you."  They looked at eachother, and suddenly Bethany was very aware of how close together they were.  Their noses were less than inches apart, and Liam's hand was grazing her knee.  

"Bethany...."

"Yeah?"

"Are you...ticklish?"  Bethany scrunched her eyebrows together.  What?

"Um...yeah, wh-?"  She was cut off by Liam trying to tickle her stomach.

"No! Ah, Liam, stop!!"  Not only was she uncomfortable with him groping her stomach, but what if her shirt rode up?  She didn't have many scars on her stomach, but still!  "Liam!"  A laugh slipped out, then another, and another, which just made Liam more motivated to tickle her.  "Ah! Skinner, help!!!"  She shrieked.  

Skinner's head appeared over the counter.  He was smiling, then his face dropped.  What was wrong?

"Skinner! Don't just stand there!"  He snapped out of it, ran behind the counter, and, laughing, pulled Liam off of Bethany.