Everybody Knows [Niam]

"The Homesick Kid...Where Music Gathers"

Everybody Knows

Chapter 11

“The Homesick Kid…Where Music Gathers”

“The Upbeat Final Requiem?” I read the words on top of the tower like building with confusion. I was out of breath and supporting myself on my knees using my arms. Sweat was starting to form near my forehead.

“Wow, I didn’t realize you were so out of shape.” Liam stated as he placed his hands on his hips. He was perfectly fine, not a damn strand of hair of hair out of place.

“Out of shape?” I grumbled. I gave into gravity and just fell onto the ground. I sat there and tried to regain some of my energy. “We nearly ran for three miles! I thought you said it was close.”

“Eh, maybe close was the wrong word.”

I scowled at him. “You think? And another thing! What the hell is up with you skipping out on the bill back there?”

“Well, about that…” Liam looked off into a random direction and casually scratched the back of his head. “See, I was planning on paying it when I pulled out my wallet and realized I didn’t have nearly enough money.”

“I told you I could help you pay the bill if you needed me to.” I spat out, finally getting my breathing back to a regular pattern. “How short were you anyway?”

Liam didn’t reply at first, instead he nervously stared off into the distance.  “Ummm… Yeah….You see….About that.”

“Come out with it already!” I snapped. After that long ass run, I had lost all my patience for today.

“Let me put it like this… I’m lucky if I have enough for the fare back to the campus” He glanced my way with his face containing his embarrassment.

My eyes widened before my face went deadpanned. I sighed agitatedly before standing back up on my feet. I rolled my eyes then pulled my Student Card and held it up it up to Liam with pride. “Look, for the rest of the day I got the expenses.” Liam opened his mouth to do what I was sure was protest, but I quickly continued. “And you don’t get a say in it! What just went down there was ridiculous. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need a criminal record.”

“You would have only gotten a record if we got caught.” Liam stated nonchalantly.

“So you were that confident we could outrun them?”

“Well, I was confident I could outrun them. You….not so much.”

 I just stared at him in disbelief. Then something suddenly occurred to me.

“Wait a minute. You don’t normally do stuff like that, do you?”

Almost immediately Liam’s eyes darted from mine and I had my answer.

“Liam…” I said in a warning tone.

“I only do it every now and then, Niall.” Liam defended. “Its not like I’m some delinquent going around robbing people!” Now it was his turn to become annoyed. “So stop looking at me like that!”

“But that kind of is what you are doing though. You’re stealing a service.” I reasoned. “And what look?”

“That judgmental look that the rest of those stuck up asses at Akujamora High gives me.” Liam frowned. He seemed like he was on edge now. Like I was somehow hitting a nerve. He folded his arms and began to tap a finger impatiently on the skin of his forearm. “That look that says you pity me because I don’t have money like you do. That look that says ‘I’m better than someone like you’!” I took a step back at the accusation. Where the hell was all of this coming from? I would never think anything like that? I knew better than most people you shouldn’t look down on people for things they have no control over. “It’s not cool to judge people on circumstances!”