Meeting Liam Pierce

Chapter 7: Date Night and City Lights

 Today was the day for my presentation, but I still couldn't get Liam's out of my head. He insisted that we don't talk about our essays until we have both turned them in. I tried walking up to the front of the class just like Liam, but I was too nervous to pull it off. "In my life so far, I have learned that you can't change people. I have always wanted people to like me or pay attention to me, and just this year I figured out that it doesn't matter what everyone at school thinks. The only things that truly matter are what give you hope; now, you can figure out what you need that hope for. I needed hope that I could get out of this dumb town, and I could go somewhere with people who actually cared about me. I had no hope for anything. Liam Pierce gave me that hope when my own family couldn't. He still does. I don't know that I ever noticed how awful human beings were until the day I walked into the cafeteria and saw groups of cellphones videotaping something horrific. About fifteen guys were all attacking one kid; a kid who just wanted to get through life unnoticed. I'm very sorry to break it to you, Liam, but I noticed you. Not the you that everyone else noticed, but the real you. You have completely changed my life in the few days I have know you. I don't know where I will end up, but I have a very strong feeling it will be right beside Liam Pierce."

I sat down ignoring the fake applause I was getting. Liam moved his desk closer to mine and grabbed my hand. "I'm glad you noticed me, Cas." I didn't really listen to the other essays mostly because Liam was tracing the lines in my hands with a marker. I felt my phone go off in my pocket.

Liam: Do you want to know what I just realized?

Cassie: What did you just realize?

Liam: We have never been on an official date, so I think we need to go on one of

those.

Cassie: I think so too. Where would we go though?

Liam: I think we should go to Italy and eat a whole bunch of pasta.

Cassie: Or maybe we could go a couple towns over and go to an Italian

restaurant.

Liam: Tomorrow night perhaps

Cassie: Sounds good!

Liam: Wait do I have to dress up?

Cassie: Yes, Liam. You have to make a reservation too.

We got out of school, and I immediately went home to figure out what I would wear. When I got home, my parents were both in the living room. "Cassie, how was school?" My mom asked. "It was fine, but I have a date tomorrow. I need to pick out something to wear before I forget to." I said already walking up the stairs. "Cassidy, come back down stairs." I heard my dad say, and I knew it was going to be awhile before I got to pick out what I was going to wear. I went back down the stairs and sat across from both of them. "You can't go on a date with a guy I haven't met." I rolled my eyes, so he glared at me. "Mom met Liam, and I don't really see why you need to meet him considering you don't even live here anymore." I knew it made him mad that I didn't care about his opinion. "I am still your father no matter if I live here or not. If I say I need to meet him, I get to meet him." My mom nodded her head in no attempts to save me at all. I pulled out my phone and found Liam's contact. "Hey, Cassie." He said sounding extremely tired for a reason I didn't know.

"Can you come over to meet my dad?" I asked hoping he would say yes. I heard his bathroom door shut. "Of course, give me fifteen minutes. Are you okay, Cassie? You don't sound well." I couldn't tell him the truth in front of my parents, so I lied. "Yeah, I'm fine. See you in a little while." I hung up, and I knew he didn't believe I was okay. "Liam will be here in about fifteen minutes." I said just hoping this whole meeting would go smoothly. Twenty minutes later, Liam showed up at my door looking just as nervous as me. He walked in and greeted my with hug, and he greeted my parents with a handshake. "Liam, you are a bit late according to what time you told my daughter." My dad said making my hatred for him grow stronger. Liam was flustered, and I wanted so badly to help him. "I'm so sorry, sir. I had to go pick up my mother's medicine before I came here; I should have called to say I would be late." I didn't exactly know how Liam knew what to do and what to say, but he did the whole time. He left with the satisfaction of knowing he passed my father's weird test, and I was proud to call him mine.

It was two hours before the date when I finally decided to start getting ready. My dark brown hair was in waves going down my back looking like of ocean of chocolate; I put on a dark red lipstick that I stole from my mother. My dress was long and teal capturing every curve of my body. There was a knock at my bedroom door, and I was hoping it was Liam. When I opened my door, it was the man of last summer standing there who's name I don't want to mention because it isn't worth mentioning. "You look nice. I called your dad a while back to check in on you, and he said you were lonely. I just thought I would come by and see if you changed your mind about me. I shouldn't have done some of the things I did to you, but you kinda seemed to enjoy them as much as you claim you didn't want it." I started to feel faint, and the room was spinning. Right before I nearly lost control of myself, Liam walked into the room. He walked up to the man knowing from my facial expression who he was. "Is there a reason why you are in my girlfriend's room? We are about to go on a date, so I suggest you leave." The man left with no objections, and Liam pulled me extremely close to his chest and kissed my forehead. "Are you okay, Cas?" I looked up at him just now noticing the suit and tie he was wearing. "Yeah, let's get out of here before anyone else shows up."

We said goodbye to everyone then we were off to our first official date. Liam turned to me and smiled, "You look stunning." I laughed and replied, " What about you? I mean I didn't even know you owned a suit. I kinda expected you to show up in a white t-shirt and jeans." When we got to the restaurant, they immediately sat us at our table. The tablecloth was pure white, and there was a chandelier hanging right above our heads. I stopped looking at the decor, and I noticed how Liam was in awe of the place just as much as I was. "Can we even afford this place?" I asked Liam laughing a bit. "Well, I can barely afford it, and you aren't paying for any of this." We talked about all the fancy people in the restaurant, and why we didn't want to be like them. Soon, it was time for us to leave, but I wasn't ready to go back home. We got in Liam's car, and he started going toward a road I didn't know.

"Liam, where are we going? Home is the opposite way." He smirked and grabbed my hand, "We are driving; just driving until we get too tired to drive any more. Then when we get to that point, I will drive you back to your house." He looked at me for reassurance, so I nodded my head. I turned on his radio, and plugged my phone into the aux cord. I turned on Liam's song for me, and I held his hand tighter as it got to our favorite part. We both sang it as loud as we could. Liam was staring into my eyes as I continued to hum the song. He glanced up at the traffic lights shining bright red. Then he kissed me, this kiss wasn't the same as they had been before. It was like it opened up my heart and left it wanting to collect more of his love. "Liam, would it be crazy if I said that I think I'm starting to fall in love with you?" He looked at me with surprise written all over his face. "No because I was kinda thinking the same thing."

It was almost midnight when we got halfway back to town. I unplugged my phone; you probably won't believe me, but it was the same love song that was playing on the radio as the first day I met Liam. I didn't want to leave, but I saw my house right down the street from where we were. We didn't say anything as I left to go to my house because it felt like we had already told each other everything. I closed my eyes, and all I could see were street lights. I could still see them, but I could also still feel Liam's lips on mine. I wondered if he felt the same thing.