Not In Love With Liam

45~ Laying Low, Flying High

"Rise and shine, Harley."
"What?" I said tiredly, rolling over on my side and making an attempt to sit up.
"Well Liam's a joke," the person said, opening the curtains and windows. "So you can be Harley."
"You sure you're not the joker in the family?" I covered my face. It was Stephan.

It was Stephan!?

That meant I was still in Liam's room.

If I'd never seen awkward before, I've seen it now..

At least this time I had my clothes on.

"Um, where's Liam?"
"Downstairs."
"Fuck." I said under my breath, unlocking my phone to see eight missed calls from home.
"Trouble?"
"No.. Er, my parents are looking for me, that's all."
"Yeah, good luck with that."
I laughed, putting my head in my hands. "Tell me about it. Eight missed calls."
"My mum would murder me after two."

"Isn't this cozy," Liam appeared in the room. "What are you doing here?" He said to Stephan.
"Just making sure the lovely lady doesn't suffocate to death. The amount of cologne you put on could drown someone."
"Well with creatures like you popping up here every so often, I have no choice but to try and keep my room smelling fresh."
"Your room? This has been your room for two days! But I get it, animals like to mark their territory early."

"Do you two always do this?"
"Do what?" They chorused.

"You guys could pass as twins, you know that?" I hopped off the bed and went down the hall to the nearest bathroom.

Tonight was Blakes party. I wasn't really in the mood, but I knew so long as my friends wanted to go, I had no choice. I'd be dragged along whether I liked it or not.

Hayden said he rang Quel that morning and arranged to meet her later in the day. I was super grateful that he was doing all that, but I'd give anything to go myself. I just wanted to prove to him that I was capable of dealing with my own problems without having a breakdown. Hayden and Darcy were definitely the most stubborn of my friends, and it was no contest which of the two had the upper hand.

🐐🐐🐐

"Where have you been?"

I felt a wave of panic wash over me.

My dad stood before me in the front door.
"Darcy's."
"Hmm." He mumbled, letting me in.

I dumped my handbag on the sofa and ran upstairs to call Darcy.

**

"Hey wifey."
"Hey," I chuckled. "Look, I need to ask a huge favor from you."
"Ask away."
"If my dad asks, tell him I slept round yours last night. Please."
"Why, where were you?"
"Ugh, please don't do this - "
"Go on."
"With.. someone."
"And is this someone by any chance called Liam?"
"We were just talking, promise."
"You always say swear when you're telling the truth and promise when you're lying. I know you Noah."

"I really hate you."
"You hate me so much that you weren't at my house yesterday?"
"Not that much."
"Right," She laughed. "Hey, do you wanna go to Blake's party tonight?"
"No, but I know you do and that means I'm going."
"Love you Noah."
"I know. But you love Blake more."
"Never gonna happen."
I smiled through the phone. "Bye wifey."
"Bye wifey."

My bedroom door opened. It was my uncle.

"Are those plans I'm hearing?"
I frowned and smiled. "Yeeaah.."
"Since when did my little antisocial niecey make plans?"
"Get lost," I threw a pillow at him. "Shouldn't you be busy basking in Dad's shadow?"
"Ooh," he put a hand to his heart. "That one's gonna leave a mark."