See Me

Chapter Twenty One

Ah, the dreaded Monday. The day I get to see Liam. Oh joy.

I get to school via bus, because Liam isn't there to drive me, and arrive at school five minutes before first bell.

I pass him in the hallway, but he ignores me. He doesn't even glance at me, but I know he sees me, because his posture goes rigid. It's almost funny.

After eighteen years of waiting for Liam to see me as I am, I didn't expect it to be like this.

Joey is waiting for me at my locker and I muster a small smile for him.

"Hey, so I was thinking that I could eat lunch with you today?"

I shrug. "Whatever you want."

I walk away. I know it is rude, and unnecessary, but my brain isn't functioning properly, because everything I do, everything I say, reminds me of Liam.

I don't want to be one of those girls who runs around crying, "Oh, but he used to breathe air too!! Boohoohoo," but it's hard when Liam was a constant part of my life practically since I was born.

Class ticks by slowly, and by the time lunch rolls around, I am exhausted.

"Sierrrrrrrrra!" Laya says happily when I reach our table, "Lookie what I got!"

She hands me a Twix bar.

"Are you trying to make me fat?"

"Chocolate is good for the soul," she says, and I almost laugh.

"Shut up," I say and sit across from her, my eyes on Liam, who is sitting, hunched over as Madison whispers something in his ear. I cringe.

Joey plops himself down beside me and I say hi.

"Give me your phone," he says, taking it out of my bag before he has even finished asking.

"What are you doing?"

"Your password is you and Liam's birthdays?"

I shrug. "It's easy to remember. How did you know my birthday?" He nods his head to my report card, which is peeking out of my bag. Date of birth is written at the top.

"Again I ask, what art thou doing?"

"Giving you my number." He types in his number and then calls himself.

"All done." He hands the phone back to me and I sigh. I find myself doing that a lot.

This was going be a long day.

Or so I thought.

*

It was seventh period when it happened.

When every single phone in the classroom chimed or vibrated at the same time.

A school wide, mass text, via Joey.

And there on each of our screens, was the tale of my sophomore year, video included.