The Hierarchy

Chapter 11: Prince Charming

"To the new National Champions!" Hudson shouts and all the guys and girls in the bar cheer loudly for our newly claimed title.

The boys won by a field goal. Thank the lord or else it would've gone into overtime and I don't think anyone could handle that. They one the twentieth national title for our school. it's a pretty big deal. They insisted on bringing everyone to this bar downtown and drinking until our heads hurt. I'm staying sober and sticking to my coke or water.

I smile as I watch my boyfriend celebrate with his friends. Liam is smiling for once. I haven't congratulated him on the win yet, but I will at some point.

"So what's up with you and Mr. McCormick?" Sydney asks standing next to me and sipping a beer.

"Huh?" I ask looking at her to see she's smirking at me.

"You've both been stealing looks at each other all day and night and all day yesterday. What gives? Don't cheat on Harry." she warns me.

"I'm not cheating on Harry. Liam told me he needed to talk to me so I told him to go ahead but he said it has to wait," I say with a shrug looking back over at him as he laughs with Donny and Greg.

"You both look too in love for your own good," Sydney says shaking her head and smiling.

"I do not! It's Liam!" I tell. "I mean sure rd attractive and pretty funny and cares about what you have to say at times and surprises you with things you never knew, but beside all of that, he's still Liam McCormick. The guy who threw sand in my face when I was nine. The guy who pushed me off a chair every day of fifth grade. The guy who would tug at the bottom of my skirt in the hallways. The guy who tried to take my popularity away every year of high school until he finally did. How could I possibly have feelings for anyone remotely like him?"

"I'm just saying what I see, Caprice. And what I see is a whole lot of lies coming from both of you."

I purse my lips and look over at Liam again. He looks at me too and for a moment I think he's going to look away or scoff at me but instead he grins widely at me and winks.

The charm of that boy, huh?

***

The pounding on my door at three A.M. only seemed to wake me up and not the other three sleeping beauties in the room. I roll my eyes at them as Sydney snores like a pig and Naria is somehow on the floor. I get up in my shorts and tank top freezing my ass off. I wrap an arm around me to keep warm before pulling open the door.

"Hey, Peanut." Liam slurs.

"Liam? Are you drunk? Where are the guys?"

"Maybe....and I'm not sure. I just gotheteand uh they went totheirrooms," he says leaning against the doorframe as support.

"Oh, my lord," I say facepalming myself. "What room are you in?"

"Uh...201?"

"Okay, come on," I say pulling him down the hallway.

About halfway to his room, he stops me.

"Peanut..."

so stop and turn to face him. "What?"

"I need to tell you something. I don't know if I'll remember it tomorrow. I probably will because alcohol doesn't affect me much the day after." He composes himself and looks me dead in the eyes. "You are the most amazing girl I have ever met Caprice Valentine. I have messed with you every day of my life just to be close to you. I threw sand in your face because I didn't want any of the other guys to see your beauty. I used to pull down your skirt because guys would look at your ass and I didn't want that. I'd repeatedly say your name in hoping you'd acknowledge me in a positive way. That and I loved the way it rolls off your tongue. Everything has a different meaning to it and I don't know what it is I feel for you but it's something. I'm not expecting you to drop whatever you have with Harry and be with me but you deserve to know." He steps closer to me, towering over my figure. His thumb skids over my cheekbone and down my jawline.My eyes try and follow his movements. I meet his eyes as he tilts my head up with my chin. He looks soberer now. Not completely. Just a little better than before. "And you're gorgeous and funny, and sarcastic, and cute as hell. How could anyone hate you?"