YOUTH || Liam Dunbar [1]

TWENTY TWO

Katherine walked into the school with her arm looped through Liam's. She pretended she didn't notice the way he scanned the halls, his eyes flitting around nervously. They'd talked up until one that morning, but Katherine hadn't been able to fall asleep even after that.

The wound in her stomach had been fairly sore, and kept her awake for quite a while after she'd turned her phone. Not that she would've been able to sleep anyway. After being stuck in the well for however long it had been, Katherine's nightmares had grown to be more terrifying and vivid than they'd ever been.

So of course she was tired, but Liam seemed like he was in need of a friend, so that's what she would be for him.

A friend.

"How are you holding up," Katherine murmured softly. He still hadn't told her what had freaked him out the previous night, but she didn't push.

"I don't know," Liam mumbled back. He removed his arm from hers and wrapped it around her shoulders instead.

"Hey Liam! Kat!" Mason called. Katherine paused mid step and looked over in his direction, her hair flying over one shoulder. "Will I see you at the bonfire tonight?"

"I'm thinking about skipping it," Liam stuttered out honestly, his grip on Katherine's shoulders tightening.

"You're not skipping it," Mason shook his head immediately. "What about you, Kat?"

Katherine shrugged her shoulders and nudged Liam's side lightly. "I'm going. Scott and Stiles think I need to get my head out of Police files, so I don't have much of a choice."

"Wait why can't I skip?" Liam frowned.

Mason rolled his eyes. "Because you're on the Lacrosse team," he scoffed. "Don't you have to go? Plus, Kat's going. And you won't let her go alone, will you?"

Liam shook his head slowly, glancing back down at Katherine. "I don't, uh —" He froze. His attention was focused on something at the end of the hall for a short moment. Then he shook his head at looked back to Mason. "I don't think I can make it."

"You're coming," Mason decided for him. "And we're going to find you a nice girl that you can embarrass yourself in front of, and find me a lacrosse player. Because statistically, someone on your team has got to be on my team; alright?"

"I can promise you, that there are at least two boys who are," Katherine nodded her head.

Mason pointed his finger at her. "I'm holding you to that promise."

Then Katherine opened her mouth then closed it, her brows furrowing. "And what do you mean you'll find him a nice girl? I'm a nice girl and he embarrasses himself in front of me all the time."

"I know, but I'm never around to see it," Mason grumbled.

"I can also promise I've got dozens of texts that show it," Katherine grinned. She was trying to take Mason's attention off of Liam, who had gone abnormally silent again.

"Liam?" Mason called, his face morphing into a frown.

"Okay," Liam answered immediately. "I'll be there." Then his arm slid off of Katherine's shoulders. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hallway, the same glint of panic in his eyes.

•••

Katherine sat next to Liam on one of the many staircases in the school, watching as he relaced his lacrosse stick. She was playing a game on her phone while he did that. Even though neither had really spoken at all that day, they stuck together.

She watched Liam jump as Scott's foot hit the top step a short distance above him, and let out a small sigh.

"Hey." Katherine glanced up from her phone and focused her eyes on Scott for a short moment, then looked back down. She knew he was talking to Liam; they were all worried. Scott laid a hand on Liam's shoulder, and he jumped again. "Are you okay?"

"Last night, my printer went off by itself," Liam admitted after a moment. "I couldn't turn it off." Katherine slid down the two steps until she was sitting next to him, and hooked her arms around one of his. She laid her head on his shoulder, her eyes staring blankly at the floor. "I hit the cancel button, but it just kept printing."

"Printing what?" Scott asked curiously, his tone and expression calm.

Liam reached into his back pocket and grabbed a sheet of paper, handing it to Scott. Then he let out a small sigh and laid his head on top of Katherine's.

Scott unfolded the paper, and the three of them fell into silence.

"What the hell is this?" Their head snapped in the direction of Coach Finstock's voice. Katherine was the last on her feet, meaning she was dragged behind Liam, who had a very tight grip on her hand.

As they rounded the corner to the coaches office — Katherine and Liam's backpacks long forgotten on the staircase — they were met with a room full of paper and a whirring printer. Scott grabbed a paper from the floor, and Liam moved the three of them out of the way before the Coach could see them.

"You see the difference?" Liam grimaced. He let go of Katherine's hand and folded his arms over his chest. Katherine tucked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, and blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"Derek's not on the list anymore," Scott realized. He glanced between both Liam and Katherine, who seemed just as worried as he was.

"And I'm not worth three million," Liam breathed. "It's eighteen now; eighteen million dollars." Katherine sucked in a sharp breath, her whole body tensing.

•••

Katherine pushed her way through the halls after the lunch bell had gone, her eyes scanning through the students for Liam.

Again.

She apologized multiple times for being the cause of people loosing their balance, but she never stopped to help them. She had someone to find.

"Liam!" She hollered. "Liam Dunbar where the hell are you?"

When she eventually found him, he was sitting at a table with Mason and people who must have been a couple of his other friends. Katherine let out a quiet huff and moved gracefully through the cafeteria, dodging trays and elbows with ease.

When she finally reached the table, all conversation ended and attention turned to her. She stood behind Liam and let out a short breath before speaking. "Hello Mason and others," Katherine smiled awkwardly, resting her hands on Liam's shoulders. "I hope you don't mind, but I need to borrow Liam for a few minutes."

"Go for it," Mason nodded. Katherine ignored the shared looks and smirks between his other friends as she waited for Liam to climb over the bench, then dragged him out of the room.

Once they were down the hall and in an empty classroom, Katherine let him go. The silence was awkward for a little bit before she spoke up.

"You know we'll keep you safe, right?" Katherine breathed, scratching the back of her head while being careful not to pull hair from the bun she had put in that morning. "I mean, it's totally cool if you're scared — I know you're scared because I'm completely terrified — but Scott wont let anything happen to you."

"I know," Liam mumbled. He looked down at his feet and folded his arms over his chest.

Katherine let out a small sigh and pulled him in for a tight hug. She stood on her tippy-toes and rested her chin on his shoulder, and rubbed his back comfortingly. "Then try to get some sleep tonight."

"I'll do my best."

Only when Katherine felt Liam smiling into her shoulder, did she let him go.