Figuring You Out

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Let's get food," Dad suggests, walking away from the very heavy one sided score board. I slide off the couch and order a large sharer plater bursting with nachos and a greasy hotdogs. I reach for the cheese covered nachos instantly and shovel a large amount in my drooling mouth.

"Better?" Dad asks, taking one.

"Much," I mumble, which is difficult with a full mouth of warm nachos. I finish and move towards the drink, "Thanks for this,"

"It's alright. I was going mad in there anyway," he comments, I pull the tray away and make him look at me.

"Seriously, thank you," I say, he smiles at me and nods but edges the tray nearer.

"I know, you're not perhaps used to talking to me about these sort of things but-"

"I know," I cut him off, "It's just... Liam... He found out,"

"Found out how?" Dad asks his tone instantly concerned. Shit. Well, what a great way to drop myself in it.

"Don't go ape," I warn, he sits straighter at that, "He saw me and this other boy kissing,"

"Oh," he says, there's a pang of hurt behind his voice but he moves on, "And Liam didn't know?"

"That's the thing- apparently he's known for some time," I say, picking at the plastic lid of my drink, "Did you, you know, know?"

"Me and your mum felt that something was off but no. No, we didn't," he stretches his hand past the food, "And I'm sorry we didn't," I manage to suppress the tears and nod.

"Round two?" I ask, pushing past the lump in my throat.

He smiles, "Sure,"

I had half risen from my chair when my pocket buzzes, I continue and fully stand seeing a text from Red- Hey, where are you? Are you ok?

I give a quick reply- Just figuring some stuff out with my Dad. I'm okay. I'll see you tmrw morning??

The reply is comfortingly instant- Of course. Hope everything is okay

I walk through the gates and see him waiting there already, in our place- the tree.

"Hey," I say, embracing him in a hug when I'm in arms reach.

"Hi," he smiles, the luxurious cashmere of his jumper brushing against the cotton material of my shirt, "Chemistry?"

"Urgh, do we have to?" I groan, pulling childishly on his arm.

"Yes," he replies curtly, turning towards our building, I huff but my heart is too invested to not follow him. I catch him up and see he is boasting a smirk, I shove his elbow playfully as he just laughs at me as we settle into the back seats of the library.

"Ionic equations," he says to himself, flicking through a worryingly large textbook, "so, any idea what a spectator is?"

"I think I love you," I say, dramatically, resting my hand on my head in faux innocence.

"I wonder if this is what you're like when you're drunk," he smiles. I huff.

"Go on then explain what a spectator is," I sulk, bringing out my own textbook with a notebook.

"So a spectator is the part of the ionic equation that doesn't change throughout the reaction," he says, writing a mixture of symbols in pencil, "So here Copper Oxide is the spectator, it doesn't change and is the same as a reactor and a product," he circles CuO, "So we cancel it out," then draws a cross through it.

"It shortens the equation,"

"In a sense, yes,"

"But in a sense no?"

"It doesn't shorten it nessacerily, the spectator is still involved in the reaction but it doesn't change so therefore we can cancel it out to make it easier,"

"Ok?" I say, but its rather a question, he turns to me with a grin.

"Let's sack it off today, yeah?" he suggests, flipping the textbook shut.

"Ok," I say, leaning back in my chair, he begins flicking the corner of the textbook in between his fingers, I reach out to them and our fingertips begin to play with each other, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," he replies, nonchalantly, as his free hand slips under the desk to my leg.

"Does this make you happy?" I ask.

"What makes you think it doesn't?"

I shrug, "We haven't even been on a proper date yet,"

"Well, we can rectify that situation fairly easily," he laughs, "There's a new Indian place opening down from me, how about it?"

"Tonight?" I ask, and there's no denying the hope in my voice.

"Ok,"