Contrary || l.p.

10. Scare

Closing up the register, I was finally done with work. I gathered all of my things and made sure that I left the station spotless before finally resting my hands on my hips. Vic, my trusty manager, peeked over the desk and smiled.

"Nice job, kiddo," he told me and gave me a fist bump. "I appreciate you always staying after hours to clean up."

"Thanks, Vic," I told him nicely.

"No problem. Oh, and before you go, you might want to wake up the guy over there and tell him we're closing," he said and nodded towards the coffee shop.

I followed his gaze and saw Liam asleep at the table he has been sitting at for four hours straight.

"I was gonna do it, but he looks kinda scary." He shuddered. "I'd like to return home without an angry customer screaming at me. It's happened before."

I giggled and rolled my eyes. "Oh, don't worry about him. He's with me."

Vic raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh, crap. I'm sorry, is he your boyfriend?"

I scoffed. "No...we're just friends," I told him, feeling my stomach churn, knowing that he wouldn't ever like me. As far as I know, I'm that one annoying friend who asks too many questions and cares too much.

He shrugged and spun the keys on his finger. "Okay, then. I gotta get home to the Mrs., so lock up and wake up your boyfriend," he whispered that last part with a wink.

I groaned. "Vic."

He laughed and handed me the key. "I'm kidding... about the boyfriend thing. Not about locking up."

I rolled my eyes and took the keys. "Night, idiot."

"Night, Jessie," he chucked and left me alone to lock up. I always admired the chill relationship I had with Vic, and I am still surprised that he trusts me enough to lock up this place.

But, I still had to wake Liam.

I walked over to him and studied his sleeping figure.

Soft snores escaped his mouth as I stood there and tried to find a way to wake him up. His english homework was scattered everywhere, and he just happened to fall asleep right on top of it. It was going to get late, therefore, I had to wake him up now.

Before I could even think of poking him, he began whimpering, almost as if he were crying. He twitched a little and sucked in a sharp breath.

My breath caught in my throat and a tiny flicker of fear and worry clouded my chest. Nightmare? I thought to myself.

For some reason, the complete feeling of fear filled my chest as he began sniffling and mumbling words that were too muffled for me to understand.

Oh, fuck.

I began to shake him in an effort to wake him. "Liam, hey!" I shouted. "Liam, wake up! Li-"

His eyes shot open as he gasped for air as he sat up and frantically looked around.

"JESS? JESS!" he yelled, obviously thinking that he was still in whatever dream he was having.

Him calling out my name threw me off guard for a second, but I revived myself after seeing him breathing heavily, and continuing to shout my name.

"Liam! I'm right here!" I shouted at him and forced him to look at me by turning his shoulders.

He looked around once more, finally coming to a realization that he was in the real world, awake.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, slightly panicked.

"Shit," He sighed a breath of relief and leaned back in his chair. "Umm. Yeah, I'm okay... it was just a fucking bad dream, I guess. I'm sorry."