Olivia Charles is an apprehensive, quiet girl who tries to do everything right. She has low confidence and low self esteem. Getting teased daily by her peers doesn't help.
Liam Maines is Chestington Highs ultimate bad boy who parties, sleeps with g...
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I missed him already.
It had been two days since I last spoke to him. I wanted to hate Tia for what she had done but I couldn't, I knew she was just trying to protect me and if the roles were reversed I would've done the exact same thing.
She has treated me differently since that day, studied me more closely and asked a lot more questions, ones I didn't know how to answer. I wasn't sure if she fully believed that I made the marks myself or not but I didn't care anymore.
"Eat your dinner Olivia" Tia scolded me like I was a small child and she was my mom.
Truth was I had no appetite, I haven't eaten since Liam made me breakfast in bed. Every day after school I went out to the soccer field and watched their practice from the bleachers, hoping he would talk to me but he never did. The more I held on, the further he pushed me away.
During our lessons in psychology Liam lay his head on the table and slept, he didn't utter a single word to me. To anyone else he was cold and calculating but I could see right through the walls he had built and I knew he was hurting.
"You know Liam apologized to me?" Harris interrupted my bleak thoughts and for the first time in two days my attention was fully engaged in what he had to say. Tia shot him a warning glance but I ignored her.
"When? When did he apologize?" I asked a little too eagerly.
"Uh... he said... Harris, right? I said yeah, he said sorry I lost my shit with you at the bonfire, I'm a dick when I've been drinking. That was pretty much it."
What did this mean?
He could have apologized to Harris because he knew I wanted him to and this was the extended olive branch. But on the other hand he could be apologizing to Harris because he knows he won't have to hang out with him since we're not friends anymore. I lost the bet, he didn't make me go through with the forfeit and yet he still kept up his side of the bargain. That's when I remembered I still owed him lunch.
*** I walked across the soccer field with my heart in my mouth, a McDonald's take away in my hand and hope bubbling up in my chest. The final whistle had been blown signalling that soccer practice had ended and the team started dispersing towards the showers. Liam lingered on the pitch.
"Liam?"
He turned around to face me. The sun caught his natural blonde highlights making them a lot more obvious against his chestnut hair, perfectly small freckles sprinkled across his nose and spread thinly over his cheeks, sky blue eyes remained enclosed behind sapphire rings that blended the two colours beautifully. Our lack of friendship hadn't took its toll on him like it did with me.
I held out the brown McDonald's bag to him and he looked bewildered, frowning his eyebrows causing tiny creases across his forehead. "It's McDonald's" I cleared up. He looked even more confused. "I owed you lunch." I said, offering even more clarity.
"Liv, you can't be here." His tone let me down gently.
"Harris said you apologized." I started, ignoring his words. "Thank you for that."
I smiled to myself when he rubbed the back of his neck. So he was affected by my presence. He grabbed the McDonald's bag and looked inside.
"You got me a salad from McDonald's? Who gets a salad from McDonald's?" He didn't look happy but I could also see amusement sparkle in his eyes.
"I would've got you a burger, but I only buy burgers for my friends." I replied, lightening the mood. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips but he pulled himself together and locked it away behind his walls.
"Liv -"
"I miss you" I blurted out involuntarily, interrupting him.
He sighed and his eyes softened, displaying a hint of sadness "I miss you too, but that doesn't change anything. We still can't be friends. I gotta go shower." He turned to walk away from me.
"Liam" I called, hope lacing through my voice.
"I'm sorry Liv. It just is the way it is."
***
Harris spun around on my desk chair and Tia lay across my bed they were arguing over something dumb, if they had all the money in the world would they buy a private jet. Tia doesn't think it would be as safe but Harris disagrees. I shut out their bickering, my mind wouldn't focus on anything other than the sting of rejection from Liam.
"You could hire all of your own staff, the best in the world. How is it not safer?" Harris debated.
"Yeah but commercial flights get checked all the time, I don't think there would be the same level of maintenance with a private jet." Tia counter argued.
The sound of my phone flooded the room and when I glanced at the screen I instantly recognized the number. My thumb hovered between the green accept button and the red decline button as I chewed my bottom lip nervously. I finally hit accept before the phone went to voicemail.
"Hello?" I asked cautiously, my heart automatically racing.
"Olive?" Jordan said.
"Yeah."
"Is Liam with you?" The tone of his voice made me a little uncomfortable, I felt like he was worried.
"No. I haven't spoke to Liam since... the incident."
"Okay."
I waited for him to elaborate more but he remained mute. Tia and Harris eyeballed me, I could see them shooting each other awkward glances. I knew they thought nobody should be talking about Liam around me. Jordan still lingered on the line, I felt like he wanted to tell me something but for some reason he was holding back.
"Is he okay?" I finally asked, filling up the silence.
"Can we meet up?" Jordan replied.
I gasped down the phone, he definitely would've heard that. I really, really didn't want to meet up with Jordan. He has made me feel self conscious and uncomfortable for years and now he wants to meet up alone with me to talk about Liam. Tia shook her head, warning me to turn down the offer. But Harris remained still, waiting to hear my answer.
"Okay" I whispered after a few moments of hesitation.
Liam trusted Jordan and now I needed to trust that he had Liams best interest at heart. If Liam was in trouble and Jordan thought I would be able to help, then I needed to be there.
"The diner in one hour." He concluded before hanging up.
"I can't believe you're meeting with him." Tia complained and I raised my hand up to stop her.
"You don't understand, Tia. You caused all this trouble between Liam & I when everything was fine, if there's a chance to fix things then I'm going to take it. In future butt out!" I lost my cool a little bit with her but she was getting on my last nerve.
Tia and Harris looked gobsmacked, I've never spoken to her like that. Never defended what I felt was right in such a confrontational way, never stuck up for myself. Liam had changed me, had helped me. And now it was time to win back his friendship.
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