Chapter Five

It has been a week since we took our final exams. I lay in bed one morning, wanting to go back to sleep but unable to. Since the semester is over, there isn’t much else for me to do other than catch up on some much-needed sleep. But being able to sleep was another story.

I stay in bed, staring at the ceiling, counting the little bits of “popcorn” hanging from it. Ugh… There are probably a million of those annoying little things… I think to myself, turning over to stare at the wall.

Instead of forcing myself to go back to sleep, which was a losing battle anyway, I went downstairs and started making some breakfast for myself when Mrs. Hall comes in excited.

“Bree! Have you checked your exam results?” She questions, trembling with eagerness.

“What?” I question, confused as I continue rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes.

“Your exam grades have been posted!” Mrs. Hall continued. “Liam passed with a perfect score, of course, so how did you do?”

Hearing that Liam passed was a relief. I was still worried about whether he would perform well on his exam. “Oh… I haven’t checked yet…” I responded, starting to eat my breakfast.

“Don’t you want to see how you did?” She asked, dying from anticipation.

“Yes… But I want to eat first…” I respond hesitantly. “If I didn’t do well, I may lose my appetite.” I knew I needed to look, but the suspense wasn’t eating me away. I was more afraid that I failed, and I really did not want to know that.

“Oh, after all that studying, I’m sure you did well.” Mrs. Hall replied with optimism.

“I hope…”

Sitting at the kitchen table, Mrs. Hall watched as I ate my breakfast. She stared at me the entire time. It was a bit annoying, as I could feel the nervousness radiating from her. When I took the final bite, she started again.

“Okay, now let’s check your scores!”

Letting out a sigh of defeat I respond, “Okay.” I did say after my breakfast… I grabbed my phone, logged in on the student portal, and checked my final results. To my surprise, I managed to pass! “I did it!” I said proudly with a huge smile.

“You did?” A tint of surprise filled her voice.

Mrs. Hall and I started jumping up and down, screaming with excitement.

“Why are you two wailing like banshees?” Oscar walks in, yelling loudly with his ears covered. His face showed that he was obviously annoyed.

We grab him, still screaming and jumping, forcing him to join in the celebration, bouncing him up and down in our arms as he teetered awkwardly.

“I passed my exams!” I belted out when we stopped screaming and jumping.

“I should hope so since you wasted days of my brother’s time.” Oscar retorts, smoothing down his now black, disheveled hair. “He could’ve spent his time doing other more important things.”

“What is all the noise about?” Liam walks into the room with his brows furrowed, with that ever-present crease in his forehead; his tell-tale that he was irritated.

“Liam! Bree passed her classes!” Mrs. Hall announced with pride, her arm wrapped around my shoulder as she hugged me closely.

“Of course she did, I helped her.” He replied arrogantly.

Mrs. Hall and I share a glance of disbelief at one another, before returning our gaze to Liam.

“But… aren’t you glad?” His mother questioned.

Oscar stood in the center of the room with a self-righteous smile.

“All of the hard work you’ve both done has paid off…” Mrs. Hall trailed off, as she tried to understand her son’s lack of excitement.

“Why should I be glad? It wasn’t my test scores.” He responded nonchalantly. “And we wouldn’t have had to work so hard in the first place if she would’ve paid attention, to begin with.” Harshness painted his voice as he spun on his heel and left the room, leaving his mother and me speechless as Oscar happily ran after him.

The delight and relief I had felt had instantly disappeared, leaving me to feel discouraged and annoyed. Why do I allow him to make me feel this way?

“Oh… Don’t listen to him!” Mrs. Hall started with anger, trying to cheer me up. “He never could understand how studying can be difficult for others.” She hugged me. “I am proud of the hard work you’ve done! Great job, honey!”

I gave a weak smile while returning the hug. Before I could thank her, my phone started ringing. Looking at my phone, I tell Mrs. Hall, “It’s Dawn, I should take this.”

“Hello?” I answer my phone as I started toward my bedroom.

“Hey! So how’d you do on your exams?” Dawn’s voice asked eagerly.

“I passed…” I replied with a lack of emotion as I climbed the stairs to my room.

“That’s great! But why aren’t you happy then?” She replied with concern tinting her voice.

“It’s just something that Liam said—“ I caught myself, but it was too late, internally cursing myself.

“Liam? When did you speak with him?” Her voice inflecting on her confusion.

Oh… I-It’s nothing…” I responded, closing my bedroom door behind me.

“Well, whatever that jerk said, you should be happy! Now he has to kiss your feet and apologize in front of everyone!” Dawn replied giggling.

“Yeah… There was a change of plans with that…” I trailed off, sitting at my desk, fumbling with a pencil.

“Why?”

“Because I had to ask him for a favor which canceled that one out.” Trying to be as vague as I can while explaining.

“What?” Dawn’s voice was full of uncertainty.

“Don’t worry about it… So did you only call to see how I did?” I reply, trying to change the subject.

“No.” She replied, deciding to drop the conversation about Liam. “I was talking with Ellen, and we planned to bring you out to eat if you passed.”

I went quiet for a minute. A day out with my best friends? Not sitting at home, hiding in my room sounded very appealing. Maybe it was something that I needed after Liam’s snarky remark. Something that would put me in better spirits.

“Hello?” Dawn says wondering if I was still there.

“Actually, I could use a day out with the both of you.” I finally responded.

“Okay, do you want us to meet up at your place?” I could hear the curiosity in her voice, wanting to see who I am living with.

“No!” I started in a panic. “I mean, we should probably meet up somewhere else. My dad’s friends are kind of busy at the moment.”

“Are they really?” She answered in disbelief. “Are these people like mass murderers or something?”

“Of course not!”

“Do they have you living in a cage outside? Are they mistreating you?” She continued, her mind going wild.

“No!” I retort, becoming amused.

“Well, you are starting to worry me a bit with this mystery.”

“You don’t have to worry. Everything is fine. They are very nice and treat me better than their own children. And I don’t live in a cage outside!” I giggle.

“Okay? Well, I’ll text you where to meet. See you then!”

“Bye!” I replied.

After getting off the phone, I take a quick shower before getting dressed. I hated lying to my friends, especially with the reason being Liam. Maybe I could tell them the truth sometime soon. I don’t see the harm in telling them. They would keep it to themselves, but I feared what Liam would say or do if he found out that I told them.

Running downstairs, I tell Mrs. Hall that I am going to hang out with friends.

“Oh, that is great!” She replied.

“Could you let my dad know?” I ask, pretty sure that my dad was still asleep in the guest house.

“Yes. Have fun!”

“Thank you. See you later!” I call to her, running out the door.

When I get to the park, I sit at a bench and wait for Dawn and Ellen. As I wait, I start to become anxious. I start fidgeting with my fingers as I worried about whether Dawn would question me more about everything I said earlier.

But the way Liam reacted this morning also upset me…

Why did I have to like someone so arrogant and selfish? I was beating myself up internally, knowing that Liam had to have a good side, one that would one day be worth all this pain.

To quail these thoughts, I begin to look up recipes and ingredients on my phone. What should I make Liam for dinner? What does he like?

“What delicious meal are you planning?” Chad’s voice breaks her concentration. “And, more importantly, am I invited? It’s been a while since I’ve had any of your delicious meals.” He continued with a smile.

“Hey!” I exclaimed happily. “What are you doing here?” I asked, hugging him.

“Ellen called and told me you were all going out to celebrate, so I wanted to come too,” Chad admitted. “Why didn’t you call me to let me know you passed?” His voice sounded hurt.

“Well, I just found out when Dawn called…” I reply. In all honesty, I hadn’t thought about calling Chad, which made me feel guilty and made this encounter even more awkward. I know how he feels about me, but I didn’t feel the same.

Chad was silly most of the time and constantly follows me around like a lost puppy, which does tend to become annoying. He also had a knack for making rash decisions. But while he is reliable when it comes to me, he was unreliable in every other sense of the word.

“Hey, guys!” Ellen and Dawn greeted in unison.

“So where do you want to celebrate?” Dawn questions everyone.

“How about that restaurant over there?” Ellen replies, pointing to a steakhouse across the street.

The four of us walk over to the steakhouse. A seemingly perfectly square building made of wood. Once inside, the smell instantly caused my stomach to growl. The aroma of freshly cooked meat and seasonings, along with yeast rolls caused my mouth to begin watering.

We sat at a booth in the center of the restaurant, which was dimly lit and had a western theme. Pictures depicting cowboys and the old west adorned the walls with horseshoes hanging here and there. Probably the most disconcerting decoration in the whole place what a bull’s skull and horns hanging at the entrance. Over the speakers, country music played, creating the southern atmosphere.

The interior was also made of dark wood flooring which followed up the walls and ceilings, making me feel like I was put into a crate. Deep red cushioned booths rested all around the restaurant with a counter at the bar with deep red cushioned stools. Around the tables, on the floor, peanut shells lay, crunching under your feet as the host directed you to your table.

The restaurant was packed with customers, making us assume the food was delicious.

While we ate, no one said a word as we shoveled food into our mouths. But when we were done, and enjoying our desserts, everyone started talking again.

“So, what kind of favor did you have to ask Liam for?” Dawn questions.

Ellen and Chad stop eating and look at me in confusion. Chad’s face showing a bit of jealousy.

“Oh… Um…” I began, avoiding the questioning stares that were watching me closely. “Can we not talk about any of that right now?”

“Why?” Chad began accusingly, narrowing his eyes at me.

“Look, it is nothing, okay?” I replied defensively. “Aren’t we supposed to be having a good time? Why are you bringing him up?”

“Sorry,” Dawn replies sarcastically. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”

I stare at her in disbelief. “Really?”

She shrugs.

When we finished eating, we walk outside.

“Oh my gosh, I think I stuffed myself,” Ellen states, holding her stomach. “Why did you guys let me eat so much?”

“You need to learn self-restraint, my friend,” Dawn replied, putting her arm around Ellen’s shoulders while laughing.

“Bree, do you want me to walk you home?” Chad questions, hopefully.

“No, I can make it alone,” I reply with a smile, trying to avoid any attempt for my friends to tag along.

“You really shouldn’t walk alone—“

“I have somewhere I need to stop first.” I lie to my friends again. “I’ll call you when I get home, so you don’t worry.”

“I can join you. I don’t mind stopping somewhere before bringing you home.” He continued, not taking the hint. Or maybe he was but Chad was definitely persistent.

“No, no. It’s fine.” I say, starting to walk off. “I’ll see you all later! I’ll text you! Bye!”

Lying to my friends and not allowing them to come to see me at my “new home” is really starting to get on my nerves. We would always spend hours with each other, mostly because my house was the only one quiet enough to provide a comforting sanctuary. I miss having Dawn and Ellen come over, and Chad too… somewhat.

***

Later that night, I forgot to call Chad to let him know that I made it home safely, so he starts blowing my phone up.

“Hello?” I answer the phone after the sixth time he called.

“Did you make it home okay?” Chad’s voice questions with slight irritation.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I need to jump in the shower. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” I respond, hanging up the phone.

I couldn’t help but become aggravated by everything. From the way Liam acts to the reason why my friends can’t come over, which is causing me to act unusually. Everything was racing through my mind, which made it impossible for me to fall asleep. So I go downstairs to sit on the patio in the backyard. Sitting outside, looking up at the stars always calmed my mind enough to sleep.

Outside, I see Liam sitting in the chair I typically sit in this late at night. Instead of walking up, I stood, frozen, unsure of whether or not I should leave or stay. In that instant, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind. I wanted to let him know just how aggravated I was and fed up with his rules I was. But at the same time, I was too afraid to say a word.

“Are you going to stand there staring at me all night? I thought you only did that during class.” Liam’s voice carried to me in the cool night air. He didn’t sound like his normal arrogant self.

I slowly walk toward the chair beside him and sit. Looking at him in awkward silence, I begin to study him. At this moment, Liam’s face was relaxed as he looked up into the clear night sky. His brown eyes shone brightly in the light of the moon. The crease in his forehead that always appeared when he was irritated was gone. He looked so at ease and mesmerizing.

“It was surprisingly enjoyable studying with you last week.” I began, prying my eyes away from him to look at the night sky as I recalled the long nights, late-night snacks, and sleep deprivation.

“Hm…” Liam replied, apparently uninterested in my attempt at conversation.

I begin fiddling with my fingers as I became nervous and unsure of what to say next. I should probably have stayed quiet, but the uncomfortable silence between us was suffocating. “I especially enjoyed how your mom would stay up, fixing us late-night snacks and bringing us drinks.” A smile spread across my face as I thought of Mrs. Hall.

Liam stares at me in confusion. “How can something so trivial make such an impression on you?” His voice had a different tone to it, one that I could not appropriately identify. It wasn’t condescending or sarcastic.

“Because it shows that she cares,” I reply with a smile. “Your mom is full of love.”

He doesn’t respond, looking away from me for a moment, as if he were mulling it over. When he turned back, his expression changed to boredom again as he stood up, stretching. “I’m off to bed then,” Liam states as he walks toward the back door. He pauses, “Don’t forget, you still owe me dinner.”

I sat, staring at him in amazement as he walked inside. We were having somewhat of a decent conversation, and then he had to ruin it!

Taking a deep breath, I looked up into the night sky again.

What was I going to make him for dinner? Would the entire family like it? Ugh… I thought to myself. How does he do this? Liam is so rude to me, yet here I am trying to think of ways to impress him…