Prologue
The sun disappeared
under the heavy, dark
gray clouds - a sign that
a storm was
approaching on the vast
horizon. It would hit
Fairhope in an hour tops
judging by how angry
the sky looked. The
wind howled in
mourning, like a widow
at the bedside of her
husband in passing. I
listened to the sounds
around me- the swings
moved back and forth in
a screech by their own
accord. The trees
rustled in the wind,
while a few cars
passed by with a honk
or two. It was
desolate, standing here
in the vacant park; the
sudden chill in the air bit
at my skin. My breath
fogged up in the air as I
breathed out in slow
steady breaths. Shivers
ran down my spine as
the temperature began
to drop in an alarming
rate.
I should be home under
the warmth of my
covers, curled up in bed
reading a book as I got
lost in the pages
written in black and
white. Or maybe I
would be practicing the
piano as mom always
instructed me to do so.
Even if she didn’t I
would still play on my
own will. I loved the
piano just as much as it
was necessary to
breath. It was a part of
me, a part that had
grown since I was
seven.
But today had been
different.
Today hadn’t been an
ordinary day filled with
dungeons and dragons
or damsels in
distressed being
rescued by the love of
their lives. No, today
was the day I had gone
to the doctors, while
mom and dad told me
what they had been
hiding from me since I
was born. Today
everything changed as
the knowledge I’d
gained swept into the
very core of my
existence, settling
there like a turtle and
its shell; it was part of
me – it always had
been.
I shook my head, trying
to forget about today
and just focused on
waiting here in eye of
the storm. There
weren’t many people I
would do this for,
especially when a storm
was brewing,
threatening to hit my
home any minute. But I
was waiting because I
had promised and I
seldom broke a promise.
I was waiting for my
best friend.
He was supposed to be
here at three o'clock
sharp. Looking down at
my wrist watch I read
that that had been
twenty-three minutes
ago. I don't know what
I was still doing here in
light of the storm.
Maybe, it was the fact
that he needed me right
now. His mom had just
passed away after
years of fighting cancer.
We all knew her time
was coming as she
began to go to the
hospital more often
than usual. It was hard
as Mrs. Rowely had
been like my second
mother. She was kind
and nurturing to all the
kids in the neighborhood
as she knew most of
us from her daycare
center. Many of her kids
from the past and
present showed up the
day of her funeral with
tear streaked faces and
red roses to be set on
her coffin as we all took
turn to say goodbye.
Tomorrow would mark
the third week since her
death – twenty one
days to the letter.
Thinking of Mrs. Rowely
sent a pang through my
chest and my eyes to
water at her memory.
No one deserved to die
from a terrible illness
like cancer. Why did
some people have the
privilege to live life
without any harm,
while others died
unexpectedly from
sickness?
It wasn’t fair.
Life isn’t fair, Anya.
I gulped back my
father’s words. He was
right and I knew that
life wasn’t fair, but
sometimes I wished
there was a reason for
why things happened.
Why this was
happening to me or why
it was going to happen.
It was inevitable.
I looked down at my
wrist watch again as I
read 3: 47. He was
almost an hour late. I
wondered what was
keeping him so long.
Part of me wondered
where he was, while
the other part began to
form the words I would
say to him when he
arrived. He would hate
me – of that I was sure
of. He would never talk
to me ever again.
But isn’t that what you
want?
Yes, but it’s
complicated. I
sighed,replying back to
my conscious.
Life is complicated.

I sighed as the internal
battle raged on inside of
me with no sign of
levying any time soon.
There were just so
many different ways
that my news would
affect him. He could
choose to stay by my
side with the new
development or he could
choose to leave. Part of
me wanted the latter
because I didn’t want
him to go through any
sort of pain again, not
after what he just
went through with his
mother. The other part
– the stronger and
righteous part wanted
him to stay because I
knew that he would
never leave me no
matter what. Through
thick and thin we would
be friends forever. It
was a promise we had
made each other back in
second grade.
I began to walk
towards the
playground, my feet
dragging on the grass. I
felt the coldness of the
ground as the grass
poked my sandal
covered feet, sending a
slight prickle up my leg. I
took every step warily,
counting how many
paces it took from my
spot to the swings.
Fifteen…seventeen…
twenty-one…
Nothing else existed
beside the steps in
front of me as I made
my way towards the
playground. It was as if
time froze, and took all
my thoughts away
with the wind as they
flowed freely in the sky.
It was exactly forty-
three steps when I got
to the swings as I took
my seat, and pushed
myself off the ground.
The air around me
burned my skin,
gnawing at it like fire
ants – leaving a trace of
their brutality behind. I
didn’t care, though. I
felt numb. The fear of a
cold didn’t scare me as
it used to. Everything
was different now and
I felt fearless because
nothing could hurt me;
nothing but this one
thing.
I heard footsteps as
my heart thudded in my
chest only to fall as I
saw that it was only an
officer. Disappointment
sank into my stomach
and I realized how much
I wanted to see him –
how much this meeting
meant to me. He had
always been my rock
when the waves came
crashing on the shore.
He never let me wash
away, holding me intact
when life got rough.
Even when his mother
was dying he had been
strong, holding down
the fort while everyone
around him sank deep
down into their grief.
There was only once
when I saw him
breakdown, and I held
him as his tears soaked
my shirt through, and
heart wrenching
spasms racked his
body.
“You need to get on
home, kid. The storm
will hit any second and
you don’t want to be
caught in it.”
I looked up, the voice
cutting through my
thoughts as the
memories slowly faded.
I saw clear blue eyes
looking at me with
concern as I recognized
who he was.
“Anya, did you hear
me?”
“Yes. Sorry, Mr.
Weatherly! I’ll go home
right now.” I said,
hopping off the swing.
“Good,” he said, giving
me a knowing sly smile.
“Tell your folks I said hi.
Get home safe, kid.”
I turned back and yelled,
“Will do!” and began to
run as the wind became
fiercer, making it hard
to run or even walk for
that matter.
As I made my way
home I didn’t see him
and the disappointment
was too hard to ignore
as it made my heart
sink. I had needed him
today more than ever
and he hadn’t been
there. Maybe, he didn’t
want to be friends
anymore. Summer was
almost ending and that
meant starting high
school in just a few
weeks. He probably had
found new friends to
hang out with – cooler
people than me. He
probably had better
things to do now.
The boy I knew as my
best friend would never
leave me waiting for an
hour for him to show
up. No. Things were
changing – he was
changing. In the midst
of all that had happened
today I had hoped that
he would be the only
thing in my life that
would remain the same.
I now saw that it
couldn’t be, as much as
I didn’t want to admit
it. Everything was
changing from this day
forward.
Nothing would ever be
the same way again.

--Author's Note--
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Chapter One: First Day
of School
Four years later…
“Anya! You’re going to
be late for school!”
I sighed, taking one last
look in the mirror before
I grabbed my bag, and
rushed down the stairs
– almost tripping on the
last step. I caught
myself on the banister,
and looked menacingly
down at my untied
shoe lace. Kneeling
down I quickly tied my
shoe and checked the
other, making sure that
it was also tied.
Tripping would not be
the best thing to do on
the first day of my
senior year. It would
mostly likely deem me
as a klutz along with
the many other names
I’d gained throughout
the years.
“Anya!” My mother
called again from the
kitchen. “You’re going-”
She stopped mid-
sentence as soon as
she saw me standing in
the foyer, her shoulders
relaxing in relief. “All
set?” She asked as she
continued to wash the
remaining dishes from
last night.
I sighed, “Ready as I’ll
ever be.”
She smiled. She put the
dishes away in a clatter
and turned on the
dishwasher to run its
cycle. Her eyes were
warm and joyful as she
enveloped me in a hug.
“Look at you! You grow
more beautiful each
year like the roses in
the garden.”
“And that is a fact,” my
father chimed in kissing
me on the forehead.
I smiled. They never
tired of giving me
compliments no matter
how much I protested.
That’s parents for you;
They loved you,
suffocated you,
annoyed you, but at the
end of the day they
were still family. They
were my family and I
loved them
nonetheless.
My father grabbed his
thermal full to the brim
with coffee and gave
my Mom a quick peck on
the lips before he was
out the door. A second
later he said, “C’mon,
bug. Don’t want to be
late to school, now do
we?”
“Nope,” I said, popping
the ‘p’. Dad was always
running late, but we got
me to school safely
even if he did have to
break a few traffic
laws here and there. He
used to be a ‘daredevil’
as my mom called it
before he settled down
to have a family of his
own. He traded in his
motorcycle for a
sensible Ford Taurus
and his leather jacket
was now tucked away
in the back of the
closet, covered by his
suits and ties.
I draped my messenger
back over my shoulder
and gave Mom a quick
kiss on the cheek. I
turned; ready to leave
when she grabbed my
elbow, her eyes
assessing mine. “Did
you take your
medicine?”
I nodded. How could I
forget? It’s a pattern
that I’d been adapted
to my whole life, but
I’ve been taking it on
my own for the past
four years – ever since I
found out that stormy
day. It wasn’t entirely a
bad thing. There was
still hope, and that is
what I’ll always have –
no one could ever take
that away.
Hope is what made
people stronger
everyday; sometimes,
it was all that people
clung to.
“Anya! Now, we’re
really going to be late
for school!” My father
called from the garage
breaking through my
reverie. I shook my
head from my thoughts
and quickly gave Mom
another kiss before
shooting out the door in
frenzy.
***
The cacophony of
voices, lockers being
shut, and the occasional
shriek of shoes
scrapping against the
linoleum pierced my
ears as I walked
through the halls of
Velmont High. I treaded
carefully through the
hallway, weaving my
way through my peers
as I made my way
towards the end of the
hall where a list of
homerooms was taped
outside the theater.
I accidentally bumped
into someone - my
shoulder colliding with a
girl’s. I winced from the
contact – certain that I
would have a bruise the
next morning. I
muttered a quick
“Sorry!” and continued
onward. But my apology
wasn’t accepted as she
called, “Watch where
you’re going, vampire!”

=continuation=
“And the fun begins,” I
muttered.
There were a few
cackles of laughter
around me, but they
were drowned by the
buzz of people’s
conversations. I kept
walking and was
almost to my
destination when I saw
a kid being slammed
into the lockers. The
sound was loud like
thunder as it echoed
throughout the hallway.
Conversations ceased
as silence filled the
atmosphere in a heavy,
tense manner reminding
me of the subtle
tranquility before a
storm hits. My heart
stopped beating for a
second when I realized
who was causing the
trouble.
The kid (my guess was
that he was a
freshmen) was
cowering before him –
his hands held up to
cover his face as fear
radiated from him in
perpetual waves. Liam
leered down at him,
while his friends backed
him up and snickered. A
strange feeling
overcame me, and
before I knew it I was
weaving my way
towards him.
My hands were shaking
when I said, “Count on
Velmont High’s
infamous bad boy Liam
Rowely to cause a
scene on the first day
of school.” My voice
came out surprisingly
brave without a tinge
of fear. How I was
feeling was an entirely
different matter. I
wasn’t feeling brave at
all, but instead nervous
at standing this close to
him.
He slightly turned his
head at the sound of
my voice, his eyes
shining brightly with
malice. “Back off,
Vanchester.”
“No. Leave him alone.”
He snickered, his lips
twisting up in a smirk.
“What? Is he your
boyfriend?” He searched
my eyes, scrutinizing
me. I wanted to back
away, but held my
ground. I wasn’t going
to show him that I was
weak even though it is
what I felt inside. He
shrugged. “Thought you
could do better; guess I
was wrong.”
I rolled my eyes. “Leave
him alone, Liam. Or are
you that much of a
coward that you can’t
find someone your own
size to harass?”
There was the distant
sound of gasps and low
murmuring from my
peers at my words. For
the first time since I’d
confronted Liam I
looked around my
surrounding and noted
that our peers had
enclosed a small
perimeter around us,
watching the spectacle
unfold in front of their
eyes. My eyes flickered
from one face to
another until I found
the eyes of my best
friend, Gemma. Her
brown eyes shined with
admiration and fear all
at the same time, and I
saw her slightly nod to
show that she had
seen me.
The bell rang; signaling
the start of the school
day. Everyone began to
scatter like deer trying
to get away from their
predator. Guess who
was the predator?
I knelt down and
offered my hand to the
kid – Liam’s slate blue
eyes watching me
intently. The kid
grasped my hand
without hesitation, his
brown eyes shining
with gratitude. He
mumbled a quick
“Thank you” and ran to
the other end of the
hallway into a
classroom. Liam’s crew
was long gone by now
and there were only a
few bodies lingering in
the hallway, grabbing
last minute items
before morning classes
officially began.
Smoothing down my
dress, I hurriedly
walked to the end of
the hall to the list,
ignoring Liam on my
heels, and read that I
was in RM 818, my
dad’s room.
I sighed, hastily walking
towards the other end
of the hallway where
the room was located.
Liam was still on my
heels and I refrained
from turning around and
telling him to leave me
alone. He would have to
get to his class
eventually. There was
only three minutes left
until the late bell rang.
My father greeted me
with a nod as I entered
his classroom. He was
writing his name on the
whiteboard and I took a
seat in the second row
next to Gemma. It was
a blessing that she and
I had a last name close
in alphabet or else I’d be
doomed to spend the
hour with no one to talk
to as the tedious
paperwork was
prepared and finished.
As the final bell rang,
Liam casually strolled in
and took the unoccupied
seat on the other side
of me. There were
plenty of other empty
seats scattered
throughout the
classroom, but he just
had to sit next to me.

=Continuation=
I felt the brush of
Gemma’s hand on my
forearm, her face
etched with worry. Her
hand went up to her
hearing aid, pushing a
button to turn it on, and
disappeared behind her
straight jet black hair.
Her eyes gleamed with
mischief as she glanced
at Liam and then at me.
She signed, “What do
you think he wants?”
I shrugged signing back,
“Probably wants to
make my life
miserable.”
She tilted her head in
thought then signed,
“Maybe he’s drawn to
you like moth to a
flame because you
stood up to him and it
was the first time
you’ve talked to him in
years.”
I scoffed. That was
absurd. Liam Rowely
didn’t care about me or
anyone else for that
matter. The only thing
he cared about was
himself and the so-
called reputation he
steadily obtained since
he stepped through
these halls.
“You’re joking, right?” I
asked aloud.
She shook her head,
smiling. “No joke.”
Liam cleared his throat
loudly; gaining the
attention from the
students surrounding
us. “Why don’t you take
your secret language
somewhere else. Some
of us are trying to
learn.”
Anger boiled inside my
veins at his petty
remark. It was a low
blow to make fun of
Gemma’s disability. He
knew better than to
laugh at other people’s
expense. “You can move
if you like. That will
solve all our problems.”
He grinned, leaning in to
me; his face only inches
away from mine. His
slate blue eyes danced
with amusement as he
said, “I always liked
them feisty. Want to go
out sometime?”
My cheeks flamed at his
remark and I turned my
head slightly, hiding my
face with my hair. I
heard him chuckle,
satisfaction ringing in
his laughter. I sighed in
frustration and reached
into my bag, grabbing
my notebook.
He always made me so
angry! I didn’t
understand the sudden
outburst of annoyance
whenever I saw him or
heard of his endeavors.
Maybe it was the fact
that I once knew a boy
who was merely a
shadow to the one
sitting next to me. My
pencil began to sketch
on its own accord as
my thoughts drifted to
the past, where the
boy sitting next to me
was my best friend
instead of a stranger.
♥
Oooh what do you think
she meant by that?
What did you guys think
of this chapter thus
far? (: I'd love to hear
your thoughts as
always!

Chapter Two: Lunch
“So, I heard you had an
interesting morning,”
Hayden said sliding into
the bench next to
Gemma. He kissed her
forehead in greeting and
she smiled, tenderly and
lovingly.
I sighed slumping down
into my seat, feeling
small. “I should have
just stayed invisible.”
The dark clouds loomed
overhead, covering the
edge of the sun as the
world turned gray. It
was going to rain. In
any other given day I
would welcome the rain
with open arms, but
not today as I was
wearing a dress and
would be walking home.
Dad had a first day of
school meeting, and I
imagined that they
would throw a grand old
party filled with
confetti, balloons, cake
- the whole shebang.
They’d probably
celebrate the first day
of school, and the very
fact that no teacher
committed murder or
strangled a kid.
I took out my peanut
butter and banana
sandwich from my bag
taking a huge bite of it
as the growling in my
stomach ceased. The
sticky peanut butter
stuck to the roof of my
mouth, while the sweet
taste of banana added
an extra hint of
yumminess. There was
nothing better than
peanut butter and
banana sandwiches for
the first day of school.
It was tradition, a
custom that was
presently only
celebrated by one.
“I think it’s too late for
that.” I heard Hayden
say bringing me back
from my thoughts. I
looked at him and saw
his eyes flickering back
and forth between me
and something behind
me. I furrowed my
eyebrows and looked at
Gemma to see if I could
detect any trace of
what Hayden was
looking at. I had no such
luck. Gemma was
finding her container full
of fruit seemingly more
interesting than the
conversation at hand.
She glanced at me, but
quickly averted her
eyes.
I looked back at Hayden
to see the smirk on his
face. Curiosity got the
best of me and I turned
around to lock my
brown eyes with cold
slate blue ones. He was
leaning against the
stucco wall of the art
building. His arms were
leisurely crossed over
his chest and his eyes
were calculating as he
watched me.
There was no wave. No
smirk. No way of
indicating that he saw
me looking back at him,
curiously. He reached
into his pocket and
pulled out a cigarette
and lit it in one swift
motion. I shook my
head, disappointment
washing over me like a
giant tidal wave
crushing me under its
might.
“Looks like he’s taken
an interest to you.”
I turned around and
glared at Hayden. He
was amusing himself
with this new piece of
information and I kicked
him under the table.
“Ow, hey! I’m just
messing with you.
Relax, will you? You
don’t need to be
violent.”
Gemma stifled a laugh
and I smiled. She spoke
as she signed,
“Shouldn’t have said
that.”
Point one for Anya.
Score! Hayden was
going down. I smiled
and said, “Exactly.
Listen to your girlfriend.
Jerk.”
He shook his head.
“Women.”
Hayden was so difficult
sometimes. But I liked
him. He was a good guy
for Gemma and saw
past her disability. He
even started to teach
himself how to sign
with the help of Gemma
and I on a daily basis. At
this very moment,
Hayden was trying to
sign, but wasn’t getting
anywhere by the
confused expression on
Gemma’s face. Her
brows were drawn
together, making a
crease on her forehead.
Hayden became
animated – waving his
hands in the air in
frustration as neither
one of us understood
what he was trying to
say.
It was quite amusing.
Eating my delicious
sandwich made me
thirsty and I reached
inside my bag for my
soda, but ended up
empty handed. I
rummaged through my
bag as panic rose up like
bile in my throat.
“Dammit,” I muttered.
This could not be
happening. Could this
day possibly get any
worst?
“Hayden?”
“Hmm?”

=continuation=
“Will you go grab me a
soda from the vending
machine?” I asked
pushing the money
across the table.
“Please?”
He looked at me like I
was a pest that he
was examining under a
microscope. In an
instant his expression
changed to amusement
as he casted a glance
behind me. “Are your
legs not functioning?”
God, how I really
detested him
sometimes. “Please?” I
asked sweetly.
“No, Anya.” He said
firmly. Gemma gave him
a loaded look and he
sighed being
reprimanded for his
harsh tone. Score! Two
points for me, while
Hayden sat at a
whopping zero. Maybe
he’ll go and get my soda
out of guilt. “Look, you
can’t avoid him. You
know him. He’s not
going to back off until
he gets what he
wants, Anya.”
“So that’s a definite
no?”
He raised his brow and
motioned me to go. I did
but I sulked my way
there. This was
ridiculous! Some so-
called friends that I
have; Hayden was
definitely going to get
pushed down the stairs
today. That was a fact;
unless Gemma tried to
stop me then it
wouldn’t be that good
of a plan. I chuckled and
it made this walk a bit
more bearable. When
Liam saw me coming
towards him he raised
an eyebrow, continuing
to smoke his cigarette
leisurely like a still black
and white fram of
Hollywood actor from a
50’s film. I ignored him
as I put the money into
the machine and
pressed E3 for my Coke.
“You think you’re better
than me?”
I stiffened at the sound
of his voice. My soda
had been dispensed, but
I made no move to grab
it and go. Instead I
risked the chance and
looked at him. A burning
sense of familiarity
made its way into the
very fiber of my being. I
remember that same
look…years ago. It was
the kind of look that
asked me to implore
him with understanding
and answers. It was
the latter that I could
not give.
Even if it had been
years it didn’t mean
that I had lost my
ability to read him like a
newly written novel.
Every chapter was a
mystery as the words
hid a deeper meaning
than anyone else could
ever understand. Yet,
he was still a stranger
to me. I didn’t fully
know him any longer.
“No,” I answered in a
whisper. “That isn’t
true.”
“Then what is it?” He
asked, taking in a
breath of the cigarette
and drawing out the
smoke towards me. I
tried not to notice how
his lips gingerly curved
around it, or how he
held it gingerly pinched
between thumb and
third finger as he drew
it almost reverently to
his mouth.
“Wasting away your life
is my problem, Liam.”
He chuckled but it
wasn’t friendly. He
stepped towards me
and the smell of smoke
assailed my nostrils,
making me take a step
back. He leaned in close
to my face, while the
cigarette was now in
his hands, letting the
ashes fall on the
ground.
“What I do with my life
is none of your
concern.”
It used to be, I thought
but instead in one swift
motion I took the
cigarette from his hand
and dropped it on the
ground, stomping it
with my foot.
“Hope that was your
last one.” I said, raising
my eyebrow in a
challenge.
“If I knew you were
this feisty I would have
asked you out years
ago. How about now?”
I scoffed. “I’d rather
spend time with my
mother’s cat.”
Amusement flickered in
his eyes as he ran a
hand through his ashen
blond hair. “You always
liked that cat better
than me.” He laughed,
crossing his arms over
his chest. “How’s Mr.
Cuddle’s these days?”
“Is this your way of
trying to be on my good
side? ‘Cause if it is,” I
leaned in to him and
stood on my tippy toes
to whisper in his ear,
“It’s not working.”

=continuation=
A bemused expression
settled on his face as I
crouched to grab my
soda from the machine.
No matter how much I
wanted to see his
expression as I walked
away I willed myself
not to turn around. It
was a monumental
step of epic proportions.
I had talked to Liam
Rowley for more than
five minutes, while
holding a semi-civil
conversation. It was an
accomplishment
nonetheless, seeing as
he and I haven’t spoken
a word to each for four
years.
As I sat down at the
table and rejoined my
friends as they high-
fived me, I couldn’t help
but notice the gnawing
feeling at the pit of my
stomach. There was no
telling what was going
to happen next, and it
frightened me.
With Liam Rowely there
was no telling what the
next day would bring.
It was always
unknown territory, a
place that I had not
ventured in a very long
time, and was uncertain
if I ever wanted to
return. It was
dangerous to associate
with him because of
who he was now. It
was irrational to even
be in the same vicinity
as he was.
But I had done it, and
somewhere a can of
proverbial marbles had
spilled.
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What do you think is
going on in Liam's head?
It's kind of weird to
just be staring at her
like a stalker Hehe
loved to hear your
overall thoughts as
always! Love you guys.
Seriously, you guys are
amazing!

Pls keep the updates coming..your diction is simply amazing, good storyline too!!

Chapter Three: Body &
Mind
Thunder roared
overhead as the cracks
of lighting followed
after as if there was a
war above unseen by
human eyes. I knew
that I should have gone
home straight after
school as Dad had
suggested. Hayden
offered to drive me
home, but I had declined
– wanting to take a
walk down town and go
to the music store. It
had been a few weeks
since I’d last seen Mr.
Edison and I missed his
stories of the war and
the beautiful sheets of
music that he’d
compose in his earlier
years.
I could spend hours in
his music store, and it
was exactly what I had
done. It was nearly six
when I headed out into
the cold, frigid air. The
rain quickly covered me,
drenching me from head
to toe. Silently, I prayed
that the sheets of
music Mr. Edison gave
me would not be ruined
by the rain. They were
too precious and
valuable to have the ink
smeared, making the
pages unrecognizable
and weathered.
The streets began to
flood with the drastic
pouring of the rain. I
cursed myself for
forgetting my cell on
top of my vanity this
morning. Mom and Dad
would be worried sick
when I got home, and
I’d probably get
grounded. Not to
mention that I’d
probably have a wicked
cold tonight; I could
already feel my bones
begin to ache deep
down to the marrow. It
hurt.
The loud roar of an
engine startled me as it
stopped beside me, and
the driver cut off the
engine. I kept walking,
wondering where he
was heading. All the
stores had closed due
to the sudden storm –
well, all the stores I had
passed. As I looked
down the street I saw
the other owners begin
to close up shop; Open
signs were switched to
say Closed, lights
switched off, and cars
whizzed by in a hurry to
get home.
“Anya!”
I turned around at the
sound of my name,
needing proof that it
was who I thought it
was.
“What are you doing
here?” I asked.
Liam gave me a
bewildered look and
grasped my hand as he
began to pull me
towards his motorcycle,
or bike as I liked to call
it; a bike with an engine.
“You’re going to catch
your death. Take the
favor.”
I snatched my hand
from his grasp, digging
my heels to the ground.
He stopped, eyeing my
warily. “I don’t need
your help. I’m not a lost
puppy. I know my way
home.”
“I also know that you
get sick easily. Stop
being stubborn and hop
on,” he said motioning
to his bike. “I won’t
bite.”
Really, I thought, could
have fooled me. I
watched Liam’s
expression change from
wariness, to irritation,
to pleading all in a
matter of seconds.
“How did you know I
was here? This is
nowhere near your
house. Have you been
following me?”
He scoffed. “Stop
thinking of yourself so
highly, Anya.” He ran a
hand through his
matted blond hair that
looked more like a dirty
blond soaked from the
rain. “Will you just listen
for once?”
I eyed the bike
suspiciously and then
glanced back at Liam. He
was going out of his
way to take me home,
why? Four years of
silent reproach had been
broken this morning
when I stood up to him,
but that was because
he was being a jerk -
terrorizing an innocent
kid on the first day of
school. Talk about a
horrible nightmare
coming true for a
freshmen. It wasn’t
enough reason for Liam
to begin to talk to me.
Even when I went to
the vending machine, I
pointedly ignored him.
He could have done the
same, but instead he
talked to me – he
actually talked to me.
And now this?
It was strange and
uncommon. Like an
eclipse; it only happened
rarely and after years
of it being dormant.
“Are you coming or
not?” He asked,
impatiently. He was
already straddled over
his bike, the engine loud
in the silence and
emptiness of the
street. I bit my lip,
weighing my options. I
could politely decline his
offer and go home only
to get sick for a week.
Or I could go with him
and make him hate me
less and complete
number 9 on my list.

==Continuation==
I chose the latter.
It was selfish and
hoped that I wasn’t
wrong.
I ran forward and saw
the small smile forming
on his lips. “Do you have
an extra helmet?”
He grabbed his and
tossed it at me. “Your
house is just over the
bridge. I’ll be careful.”
Gnawing at my bottom
lip, I suddenly felt
queasy. “No, I-what if
something happens?
It’s raining and the road
is dangerous.” I took a
step back, thinking
twice about my
decision. “You could lose
control and you-”
“Will you just get on?”
He said annoyed.
I huffed in agitation and
strapped on the helmet.
Hiking up my dress I
climbed on and shivered
at the coldness of the
leather on my skin.
“Hold on tight.”
He revved up the engine
and gently pushed off
the curb – the action
made me veer to the
left and without
another thought I
snaked my arms around
his waist like a vice,
fearing that if I let go it
would cause my
untimely death.
Liam chuckled and I had
a smartass retort at
the tip of my tongue,
but my voice caught in
my throat as we began
to zoom through the
streets. I gasped at the
velocity and tightened
my hold around Liam’s
waist. The air whipped
around me and I
pressed the side of my
cheek to his back,
making myself small in
the space given
between us. I was
hyper aware of my
surroundings, and of my
body. My thighs ached
by how clenched
together they were
around Liam’s hips;
holding on for dear life.
My arms were tightly
clasped around his
waist where I could feel
the hardness of his abs
underneath his leather
jacket. Then there was
the strong scent of his
musk that strangely
smelled of cinnamon as
I breathed him in. It
reminded me of warm
winter nights sitting by
the fire drinking eggnog,
while we talked about
everything and nothing…
What in the world was I
doing?
I mentally slapped
myself and closed my
eyes, blocking away all
my thoughts -
concentrating on the
rain and wind as it bit
my skin. The roars of
thunder made me
shudder as its angry
cries filled the vast
plane. I looked up at the
sky to catch the crackle
of lighting breaking
through the dark gray
atmosphere. Slowly, I
began to count in my
head as I did when I
was younger.
One Mississippi…two
Mississippi…three
Mississippi…four
Mississ-
Another wave of
lighting broke through
the sky and I cringed.
The storm was only
four miles away.
We began to slow down
as the familiarity of my
neighborhood came into
view. Liam came to a
stop on the curb of my
house and killed the
engine. I climbed off the
bike ungracefully;
almost tripping over my
own feet as the feel of
gravity came crashing
down on me. Liam
caught my forearm,
sending a burning fire
coursing through my
veins as he steadied
me.
“Thanks,” I muttered
as I averted my eyes to
look at my feet. I was
suddenly nervous to be
around him, and I was
afraid to see what I
might find when he
looked at me. This was
unprecedented. I
wasn’t very good when
it came to dealing with
things out of my
comfort zone, and he
was definitely one of
those things.
“I think I see your dad
at the window,” I heard
him say. I turned on my
heel and saw that his
observation was true.
Dad disappeared,
drawing the curtain
back as I saw his
shadow move towards
the direction of the
kitchen on the thin
white curtains. I was so
dead. Dad was going to
blow a gasket.
I sighed, dreading the
uncomfortable
conversation that
would ensue once I
stepped inside. The roar
of the engine made me
whirl around, and before
I could thank him for
the ride – Liam was
already down the road
with only the glow of
streetlights to
illuminate his way home
as the sun set.

==Continuation==
Later that night, as I
laid in bed, I heard my
parent’s muffled voices
through the paper thin
walls. My father’s voice
was low and had an
edge that I’d never
heard before.
“She was on the back
of his bike, Charlotte. It
was dangerous and
reckless! She shouldn’t
have been on it in the
first place. Not with this
kind of weather and not
ever in her life until
she’s thirty!”
I heard my mother
giggle and said in a tone
that I could only guess
as teasing, “I never
thought to see the day
you’d be acting this
way.”
Pause.
“Oh, God…I’ve become
my worst nightmare:
the overprotective
father.”
A smile tugged at the
corners of my mouth at
my father’s realization.
It couldn’t have come
at a better time. There
was a small part of me
that feared he would
talk to Liam tomorrow
before homeroom. I
would die of humiliation
or better yet, I’d
silently pray for the
ground beneath me to
open up and swallow
me whole.
Either one would be
great.
“It happens to the best
of us. You wouldn’t be a
good father if you didn’t
care about your little
girl’s well being,” my
mother said soothingly.
There was a long pause
and I waited for what
seemed like hours for
more words to be
spoken between them.
I glanced over at my
clock and read 10:47 in
big neon purple
numbers. I sighed,
feeling the heavy wave
of exhaustion wash
over me like quicksand.
But I willed my body
and mind to stay
awake for just a bit
longer.
Finally, I heard my
mother say, “We need
to let her make her own
decisions. It’s her life
and if she wants Liam
back into her life we
have no right telling her
otherwise. You know
how these kinds of
decisions are precious
to her.”
I sighed in relief. If I
could I would jump out
of bed and hug my
mom. She always
understood when it
came to factors of my
life. If I told her I
wanted to go and jump
off a small cliff she
would support me. Dad
would also support me
after he tried to reason
that it was dangerous.
He was always
concerned about my
well-being, and I didn’t
blame him.
“I know,” dad said.
“You’re right. I’ll just
have to grin and bear it,
won’t I?”
“That’s right, honey.”
I had to hand it to Mom.
She was the best
negotiator on the
planet! With my mind at
ease I let my body rest
and hoped that aching in
my bones would
subside by morning. My
mind was a different
matter as they were
filled with thoughts of
Liam.
He had entered back
into my life, and now it
would be difficult to
extract him from my
mind like it had been in
the very beginning.
It had taken two years
to let him go, and
watch as his life slowly
unraveled from the
seams.
Could I do the same
thing again?
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Hiya lovely fans! (: So
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