If someone had told his 9-year-old self that one day he would find himself having dinner with none other than Theo Raeken, with their parents flirting from side to side of the table, passing each other dishes and laughing at the more and less, he would definitely have gladly offered to pay them a psychiatric session in some madhouse. Maybe the whole stay.
Theo seemed to be on the same page.
Sitting across from Liam, he just kept quiet, his brows furrowing from all evening, to the point that Liam thought they'd get stuck in that expression forever.
Liam kept his gaze fixed on the plate he was eating from, keeping his mouth busy with big mouthfuls, hoping they wouldn't involve him into the conversation.
He only dared once to look up at the boy in front of him, noticing how he had hardly touched any food, rather fiddling with his fork.
Liam thought he had hit the very bottom of the awkward and uncomfortable situations in his short life - many of which actually involve Theo - but this reached a whole new level. At some point, Paul and Jenna also noticed the growing thick tension, as they shared uncertain glances, the smile of their last exchange fading slightly.
"So ..." she cleared her throat, looking first at Liam and then at Theo "How was school?"
Liam looked up at her, and shrugged.
Theo didn't even answer.
His mother seemed anxiously waiting, so Liam took a deep breath. He knew how much his mother cared about making this thing work. And he would do anything to make her happy. "It ... was fine, I guess… I ... met Mason ... do you remember him?" he replied nervously.
"Uh sure..! He was such a lovely kid" she said with a smile.
Theo made a sound halfway between a snort and a choke. Liam ignored him, but caught the glare that Paul shot him.
"Yes, he invited me to lunch and introduced me to his friends, he was kind" Liam replied quietly. He knew his mom was just as worried about the new school as he was, and seeing the relief in her eyes was enough for Liam to classify today as a good day. And this pushed him to go on. "Hayden too ... she remembered me. She's in my eco class, and she stopped to greet me in the hallway," he added shyly, looking back at his food.
"Ohh! Hayden, sure. If I do remember her!" her mother chuckled, then turning to Paul. "You know ... Liam had a fat crush on that little girl in elementary school, he kept blabbering about her all the time!" Liam blushed at the memory. Was it necessary to tell? Moreover, right in front of Theo?! He wanted to bury himself.
Paul chuckled, glancing back at Theo. "Kids ..." He shook his head affectionately "Theo too… always talked about ... oh my, what was called? Now I don't remember the name, but he was really nagging-"
Theo let go of his fork with perhaps too much force, making it jingle on the plate. "What if I go grab the dessert?" he interjected, standing up without even waiting for an answer. "I take it for a yes," he muttered, before fleeing to the kitchen.
Paul chuckled as he caught Jenna's gaze. "Hit a nerve, apparently," he whispered amused. "Maybe Liam can tell us more-"
Liam's eyes widened, panic growing as he felt called into question. "Um I - actually I -" he stammered, shaking his head.
"He doesn't know," Theo broke in abruptly, returning to the kitchen with an ice cream cake which he placed in front of Jenna, before returning to his seat and crossing his arms "He and I ... we weren't that close friends."
He looked at Liam with a raised eyebrow as if to dare him to say otherwise.
Liam held back from snorting.
Because that was the understatement of the century. Not that close friends. He and Theo Raeken ... Liam didn't even know how to describe what they were. And friends wasn't even on the list.
But he nodded. "Yeah ... let's just say ... we had ... different interests," he muttered, twisting his hands secretly in his lap.
"Well... they say this is the key to the best of friendship" Paul commented. Theo snorted mockingly. Paul glared at him before clearing his throat. "Why don't you start by showing Liam the house ... his room?"
Theo looked at him impassively. "His room is full of boxes and bags, and he doesn't have a bed," he remarked.
"That’s why he’s gonna sleep in yours."
Both boys blinked. "What?" Theo snapped.
"Um- I, I- I can sleep on the couch!" Liam said quickly, glancing at the couch in the corner of the room.
"See? He can sleep on the couch" Theo repeated eagerly
"Absolutely not! Let alone I let you sleep on that lumpy couch, when Theo has a perfectly working bed in hisroom!" Paul shook his head, smiling at him. "It will only be for a couple days. The movers will only have to move your room here, fortunately. They called this morning saying they will do it this week," se assured him.
"I'm sure it will be fun, honey," Jenna exclaimed happily. "You always liked sleepovers." Liam wanted to disappear. None of this would have been fun, and he would never have called a bed next to Theo Raeken working. He was pretty sure he wasn't going to sleep at all tonight.
"Fine" Theo snapped dryly as he stood up. He looked at Liam, and he looked back, almost terrified. "Then shall we go?" And he went out without waiting for him. "Don't finish the cake," he snapped from the stairs.
Liam looked quickly at his mother, almost looking for support, and she gave him a big, encouraging smile.
Liam got up slowly, resigned, taking a breath as he followed Theo.
*
"This is the hallway," Theo spoke in a bored and annoyed voice, noting the obvious. He could see very well that it was the hallway.
"Over there there is my father ... and your mother’s room" He pointed to the room at the far right.
"That's your room." He pointed to the next door. Then he turned left.
"This is the bathroom, or rather our bathroom. Dad has his own in the room."
Then he walked to the next door, opening it. "This is my room. Tour over"
He walked in his room, then turning to him.
He held up a finger. "So, rule number one, don't touch my things."
He held up another finger. "Rule number two, when you have your nice room, mine will be off-limits, even if and especially if you are dying. Rule number three" Theo threw himself on his bed, crossing his arms behind his head "Don't talk to me. Never."
Liam felt very welcome.
He rolled his eyes before looking around cautiously. It was a surprisingly tidy room, and very bare. Apart from the bridge wardrobe, with the bed underneath, there was only a desk and a television in the corner. Liam's eyes returned to Theo, still lying and busy with his cell phone.
"Where should I sleep?" he dared to ask.
Theo looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "What's wrong with the floor?"
Liam closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
Resilience, Liam. Resilience.
So he took out his cell phone in turn, and threw himself on the floor with his legs crossed. After a few seconds, he felt Theo's eyes on him, but he didn't look up.
Then Theo snorted angrily, getting up and bending over to pull the big drawer under his bed. "Get off," he said abruptly as he pulled the bed out completely. Then she scrambled on it to open a closet door and pulled a T-shirt and some shorts at Liam.
Liam took them on the fly, bewildered. "I have ... my stuff," he reminded him, taken aback.
"Right, scattered in dozens of boxes and bags. If you want to go look for them and spend the night like that, go ahead"
“Um- then .. thanks" said Liam unsure..
Theo looked at him almost as if he were studying him. Then he let out an annoyed breath, turning away from him to go back to the bed. "If you want to take a shower, go ahead. There are clean towels in the bathroom"
Liam stayed still for a moment, his hands tightening around the clothes Theo had thrown at him. He pursed his lips, plucking up courage. "I- umh-"
Theo stopped before reaching the bed and turned to him. Liam took a breath. He would gladly do without it, but he wanted to make things clear right away. He would not allow anyone to ruin this.
"I know this sucks. I know you hate me and I'm probably the last person you thought you'd see here tonight ... and that's okay, I would have liked anyone else but you too, but I want this to work... for my mum. I'm willing to put up with everything, even having you as a brother, if she's happy. So don't do anything that could hurt her- " Liam tightened his grip even more, finally looking up at Theo. His expression was firm, although his voice trembled slightly, his cheeks burning. "-This time I won’t shut up and watch"
Liam had only a quick flicker of Theo's grin, before big hands grabbed his biceps pushing him against the wall. The blow made him gasp slightly, and when he managed to open his eyes, he met Theo's a few inches from his face, his hands still holding him pressed against the wall.
"Really, Dumbar?" he snorted amused. "And what are you going to do? I would really like to see" Liam stood looking at him, shocked by the unexpected reaction, his eyes wide open and his face even more red. Theo chuckled mockingly. "You haven't changed at all," he added then, his voice sharp. "But about one thing you're right, I hate you. And I do not care at all to make this thing work. Not that it will last, anyway. And as far as I’m concerned" Theo's face became even more close. Liam held his breath. "-I will never consider you a brother"
He let him go abruptly, and turned to go back to the bed, as if nothing had happened. Liam stayed pressed against the wall for a moment, motionless in that position, his eyes still fixed on where Theo had been before.
He only awoke when he heard footsteps up the stairs. "Liam, Theo ... so? Do you want this cake?" his mother's voice reached them.
Liam swallowed, before throwing the clothes he was still clutching onto 'his' bed, and quickly walked out the door.
He hated all of this. He hated his not knowing how to react. Not having been able to do it in the past. Not being able to do it now. And above all, he fucking hated Theo Raeken!
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