The last week before Christmas break was quite hectic. Tests followed one another, and Liam often spent whole afternoons with Mason and Corey to study together. Sometimes, when they did that at Liam's house, Theo also joined in, smoothly ignoring the death glare that Corey threw him across the room, with his usual sneer on his face, as if none of that concerned him.
Even Mason was no better, even though his looks, rather than angry, were mostly suspicious, or perhaps watchful, as if Theo were a bizarre scientific experiment to be studied with interest. On the other hand, Liam had found himself at the center of a completely different kind of attention. Now he was no longer the "new kid", but the "kid who lives with Raeken", and in the last week he had received a thousand different kinds of glances: envious, suspicious, some of them frightened, amused, and even furious glances.
"I hate people'' Liam
said flat, as he waited with his right shoulder against the icy
surface of a locker that Mason and Corey got their books
Mason laughed and Corey shook his head in amusement "Don't beat yourself up too much, it's not for you, it's for Theo" he said then rolling his eyes. Corey closed the locker and Mason and Liam followed him down the hallway "See, the world is divided into people who love Theo Raeken and people who hate him, and now you, whatever the case ... you're in the middle" he concluded quietly.
"Great" Liam rolled his eyes. If there was one thing he hated, it was to be the center of attention. He hated the feeling of having eyes on him, scrutinizing and judging every his move and word. It made him feel inadequate, the discomfort that crawled like poison and boiled under his skin. He sighed frustrated. "I never thought I would have said that, but Theo was right."
"Don't think about it'' Mason said cheerfully, hitting him on the shoulder. "You know how these things work, give them a couple of days and they will find something more interesting to gossip about"
"Yeah, and then the party's tomorrow. The one thing Theo does best, aside being an asshole, is throwing parties" Corey muttered.
"Your parents have already left?" Mason asked curious.
Liam shook his head. "No, they'll leave tonight." Then he bit his lip uncertain. "You know, I feel a little guilty, to have a secret party whil-"
"Come on!" This time it was Corey who gave him a pat on the other shoulder, with a chuckle "It'll be alright, and then there's nothing better than getting drunk to forget your own problems"
Liam laughed nervously "I don't think this is a good ide-"
"Hey Liam!" Hayden's voice coming from somewhere behind them made them stop.
Mason and Corey shared two knowing glances, and Mason nudged Liam
lightly. "See you at lunch" he whispered with a smirk.
Liam blushed, glaring at both of them. "Stop it" he whispered in their direction as they walked away, giggling.
When Hayden joined him, Liam looked back at her, suddenly embarrassed. Mason and Corey's ongoing comments made him really all too self-conscious about the girl.
"Hey" he stammered as he met her eyes
She smiled at him. "Hey. Are you going to econ, right?" Liam nodded. "Good, wanna walk together?"
"E-er .. okay, yeah"
They were silent for a few seconds as they walked down the hallways before Hayden decided to speak. "So ... uhm..." she started unsure.
Liam gave her an amused look. "You want to ask me about Theo" he guessed.
Even Hayden snorted a laugh. "Well ... yeah I mean ... it is ... it's so strange, the idea of you two, together, under the same roof"
"Yeah tell me about it" Liam shook his head with a smile.
Hayden then suddenly grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, forcing him to stop and he turned to look at her. Her expression now was strangely more serious, and Liam looked at her questioningly. "He ... he do- doesn't ... bother you, does he?"
"Um ..." Liam looked at her, unsure "No ... I mean, I think being annoying is something congenital in him, but ... no more than usual, no"
"Look, I know ... it will seem strange to you to hear it now, though .." Hayden took a breath "I'm sorry"
"For what?" he asked in surprise
"Well ..." Hayden shrugged, embarrassed. "Back then I wanted to do more to help you. We were kids, everything often seemed like a game, but I realized only afterwards that it probably wasn't a game for you at all. Theo was cruel to you, and even those like me who stood and just watched ... well we were just as bad. I won't make the same mistake twice."
Liam gave her a grateful smile, a faint blush that spread on his cheeks as he replied "It's okay. You don't have to apologize, I - you couldn't do anything." Hayden was about to protest, but Liam continued firmer. "You were the one who always tried to get me involved, not to make me feel lonely. You were probably the only one who remembered my name first. You've done enough for me, believe me."
Hayden blushed and smiled at him. "Okay." Liam smiled back as they started walking again.
"But the next time that Theo even makes one sarcastic or sour comment, I'll kick him in the balls" she added wryly.
Liam laughed "You know, I never thought I would have said that, but ... he's ... he's not so bad" Hayden looked at him wide-eyed "Yeah, well ... sometimes he can be ... oddly..." He paused thoughtfully. Liam thought back to a few days before, when Theo had offered to listen to him, or when he had followed him in the middle of the night after his outburst.
You always used to hide up there when we were playing here as kids. He had never thought that Theo paid him so much attention, or at least, not that kind
of attention. He thought of the comic he had given him. When they had
made the tree together like a normal family. And everytime they had
studied together.
I am impressed.
"... Oddly thoughtful"
"Thoughtful?" Hayden raised his eyebrows even more "Theo Raeken?"
Liam chuckled at her skeptical tone. "It sounds weird, but yeah"
"Oh then the real Theo was kidnapped by aliens, for sure" Liam
laughed just as they got into the classroom. Hayden went on faking panic "Should we report it to someone?"
Theo looked up from his econ book when he heard Liam laugh. His heart skipped a beat when he saw him laughing carefree with Hayden as they made their way through the desks to their seats. Theo looked away quickly, clenching his fists on his lap with a frustrated sigh, as he tried to stay calm to hold himself back from doing anything stupid as usual.
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