Chapter 3

"Finally, someone who can see!" Sage exclaimed, throwing her hands up to the air. We finally had the chance to discuss freely at study hall and with annoyance I explained what Owen thought of his own cousin. "What do you mean?" I asked her, folding my arms. "The same thing I've been meaning ever since I noticed you making goo- goo eyes at Liam in sixth grade!" Sage said, blinking her hazel eyes at me. Vesper snorted a laugh without looking up from her book. "You're too kind and sweet to be with him, Lyra. He really is a jerk." Sage continued. I sighed, "He's not that bad." "He never listens to you!" "That would probably be because she doesn't say things" Vesper suggested, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Yeah!" I enthused, pointing at her before pausing. "Wait..." "Okay then, Vesper's got a point, you should speak up, you know" Sage shrugged. "I know, it's just...a habit now" I stared down at my text book, hopelessly. Sage and Vesper put their hands on both of mine and I looked up to their encouraging faces. Sage's fierce and determined but Vesper's kind and warm. "You'll be fine" "Everything would be alright" They said at the same time. I smiled at them. "Don't get me emotional for no reason, guys" I fake sobbed and they both laughed. At lunch time, the moment I saw the crowded popular table and compared it with the quiet, lonely table near the window, I knew exactly where I wanted to sit. "Lyra, over here!" The jocks called and waved, Liam was seated amongst them, watching on. He was still mad at me from this morning for coming late and over eating... "See you later, Lyra" Vesper said and they both left me to make my choice. I sighed and walked over to the popular table. "Liam," I said when I got there, waving at the football guys and the cheerleaders. "Hi" "Hi" he said and pat the empty space next to him. "Um, I'd really like to sit with my friends today" I said, making sure my voice was audible. I took a quick glance around, everyone was minding their business and Owen was no where to be found. Liam held his hand out for mine and when I took it he yanked me down to his level so he could whisper in my ear. I had to balance my tray with one hand and hold myself up on his shoulder with the other. "Just sit down, Lyra. You're going to make things look weird." He said. "What things? This place is too noisy and cramped for me" I explained. "And my friends aren't here" "These are your friends" he shot back. Were they? They were friendly to me but maybe that was just because they were Liam's friends, "I...I meant my best friends." The look on Liam's face when he realized I wasn't giving in was so mean it was enough for me to zip my mouth shut and sit next to him. But I was saved. Sage and Vesper came giggling, pushing through the jocks and cheerleaders to get to me. "Hi Liam, but sorry we're gonna have to steal your girlfriend!" Vesper said, grinning and batting her eyelashes as she hooked her elbow through mine. "You don't mind do you?" Sage asked, her big grin looking like a shark with braces getting ready to attack. "Of course not," Liam replied, an easy smile transforming his face. I just wished he could smile like that all the time. "Really? You're absolutely positive about us taking her away?" Sage asked, the killer's grin still on her face. "Today and every other day we're in school" "Why won't I be?" Liam laughed, "I'm not clingy or anything. Just take good care of her, she's my delicate rose if you know what I mean." "Oohhh!" his friends jeered and he shushed them up, laughing. "I don't know actually." Sage deadpanned, dropping the grin. "Sage." I elbowed her gently. After that, they just took me away. I finally breathed freely when I was seated near the window. "She's my delicate rose!!!" Sage mocked in Liam's British accent, making it seem like she was yapping the words out. Vesper cackled. "I owe you guys." I said with all my heart. "Please, please, our services are for free" Vesper said, making a 'calm down' gesture with both hands. "They are?" Sage joked. "I'm gonna need my payment. And by payment, I mean dump his sorry butt!" I giggled and shook my head. "Tell me you've at least considered the option." Vesper said, resting her folded arms on the table. "Yeah." I lied, nodding. "Totally." "Well that's progress." Sage said, pointing her fork at me. "So you're free to sit with us whenever you want now." Vesper said, gleefully squirming on her seat and I smiled half heartedly, my sixth sense telling me Liam was keeping an eye on me and that we were both thinking the same thing. I was going to pay for this later. Later that evening, I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, smoothing out the brown dress Liam told me to wear. It was supposed to be a classy dinner or something. I didn't care, I just wanted to go, have a stomach ache as an excuse to leave and then come home to watch Netflix and enjoy hugs from Tilly. I didn't dare to put a rain check on this. The last time I did...? I shuddered, and not from the cold wind coming through my window. "Honey?" Dad called with a light knock as he pushed the door open. "I didn't count or anything, but in the three trips I took to and fro the kitchen you've been staring at your own reflection, what's up?" "It's nothing" I replied. "Is it the dress?" He insisted, coming to look into the mirror with me. "Do you not want to go to the dinner? Is it your mom?" Since he wasn't going to let this go, I went with the wrong answer. "Yeah, I just...I haven't heard from mom today" I shrugged. "I'm sure she's thinking about you, Lyra" Dad said, taking a pink hair clip and putting it in my black curls, "you spent ten freaking months in her womb. It would be hard not to think about you." I snickered so hard that I snorted and Dad laughed with me. "Thanks, I just needed the reminder that I'm a late bloomer in every sense of the word." "I won't say every, you turned out great I guess, look at you using lipstick now" He said, gesturing to the mirror. "Gosh" I rolled my eyes with a smile and left the room without taking the hair clip out. The pink went with my lipstick. "Do you want me to drive you there so I can pick you up later?" Dad asked. No! "I'm a big girl now, Dad" I said, laughing as I pet Tilly briefly and headed for the door "But thanks anyways" "Just trying to do my part. It's hard as it is letting you go on dates" "Trust me, I can tell" Once the door closed behind me, I was on my own. The sun was just about to set when I got to the high class part of town where Liam lived and where my mom's estate was. I pulled up in front of the Frances residence and got out of the car to press the bell. I prayed Mr. Frances would be the one to open the door and I wasn't disappointed. "Lyra, hello" he said with a smile. He was a tall man who never used to be so thin. He was really nice to me but very jumpy and skittish, just like me sometimes. "Good evening, Mr. Frances" I greeted and he let me into the grand house making small talk as we passed by expensive paintings of all sizes, glowing chandeliers, the massive foyer, and we finally climbed up the stairs that led into the dining room. "...and all those things. Unfortunately, Owen won't be joining us tonight. He had to do some... shopping of some sort. A shame really, he's a really handy person to have around." Mr. Frances chuckled nervously. "I know exactly what you mean" I sighed and we both straightened up when his wife, Mrs. Frances bounded into the room all radiant and smiling. A stark contrast to Mr. Frances who looked like he'd been sapped of all his glow. "Lyra" Mrs. Frances cooed and walked up to me in all her perfect grace. She was swathed in fancy silk for this simple dinner and her face was caked up with make up from her own company. Her perfect figure made me feel like a fat blob in a brown dress. "H-hi Mrs. Frances," I said, wondering why she was being so nice. Usually, she just ignored my presence. "Your face is so smooth, I never noticed." she said, running a dainty hand down my face. Up close, her perfume clogged my nose up completely. "Hans, quick take a picture," she ordered, handing her phone out to him. "Don't forget to smile," she said through her grin as she put an arm around me. I mustered up a big smile so she won't get mad and her husband took a picture. While that went on, Liam stepped in. I offered him an apologetic smile as his mom let me go. "Perfect," Mrs. Frances said, a satisfied smile on her face as she looked at the picture and started texting. "Straight to Instagram...use Feather cosmetics to get that perfect...look. And posted!" I frowned as I realized and looked at Mr. Frances who cast his eyes down in shame. "You posted my picture on the internet? But I don't use Feather Cosmetics." I said. I had to stop when I learned about how unhealthy it was for the skin and wasn't really environment friendly, I could even get started on the animal testing. Franca Frances sighed and looked at her son. "When are you going to let this one go already? She's so slow" "I love her mom, I'm not letting her go," he replied with a loving smile to his mom. I didn't melt like I originally should have, but Franca did. "Oh my baby's in love, well let's have dinner already, I'm starving. Then we can discuss the big party I'm throwing soon." I won't call what I had dinner, it was salad and I wasn't allowed to have anything else since I was apparently gaining more weight. Franca ate it with great relish though. But she kept glaring at my miserable expression everytime I bit on a tomato. "Can you at least pretend you're happy to be here?" He asked, leaning over to whisper. "Do I have to remind you you're not off the hook yet?" "I didn't do anything wrong" I murmured but this time he caught what I said. "Really?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I'm not even hungry" I said, sliding my plate forward. "And I don't even know exactly why you're mad I sat with my friends" The scraping of Liam's chair against the tiles filled the silent room as he pushed his seat backwards to stand up. "It seems like you have a lot of things to say, so why not just come with me and say it" he said and I gulped, shaking my head. "I want to go home" I said, despite my voice going hoarse. "Come with me, Lyra" Liam repeated, more forcefully. I stayed seated, trembling slightly. Suddenly, his mother slammed her fist on the table, "Did you hear him, child?!" I jumped in my seat, a small whimper leaving my lips. I glanced towards the door hoping Owen or at least someone would just walk in. But no one did and Liam resolved to grabbing me roughly by the arm to yank me to my feet. Mr Frances squirmed helplessly, "what if we just continue our din...." "Now honey," His wife said calmly, "she got herself into this mess and we all know what happens when you do that" The last I saw of Mr. Frances's pale face was fear and pity all directed at me. It was a bathroom Liam took me to. He didn't lock the door, that was good. My feet took me to the farthest end of the room which was near the sink. I wished this place wasn't so small. Liam seemed to tower over me even though he was near the door. "You have something to say, so say it" he said, training his hard brown eyes on me as I cowered in the corner and shook my head. "No" I whispered. "No?" "I don't have anything to say okay?" "Why are you shaking? I didn't even do anything" The spots where his nails had dug into my skin still stung badly. I just shook my head still. He took more steps closer till he was right in front of me, invasive. "Does this mean you're going to apologize for what you did wrong?" He asked. "N-no" I whispered shakily "I didn't do anything wrong, I just want to be myself with the people I-" "DON'T say no!" He yelled, his voice echoing off the tile walls. He was absolutely livid staring down at me. "Apologize" he ordered. Despite my trembling and my vision blurry with unshed tears, I looked up at him and made my choice. "No" The back of his hand was a blur as it aimed for my face. WHAM! The sound rang through the air for a long, long time. My shaking hand went up to my cheek as I turned to look at him in pure shock. He swore, his face mirroring my utter surprise and dismay. "Oh no" He stumbled backwards like he was seeing me clearly for the First time. "Lyra...I don't know what came over me......." I crumbled to the floor, my hand still on my face as I sobbed. This couldn't be happening, not again. "I promised this won't happen again... I'm so sorry" Liam's voice quivered as he spoke and he sank to his knees in front of me.