Chapter 23: Twenty-one

Monday went by easier than Liam thought it would. Ian had went home Sunday to his dad's so he didn't sleep over the night before. Liam still felt good from Saturday night though.

"Li, do you wanna come with Paige and me after school?" Ember smiles over at him from across the lunch table.

"Where are we going?" Liam raises his brows. He's already okay with going. Paige and Ember smile.

"We're gonna study." Paige says. "Ember's a little too close to failing and I could always use the extra bit."

"Oh." Liam nods. "Okay, I'll go."

"Yay." Ember grins. "I cam ask Paige my school related questions and you my important ones."

Liam picks up a fry off his tray and pops it in his mouth. Since Ember has started making him eat lunch he's actually started being hungry during this time of day. Today he's eating a grilled chicken sandwich with French fries on the side. They don't have a lot of salt and he's learned they're better that way, but they're still okay.

"What are the important ones?" Liam furrows his eyebrows.

"Questions like.. how do plane's have wifi?" Ember quarks his head to the side. "Like, seriously, how is that even possible? Don't they have to use an internet provider? Don't those usually only tend to be around one area? How can they have wifi and fly all over the damn world? I do not understand, seriously."

Liam rolls his eyes. He doesn't know why she always expects him to know the answers to her questions. Why can't she just ask google?

"Oh, also, is the north pole real? Do you think there's penguins there? What about the south pole too? Oh and have you ever heard of puffins? They're like flying penguins, isn't that crazy? Do you believe in walruses? I have my doubts about them being real. I've never seen a walrus. I used to not believe in seals either but then I went to a zoo and I saw some. They're like barking fish, it's crazy."

She continues to babble and Liam ignores her. He's smiling though. He feels really good, he really does.

"Are you listening?" Ember cuts in.

"Nope." Liam grins, big and genuine. His stomach doesn't hurt. His shoulders aren't tense.

Ember pauses with her mouth open like she was about to say something. She shuts it and ends up smiling big as well. Paige is looking at them fondly.

The lunch bell rings and they all stand to leave. Ember playfully bumps shoulders with Liam on her way to the trashcan with her tray. Liam's grinning still.

"Don't forget about studying with us later. We can even help you with your law and business class if you bring notes." Paige says as they dump their food and then sit their trays on top of the trashcan.

"Okay." Liam nods. They all walk into the hallway and split up to go to their own lockers.

The smile doesn't stay on Liam's face all day but he feels good enough to make up for it. His breathing keeps steady and his stomach doesn't lurch. He pays attention in classes and takes detailed notes. Just because he feels good doesn't mean he's forgotten his goal of getting his grades back up.

Last hour with Ember is fun. On occasion she'll kick him for no reason and then grin. Liam ends up giving her all the answers for the worksheet because she kept asking for them every other question.

When the bell rings they all rise from their desks. Ember picks up all her stuff and spins around to look at Liam. "You're driving us to a diner or something, just so you know. I don't wanna study in the library."

Liam nods and they both walk out of the classroom together. They split up once in the hallway and Liam goes up to his locker. He puts his laptop and four of his notebooks in his bag.

Paige walks over with a soft smile. Her bag is on her back and her hair is braided. On mornings that her mom isn't rushed, the woman takes time to braid her hair.

"Hey." Paige comes to a stop at the locker next to his.

"Hey." Liam smiles. "Ember doesn't want to go to the library so apparently we're going to a diner or something? Where do you want to go?"

"I'm good with anything." Paige shrugs.

Ember comes bounding over. Her dark hair bounces as she walks. "We should go to the coffee shop."

"The one Paige works at?" Liam asks.

"Yeah." Ember grins. "It's a really nice place and Paige will get the employee discount."

"Normal employees don't get the discount, only the manager and assistant manager do." Paige corrects.

"Oh." Ember says flatly. "Well, it's still a nice place and they have good coffee. I need coffee if I'm going to be studying."

The three make their way to the exit. They all walk out to Liam's car. Ember slides into the backseat without any complaints this time.

"We should do this more often. Maybe I'll get higher than a C in some of my classes." Ember hums in the backseat.

"Maybe." Paige hums too.

"I don't know, you're pretty hopeless." Liam's grinning in the driver's seat. Ember's mouth drops in surprise.

"What the fuck? No I'm not." She folds her arms across her chest and pouts. About three seconds later the pout drops and she just glares. "Okay, maybe I am. That doesn't mean you have to point it out."

Liam laughs softly. "I was kidding."

Ember smiles and just like that it's comfortable again. The rest of the drive is spent without conversation. It's not awkward though, with them it never is.

"We're here." Ember grins excitedly as they pull into a parking spot. She's out of the car before Liam has even turned it off.

"She's excited." Liam comments while getting out.

"She loves the coffee here." Paige rolls her eyes. She's smiling fondly though.

"Come on! Come on!" Ember waves from the door and it reminds Liam of a child.

They enter the little coffee shop and Liam has to smile. The place is homey. It's got wood floors and dark tables set up around. The countertop is green and there's a boy working behind it. He smiles at their entrance.

"Paige!" The three approach the counter and Paige smiles at her coworker.

"Hey Peter." Paige smiles. "We're here to study."

"Oh, okay. The usual for you?" He looks away to grab a coffee cup after Paige nods.

"I want a Frappuccino." Ember grins.

"Liam here will have a French vanilla cappuccino."

"Got it." The boy grins. "Go ahead and sit down. I'll bring them by when I'm done."

Paige lead the group to a dark table and they all sat in the metal seats with green cushions. Ember was the first to pull a book out of her bag. It was her red mathematics book.

"I'm getting the good help while I can. Liam, you're good with numbers, help me!" Ember flips open the book and in the middle is a worksheet for class. Liam chuckles and takes it to look over. Meanwhile Piage pulls out her own mathematics notebook and her school chromebook.

Less than 5 minutes later and the boy from the counter brings over a tray with their drinks. He politely smiles while sitting them all down. The three friends thank him and then he walks away.

The next three hours were spent studying. Liam was actually thankful for it. Paige had an eye for English and science and Liam was good with numbers. By the time they were done Liam felt at ease and Ember had plenty of notes to help her finish her missing assignments. She also had already finished some with Liam and Paige's help.

Liam drove home with ease. Today had been good.

○●○●○

Tuesday was okay too. For a moment Liam was convinced that it was all going to be good. He was tricked into an illusion.

That disappeared once he returned home though. Tuesday afternoon he stepped through the door to his house and it all faded away. The happiness was gone.

"William!" His mother's voice is harsh. "Go get dressed."

"Why?" Liam asks. His mother walks up until she's standing in front of him. She glares.

"I have a tea with Laura Martin and you're coming with me."

Liam sighs. That's the last thing he wants to do right now. "Mother, do I really need to go? I'm tired from school and I have homework I need to work on."

"Yes, William, you have to go." She says firmly. "You can do your homework when we get back. Now, go get dressed."

Knowing that he won't get out of it, Liam sighs. He heads up the stairs and turns into his room. The gray lifeless room doesn't feel welcoming, it feels cold. He groans while going over to his closet.

He doesn't take long to change. He decides a black button up shirt and black slacks look fancy enough. His mother can't conplain too much.

He runs his hands through his hair a few times but doesn't really have to do much. His hair is pretty easy to maintain. It never gets too messy.

He goes back down the stairs and pauses once reaching the foyer. His mother stands there, staring at he watch. She looks up once he stops.

"Good, let's go."

The two walk out the door together quietly. The car is parked in front, waiting. Liam gets in silently.

He doesn't know who Laura Martin is. She must be a new friend of his mother's because he doesn't remember her name being mentioned often. He looks over to the older woman in the car with him and hesitates before asking.

"Mom, who is Laura Martin? I don't recall ever hearing about her."

His mother's face seems to lighten up a little. Liam thinks he might have just imagined it though. "She is the wife of David Martin. He's an accountant your father plays golf with. He's very successful in the financial services world. They just recently got married. Apparently they eloped. It's a poor way, looked down apun, but we are going to be happy for them anway."

She didn't seem happy for them. She'd have to put on a better act than that once they arrive. Clearly, she doesn't like the way they got married.

"Oh." Liam nods his head. An accountant's wife. That's all she is, just like his mother. All she is to people is a lawyer's wife.

The significant others in the business world are discarded. They aren't anything but the wife. The one that listens to all the business talk and sets up parties but have no life outside of tea with each other and gossip.

It's pathetic. Liam realizes this as he sits on the drive over. They work hard to do certain things, they do, but they aren't anything but the wife of someone. Who would want that reputation?

He thinks about himself too. All he is to others is the son of a successful man. He doesn't have his own life either. At least, not one that people see.

Memories suddenly flash through his mind. Being at Ember's house and watching Ian play video games. Him beating Chris in a random arcade game. Running around a playground in the dark and then getting milkshakes in a twenty four hour diner.

He has a life. Liam smiles at the thought. Even if only a few people know about it, he does in fact have a life. He's happy.

The car stops eventually. They're at a restaurant. Some big place with a French name Liam can't pronounce. He thinks they've had a reservation here once before but he can't really remember.

Sara gets out of the car and Liam follows. They enter the restaurant on single file. The place is about half way full, everyone here seems to be similar to them - all dressed up and ready to waste some money on food that isn't even worth it.

Liam's mother exchanges a few words with the waiter before the man is leading them through the building. They stop at a table that a man and woman are sitting at. The man has pale skin and jet black hair, he's wearing a full suit. Meanwhile the woman has auburn hair with deep brown eyes, she's dressed in a light pink dress with a brown cross-stitch jacket over it.

"Hello miss Sara, it's good to see you again."

"You as well." Liam's mother nods and sits down across from the woman. Liam slides into the seat next to his mother. "This is my son, William."

The woman's grin is very bright. It's genuine which surprises Liam. She has wrinkles around her eyes from smiling over the years.

"It's nice to meet you Will." She says smoothly. "I'm Laura."

The man next to her smiles as well. It's polite and rehearsed, the type of smile that's expected. "I am David Martin. It is nice to meet you William, I have known your father for a few years now he's a good man."

Liam nods politely and smiles, it feels strained. Laura places her hands on a menu in the middle and picks it up. "We waited for you two before we ordered."

Liam picks up a menu too but he feels like it's pointless. His mother is probably just going to order for him again. She usually does.

He reads through the fancy names. His mother is looking through her menu as well. She must pick out what she wants because she sits it back down a minute later.

She looks over to Liam. "Have you decided what you want?"

"Um." Liam's eyes widen a little. He looks back at the menu. "The Ratatouille looks good."

Sara nods her head and then turns her attention back to the couple in front of them. Laura has sat her menu back down but David is still looking through his. The woman smiles widely at him while Liam sits his menu back down.

"William, what school do you go to?" She rests her elbows on the table and folds her hands over each other to prop her head up. That's something his mother would definitely complain about on the way back home.

"Lavex Academy." Liam answers easily. He expects the usual questions about if he's taking law classes and how he feels about them. He prepares the lie and polite answers on his tongue.

"Oh, that's a nice school I hear. I've never seen anything more than the outside from the gates as I pass. Is it as fancy on the inside?"

Liam is a bit caught off guard by the question. Most people around here are well aware of what Lavex Academy is like. "Um, yes. The entire building is prided on its value."

"Really?" Laura raises her eyebrows. "It must be cool to go there. Are the classes very difficult?"

There it is, normal questions. "They can be challenging some of the time. I manage through them though."

"William makes exceptional grades. He's always made top marks." His mother cuts in. Her smile is fake but realistic enough to fool anyone except Liam, and maybe her husband.

"That's amazing." Laura smiles. "I'm sure you're very proud."

"Of course." Sara nods. It doesn't sound authentic to Liam's ears.

David sits his menu down then, just as the waiter approaches their table. The man is dressed in black pants, a white button up, and a black sweater vest. "Have you all decided on your orders?"

"I would like the Bouillabaisse and the boy wants the Ratatouille." Liam's mother orders for them both. The waiter nods and moves to the married couple. They both say their orders and then the man walks away.

"So, William, what's your favorite class?" The woman with auburn hair brings the focus back into him.

William's eyebrows raise ever so slightly. That's never been a question he's been asked before. He considers saying Intro to Law to make his mother happy but decides against it.

"I'm taking college Algebra and I'd say that it's probably my favorite at the moment."

"Oh, so you're a math boy then?" Laura says.

"Definitely. I like working with numbers, it's easy to me."

"You're a junior, right?" David suddenly asks. Liam nods. "That's about a year early to be taking college Algebra isn't it?"

"No sir. I took Algebra in middle school. I only had to take geometry and Algebra II. This year and next year I get to pick my math classes." Liam informs him. He nods.

"I took a statistics class in high school. That's when I got the idea to go into financial services, my teacher was talking about it as a job one day." David comments. "I never thought I'd get where I am back then."

"That's really cool." Liam smiles, less strained this time.

The conversation shifts away from school. Their orders come back and Liam can focus more on eating than talking. David turns out to be just like any other businessman, stale and boring.

Laura however is interesting. She has a real smile and has more color to her personality. Liam decides he likes her before they have to leave.

"I don't understand why David married her." Sara mumbles on the drive back.

"Why?" Liam looks up, suddenly interested.

"She's not a part of our world. She doesn't have a good background, she's lacking manners, she probably doesn't understand half of the business talk. It's sad really. She's divorced as well. That explains the whole eloping thing."

Liam raises his eyebrows. "What's wrong with being divorced?"

"It is a warning sign. Liam, if someone is divorced it means they couldn't commit. Marriage is a commitment and a promise. After it's done there is no going back. Someone that can't keep their oathes shouldn't be married."

Liam looks out the window again. He hadn't realized his mother was this close minded. He hooks his hands together and sits them on his lap, deciding not to say anything. By now he had learned not to argue with his mother.

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This chapter didn't have the group and now I miss them.

Love you ♡

- Z