We Were Right From The Start
five
At the end of Geography Liam came straight over to me where I was packing up my books. I noticed that many of the class were watching. I turned and smiled at him. "Do you want to come and focus all your attention on me now?" he asked, causing me to blush again. The people closest to us, who had heard, sniggered. I couldn’t do anything but nod as my cheeks turned even redder. Liam smirked slightly and took my hand and led me from the room. "I can't believe you still do that," he said as we walked through the school.
"What?" I asked him. I was very aware that my hand was still held tightly in his.
"Blush," he smiled, causing my cheeks to redden and he grinned. "I remember you did it all the time when we were kids. I didn't know you hadn’t outgrown it." I smiled and shrugged.
"I hope I do eventually, it's embarrassing," I said but Liam shook his head.
"I think you look cute when you blush," he said and I looked up at him and smiled. I noticed a red tint forming on his cheeks and I smiled.
"So do you," I said and he smiled down at me.
"Thank you, but you blush much more often and more noticeably," he said slightly defensively and I laughed.
"See, it is embarrassing isn't it?" I asked and Liam smiled.
"I guess," he said and I smiled and squeezed his hand.
We didn't say anything else until we got to the school library. It was quite big for such a small school and there was plenty in there for our presentation. We found a table and I pulled out some paper for us to use. We used the computer system to help us find books and the right area and after half an hour, we had a large stack on the table. "Are we really going to look through all these?" Liam said and I knew what he meant. It would take ages. I glanced at the clock, it was 4.30; I had an hour.
"Half each," I said and passed half the pile to Liam who scowled down at the books. I tried not to laugh. "Just skim it and jot down anything you think we might use." He sighed and sat down next to me and started to read. I watched him for a while and then shook myself and started reading through my own pile of books.
We had each written about 3 pages of notes when my phone vibrated in my pocket, causing me to jump. I quickly answered it while Liam tried not to laugh. "Hello?" I said quietly, considering we were in a library.
"Where are you?" mum's voice flowed from the phone. I looked up at the clock and saw it was 5.45.
"Sorry, I got caught up at school, I lost track of time," I said. At this, Liam looked up at the clock as well and his eyes widened with shock.
"I expect you home in 5 minutes," she said.
"What? But-"
"No excuses," she snapped and hung up. I glanced at Liam who was very determinedly reading a book.
"I guess you heard that," I said. He looked up sheepishly.
"Sorry, I could just hear her voice and-"
"It's fine," I said and stood up.
"How are you going to get home in 5 minutes?" he asked and I shook my head.
"I don’t know, run I guess," I said and he frowned and stood up as well.
"I'll drive you," he said and I looked up at him.
"No, I mean, I don’t want to be a bother," I said and he smiled.
"It's not a bother," he said and I smiled.
"Thanks," I said and he nodded
We packed up quickly, shoving the books back onto the shelves and gathering our papers messily. Liam took my hand again as we walked from the library to the car park and I felt shivers run through me. It seemed a natural thing for him to do. I looked down to hide my smile. He opened the door of the car for me and I smiled as I got in. While he was walking round to the driver's side I shoved our notes into my bag and then settled back into the seat.
Once Liam was sitting next to me he looked at me and smiled before starting the car and driving away. I looked at the clock. I only had 3 minutes to get home. But I'm sure my mum won't notice if I'm a couple minutes passed, she would expect it. Sooner than I had expected, Liam pulled up outside my house. I smiled and turned to him. "Thanks," I smiled and he smiled and nodded. I went to open the door but Liam put his hand on my arm and stopped me.
"Frankie, do you think we could...do you want to...go out on Saturday? No science, just us," he said and I grinned.
"Are you asking me out?" I asked and he nodded hesitantly. I grinned and was about to say yes when I remembered I couldn’t and my smile vanished from my face. Liam saw it and turned away.
"I really want to but I can't, I have to look after Sam," I said and he nodded as he looked out of the front. "I'm sorry," I said. Before I could stop myself I leant across and kissed his cheek softly. I pulled back and smiled at Liam who had turned toward me. "I'll see you tomorrow," I smiled and climbed out of the car and went inside.
I couldn’t help the smile that covered my face. However, seeing Sam sitting on the bottom step, tears on his cheeks wiped it from my face. "Sam!" I cried and ran forward and took him in my arms. "What's the matter!?" He just started crying. I held him tightly and walked upstairs into my room and shut the door. I went and sat on my bed as Sam cried into my shoulder. His grip around my neck eventually loosened and he just snuggled into my chest.
"Daddy hit mummy, and she started crying," he said and I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth.
"It's ok, honey, I'm here," I said softly and lay back on the bed and held him close.
Sam fell asleep quickly and I slowly and carefully pulled away and went downstairs. I looked around for mum or dad. I found dad asleep in the living room, a beer in his hand, but I didn't know where mum was. I got a packet of crisps and an apple and went back upstairs. I saw my parents' bedroom door was shut so I guessed mum was in there. I went back into my room and saw Sam was curled in a ball on my bed. I didn't have the heart to pick him up and put him back in his room, so once I had eaten and changed, I climbed in bed next to him and fell asleep almost instantly.
"What?" I asked him. I was very aware that my hand was still held tightly in his.
"Blush," he smiled, causing my cheeks to redden and he grinned. "I remember you did it all the time when we were kids. I didn't know you hadn’t outgrown it." I smiled and shrugged.
"I hope I do eventually, it's embarrassing," I said but Liam shook his head.
"I think you look cute when you blush," he said and I looked up at him and smiled. I noticed a red tint forming on his cheeks and I smiled.
"So do you," I said and he smiled down at me.
"Thank you, but you blush much more often and more noticeably," he said slightly defensively and I laughed.
"See, it is embarrassing isn't it?" I asked and Liam smiled.
"I guess," he said and I smiled and squeezed his hand.
We didn't say anything else until we got to the school library. It was quite big for such a small school and there was plenty in there for our presentation. We found a table and I pulled out some paper for us to use. We used the computer system to help us find books and the right area and after half an hour, we had a large stack on the table. "Are we really going to look through all these?" Liam said and I knew what he meant. It would take ages. I glanced at the clock, it was 4.30; I had an hour.
"Half each," I said and passed half the pile to Liam who scowled down at the books. I tried not to laugh. "Just skim it and jot down anything you think we might use." He sighed and sat down next to me and started to read. I watched him for a while and then shook myself and started reading through my own pile of books.
We had each written about 3 pages of notes when my phone vibrated in my pocket, causing me to jump. I quickly answered it while Liam tried not to laugh. "Hello?" I said quietly, considering we were in a library.
"Where are you?" mum's voice flowed from the phone. I looked up at the clock and saw it was 5.45.
"Sorry, I got caught up at school, I lost track of time," I said. At this, Liam looked up at the clock as well and his eyes widened with shock.
"I expect you home in 5 minutes," she said.
"What? But-"
"No excuses," she snapped and hung up. I glanced at Liam who was very determinedly reading a book.
"I guess you heard that," I said. He looked up sheepishly.
"Sorry, I could just hear her voice and-"
"It's fine," I said and stood up.
"How are you going to get home in 5 minutes?" he asked and I shook my head.
"I don’t know, run I guess," I said and he frowned and stood up as well.
"I'll drive you," he said and I looked up at him.
"No, I mean, I don’t want to be a bother," I said and he smiled.
"It's not a bother," he said and I smiled.
"Thanks," I said and he nodded
We packed up quickly, shoving the books back onto the shelves and gathering our papers messily. Liam took my hand again as we walked from the library to the car park and I felt shivers run through me. It seemed a natural thing for him to do. I looked down to hide my smile. He opened the door of the car for me and I smiled as I got in. While he was walking round to the driver's side I shoved our notes into my bag and then settled back into the seat.
Once Liam was sitting next to me he looked at me and smiled before starting the car and driving away. I looked at the clock. I only had 3 minutes to get home. But I'm sure my mum won't notice if I'm a couple minutes passed, she would expect it. Sooner than I had expected, Liam pulled up outside my house. I smiled and turned to him. "Thanks," I smiled and he smiled and nodded. I went to open the door but Liam put his hand on my arm and stopped me.
"Frankie, do you think we could...do you want to...go out on Saturday? No science, just us," he said and I grinned.
"Are you asking me out?" I asked and he nodded hesitantly. I grinned and was about to say yes when I remembered I couldn’t and my smile vanished from my face. Liam saw it and turned away.
"I really want to but I can't, I have to look after Sam," I said and he nodded as he looked out of the front. "I'm sorry," I said. Before I could stop myself I leant across and kissed his cheek softly. I pulled back and smiled at Liam who had turned toward me. "I'll see you tomorrow," I smiled and climbed out of the car and went inside.
I couldn’t help the smile that covered my face. However, seeing Sam sitting on the bottom step, tears on his cheeks wiped it from my face. "Sam!" I cried and ran forward and took him in my arms. "What's the matter!?" He just started crying. I held him tightly and walked upstairs into my room and shut the door. I went and sat on my bed as Sam cried into my shoulder. His grip around my neck eventually loosened and he just snuggled into my chest.
"Daddy hit mummy, and she started crying," he said and I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth.
"It's ok, honey, I'm here," I said softly and lay back on the bed and held him close.
Sam fell asleep quickly and I slowly and carefully pulled away and went downstairs. I looked around for mum or dad. I found dad asleep in the living room, a beer in his hand, but I didn't know where mum was. I got a packet of crisps and an apple and went back upstairs. I saw my parents' bedroom door was shut so I guessed mum was in there. I went back into my room and saw Sam was curled in a ball on my bed. I didn't have the heart to pick him up and put him back in his room, so once I had eaten and changed, I climbed in bed next to him and fell asleep almost instantly.