Only Liars, But We're The Best

I didn't expect much from four guys living together. With the condition of the warehouse, I was expecting to walk into a very large space, cluttered with pizza boxes and clothes strewn about. Overall, I expected the place to be thrashed.

My expectations were far from right. What greeted me was a large but cozy living room, complete with a dining set and a small television perched on top of a long table. A couple of opened books lay beside the TV. The whole place was dim since the windows were small and situated at a very high place. I'd guess that explained the grime on them. Nobody wants to clean the windows if they were that high. It was also the perfect place for Pete since sunlight could not seep through. There were a couple of lazy chairs in the middle and to the far right, I assumed that was where the kitchen was. The counter top had a blender on it and some chopped up food lying around. I smiled to myself. Guys would always be messy.

"I've brought your luggage up to your room. In case you're wondering which one it is, it's the second last one down the hallway. By the way, Andy and Rick went out to get food. Pete's asleep. He'll wake up soon knowing you're here. Or do you want me to wake him?" Joe asked.

"No, don't. It's a rare thing for him to sleep, what with insomnia and all. Let him be. I'll be upstairs to start unpacking, so if the guys are back with food, you can call me," I laughed. "Oh! And thanks for helping me with the luggage."

I trudged up the steps to the second floor. My head was still spinning from the events a month ago.



Ryan was already waiting for me by the time I reached the coffee place. He did not acknowledge me even after I'd taken a seat opposite him. Instead, his eyes were fixated on the macbook screen in front of him.

"Sorry I'm late Ry. Had a tiff with the ol' man," I apologized.

Ryan snorted as a form of acknowledgment, his eyes glued on the laptop screen.

"Dude, I know you're pissed. Don't have to give me the silent treatment, alright?"

He finally faced me, his eyes locked onto mine.

"Do you know how fucking long I waited for you? One and a half hours! One and a half fucking hours! You could have just cancelled our appointment. I could have done other things during those wasted hours spent just waiting for you," Ryan spat out.

I flinched at the tone of his voice. Ryan could be a drama queen if he wanted to.

I had known Ryan since elementary school. I was having lunch all by myself underneath the bleachers at the school field, when I got a tap on my back. I was startled out of my wits. When I turned around, I saw a scrawny boy of my age, wearing a nonchalant expression on his face. The first word that came out of his mouth was 'huh'. It was more of a statement rather than a question and our friendship just happened after that.

I had to leave Ryan behind in Nevada when I moved to Illinois during my third grade. I had a few close friends, but I wasn't attached to them like I did to Ryan. The rest of my elementary school years dragged and I did not bother to make new friends. I had some acquaintances here and there but I was never too close to any of them. I was a loner with the good grades in class, as I usually went straight home after school everyday to do my revision. Otherwise, I would sometimes hung out in the basement with Pete. Although his hardcore screamo band sucked, I'd rather be there than to hang out with the girls in my class.

Entering high school was even worse because that was when the cliques started. However, to my utmost surprise and relief, Ryan transferred to the same high school as I during my sophomore year. He seeked permission from his parents to move out from his house and go to boarding instead. All those hard work, revisions and being a loner finally paid off as both of us got into a prestigious boarding school in Chicago. I didn't stay in the dorms since I was living in the vicinity of the school. Furthermore, I saved quite a lot of money from that.

We graduated high school together and applied for the same colleges. Luck was on our side as we got into the same college, and we even took up the same course.

Those who went to the same high school as us created rumors that both Ryan and I were dating. Some of the prep girls looked at me with envy while others just wished I would drop dead. To be honest, Ryan Ross was an attractive human being. He might be scrawny and maybe a bit effeminate, but he suited the frame with his flamboyant sense of fashion. He said that 'The Beatles' were the greatest influence on him, hence the mod dressing. Both of us do like to pretend that we're dating just to piss people off, but in reality, we both knew none of us had that romantic feeling towards each other.

"Alright. To make it up to you, pick whatever's on the menu. It's my treat." I dug around my bag to find my purse.

After hearing that, Ryans' mood changed. "I've been wanting you to say that," he grinned.



I had just finished putting away my clothes in the tiny wardrobe when I heard a soft knock on my bedroom door.

"Food's here! Come down whenever you're ready!" Joe yelled from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute!" I replied. I took one last look in the small mirror on the dressing table and made my way downstairs.