Grade 8

Lena had just gotten back from making a quick trip to the store down the street. Mia was out to lunch with a friend trusting Lena to be alone for a few hours. Everything would have been fine had there not been someone waiting for her at the door. He was leaning against the door a snap back over his hair, the last time she had seen him it was much shorter, and a sweatshirt that couldn't possibly keep him warm over his upper body. His brown eyes had the same friendly sparkle to them and his smile just as warm.

"Liam, what are you doing here?" She shifted her bag to another hand nervously.

"I was in the neighborhood." He easily answered. "Thought we could you use a quick catch up, maybe over a cuppa?"

"Um, yeah, alright." Lena turned back to her door quickly using her key to unlock the door.

Liam followed her through the door glancing around the small flat. "This is a nice place."

"I'll let Mia know you like it."

"Mia?"

"My chaperone." Lena sighed. "I'm not trusted on my own right now."

Liam nodded. "Do you like her?"

"She's interesting."

Lena looked around the kitchen at a loss as to how to make a 'cuppa.' "Uh, I don't really know how to make a cuppa?"

Liam laughed as he walked over to the tea kettle sitting on the stove. "I got it."

After Liam had the water going he sat down on at the small table. Lena tried to still her shaking hands long enough to pull her chair out. Liam watched her carefully not sure how he was going to go about this conversation. It had taken most of his persuasion skills to get Paul to tell him where she was staying and he hadn't properly thought of what to say to her once he found her. There was heavy silence as he thought about what to say; Lena was just trying to keep from visibly freaking out.

"It's good to see you." Liam grinned as he studied her. "It's been awhile."

"How are you?" Lena asked hoping to keep the questioning on him for as long as possible.

"I'm well." He made eye contact with her as he continued. "We've missed you."

"I've missed you."

"I know this hasn't been easy for you." Liam started his smile falling a fraction. "I'm glad you're doing better."

"I'm doing a lot better. I've been talking about my problems now and it's helping a lot."

Liam opened his mouth but was cut off by the kettle going off filling the small flat with its loud whistle. "I'll get that."

Liam quickly moved the kettle to a burner that wasn't on. He moved through the kitchen as if he had been there before opening cabinets in search of tea. While he was distracted Lena tried to calm herself. It was just Liam, who had always been nothing but nice to her.

"Why are you here?"

"I came over here because I figured it would be best to warn you that everyone knows you're here." Liam said his back facing Lena. "I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Niall shows up."

"How did they find out?"

Liam laughed turning to look at her. "Niall and Harry have been stalking your twitter for months. Besides that Harry saw you the other day."

Lena's breath caught in her throat. She had hoped Harry hadn't realized it was her. When she had seen him she felt the walls she had built up crumble with just that one brief eye contact. She didn't even want to think about how her heart felt like it had stopped when Alexis had entered the cafe he was in.

"Oh."

Liam sighed forgetting his tea as he sat down again. "It might be best to just meet up with everyone again. If you're up for it that is."

"I'll think about it." Lena didn't want to give him a definite answer. "I'll have to talk to some people about it."

"Sure. Of course." Liam nodded. "I understand."

Just then the door opened Mia's loud voice filling the tiny flat. "Lena you doin' alright?"

She came into view of the kitchen her eyebrows knitting together. "I'm gone for a few hours and you bring a man home?"

"This is Liam." Lena introduced. "He's an old friend."

"Ah yeah. One of them One Direction lads." Mia gave him one of her big smiles. "Hiya! I'm Mia!"

"Nice to meet you." Lena could see the hearts in Liam's eyes as he looked at Mia. "You're Lena's chaperone then?"

"No I'm her friend." Mia corrected a proud smile lighting up her face.

Lena watched as Liam's smile grew larger. There was something there that she could work with.

"You know what Liam; let's go out this weekend." Lena spoke up. "I think it'll be good for me."



Every other morning at nine sharp Lena was at the studio. It was a schedule that worked best for her producer Finn who had other artists to work with. Finn was one of those quiet types never really saying much as they worked. Lena liked the quiet she got when she was in the studio with him it was such a contrast to what she dealt with when Mia was around. He offered her up plenty of advice about the sound of a song or how he thought it should be executed. They always at least did two takes on a song; first the way Lena wanted to do it then doing it Finn's way. More often then not Lena liked what Finn wanted with it after listening to them side by side.

"That sounds great." He said into her head phones.

He had one of those voices that Lena could listen to read the obituaries and still find it sexy. He had the palest blue eyes Lena had ever seen and a face full of scruff that he often pulled at when he was frustrated with a song. His brown hair was always in disarray like he had woken up with out bothering to look in a mirror, but Lena kind of liked it. She liked the way his eyes would close when she was singing lips parting slightly as his head moved to the music; she had asked him once why he did that and he just smiled at her eyes sparkling.

"It's the best way to listen to music."

Lena had had a crush on him since day one. When Mia had brought her to the studio and introduced them Lena couldn't believe her luck. He was so good looking she wasn't sure she'd get any work done. He understood her better then anyone she had met when it came to her music he was easily able to put her thoughts together to make the song even better then what she had planned.

"Need another go at it?" Lena asked suddenly unsure of herself.

"Nah. It's sounds perfect." He gave her one of his heart stopping smiles. "Wanna come out here and listen?"

Lena took her head phones off setting them on the the mic she had been singing into. Outside of the booth she took a seat on the chair beside Finn ready to hear her song.

"I am going a way for awhile but I'll be back don't try to follow me. 'Cause I will return as soon as possible. See I'm trying to find my place. It might not be here where I feel safe. We all learn to make mistakes and run from them, run from them. With no direction. We'll run from them, from them. With no conviction. 'Cause I'm just one of those ghosts traveling endlessly. Don't need no roads in fact they follow me."

Lena tried to listen to the song, it really did sound perfect, but watching Finn was winning over her priorities. His eyes were closed like always giving Lena a free opportunity to watch him. He sang the words under his breath barely heard over the music but still there.

"What do you think?"

Lena quickly looked away from him before he could opened his eyes and catch her staring. "You're right it's perfect."

When she looked his way again he was already looking at her a lopsided grin present. "Shall we move on then?"

Lena nodded she stood up to go back into the booth but stopped. "Hey Finn, do you have plans Saturday?"

Finn looked at her for a moment a small smile displayed. "No, none that I can't get out of anyway. Did you have something in mind?"

Lena bit her lip cheeks heating up. "Well a few friends are going out for drinks if you'd like to join us."

"Sounds brilliant."

Lena smiled unable to stop the giddy feeling from filling her veins. "Great. Uh I'll get back to work now."

Finn's musical laughter followed her into the booth.



"You asked Finn to come with us?" Mia couldn't hide the excitement she felt about this change of events.

The two girls had gone out on a shopping trip because Mia just didn't have anything to wear for drinks with pop stars. They had been in and out of stores all morning but It had taken Lena a little longer then necessary to muster up the courage to talk about Finn.

"Well I would rather have as many people on my side as possible in case something goes wrong." Lena tried to reason with her.

"What exactly is going to go wrong?"

"Well Liam still hasn't said who will be there. And with my luck Harry will show up and cause a scene." Lena rolled her eyes. "He's good at that you know."

"If he does he'll have to deal with me." Mia cracked her knuckles for emphasize.

"I'm sure you'll have him shaking in his boots."

Mia scoffed. "I'm telling you of that wanker tries anything he's going down."

Lena smiled. "Thanks Mia but let's just hope he doesn't show up at all."

"Alright moving on from that what does this mean for you and Finn?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Nothing." Lena shrugged but no matter how nonchalant she tried to be there was no hiding her blush. "I just thought he'd like to go out with us."

Mia gave her a look over the rack of clothes between them. "I'll pretend to believe that for now."

Lena took the opportunity to walk away then to browse another section of clothing. She didn't want to voice her feelings for Finn; there wasn't anything for her to say. She found him attractive and he may make her stomach tie into knots but that didn't mean she wanted to date him or do anything with for that matter. The Harry situation was enough boy troubles for the next few years.

"Lena!" Mia's excited squeal made Lena jump into the air her head wiping around to see what had caused her to do so. "I found something for you to wear!"

She held up the black sweater and Lena's lips instantly curled into a smile. "I love it."

The sweater had a pair of lips on it fangs showing and it was just up Lena's ally. For Mia it took longer to find the perfect outfit, but that didn't stop her from buying everything she picked up. They still had two days before Saturday but Mia was determined to not go home with out her outfit.

Three stores later and she finally had it.