13. Liam, Julie and Calc

Serena

Two weeks ago, I realised that I may potentially, possibly, just a little bit, be in love with Liam.

That wasn't exactly easiest thing to realise nor was it the nicest. Because along with that little realisation, it occurred to me that I had just agreed to helping Liam with Julie.

Probably not the smartest thing on my part and also, I couldn't go back on my word. I had told Liam that I'd help him, and I'd just have to.

Even if being around him became harder...if that were even possible.

My God, I am so stupid for doing this. So, so stupid.

However, the way that I had started to think about it, maybe this was a sort of good thing for me. If I helped Liam with Julie, then surely that would begin to snap me out of my whole love thing, right?

Anyway, impatient as usual, Liam wanted me to start the plan immediately after I agreed.

The idiot hadn't even realised the fact that there was no plan. I didn't know the first thing about setting someone up with the person they liked, I mean if I did, clearly my love life would be flourishing. But instead, I was helping the guy I liked with his love life.

So, of course, I let him know that he was stupid and I needed time, he agreed.

I need to really research this. Hopefully there was some kind of video or website, that could easily tell me how to play Cupid with the guy you love. There at least had to be a book on that, right? Maybe I'd have to ask the girls about that one.

There was also the factor that, if we - and yes, I was referring to Liam and I in this scenario - rush into this, he would scare Julie off.

Also another thing to think about, was that I would need time to convince my friends that Liam and I were friends, and he would also need to do the same with his boys.

So, after that day, Liam and I began to act a bit more friendly with each other. Well, it wasn't just an act, but for real. It was a little like we had kind of unpaused from where we had left off.

It would be nice if we had more than a friendship, but I had to remind myself this was all in the name of getting over my feelings for Liam...which hopefully one day I will.

When they started seeing Liam and I interacting with each other a bit more, my friends were skeptical of the idea, especially Danny, but they gradually became okay with it...kind of.

Throughout these two weeks, I also began bonding with Julie a lot more and getting to know her better.

It hurt at the start, knowing that she was the girl Liam liked, but she is so nice and sweet, I truly wanted her to be happy. If that happiness meant Liam, I guess that's just how it would be.

Again, I was really hoping that this would help in getting over my feelings for Liam.

There was still the little problem that I had absolutely no idea how to help Liam.

But then it occurred to me, that whilst Liam was - annoyingly - great at a lot of things, like sports, music, looks, getting somewhat decent grades, there was one lesson that he wasn't so amazing in... Calc.

Luckily for him, Julie was a pro. The only thing was, I just had think of a way to get her to help him...somehow.

We - and by 'we' I mainly mean me - came up with the plan that somehow we would convince Julie to help Liam with Calc. Since he was a natural failure at the subject, it was pretty believable that he needed the help.

***

"Hey, Rena." Liam greeted me with a grin.

Clearly, he's over the moon that we're finally going to actually start to put the plan into action.

Subtlety and Liam, did not work well together.

"Hi, Liam." I then smiled at him, hoping that he could read my eyes, which were screaming for him to tone it down.

However, if Liam could read eyes, well then I wouldn't be doing this and going through with this plan.

He then looked towards Julie and smiled down at her.

"Hi, Julie." He greeted her, just awkwardly staring mostly.

Liam was so lucky in this moment that Julie was looking down, since he looked creepy as hell, and that was not going to help his cause.

Did I want to nudge Julie and make her look into his eyes, possibly making her really not feel anything for him at all? Yes. But I didn't. Because I'm a great person...and also because I honestly thought she would really be scared by it.

"Hello," Julie then replied, in a quiet voice and carried in to bow her head down, seemingly finding her shoes more interesting than Liam.

Did I laugh internally at that? Yes. Yes, I did.

He then slightly frowned at her reaction, since she didn't even want to look at him, instead he just walked towards his seat.

This is going to be hard...and not just because I'm trying to get my friend to fall for the guy that I love.

***

"...Miss Cordwell, 65. Do better next time," Mr Lewis called out.

He always did this after he marked a test.

Our lovely teacher would go around the classroom, and he would hand out everyone's papers, whilst announcing their scores individually, good or bad.

According to him, this is for motivation for us to do better.

I really didn't see it that way, since every time after we had a test with him, I was sweating in my seat. I wasn't exactly the smartest person with it came to Calc either, so each test was like the worst thing ever to me.

"Well done, Miss Morris. You got 97. The highest in the class," he then said, with an actual smile on his face.

So that's what it would take for him to smile, a great score in Calc? And also, Julie really is amazing at this subject.

Then, he got to me. Crap.

"Miss Hastings, 85," he said and my eyes widened a whole lot. "Not bad at all. Just a few things to work on," he said, still looking quite happy.

I mean, I was over the moon at that score, it was the best I'd ever gotten in Calc.

Thankfully, Julie had helped me, or that would have never been possible. Since I'm trying to get Liam and her together, I think at the very least, I deserve help in Calc.

"Mr Hunter, 56. Really? Are you even trying?" Mr Lewis then said and Liam sighed, whilst the other boys laughed at him.

Even if he didn't like Julie, he really could use the help.

"The rest of the rat pack didn't do that well either. Well except you, Chris. You got 76." Mr Lewis practically threw the papers on their desk and walked away.

I guess that shut them up.

***

"Shit man, if I fail Calc, Coach won't let me play," Liam said, loud enough for Julie and I, to hear, whilst the rest of the class headed to lunch.

"Me too," Andre whined.

"We have to get our grades up," Holden chimed into the poor grades conversation.

Chris seemed to have let out a snort. "If you actually put your heads down and studied, it wouldn't be so bad."

Out of all the boys, he's more of the nerdy one, always great in his studies. A nerd. But still a really hot nerd.

I then heard a smack.

"Ouch. Dick," Chris yelled out.

"Pussy," Andre muttered.

As Julie and I gathered our stuff and began to walk away from our desks, I felt someone push me from behind and my Calc paper fell out of my hand.

Turning around, I saw Liam giving me a sheepish look, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry, Rena." He apologised, and then bent down to pick up my paper. "Here," he said, handing it back to me, with a knowing smile plastered on his face.

This was part of the plan - my plan - but this idiot was going to ruin everything and make everything so obvious, if he kept on smiling like that.

"Thanks, Liam." I smiled at him. "Bad grade, huh?" I then asked.

The plan is in action.

"Yeah, Calc and I just don't get along so good. Well, clearly not as well as it does with Julie," he said.

I give him a look with my eyes, basically trying to tell him, 'don't look so excited'.

But, of course, that didn't translate at all.

"Oh, she's a pro," I told him, before turning towards Julie and giving her a wide smile. I probably looked really proud...or creepy.

I just didn't want her to be embarrassed or anything, knowing how shy she could be.

"Highest in the class, right?" Liam asked Julie.

She seemed a little rattled being spoke to, which I'm not sure was because she was afraid of Liam, didn't like him, or just had that reaction if a boy spoke to her.

"I guess," she whispered, giving him a little shrug and looking anywhere but at him.

Liam continued to look at Julie. "I could use a tutor like you," he said.

Of course he had to be so direct and I couldn't help the cough I let out, hoping he'd understand my signal to ease the hell up.

"I mean to help me with Calc, just Calc, numbers and all, that stuff. Shit," he rambled on, something he often when he's nervous.

Hearing a giggle, I snapped my head in Julie's direction.

I guess that could rule out all my other thoughts and maybe it meant that she liked him and his rambling.

What I really didn't like, was that I couldn't help but think, that I liked his rambling too.

"Wow," Liam said in awe, which snapped me out my thoughts, before it could get any deeper. "I mean.."

Oh no, he's going to word vomit again.

I quickly turned towards Julie. "I know you already said yes to helping me, but could you also help Liam?" I asked her. "We're neighbours and friends, and I don't want to see him kicked off the team."

"Um, I.." Her hesitant face basically told me that she was about to reject the idea.

I then placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Please? It would really be helpful, if it's not a bother of course," Liam added, with that pleading expression on his face.

"I don't know if..." she then began to say.

If she says no, this will ruin the plan.

Yes, that would work in my favour. She'd say no and Liam would feel hopeless, and maybe he'd notice me? But was I that kind of person? Oh, if only.

I then gave Julie's shoulder a small, reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, he's not so bad. I'll vouch for him."

"Um, okay. I guess, I can help both of you," Julie then said, in a rather timid and unsure voice.

I felt the tiniest bit bad about tricking her like this, since she had no clue that whilst she was really helping me with Calc, it was only an excuse to help Liam - even if he could use it.

"Yes, you can come to mine and Liam will as well. Right, Liam?" I looked at him and he looked frozen.

A second later, he snapped out of his daze, and looked at me with slightly widened eyes, whilst I narrowed mine in return.

Weirdly, he seemed to understand this look.

Yeah, that makes sense. This look he understood. Idiot.

"What? Yes, I will be there," he agreed.

Like he had the choice.

"Perfect. Thank you, Julie." I told her and then looked at Liam as well, waiting for him to thank her too.

Liam then grinned. "Yeah, thank you, Julie."

When I saw that look on his face, I could feel a slight tug in my chest, but I tried to ignore it, suppressing anything that wasn't a happy feeling.

"It's no problem," she said so quietly, it might as well have been a whisper.

"Okay well, we'll be off to lunch. Bye," I waved off Liam, holding onto Julie's arm and walking out the classroom and towards the canteen with her.

I really needed to be a lot more stronger and tougher if I was going to go this for real.

Walking off, I could hear Liam and the boys - I had totally forgotten about them being there and probably witnessing all of this happen.

"What the hell was that?" Holden practically shouted.

"I can explain," Liam said.

Doing this isn't easy, but I've run out of tears, only left with emptiness..