24. Soup

Yesterday was not fun.

After witnessing what I did, I was a bit of a mess.

It's always easy to think you're okay and you're fine, but if you're not actually, then it only take a little nudge for everything to come crumbling down.

All your guards, defences that you've tried to put up, they come down immediately and it hurts.

I honestly didn't think seeing that would be this hard, but it was. It was like a blow to my entire system. Unexpected.

After I had bumped into Danny, he immediately put me in the passenger seat of his car and drove me home.

It was so silent. Throughout the journey he didn't say anything nor did he ask me for a reason. He just said nothing, but his silence and unanswered questions were so loud.

I knew that I couldn't just bullshit him. I couldn't lie. I couldn't just tell him that I was fine and hope that he'd believe it.

Danny knew me and never once had he seen me so...shaken. Because I truly was.

It was like the foundation that I stood on had been rocked and I was so terrified of falling. Even if I already had.

Once we'd reached my home, I could see that Danny wanted to ask but he was waiting for me.

I only took a moment and I spilled out my secret to him.

To be completely honest, I wasn't going to tell him everything. I thought I would just be vague, mention that I had a crush and I just saw him with someone else, but the second I opened my mouth, I just kept on telling him the truth.

It was like this secret was just begging to come out, no longer satisfied with it just being kept buried within me. It had to be told.

If I didn't have it within me to tell the person who probably had to hear it, then telling someone else I trusted would have to suffice.

As I told Danny everything, from the first time I met Liam, till what I had just seen, a range of emotions seemed to have come across his face.

It was painfully awkward to tell him all of this, but once I started, I couldn't stop.

What actually surprised me, was that Danny didn't seem shocked at all by my confession. He looked like he sort of expected me to say all of this. I didn't know what to think about that, but I kind of appreciated he didn't seem so react much. It oddly made me feel a little better.

There was no judgement from him. Nothing to suggest he was disappointed and more importantly, there was no pity.

Apparently, he saw the signs, even though I didn't realise I was giving off any.

After telling him, I felt as if I'd just lifted a rock off my chest. It felt a bit more freeing and I could actually breathe. I wasn't carrying the weight of it all alone anymore.

When Danny hugged me after it all, I smiled.

He didn't tell me to get over it, or it's just a crush, you'll move on. He didn't say anything, which was expected since it was Danny, but it was that kind of silence that was still comforting. I knew what he would've said and that he was there for me, that was enough.

Of course, there was some repercussions of just ditching school in the middle of the day.

My parents got a call that I hadn't turned up to my lessons in the afternoon, which caused them to panic immediately and call me.

I had to lie and tell them that I felt really ill after lunch and Danny had to bring me home.

I never skipped school like this, or just leave in the middle of the day without them knowing, so they believed me.

My Dad came home earlier in the day, to take care of me, after which Danny left.

I felt bad that because of me he'd also missed his lessons, but he didn't care about that.

Obviously, I didn't really have any symptoms of being ill, because I wasn't, so I had to fake it.

They didn't really seem to find it all that suspicious, which I assumed meant that whatever I was doing to act ill, was working.

I asked if I could take a day off today as well and they both agreed. Thankfully, they didn't insist on staying home or anything with me, so I could just have this day to myself.

It was probably going to be a pain going back to school and finding out what I've missed, but I'll just deal with that tomorrow.

I told Sara last night that I wasn't feeling so well and wouldn't be in today, which then lead to her spreading the news to the others, judging by their get well soon texts. I have sweet friends.

After a late start to my morning, since I slept in, not having to get up for school, I finished my homework and chilled the rest of the day. Sara had been texting me throughout the day, just things that were going on, so I wasn't 'left out'. I was more worried she would have her phone confiscated.

Currently, I'm in bed, with some comfort food and my laptop. It's honestly the two main things to make me happy right now.

Well, I was happy until I heard a loud noise. I realised it wasn't coming from my laptop, but rather the doorbell.

I looked at the time and thought it was probably Sara or one of the other girls, or maybe Danny, since school was over.

Although, I hope that it's not Danny checking up on me. I've answered all his calls and texts throughout the day, like he said to do.

He told me if I even miss one call, he'll be here, and Danny didn't make empty threats.

It was really sweet of him. I knew he really cared about me and I guess, he just didn't want me to be crying at home.

When the doorbell rang once more, I knew I couldn't ignore it and had to get out of bed.

It was odd that I hadn't gotten a text or call about someone coming over, unless it was more of a spontaneous thing.

"Coming," I called out, heading doing the stairs after putting in my robe.

When I finally opened the door, I was so confused.

"Holden?" I questioned.

It didn't surprise me that he knew where I lived, since it was now a known fact that I was Liam's neighbour, but still, it didn't really make sense to see him at my front door.

"Um, hey," Holden replied awkwardly, as if he didn't expect to see me here, at my front door, of my house.

"Hi," I replied. "This is unexpected," I then added.

"Yeah, sorry for coming over unannounced. I just overheard Flo tell Max, who heard it from Mel, who heard it from Sara, that you were ill. So I thought I should come and check up on you and see how you were," he said nervously.

Even if I'm not ill and perfectly fine, that was hard to even process right now.

"I also brought you some cream of mushroom soup too," he added, holding up a container towards me.

How did he know what soup I liked?

Also, why does he look like I'm going to bite his head off or something?

"That's incredibly sweet of you, thank you," I smiled at him and took the container from him.

I then held the door open wider for him. "Come in," I gestured and he smiled at me, before walking through.

"You can just head into the living room," I told him, pointing towards it and he nodded.

I smiled and as soon as he walked in, I quickly looked at the mirror in the hallway and tried to fix myself up a bit. I didn't think I would have visitors, or more accurately Holden, so I let myself look a mess.

"Well done, Serena. You couldn't have gotten ready properly before," I mumbled to myself, heading into the living room.

"I think you look great," Holden then said.

I immediately looked at him with widened eyes. I thought I was mumbling in a quiet voice, but clearly not low enough.

Holden just seemed to be looking at me and that made me feel more awkward about being caught out, so I just cleared my throat and pretended that didn't happen

"Thank for coming to check on me. You really didn't have to," I told him.

He then smiled at me. "I didn't have to, but I wanted to," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Oh. That all I could think.

I didn't know he cared that much or that we were that great of friends, but it's sweet.

"I also had something else that I wanted to ask you?" Holden spoke up.

I nodded. "Sure."

"Would you...um...well, actually there's this game...Liam's game...the football..." Holden staggered through his words.

"Holden," I said his name, causing him to look at me. "I don't understand a word you're saying," I told him.

I could see his cheeks turn a little red and then he cleared his throat.

"The football team has a big game on Friday," he said and I nodded, everyone knew about this game. "I wanted to ask, if would go?...With me?" He asked.

"Oh...I-uh..." I began to stutter from surprise of that question.

I really didn't expect him to ask me this and my brain was taking a second to process and come up with an actual answer.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, I just wanted to ask," Holden spoke up before I could respond. "But there's no pressure to say yes, I can just go on my own or with friends. I have friends, not a loner or anything. Not that there's anything wrong with that," he rambled on before looking confused. "Shit, what am I saying?"

When he questioned himself, I couldn't help but laugh.

He instantly looked up at me and I smiled.

"I'd love to go to the game with you," I told him.

To be honest, I was going to go to the game anyway, we all are. But it's sweet that he actually came over to ask me. Maybe he didn't know I was already going?

My answer seemed to make him very happy, as a wide grin came over his face.

"That's great. Great. It's great," he repeated and then took a breath. I'll pick you up before the match," he said, a little more calmly this time.

"That sounds great," I laughed, and he chuckled with me, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Okay well, I should go now," Holden then said and I nodded.

"Well, thank you for coming over and for the soup, it was really sweet of you," I told him, as we walked towards the door.

"You are too," Holden then replied.

"What?" I asked, catching onto his words.

"I mean, you're-...it was...I'm just gonna go," he stumbled through his words again and then quickly moved to open the door.

"Wait, Holden," I stopped him and held onto his arm.

He paused in his movement and then looked at my hand that was stopping him and then finally, at me.

"You really are sweet," I smiled and move my hand away from him.

Instead of saying something, like I thought he would, he looked frozen, before shaking his head.

"Well, I should go," he mumbled and then practically bolted out the door.

"Bye, I guess," I said, standing by the door and watching him leave in his car.

Did I say something wrong? I wondered, after seeing Holden react like that.

I shook my head and closed the door, heading back up the stairs, only for the doorbell to ring once again.

Seriously? Was there some kind of neon sign on the door that just said to ring this for a prize. We don't even get visitors on a normal day, but of course we would on what was supposed to be my 'sick day'.

I assumed it was probably Holden, who'd forgotten to say something - or just had more to say in general.

Heading back down, I opened the door...again, I was so confused.

"Liam?" I questioned.

"Hey, Rena. Are you okay?" He asked and then put the back of his hand against my forehead. "You don't have a temperature, that's good," he said.

I finally came out of my stunned state.

"You're here?" I said.

"Of course, I am. You hate being ill and so I thought to come check up on you," he said.

Okay, that is true. I'm rarely ever ill, but when I am, I hate it. I'll moan and kick up a fuss, because it's just the worst state to be in.

I opened the door a little wider for him to come through, unsure what to make of this.

He was partly the reason why I had taken the day off school and faked being sick, and now here was here, checking up on me.

I had received a couple texts from Liam in the morning when I didn't show up, but after telling him that I was ill, I just thought that was it. He'd tell me to get well soon and that's it. I didn't think he'd come over.

"Did Holden bring the right soup?" Liam then asked, which left me baffled.

"I don't understand," I said, because truly, I didn't.

"During lunch, Holden mentioned that he wanted to come and check on you. He said whether to bring over something and Andre said soup, since you're ill. He was going to bring over chicken soup, but then I told him you don't like that and preferred mushroom," he relayed.

Liam's smile then faltered. "It is still your favourite right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it is," I smiled, quite surprised he even remembered that. "Thank you for telling him that."

Chicken soup just doesn't sit right with me and I might actually have fallen sick.

"How are you feeling?" Liam asked me.

"Better. Thank you," I replied.

"That's great, I'm glad. I actually came over to ask you something," he then said.

I didn't think that would irritate me, but it did, and I suddenly felt myself getting annoyed.

"If you're going to ask me for something, then please don't," I said.

It came out ruder than I had meant it to, and judging by the way Liam face looked stunned, he clearly didn't expect that from me.

Maybe my fake illness made me irritable?

"Oh, I was going to ask if you wanted to come over to my house," Liam said, his voice a lot more softer.

I felt horrible.

"I mean, it's okay if you don't. But my Mum's home from work, she can make you something if you like. Plus, I didn't want you to be alone," he said.

Now, I felt really, really horrible.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I just..." I didn't even know what to say to him.

Liam smiled. "It's okay. Do you want to come over? Bring the soup. Mum's also made cookies," he added.

I nodded. "Okay. Just give me a second. Let me change," I said.

"No, don't. You look great as it is. Plus, it's only next door," Liam chuckled.

"I look ridiculous," I replied.

"No, you don't. Now, come on. The cookies are going to get cold," he said.

He sounded like a little child and I smiled. I went back in and grabbed my soup and my phone, before heading out with Liam.

I've never had a sick day like this before.