THE PARK
Book 1
Chapter 4- Friendship 101
Chapter 4- Friendship 101
Yesterday had been the best day of Liam's life.
He had friends! Real friends! Actual, legitimate, honest friends! Liam's head buzzed with thoughts of what could possibly come next. Sure, they'd only interacted with him a couple of times... and that dark-furred tall guy didn't seem to like him all that much. But he'd come around; Liam felt it in his bones. Besides, it looked like he and Sarah were a package deal.
Liam tried not to let that disappoint him. Yeah, he liked Sarah. And maybe one day he could get her to notice how cool he was. But if she and Tall Guy were an item, Liam wasn't about to get between them. Not unless Tall Guy backed off, which was unlikely.
What was that guy's name again? Freddie? Fenton? It started with an 'F'. But it most definitely was not Fritz. Liam would've taken an immediate disliking to the guy if his name had been Fritz--- Liam's fat, stupid, snobby older cousin had ruined that name forever. Maybe he'd remember once he'd properly fueled his brain with some good old fashioned sugar.
Liam always grabbed a giant muffin from the bakery before school; the light breakfast his family ate each morning just wasn't enough for his growing body anymore. The bakery was a convenient distance from both his house and his new school; he could show up, pick out a flavor, and pedal his favorite blue bike the rest of the way to school. And he'd arrive only a few minutes late for homeroom!
Yeah, the system wasn't perfect. He'd been trying to cut down the amount of time he spent in the bakery, but it was hardly his fault if two or three other customers squeezed their fat bottoms in front of him in line!
Today, thankfully, there was only one guy ahead of him--- a tall, skinny wolf at that--- picking up a bag of cinnamon scones. But, as luck would have it, the talkative-as-ever baker carried on a five-minute conversation with the guy even after he'd received his scones.
Liam bounced up and down, eager to satiate his hunger and get to school. Time was ticking. His belly was rumbling. His new friends were waiting! At this rate he wouldn't get to see them until first hour ended. He hoped they wouldn't miss him too much. Maybe he could make it up to them? Maybe he could get them something to eat too. Liam tapped his lip. Did Sarah like blueberry muffins?
Of course she did. Who didn't like blueberry muffins?
After way too long, Skinny Wolf took his leave. Liam bounded up to the counter, smiling. "Hey, Morris! What's buzzin'?"
The kindly retriever grinned back, tail wagging. "Liam! How's my best customer this morning?" He picked up his tongs.
"I'm doing great!" Liam snapped his fingers and pointed up at the baker. "Today, I'll need three giant blueberry muffins."
"Three?" Morris chuckled. The portly baker grabbed a paper sack and lifted one muffin with his tongs. "Is today a special occasion?"
"Sort of," said Liam with a shrug. "I wanted something to give to my friends. Can't go wrong with blueberry muffins, right?"
Morris dropped the third muffin into the sack and skilfully rolled the top shut. "Well that's sweet of you," said the baker. Liam's chest warmed up with pride. Morris set the bag down on the counter. He punched a few keys on the register and flashed Liam another friendly smile. "Dollar-fifty."
Liam dug two fresh dollar bills from his jeans pocket and plopped them on the counter with a grin. "Keep the change." He grabbed the sack and hurried his way to the door, waving over his shoulder. "Have a good day!" The tabby tripped on his way out the door, and nearly bumped into a customer about to enter. He sputtered out an apology, stumbling backwards... and knocked over his bicycle.
Liam chuckled loudly and picked up the bike, pretending nothing had happened. So he'd had a bit of a rough start to his day; no problem! He still had friends, and he'd even bought them a treat! The day was all set to be a success, and Liam was eager to get it going.
,.~*~.,
Liam strolled into the auditorium during Coach North's announcements, muffin bag clenched tightly between both fists. He searched the rows for one particular pair of round indigo ears set on a head of raven-black hair tied back by a silky blue scarf. There! There she was, seated next to a taller head of greased-back hair framed by large charcoal ears.
Liam strode down the aisle and dipped into the row, waving at Sarah as he approached. Sarah smiled and waved back; Liam's chest warmed. Tall Guy had no reaction save a single twitch of one ear.
Liam plunked himself down right next to Sarah, grinning. His heart pounded with excitement. Finally! He could sit beside his crush without looking desperate. Jonny might have thought he'd done Liam dirty by tricking him into signing up for the Storytelling Club, but joining that club was the best thing that had ever happened to him!
"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late." No response. Liam bit his lip. Restless, he bounced his knee up and down; he was too excited to sit still! "How are you guys?"
Sarah gave him a thumbs up and a polite smile. Tall Guy did nothing. Liam's smile slipped a little. Tough customer. Well, if he couldn't get anyone to talk to him, he could get their attention another way. The best way. The way that always worked, no matter what! Well... it worked with him, anyway.
Liam unraveled the top of the sack and inhaled deeply as the warm, inviting scent of freshly-baked goods wafted past his nose. "Ahh." He picked out the top muffin for himself, then thrust the paper sack between his two friends. "Anyone hungry? I brought muffins!"
"Shhhhhh!!!" Tall Guy's green eyes flashed. "Put a lid on it, will ya? We're trying to listen!"
Heart sinking, Liam drew the bag back slightly. "But... I brought muffins! For you guys!"
Sarah nudged the sack even further, back onto Liam's lap. "Later," she whispered. "When we're not in class."
Liam huffed and re-sealed the bag, making sure every crinkle of paper resonated. "This isn't a class," he muttered. OK, so they didn't want their muffins yet. Not a big deal. And Liam could certainly have his! He wasn't going to wait a moment longer.
Liam again inhaled the smell of sweet, muffiny goodness before he finally tucked in. Delicious as the thing smelled, it did its best work on the taste buds. The muffin was still warm throughout, the blueberries still hot and juicy. Liam was no seasoned culinary expert, but he knew enough about good food to know that Morris' pastries were best eaten fresh. Sarah and Tall Guy didn't know what they were missing!
By the time homeroom ended, Liam had gleefully scoffed down the whole thing, including all the crumbly bits that had fallen on his clothes. And it had been delicious. Too bad Liam couldn't tempt his new friends with the sight or smell of a warm pastry; the most attention he'd gotten had been a somewhat disgusted glance from Tall Guy after finishing the muffin, when he'd slurped the stickiness off his fingerpads.
Sarah and Felix (whose name Liam suddenly remembered--- the sugar was doing its job!) made their way out of the auditorium, talking to one another about... Liam presumed, whatever the announcements had been about. He hadn't paid enough attention to know. He trailed them, clutching the bag of muffins. Once they made it out into the hall and down to Felix's locker, they finally gave him their full attention, much to Liam's relief.
"OK, Liam," Sarah began. "What's this about muffins?"
"I bought them this morning! From the bakery!" He thrust the sack into Sarah's chest. She took a step back, then peeked inside the sack with interest. "I was picking up breakfast and thought you guys might want one. Come on, take one!"
Felix reached into the sack first, followed a second later by Sarah. Felix's eyebrows shot up; he was no doubt impressed by the size of the thing, which only just fit inside the span of his handpaw. "Whoah. These are huge."
"I can't even wrap both paws around it," Sarah agreed, stunned. She took a small bite, and her eyes lit up. "Mm! Blueberry."
Liam internally cheered. I knew she liked blueberry! Great minds think alike.
Felix motioned for Liam to hand him the bag. "I'll save mine for later," he said. Liam handed him the bag, and he dropped the muffin inside without taking a single bite.
Liam slumped. "They're best fresh," he said, voice cracking.
Felix waved one white handpaw dismissively. "It'll be just as good after football practice. Then I'll actually have time to enjoy it."
Liam drooped. Football practice? But that didn't end until 4:30 or later! The thing would be downright stale by then!
At least Sarah was thoroughly enjoying that muffin. "I've seen these in the bakery, but I've never actually bought one. This is really good, Liam."
Liam perked up again, beaming brightly. "You go to Morris' bakery too?" Of course she does, nincompoop. It's the only bakery in town! Liam mentally slapped himself. Too obvious? "Uh... I mean... Do you have a favorite treat you like, or..."
"I'm usually there doing errands with my dad," said Sarah. She chuckled. "He has a sweet tooth."
"Me too!" Liam bounced on his heels. "Hey, maybe we'll bump into each other sometime!"
Sarah smiled back. "Maybe." She took another bite of the muffin. "As for my favorite treat, I really don't know. I for sure like macaroons..."
Felix peeked at his wristwatch. "Uh, Sarah... you won't have time to finish that." He showed her the time.
Sarah's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, you're right."
Felix extended the bag to her. "Here. I'll put it in my locker 'til you're ready for it." She took one last good-sized bite and dropped the rest into the sack.
Time! Liam dug out his own Rolex from his pocket. "Oh man!" He had four minutes to get to his locker and run down to class--- just enough time to spare. Liam stuffed the watch back into his jeans. "I gotta go!"
"We'll meet you at lunch, OK?" said Sarah. Felix frowned at her.
Liam ignored Sarah's grouchy friend and grinned. "OK! See you guys later!" He spun around on his heel and hurried down the hall, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. Maybe he'd get to class on time today!
But then he ran straight into Jonny--- lanky, smarmy, pointy-faced Jonny Coyote. All six feet of him in that dark red sweater vest far too smart for someone of his ilk. Liam halted before he could barrel into the guy, teetering back and forth before he finally stopped himself. Crashing into Jonny would be funny if it humiliated Jonny, but Liam knew it would only humiliate him, and Liam was getting tired of being humiliated.
"Hey, Shorty." Jonny chuckled down at him. "How'd you like that exciting club yesterday?"
Liam puffed out his chest and made himself as tall as his 5'4" stature would allow. "Ha! Well the joke's on you!" he squeaked. "For your information, I really did like Storytelling Club." He folded his arms proudly. "Thanks to you, I now have the two best friends a guy could ask for. Hope you have fun watching your little plan backfire!" Liam blew him a goodbye raspberry and hurried on his way. One second later, Liam slammed facedown on the floor.
A few other students laughed while Liam lifted himself from the splotchy brown tile to glare up at Jonny and the other jolly jokers. Shouldn't they be tired of seeing this by now?
"Oops," chortled Jonny. "Silly me. Looks like that's not the only way I messed up. Hope ya have a great time there this fall." He strode down the hall, laughing to himself. The dummy probably thought his lame-o joke was clever, too.
Liam rolled his eyes and stood back to his feet, brushing down his shirt. Where was Sarah and her bully-repellent friend when he needed them? In class. Just like he should be. Liam took one look at the clock on the wall and gasped. He only had two minutes to get there!
He ran all the rest of the way to the classroom, forgetting all about his locker.
,.~*~.,
Class was unbearably slow--- even slower than usual. Liam vibrated his leg up and down at super speed. He rocked himself and shifted around, unable to keep his arms in the same place for longer than half a minute. He resisted the constant urge to gnaw his pencil; Barry always got onto him about that when he helped Liam with his homework. The tabby allowed himself the occasional chomp to stave off a little of his boundless energy, but it was barely enough to hold him before the next class started.
At least he'd get to stretch his legs for a few minutes before the cycle began all over again in the next class. And by the end of that period, he'd already squirmed, bounced, and kicked his breakfast far away. Hunger was back, and even more relentless than before. The longer it gnawed and burned away at his insides, the harder it was to concentrate.
The period before lunch was always the worst. Especially today, now that he had so much more than food to look forward to. Honestly, the food here wasn't much to look forward to, but it was all he'd get to eat between breakfast and Ben's. And if the hunger pangs were bad enough, it was hard to complain. He was grateful he got to eat here at all.
Today's lunch was some kind of beef stew... mashed potato... casserole thing. With cooked carrots, and rice. The same rice, in fact, that they'd served the day before. Well, not the exact same rice because all that rice had been eaten already, else fed to a trash can... but it was the same kind. Looked like they'd added pepper to it. Liam wrinkled his nose. It sure smelled like they'd added pepper.
"...to find Liam."
He perked up. Felix? Did he just hear Felix say his name? He looked all around the cafeteria, but couldn't find that greased head of jet black hair anywhere.
"I don't see him." That was Sarah. They were ahead of him in line--- and not that far! Liam almost ducked out of line to wave at them, but... that vacant football-hugging square with the dumb haircut was behind him in line, and liable to steal his place if he so much as budged. Liam stayed put; he'd just surprise them when they sat down!
"We don't have to do this today, you know," said Felix, voice low. "You could always join me and the guys. They're a bunch of clowns, but..."
"Felix." Sarah's voice was a low growl. "We promised we'd have lunch with Liam."
"No, you promised. You can sit with him." Felix sighed. "I'll pass."
"Felix, I know he's a little annoying..." Annoying? Liam's throat fell into his stomach. She thinks I'm annoying? "But he is part of our club. The least we can do is spend time with him. Get to know him a little better."
"Sarah..." Felix hesitated; Liam wanted to tune out whatever Felix had to say, but at the same time, he couldn't tear his ears away. "I hate to judge a book by its cover. But he's already told us he only joined Storytelling Club 'cause he wanted to goof around. He never wanted to participate."
"We'll have to see," Sarah answered curtly.
"I've seen enough," Felix snipped. "He certainly wasn't very helpful yesterday."
There was a pause. "I guess you're right," Sarah sighed. The pair collected their trays and headed on to go sit somewhere, probably far away from Liam. He watched them go, heart sinking.
So much for friends.
,.~*~.,
"But I still think you're judging him too quickly," Sarah said. Felix sensed her eyes boring into his head, even though he wasn't looking at her. "At least he was honest about why he joined."
True. Honesty was a good quality. Felix stiffened his lip. "It's not that I'm not willing to give the guy a chance," he clarified. "I just don't want to spend any more time around him than I have to. He gets on my nerves."
"Whatever." Sarah sighed. "It's just that we hang out together all the time, and... he always sits by himself. I'd hate to make him feel left out."
That comment hit a tender spot inside of Felix. A little bit of guilt crept in and stayed there, nibbling away at his heart. Left out. Felix hated that feeling. He didn't want anyone to have to feel that way, even if they were a pain. Even if being a pain happened to be why they were left out. Felix didn't hate Liam; he just didn't know if he could put up with that kid's ear-bashing for an entire lunch period.
They sat down at their usual table. Liam stood at the front of the lunch line, collecting his drink and dessert. Felix braced himself for the inevitable. He didn't like the idea of eating lunch with Liam, but Sarah had made a promise which she intended to keep. And Felix preferred sitting with her to sitting with his teammates. He'd get plenty of time with them at practice anyway. Besides, if they thought he was interested in Sarah, they'd probably be cool with it.
Liam neared their table, then balked, still standing at a distance. He clutched his tray tightly, pawpads white. His eyes quickly darted to one side, then to their table, then down, then to the side again. His eyebrows scrunched together. Felix narrowed his eyes. Hesitance?
Sarah waved. "Liam. Come sit with us!"
A thousand thoughts seemed to shoot through Liam's head at once. The tabby swallowed. "Uh... No thanks. I have, uh... I remembered I wanted to sit on the other side of the cafeteria today. It's a lot cooler over there. Uh, like, temperature, not as in, um..." He backed away. "Uh... see you tomorrow." Liam turned tail and fast-walked clear to the back corner table, where he sat in the seat closest to the wall.
Sarah frowned. Felix was relieved, but at the same time, very confused. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh... OK. I wasn't expecting that."
"Neither was I," said Sarah. "He seemed upset. But..." She drew a sharp breath. "Oh... Oh no."
Her eyes shone with regret. Felix's brow furrowed. "What? What is it?"
"He must've overheard us talking in line!"
,.~*~.,
Today had been the worst day of Liam's life.
He had friends, he didn't have friends. What did it matter? They still didn't like him.
If they all thought he was so annoying, why couldn't they just tell him so? Maybe then he'd know how to feel, or what to think. Felix outright didn't care for Liam and wanted him to stay away; looking back, Liam could see that as plain as day. Sarah thought Liam was annoying. Still, she'd gone out of her way to be nice to him. That had to mean something, right? Unless... He hadn't mentioned 'money' out loud by accident, had he? He didn't think so. So maybe her being nice was actually genuine?
Liam didn't know. And he didn't want to think about it either. He didn't even want to make a trip down to Ben's for a hamburger. All he wanted right now was a soft pillow and a nice, calming cup of hot chamomile tea.
His "friends" chatted beside Sarah's locker; they were saying something about Felix's football practice. Liam didn't bother saying hi on his way past; they were too deep into their own conversation. They wouldn't have noticed or cared if he had said hi. He'd just get on their nerves anyway; why bother trying to be friendly?
Yeah, Sarah was nice. She might even say hi back. But she was probably only pretending to be interested in him--- treating him like a naive, annoying kid. She wanted to get rid of him too; she was just nicer about it. At least Felix was honest and up front about his disdain. Sarah didn't have to pretend to care.
Liam fumbled in his combination and opened his locker with a squeaky yank. He sorted through his books with a glum frown, trying to remember which ones he needed for his homework. It wasn't easy, especially with all the disappointment and self-directed anger clouding his brain. And his brain was mildly cloudy on a good day! This stuff with his friends, or clubmates... whatever they were, only made the fog worse.
Liam drew a deep breath; he had to get it together. So Sarah and Felix didn't want him around today. That didn't mean they wouldn't want to see him tomorrow.
It was just a bad day, Liam told himself, raising his chin. Just one bad day. But nothing he told himself stopped the sinking feeling in his chest that once again, he'd gotten his hopes up sky-high. Once again, he'd thought he'd had a real friend or two. But he'd misjudged them. Even worse, he'd made himself look stupid by getting so excited.
Liam grabbed the last of his homework and tucked it into his bookbag, then shut his locker with a slam. Muffins. What was I thinking? Why did he even try currying their favor? I'm such an idiot!
"Liam, wait up!"
Liam's heart lifted a tiny bit at the sound of her voice. He paused and turned around. Sarah fast-walked his way. He couldn't bring himself to smile, but a bit of that suffocating cloud of gloom dissipated.
She reached him and set one soft handpaw on his arm, her big brown eyes searching his for forgiveness. "I'm sorry about... what you heard earlier. Neither of us meant to upset you."
"It's OK, Sarah," Liam lied, stepping back. "If you guys should... I dunno, think I'm annoying and don't wanna hang out, that's fine! I'm OK by myself, really." He laughed, hoping that would be more convincing than his tone of voice. It wasn't. "It's not like I was super excited to have friends to hang with or anything, really. I just, uh... If you don't wanna be friends, I can deal with it."
Sarah let out a sigh. "Liam, I'd be happy to be your friend."
Liam blinked, stunned. "But... at lunch, when you were talking to Felix, you said I was annoying!"
Sarah winced. "That... doesn't mean I don't want to get to know you a little better before I make up my mind."
"What about Felix? Sounds like he's made up his mind," Liam mumbled, folding his arms.
"Don't worry about him," the girl said with a reassuring smile. "He'll come around once he gets to know you. Just give him some time."
Liam glanced past her shoulder. In the distance, Felix strode down the hall with his backpack pulled neatly over his shoulders, not even sparing a look back. Skeptical, Liam's brow lowered. "You really think so?"
"I know so." Sarah patted his arm. "You can join us for lunch whenever you want. But don't feel rushed. Take all the time you need. In the meantime, see you at club tomorrow." She knocked his shoulder, grinning mischievously. "And don't be late."
Liam at last managed a coy smile and pawed his ear. "No promises."
He had friends! Real friends! Actual, legitimate, honest friends! Liam's head buzzed with thoughts of what could possibly come next. Sure, they'd only interacted with him a couple of times... and that dark-furred tall guy didn't seem to like him all that much. But he'd come around; Liam felt it in his bones. Besides, it looked like he and Sarah were a package deal.
Liam tried not to let that disappoint him. Yeah, he liked Sarah. And maybe one day he could get her to notice how cool he was. But if she and Tall Guy were an item, Liam wasn't about to get between them. Not unless Tall Guy backed off, which was unlikely.
What was that guy's name again? Freddie? Fenton? It started with an 'F'. But it most definitely was not Fritz. Liam would've taken an immediate disliking to the guy if his name had been Fritz--- Liam's fat, stupid, snobby older cousin had ruined that name forever. Maybe he'd remember once he'd properly fueled his brain with some good old fashioned sugar.
Liam always grabbed a giant muffin from the bakery before school; the light breakfast his family ate each morning just wasn't enough for his growing body anymore. The bakery was a convenient distance from both his house and his new school; he could show up, pick out a flavor, and pedal his favorite blue bike the rest of the way to school. And he'd arrive only a few minutes late for homeroom!
Yeah, the system wasn't perfect. He'd been trying to cut down the amount of time he spent in the bakery, but it was hardly his fault if two or three other customers squeezed their fat bottoms in front of him in line!
Today, thankfully, there was only one guy ahead of him--- a tall, skinny wolf at that--- picking up a bag of cinnamon scones. But, as luck would have it, the talkative-as-ever baker carried on a five-minute conversation with the guy even after he'd received his scones.
Liam bounced up and down, eager to satiate his hunger and get to school. Time was ticking. His belly was rumbling. His new friends were waiting! At this rate he wouldn't get to see them until first hour ended. He hoped they wouldn't miss him too much. Maybe he could make it up to them? Maybe he could get them something to eat too. Liam tapped his lip. Did Sarah like blueberry muffins?
Of course she did. Who didn't like blueberry muffins?
After way too long, Skinny Wolf took his leave. Liam bounded up to the counter, smiling. "Hey, Morris! What's buzzin'?"
The kindly retriever grinned back, tail wagging. "Liam! How's my best customer this morning?" He picked up his tongs.
"I'm doing great!" Liam snapped his fingers and pointed up at the baker. "Today, I'll need three giant blueberry muffins."
"Three?" Morris chuckled. The portly baker grabbed a paper sack and lifted one muffin with his tongs. "Is today a special occasion?"
"Sort of," said Liam with a shrug. "I wanted something to give to my friends. Can't go wrong with blueberry muffins, right?"
Morris dropped the third muffin into the sack and skilfully rolled the top shut. "Well that's sweet of you," said the baker. Liam's chest warmed up with pride. Morris set the bag down on the counter. He punched a few keys on the register and flashed Liam another friendly smile. "Dollar-fifty."
Liam dug two fresh dollar bills from his jeans pocket and plopped them on the counter with a grin. "Keep the change." He grabbed the sack and hurried his way to the door, waving over his shoulder. "Have a good day!" The tabby tripped on his way out the door, and nearly bumped into a customer about to enter. He sputtered out an apology, stumbling backwards... and knocked over his bicycle.
Liam chuckled loudly and picked up the bike, pretending nothing had happened. So he'd had a bit of a rough start to his day; no problem! He still had friends, and he'd even bought them a treat! The day was all set to be a success, and Liam was eager to get it going.
,.~*~.,
Liam strolled into the auditorium during Coach North's announcements, muffin bag clenched tightly between both fists. He searched the rows for one particular pair of round indigo ears set on a head of raven-black hair tied back by a silky blue scarf. There! There she was, seated next to a taller head of greased-back hair framed by large charcoal ears.
Liam strode down the aisle and dipped into the row, waving at Sarah as he approached. Sarah smiled and waved back; Liam's chest warmed. Tall Guy had no reaction save a single twitch of one ear.
Liam plunked himself down right next to Sarah, grinning. His heart pounded with excitement. Finally! He could sit beside his crush without looking desperate. Jonny might have thought he'd done Liam dirty by tricking him into signing up for the Storytelling Club, but joining that club was the best thing that had ever happened to him!
"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late." No response. Liam bit his lip. Restless, he bounced his knee up and down; he was too excited to sit still! "How are you guys?"
Sarah gave him a thumbs up and a polite smile. Tall Guy did nothing. Liam's smile slipped a little. Tough customer. Well, if he couldn't get anyone to talk to him, he could get their attention another way. The best way. The way that always worked, no matter what! Well... it worked with him, anyway.
Liam unraveled the top of the sack and inhaled deeply as the warm, inviting scent of freshly-baked goods wafted past his nose. "Ahh." He picked out the top muffin for himself, then thrust the paper sack between his two friends. "Anyone hungry? I brought muffins!"
"Shhhhhh!!!" Tall Guy's green eyes flashed. "Put a lid on it, will ya? We're trying to listen!"
Heart sinking, Liam drew the bag back slightly. "But... I brought muffins! For you guys!"
Sarah nudged the sack even further, back onto Liam's lap. "Later," she whispered. "When we're not in class."
Liam huffed and re-sealed the bag, making sure every crinkle of paper resonated. "This isn't a class," he muttered. OK, so they didn't want their muffins yet. Not a big deal. And Liam could certainly have his! He wasn't going to wait a moment longer.
Liam again inhaled the smell of sweet, muffiny goodness before he finally tucked in. Delicious as the thing smelled, it did its best work on the taste buds. The muffin was still warm throughout, the blueberries still hot and juicy. Liam was no seasoned culinary expert, but he knew enough about good food to know that Morris' pastries were best eaten fresh. Sarah and Tall Guy didn't know what they were missing!
By the time homeroom ended, Liam had gleefully scoffed down the whole thing, including all the crumbly bits that had fallen on his clothes. And it had been delicious. Too bad Liam couldn't tempt his new friends with the sight or smell of a warm pastry; the most attention he'd gotten had been a somewhat disgusted glance from Tall Guy after finishing the muffin, when he'd slurped the stickiness off his fingerpads.
Sarah and Felix (whose name Liam suddenly remembered--- the sugar was doing its job!) made their way out of the auditorium, talking to one another about... Liam presumed, whatever the announcements had been about. He hadn't paid enough attention to know. He trailed them, clutching the bag of muffins. Once they made it out into the hall and down to Felix's locker, they finally gave him their full attention, much to Liam's relief.
"OK, Liam," Sarah began. "What's this about muffins?"
"I bought them this morning! From the bakery!" He thrust the sack into Sarah's chest. She took a step back, then peeked inside the sack with interest. "I was picking up breakfast and thought you guys might want one. Come on, take one!"
Felix reached into the sack first, followed a second later by Sarah. Felix's eyebrows shot up; he was no doubt impressed by the size of the thing, which only just fit inside the span of his handpaw. "Whoah. These are huge."
"I can't even wrap both paws around it," Sarah agreed, stunned. She took a small bite, and her eyes lit up. "Mm! Blueberry."
Liam internally cheered. I knew she liked blueberry! Great minds think alike.
Felix motioned for Liam to hand him the bag. "I'll save mine for later," he said. Liam handed him the bag, and he dropped the muffin inside without taking a single bite.
Liam slumped. "They're best fresh," he said, voice cracking.
Felix waved one white handpaw dismissively. "It'll be just as good after football practice. Then I'll actually have time to enjoy it."
Liam drooped. Football practice? But that didn't end until 4:30 or later! The thing would be downright stale by then!
At least Sarah was thoroughly enjoying that muffin. "I've seen these in the bakery, but I've never actually bought one. This is really good, Liam."
Liam perked up again, beaming brightly. "You go to Morris' bakery too?" Of course she does, nincompoop. It's the only bakery in town! Liam mentally slapped himself. Too obvious? "Uh... I mean... Do you have a favorite treat you like, or..."
"I'm usually there doing errands with my dad," said Sarah. She chuckled. "He has a sweet tooth."
"Me too!" Liam bounced on his heels. "Hey, maybe we'll bump into each other sometime!"
Sarah smiled back. "Maybe." She took another bite of the muffin. "As for my favorite treat, I really don't know. I for sure like macaroons..."
Felix peeked at his wristwatch. "Uh, Sarah... you won't have time to finish that." He showed her the time.
Sarah's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, you're right."
Felix extended the bag to her. "Here. I'll put it in my locker 'til you're ready for it." She took one last good-sized bite and dropped the rest into the sack.
Time! Liam dug out his own Rolex from his pocket. "Oh man!" He had four minutes to get to his locker and run down to class--- just enough time to spare. Liam stuffed the watch back into his jeans. "I gotta go!"
"We'll meet you at lunch, OK?" said Sarah. Felix frowned at her.
Liam ignored Sarah's grouchy friend and grinned. "OK! See you guys later!" He spun around on his heel and hurried down the hall, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. Maybe he'd get to class on time today!
But then he ran straight into Jonny--- lanky, smarmy, pointy-faced Jonny Coyote. All six feet of him in that dark red sweater vest far too smart for someone of his ilk. Liam halted before he could barrel into the guy, teetering back and forth before he finally stopped himself. Crashing into Jonny would be funny if it humiliated Jonny, but Liam knew it would only humiliate him, and Liam was getting tired of being humiliated.
"Hey, Shorty." Jonny chuckled down at him. "How'd you like that exciting club yesterday?"
Liam puffed out his chest and made himself as tall as his 5'4" stature would allow. "Ha! Well the joke's on you!" he squeaked. "For your information, I really did like Storytelling Club." He folded his arms proudly. "Thanks to you, I now have the two best friends a guy could ask for. Hope you have fun watching your little plan backfire!" Liam blew him a goodbye raspberry and hurried on his way. One second later, Liam slammed facedown on the floor.
A few other students laughed while Liam lifted himself from the splotchy brown tile to glare up at Jonny and the other jolly jokers. Shouldn't they be tired of seeing this by now?
"Oops," chortled Jonny. "Silly me. Looks like that's not the only way I messed up. Hope ya have a great time there this fall." He strode down the hall, laughing to himself. The dummy probably thought his lame-o joke was clever, too.
Liam rolled his eyes and stood back to his feet, brushing down his shirt. Where was Sarah and her bully-repellent friend when he needed them? In class. Just like he should be. Liam took one look at the clock on the wall and gasped. He only had two minutes to get there!
He ran all the rest of the way to the classroom, forgetting all about his locker.
,.~*~.,
Class was unbearably slow--- even slower than usual. Liam vibrated his leg up and down at super speed. He rocked himself and shifted around, unable to keep his arms in the same place for longer than half a minute. He resisted the constant urge to gnaw his pencil; Barry always got onto him about that when he helped Liam with his homework. The tabby allowed himself the occasional chomp to stave off a little of his boundless energy, but it was barely enough to hold him before the next class started.
At least he'd get to stretch his legs for a few minutes before the cycle began all over again in the next class. And by the end of that period, he'd already squirmed, bounced, and kicked his breakfast far away. Hunger was back, and even more relentless than before. The longer it gnawed and burned away at his insides, the harder it was to concentrate.
The period before lunch was always the worst. Especially today, now that he had so much more than food to look forward to. Honestly, the food here wasn't much to look forward to, but it was all he'd get to eat between breakfast and Ben's. And if the hunger pangs were bad enough, it was hard to complain. He was grateful he got to eat here at all.
Today's lunch was some kind of beef stew... mashed potato... casserole thing. With cooked carrots, and rice. The same rice, in fact, that they'd served the day before. Well, not the exact same rice because all that rice had been eaten already, else fed to a trash can... but it was the same kind. Looked like they'd added pepper to it. Liam wrinkled his nose. It sure smelled like they'd added pepper.
"...to find Liam."
He perked up. Felix? Did he just hear Felix say his name? He looked all around the cafeteria, but couldn't find that greased head of jet black hair anywhere.
"I don't see him." That was Sarah. They were ahead of him in line--- and not that far! Liam almost ducked out of line to wave at them, but... that vacant football-hugging square with the dumb haircut was behind him in line, and liable to steal his place if he so much as budged. Liam stayed put; he'd just surprise them when they sat down!
"We don't have to do this today, you know," said Felix, voice low. "You could always join me and the guys. They're a bunch of clowns, but..."
"Felix." Sarah's voice was a low growl. "We promised we'd have lunch with Liam."
"No, you promised. You can sit with him." Felix sighed. "I'll pass."
"Felix, I know he's a little annoying..." Annoying? Liam's throat fell into his stomach. She thinks I'm annoying? "But he is part of our club. The least we can do is spend time with him. Get to know him a little better."
"Sarah..." Felix hesitated; Liam wanted to tune out whatever Felix had to say, but at the same time, he couldn't tear his ears away. "I hate to judge a book by its cover. But he's already told us he only joined Storytelling Club 'cause he wanted to goof around. He never wanted to participate."
"We'll have to see," Sarah answered curtly.
"I've seen enough," Felix snipped. "He certainly wasn't very helpful yesterday."
There was a pause. "I guess you're right," Sarah sighed. The pair collected their trays and headed on to go sit somewhere, probably far away from Liam. He watched them go, heart sinking.
So much for friends.
,.~*~.,
"But I still think you're judging him too quickly," Sarah said. Felix sensed her eyes boring into his head, even though he wasn't looking at her. "At least he was honest about why he joined."
True. Honesty was a good quality. Felix stiffened his lip. "It's not that I'm not willing to give the guy a chance," he clarified. "I just don't want to spend any more time around him than I have to. He gets on my nerves."
"Whatever." Sarah sighed. "It's just that we hang out together all the time, and... he always sits by himself. I'd hate to make him feel left out."
That comment hit a tender spot inside of Felix. A little bit of guilt crept in and stayed there, nibbling away at his heart. Left out. Felix hated that feeling. He didn't want anyone to have to feel that way, even if they were a pain. Even if being a pain happened to be why they were left out. Felix didn't hate Liam; he just didn't know if he could put up with that kid's ear-bashing for an entire lunch period.
They sat down at their usual table. Liam stood at the front of the lunch line, collecting his drink and dessert. Felix braced himself for the inevitable. He didn't like the idea of eating lunch with Liam, but Sarah had made a promise which she intended to keep. And Felix preferred sitting with her to sitting with his teammates. He'd get plenty of time with them at practice anyway. Besides, if they thought he was interested in Sarah, they'd probably be cool with it.
Liam neared their table, then balked, still standing at a distance. He clutched his tray tightly, pawpads white. His eyes quickly darted to one side, then to their table, then down, then to the side again. His eyebrows scrunched together. Felix narrowed his eyes. Hesitance?
Sarah waved. "Liam. Come sit with us!"
A thousand thoughts seemed to shoot through Liam's head at once. The tabby swallowed. "Uh... No thanks. I have, uh... I remembered I wanted to sit on the other side of the cafeteria today. It's a lot cooler over there. Uh, like, temperature, not as in, um..." He backed away. "Uh... see you tomorrow." Liam turned tail and fast-walked clear to the back corner table, where he sat in the seat closest to the wall.
Sarah frowned. Felix was relieved, but at the same time, very confused. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh... OK. I wasn't expecting that."
"Neither was I," said Sarah. "He seemed upset. But..." She drew a sharp breath. "Oh... Oh no."
Her eyes shone with regret. Felix's brow furrowed. "What? What is it?"
"He must've overheard us talking in line!"
,.~*~.,
Today had been the worst day of Liam's life.
He had friends, he didn't have friends. What did it matter? They still didn't like him.
If they all thought he was so annoying, why couldn't they just tell him so? Maybe then he'd know how to feel, or what to think. Felix outright didn't care for Liam and wanted him to stay away; looking back, Liam could see that as plain as day. Sarah thought Liam was annoying. Still, she'd gone out of her way to be nice to him. That had to mean something, right? Unless... He hadn't mentioned 'money' out loud by accident, had he? He didn't think so. So maybe her being nice was actually genuine?
Liam didn't know. And he didn't want to think about it either. He didn't even want to make a trip down to Ben's for a hamburger. All he wanted right now was a soft pillow and a nice, calming cup of hot chamomile tea.
His "friends" chatted beside Sarah's locker; they were saying something about Felix's football practice. Liam didn't bother saying hi on his way past; they were too deep into their own conversation. They wouldn't have noticed or cared if he had said hi. He'd just get on their nerves anyway; why bother trying to be friendly?
Yeah, Sarah was nice. She might even say hi back. But she was probably only pretending to be interested in him--- treating him like a naive, annoying kid. She wanted to get rid of him too; she was just nicer about it. At least Felix was honest and up front about his disdain. Sarah didn't have to pretend to care.
Liam fumbled in his combination and opened his locker with a squeaky yank. He sorted through his books with a glum frown, trying to remember which ones he needed for his homework. It wasn't easy, especially with all the disappointment and self-directed anger clouding his brain. And his brain was mildly cloudy on a good day! This stuff with his friends, or clubmates... whatever they were, only made the fog worse.
Liam drew a deep breath; he had to get it together. So Sarah and Felix didn't want him around today. That didn't mean they wouldn't want to see him tomorrow.
It was just a bad day, Liam told himself, raising his chin. Just one bad day. But nothing he told himself stopped the sinking feeling in his chest that once again, he'd gotten his hopes up sky-high. Once again, he'd thought he'd had a real friend or two. But he'd misjudged them. Even worse, he'd made himself look stupid by getting so excited.
Liam grabbed the last of his homework and tucked it into his bookbag, then shut his locker with a slam. Muffins. What was I thinking? Why did he even try currying their favor? I'm such an idiot!
"Liam, wait up!"
Liam's heart lifted a tiny bit at the sound of her voice. He paused and turned around. Sarah fast-walked his way. He couldn't bring himself to smile, but a bit of that suffocating cloud of gloom dissipated.
She reached him and set one soft handpaw on his arm, her big brown eyes searching his for forgiveness. "I'm sorry about... what you heard earlier. Neither of us meant to upset you."
"It's OK, Sarah," Liam lied, stepping back. "If you guys should... I dunno, think I'm annoying and don't wanna hang out, that's fine! I'm OK by myself, really." He laughed, hoping that would be more convincing than his tone of voice. It wasn't. "It's not like I was super excited to have friends to hang with or anything, really. I just, uh... If you don't wanna be friends, I can deal with it."
Sarah let out a sigh. "Liam, I'd be happy to be your friend."
Liam blinked, stunned. "But... at lunch, when you were talking to Felix, you said I was annoying!"
Sarah winced. "That... doesn't mean I don't want to get to know you a little better before I make up my mind."
"What about Felix? Sounds like he's made up his mind," Liam mumbled, folding his arms.
"Don't worry about him," the girl said with a reassuring smile. "He'll come around once he gets to know you. Just give him some time."
Liam glanced past her shoulder. In the distance, Felix strode down the hall with his backpack pulled neatly over his shoulders, not even sparing a look back. Skeptical, Liam's brow lowered. "You really think so?"
"I know so." Sarah patted his arm. "You can join us for lunch whenever you want. But don't feel rushed. Take all the time you need. In the meantime, see you at club tomorrow." She knocked his shoulder, grinning mischievously. "And don't be late."
Liam at last managed a coy smile and pawed his ear. "No promises."
Chapter 1- Harvey Hollow
Chapter 2- School Days
Chapter 3- Day One
Chapter 4- Friendship 101
Chapter 5- (Don't Take It Personally)
Chapter 6- Small World
Chapter 2- School Days
Chapter 3- Day One
Chapter 4- Friendship 101
Chapter 5- (Don't Take It Personally)
Chapter 6- Small World
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