Amelia Unleashed

Chapter Four

“Then what are you like, Liam?” I ask.

“Well,” he says, looking me in the eyes, “that’s part of the reason I asked you to meet me here.” I fidget with my straw, stirring what’s left of my frappe. “A few Sundays ago I woke up with a horrible hang over. I can’t even remember what happened the night before.” He slowly shakes his head. “I’m so sick of it.” Frustration fills his voice. “So sick of the whole party scene, the random hook ups, the effort of trying to keep up with the guys, being who everyone wants me to be… it’s tiring, it really is. And the thing is? I was lonely. Can you believe that?” Liam exhales loudly. “It was like, I had everything. I could have anything I wanted. But it,” He takes a deep breath in, “just, it wasn’t enough, you know? Something was missing - something important.” For a few moments we’re silent.

“Something important,” I question, “like what?”

“Something important… like a reason.”

“A reason for what?”

“A reason for this,” Liam holds his hands out and tells me, “a reason for everything. For me, for my life, who I’ve been, where I’m going, what I’ll become – just everything. A reason for life, for death, and for everything in between.” His eyes spark with passion. “How I was living, that’s not what this life is for.” Tilting my head slightly to the left, I examine his face. A face that girls can’t help but swoon over. Today, for some reason, it looks different. It looks vulnerable, honest, and – somehow – it looks more real. “It’s God, Mia. God is the reason.” I press my lips together, taking it all in. Taking in his confession, his proclamation of the existence of God, and I can’t help but wonder what this all means. “I need Him, Mia. I need God.”

“We all need Him.” I speak.

“I know, I know.” Liam’s lips hint at a smile. “And I want Him.”

“Oh, Liam!” I exclaim. “That is so great!”

He admits, “I don’t know where to begin.”

I let out a tiny chuckle. “You’re perfect just where you are. God will meet you wherever you are.”

“I’m new to this whole God thing. I thought you could maybe help me. You know, get started. My friends aren’t, uh, exactly the church going type.” Although I’m beyond excited to know I’ve gained a new brother in Christ I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Of course Liam wouldn’t invite a girl like me to meet him for coffee because he was interested or attracted to me. How silly of me to even let myself get my hopes up. I don’t like him, I remind myself. “And since you’re pretty vocal about the whole Christian thing I thought I should ask you.”

“There are a lot of people vocal about being a Christian.” I pause. “We hate each other, Liam. We’re sarcastic to one another. I would think I’d be the last one you’d want to spend time with.”

“We hate each other?” He raises an eyebrow. “Since when?”

“I don’t know.” Once again I find myself fidgeting with my straw. “I just assumed. I mean, we aren’t exactly friendly to one another. And like I said, we’re always sarcastic.”

“I thought you liked that.”

“Really Liam? Remember all the times you and the rest of the team laughed at me? Or made fun of me? You really thought I liked that?”

“Okay,” he says, “maybe I was just trying to make an excuse for myself. I’m really sorry, Mia, if anything I said was hurtful. And I apologize for all the guys.”