BLUNT. | Liam Dunbar

Snap Crackle Broken - Chapter Five

A N N I E

I sat between Malia and Mason; Kira sat behind us. The bleachers were cold and hard, and they were hurting my butt to no extent. And yet again, the unnerving feeling that I wasn't only here to accompany Mason, or see to that Scott and Stiles have enough cheerleaders, was beginning to overwhelm me, and I found myself bouncing my knee once again.

"Seriously, Annie, what drugs are you on?" Malia asked, raising an eyebrow at my bouncing leg. "Crack? Heroine? A little cocaine?"

I huffed, "Just... Shut up, would you? I just--I don't understand why I'm here." I looked over at Mason, and he raised his eyebrows at me, as if pondering on the thought himself. "Would you like to answer that question for me?"

Mason opened his mouth to say something, but was instantaneously cut off by a screeching blare that could only be the source of one thing... Coach Finstock's whistle. I watched with an aching attention span; my eyes wavering over Scott as he strutted along the grass next to the one and only Liam Dunbar.

This was why he brought me here. This is why he forced to come, why Mason pleaded for me to. He didn't want me there... Liam did. The two boys, going behind my back, and tricking me into watching a boring lacrosse tryout.

Scott waved over at me, and I raised my hand, flicking my wrist in a gesturing way. Annoyed, I huffed, throwing my elbow into Mason's ribs.

"What!" Mason yelped, "What in the world was that for?"

I raised my eyebrows, turning back to the field. "What do you think?"

Coach instructed the boys a series of inaudible tasks, and we watched as they completed them. First it was the timed run, shockingly... Scott didn't come in first.

Liam did.

And then Stiles came in last.

Then they were shooting goals, and once more, I was disappointed in Scott's lack of skill. When he shot the ball, it looked as if it was going to be a great shot... that is, before it hit the side of the goal, shooting off in a different direction. And yet, once again, I was puzzled by the skill and motivation this new boy brought to his field. Liam shot the ball, almost knocking Danny to his feet before it hit the net, bouncing off onto the ground.

For a moment afterwards, our gazes met, as if exchanging sentences. His gaze asked if I had seen the incredible shot, and my zone declared that I did. The wink from Liam, following our mental conversation, was more to remind me that he was just a freshman, but played like a senior.

Coach blew his whistle hastily, and I laughed as Stiles panted on his knees. He looked as if he was dry-heaving.

I looked back at Kira, finally growing an antagonizing annoyance towards her right leg bouncing into my back. She had her hand cupped around her chin, and chewed nervously on her fingernails. Her other hand was occupied holding a lacrosse stick, and she was spinning the end of it around in her hand.

Malia creased her eyebrows, turning to me, and then looking back to Kira. She still was withdrawn from noticing us staring at her. "What's wrong with you?" Malia asked, waking Kira from her daydream.

"Me?" Kira sat up, clearing her throat. "Nothing."

I raised one eyebrow at her, "The squeakiness in your voice suggests that it's not 'nothing'."

Malia smelled the air, and I looked to make sure she wasn't making a fool of herself in front of Mason, but he seemed more focused on the boys than on us. Malia squinted her eyes, "You reek of anxiety. And it's distracting. What's going on?"