BLUNT. | Liam Dunbar

Dumb... bells - Chapter Forty-Four

L I A M

I rushed out of the locker room at school, instantly getting hit with a colliding body. I held tight to her as she attempted to push me, but I caught both of her hands.

Annie huffed, "What the hell is wrong with you, Liam?"

I shook my head, and Annie huffed, walking away from me, but I caught her wrist, spinning her around and closing my lips with hers.

She quickly pushed away and held two fingers two my chest, keeping her distance. "Nuh uh, none of that until you tell me what's really going on with you!"

I huffed, "I just--I don't know! I don't know, okay? I don't know if I should fight, I don't if I should trust Scott, I don't know if I'm going to die! I don't know! I don't know anything!"

Annie pulled me down to her, that way my face was in the crane of her neck as I calmed down. Annie ran her fingers through my hair, sighing, "It's over. The computers are off. No more assassins. No more murders." Annie pulled me from her neck, holding my face out in front of hers. "No one's dying."

I pulled her hands away, "Not yet."

Annie huffed, walking away from me and out the weight room door. Mason stood a few feet from me, lifting small dumbbells that weighed five pounds each.

I put two 150 weights on the bench press and laid under it, my mind racing back to last night when I thought Annie was a Berserker, to when I thought I saw one in the hallway. I laid underneath the press, realizing that I finally figured out my worst fear.

I was terrified of Berserkers.

"That's a lot of weight," Mason eyed the dumbbell.

I huffed, "I'm trying to get ready for the game tomorrow."

Mason nodded, "Do you need a spot?"

I scoffed, "Do you?"

Mason shook his head, "This is my warm-up, you ass."

Mason threw down his light weights and walked behind me. I sat up, looking back at him, "Wait, what are you doing?"

Mason shrugged, "I'm spotting you."

I groaned, "I said I don't need one."

"Are you kidding me?" Mason creased his eyebrows at me, "This is like 30o pounds. You're gonna kill yourself."

I leaned down, setting myself underneath the press, and lifting the heavy bar in the air. My muscles flexed throughout my entire body as I brought it down, and raised it back up, setting it back on the bar.

I glared back at Mason, "Do I look like I need help?"

Mason scoffed, walking into the locker room and shaking his head. Way to go, Liam, you just pissed off your best friend... great plan, just a great plan.

I lifted the bar up, and growling started in the corner. I averted my eyes to the sight, and I saw a Berserker standing there. Suddenly, the weight dropped onto my chest, and I couldn't breathe. The Berserker was gone.

I groaned in pain as I attempted to lift the heavy object off of me, but it wasn't budging.

"Liam!" Annie screamed, and Scott lifted the bar off of my chest. Relief flooded throughout my body as I rolled off the seat, falling to my knees while Annie rubbed my cheeks with her thumbs.

"Liam?" Scott offered me a hand up, and I shook it off.

"I'm fine," I said rudely as I stood up.

Scott sighed, looking at Annie, "If you don't want to be with us, that's okay. But don't push your friends away too."

* * *

Annie and I sat on my bed with Mason standing in front of us. He crossed his arms, huffing. This felt like an intervention.

"I know something's going on," Mason blurted out after 15 minutes of awkwardness. "I know you two don't want to talk about it." He paused, and Annie looked over at me. "But you're still my best friends, and, um... Considering the fact that my last good friend turned out to be a professional killer, I'm thinking that I don't have many options for new ones." We all laughed. "So when you guys are ready to talk, talk. Until then," Mason turned to me, "I know I can kick your ass at at least one of these games."

I smiled, kissing Annie on the cheek as I stood up and walked over to my shelf, pulling out a random game.

"I haven't played this one before."