Artificial Love (Thiam)

Chapter 3 (aged 13)

"Do I have to?" Liam asked with a sigh. "I mean, I know, it's tradition or whatever. But I'm a teenager now and I've got my own friends and my own life and Prince Theo and I never liked each other anyways."

"You were boys then. You're young men now, things will be better." Jenna answered with a roll of her eyes.

"Why does David get to get out of it? If I have to go, surely he does too. And why can't I bring Mason or Brett or Corey? Theo always has Josh there."

"Josh won't be there this year. David isn't getting out of it, he's just coming later because of work." Jenna told him, and Liam glanced up at her. They went through this every year, it was almost as much a tradition as the trip itself, and Liam didn't see why they should skip such an important tradition.

Especially if there was any chance of him getting out of it.

"Perhaps you can show Theo your new Polo skills. I'm sure he'd be learning as well. And you've gotten very good."

"Only because David is very good." Liam grumbled back, "And we'd need Josh and Mason to play that. Why can't they come this year?"

"Stop it, Liam. Get some sleep. You've only got a few hours left till we arrive and it's going to be a long day. You two are old enough now to start doing some press together."

"Press? What, like interviews and stuff? Like we have to pretend to be friends? To people? Who are going to watch us and try to figure it out?"

"Go to sleep, Liam." Jenna responded

Liam didn't sleep, and the whole rest of the trip he just stared at the ceiling, knowing it'd be a miserable year. Without Theo being distracted by Josh, he'd almost definitely be bothering him the entire time. What's more, Liam didn't really want to see Theo because he knew he'd be mocked. He knew he was gangly and awkward. He knew he was sort of unbalanced and looked every bit the awkward thirteen year old he was, totally regardless of whether he was a prince or not. Puberty didn't care.

He just wanted to text his friends or something, but Liam knew he couldn't do that in mid air, so he wound up just thinking throughout the whole flight. On the slightly brighter side, he'd get to see Walter again. And Jon, who Liam actually really liked talking to about books.

But he also knew Theo would probably know his grades had slipped (Theo seemed to somehow know everything), and as much as Liam loved reading, and as hard as he tried, he found it harder every year to concentrate, and with all the responsibility he had, things just slipped through his fingers sometimes. He was trying his hardest, but it was a lot for him.

He tried to be a good student, to be a good prince, but he wasn't. Which was part of the reason he hated Theo so much. As hard as Liam had to try for absolutely everything, it always just seemed to come easily to Theo. He was better with people for the most part, better at maintaining his composure in public, people seemed to like him better. And he was smarter.

As soon as Liam actually got off the plane, actually saw him, he knew his worrying hadn't been in vain. While Liam still looked like an awkward kid, not yet grown into his features, not yet past the gawky and clumsy phases of his youth, Theo already looked far more grown. His skin was clear, he was a lot taller than Liam, and his suit fit him a lot better. Liam was pretty sure he had been right to hate Theo as much as he did, all of a sudden.

Theo, for his part, looked smug and calm. He looked at Liam like, rather than being annoyed to see him, Liam was something amusing. Like bait or something. Liam hated it, it made his skin itch. He wasn't looking forward to being mocked for another six weeks.

"Dunbar." He said, nodding towards Liam. Liam had his hands folded neatly behind his back, but he no longer glanced up at his mother for support. Nor did Theo. They had both long since figured out that they had no choice, and that they would have to do this like it or not.