The Steps I Take to Get Closer to You

Knowledge is... A Restriction Part II

The lecture was halfway through.  Van Bosnia had us write practice choruses to apply what we had learned.  Suddenly, I felt a finger tap my shoulder.  I looked behind me, but Liam seemed to be working intently, not as if he were trying to be a nuisance.  Maybe I was simply paranoid.  I decided to get back to writing the chorus.

I was having what I like to call a "shutdown".  I couldn't think of anything.  My thoughts were centered around two things: Liam, and that anonymous tap on the shoulder.  I knew that the two were interrelated, I just couldn't prove it.  A similar tap hit my spine.  Not many people knew this, but I hated It whenever my spine or feet were touched; it hurt more than I could explain.  I forced down a yelp of terror and pain, glancing around in a hopefully well-hidden panic.  Then, I saw it.  There was a crumpled piece of foolscap on my desk that wasn't there before.  For a moment I thought my mind was becoming senile much faster than my body.  I blinked as rapidly as I could, and to my surprise, it was still there.  I reached out and touched it.  It was reassuringly real.  My fingers enclosed it, forming a papery fist.  I brought it closer and smoothed it out, only to find words.  It read:

Dear Andrea,

I want  to talk to you in more detail about what happened.  That, and there's something I need to tell you.  I've been lying to you, keeping something from you.  I just can't keep it any longer, it feels wrong.  Can come by for dinner at six tonight?  Let me know by the end of class please.

xx Liam xx

I honestly couldn't believe it.  All the air had been knocked out of my lungs.  I stared at the words blankly, wanting to fold it neatly, tuck it in my pocket and keep it safe and sound for forever.  However, knowing that Liam could full-well see me, and he would find it odd stopped me from doing so.

After the longest forty-five minutes of my life, the class finally ended.  I wasn't really paying any attention, but I was vaguely aware that I had homework tonight.  That royally pissed me off because I had that dinner date with Liam tonight and I wanted to look perfect.  "It's not a date, he has Sophia", I had to constantly remind myself within a span of thirty seconds.

I was packing my things quietly, thinking of what to wear, when Liam came up behind me, scaring the crap out of me.  I screamed as he touched my shoulder.

"And that... is revenge.", he said devilishly.

"What was that for?!" I demanded as I struggled to regain my composure.

"That was for this morning when you came in.  You scared me half to death woman.  Anyway, have you made up your mind on whether you're going to accept or decline my invitation?", he asked.

"Ha ha oh right, I forgot about that. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to actually scare you.  My intention was to be playful. ", I joked.   Then, my breath caught.  What should I say about the invitation, I wondered.  I mean, of course I wanted to go, I just didn't know how to not seem desperate or over-excited about it, especially because he had Sophia.  I wanted, no I needed to sound nonchalant.  Finally, I said, "And yeah, I have made up my mind about the invite.  I'll totally be there."

I found it surprising that Liam looked... well....  surprised..  Surely he couldn't have expected me to decline?  Even if he wasn't Liam Payne, member of the world's biggest boy-band, he was still hot and British.  That guaranteed a lot of dates, even if he didn't have Sophia.

"Really?" he asked with a mixture of excitement, disbelief and relief strongly present in his voice.

"Yes really.  What's you're address?" I asked.

"Oh damn!  I forgot to write my address, my apologies Andrea.  I feel like a true git." he said.

"Liam, relax.  It's not that big of a deal.  You can write it out for me now." I said.  Yet, there was something about him that felt off.  "By the way, are you alright?"  I was concerned for him.