Delphic Song

Chapter One

“What makes you think I have weird… dreams?” Liam coughed, clearing his throat.

I looked at him skeptically. “I don’t… I was just teasing. Chill out.”

Liam gave a short, rough laugh that sounded forced. “So, how do you feel different, then?”

“Well…” I paused, wiping down my dish and putting it away before answering. “I guess I feel… older? I don’t know, Lee.”

Liam’s shoulders relaxed a bit. “So no weird dreams or anything? Are you sleeping okay?”

I took the pot he was offering me and began drying it. “Um, yeah? Why the sudden fascination with my sleeping patterns?”

“There’s no fascination, I was just wondering -” he broke off, pushing the hair off his forehead with his bicep. God, why did he have to be so damn muscled? It was really hard not to stare, even though I didn’t like him. At all. Ever.

Stop over-analyzing, Gwen!   

“I’m so freaking bad at this,” he muttered under his breath. “Why was I even chosen -”

“Hmm?” I glanced over at him. “What’s this about, Chosen Boy?”

“Nothing – just forget it, okay?” Liam said forcefully. “Just forget I said anything.”

“Of course, Almighty Chosen Boy.” I bowed low.

He rolled his eyes. “I said, forget it -”

I interjected mid-sentence. “And miss the chance to tease you? Never.” I cackled maliciously as I squeezed the now-sopping drying rag all over his hair.

He spluttered, shaking his wet hair all over me. I squealed and dodged the water, ducking behind the counter.

“Oh, you’re going to pay for this,” he growled, stomping over to my hiding place. “Don’t think for one second that you’ll survive -”

I jumped up, throwing the wet cloth in his face as I scrambled away. I was laughing so hard that it was hard to breath, much less get away. I fell on the floor, giggling like an idiot as he loomed over my body curled up on the floor. He held a soaked sponge that dripped repeatedly on me as I lay underneath it.

“Surrender?” I tried, but he just laughed evilly and squeezed the dirty sponge water all over me.

“Ahhh!” I screamed, giggling as I tried to roll away. He stopped me with his foot, holding the sponge threateningly close to my face.

Just then, Dad appeared at the top of the stairs. “Quiet down,” he whisper-yelled. “You’ll wake Joshua.” He seemed to take in our situation and shook his head. “Kids,” he muttered as he turned back upstairs.

Liam and I both broke down laughing as soon as he was gone. Liam fell onto the floor beside me, his sides shaking. My own sides hurt like hell, and my abs felt like jelly because I was laughing so hard. I rolled over onto my side, still giggling, and then opened my eyes to see Liam staring back. I stopped giggling.

Everything went still and silent. His bright, crystalline blue eyes held me as they stared back into mine. I couldn’t break away from his gaze; I was hypnotized by the way they searched my face, the way they were filled with tenderness. The water I had splashed on him made his shirt cling to his chest in all the right places, allowing me to see the hard lines of his muscles. My body felt hot, and I was intensely aware of every fiber of my being. Afraid to move, but afraid to stay still, my thoughts zoomed around inside my head, too quickly for me to focus on singular one, all a blur of Liam’s face and Liam’s eyes…

He was the first to turn away. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding. My heart was thudding heavily in my chest, so loud I could hear every thump resonate.

We both scrambled to our feet. I straightened my shirt and pushed my hair out of my eyes, swallowing and looking anywhere but him. This is what I wanted to avoid. The awkward moments where I let my feelings though – feelings, I knew, that were not real. They were only brought up but the passion of the moment. Like, in fifth grade when you flirt with a guy and are immediately convinced that you’ll spend the rest of your life with him, except on a much bigger scale.

Liam cleared his throat, interrupting the uncomfortable silence. “Do you mind finishing up cleaning?” Liam asked me. “I have to go do that… thing now.” Was it my imagination, or was he a little flushed too? Or did I just want him to be flushed because I wanted to believe he felt the same way I did? Not that I felt any way, just that… okay, I can’t keep arguing with myself like this!

I looked up to find Liam staring at me, obviously waiting for my reply. Damn, now it’s even more awkward because I waited too long to answer! And you still haven’t answered!

Shit.

I was so bad in awkward situations.

“Sure. Of course. Bye. Have… fun? I don’t know if this thing is fun or not but have fun anyways! I’ll see you tomorrow probably! So, yeah, bye!” Oh, my God. I was rambling. Help me. This is so embarrassing.

“Yeah…” Liam looked at me strangely. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye!” I called as he walked out the door.

Stupid, stupid, I repeated in my head as I finished cleaning. You say you don’t want awkward and then you go and make it even worse. Way to go, Gwen!

I spent the rest of my time washing dishes and cursing my ridiculousness.