Dirty Mouth

23 Start Over

Seven Lions - Strangers (Myon and Shane 54 and Tove Lo)
eh... song really fits the second half of the chapter

"Liam!" Alan said. "Just let me explain. Please. I know I hurt you, and I want t-."

"Shut up!" Liam said. "Just leave me alone.

"Why?" Alan said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I want to apologize for-."

"No," Liam interrupted. "Everything you said was true. I'm not good for you, so just leave. I don't ever want to cross paths with you again."

Alan saw something from that last statement. He said softly, "Liam, I'm not the only one that can tell when you are lying."

He looked away trying to avoid him from knowing how true it was.

"Why are you lying to me?" He continued, "Why are you trying to push me away?"

Liam grabbed his own arm as if to contain himself. "I don't want you to say anything else. Leave me the **** alone. I don't want to see your ******** face. Don't ever-."

"STOP LYING TO ME!"

Liam gasped at the sudden yell from Alan. "H-how...?" He couldn't finish his sentence. He choked on his words.

"How can I tell?" Alan said for him. "For a while, I knew what you meant from every mean thing you said. I ought to be an idiot not to know now."

Liam began crying silently into his arm.

"Please," Alan said. "Tell me why you are pushing me away."

"It... it hurts."

"What hurts?" He said.

Liam's lips trembled, then he clenched his teeth. He scowled through his tears, "Just leave me the **** alone!"

Alan took a breath in and out. He thought to himself, that Summer's advice may come in handy. He grabbed Liam's shouldera and said, "I'm not going to go away. I am sorry that this had to happen. Yes, sometimes you and I may lose my patience, but that's okay. I am terribly sorry and want to make up."

Liam didn't say anything. His eyes were still filled with tears and his breathing was shaky.

"Please, just tell me why you are pushing me away."

He pushed himself out of Alan's grip. He said quietly, "Don't touch me."

"Liam-."

"You know," Liam interrupted. "I somehow fell in love with you when all I wanted to do was avoid getting close to others." He sniffed and wiped his tears. "All people ever did was cause me pain, and if I pushed them away, it will hurt less." He sighed trying to keep his words sob-free. "Against all odds, I saw you, and wanted to make you mine and treat you best. But I just couldn't help it. I didn't want to hurt you. I got in a bit of a pradicament. I got into the habit of talking to others that way that... I didn't know how to talk to you."

Alan sighed understanding what he meant. "Then let's start over."

He mumbled, "What the **** do you mean?"

He explained, "Talk to me how you 'really' want to talk to me. Don't cover your words up to push me away. Speak how you feel."

Liam furrowed his eyebrows.

He said, "Let me start. Hi, I'm Alan, and I'm totally over my ex-girlfriend and want to be with you."

Liam gulped. He said quietly, "Hey... I'm Liam. I don't want to see you hurt anymore... I've seen you before at school...."

Alan's eyes widened in surprised.

"... and I've always wanted to talk to you... when I saw you crying, I wanted you to feel better... but I'm afraid."

Alan asked, "Of what?"

"Me hurting you because that will hurt most of all."

"Aw, Liam." Alan wrapped his arms around him. "You don't have to push anyone away. You have me and some great friends. They were worried about you all day, and so was I."

Liam nodded and wiped the rest of his tears with his sleeve. "Sorry."

Alan said, "I'm sorry too."

They looked at each other in silence. The fight was over.

Alan asked, "Do you still want to be with me?"

Liam said, "Can we just hang out... a lot?"

"If that's what you want."