Missed Me, Missed Me, Now You Gotta Kiss Me

Better Than Christmas

   I didn't get back home 'till late Saturday morning-having stayed up until two o'clock in the morning jacked up on sugar. Lulu was a lotta fun, I already adored her. She just the kinda girl that was real around everyone. She had that total badass 'yeah-I'm-me-an-if-you-don't-like-it-than-screw-you' attitude. I completely admired that about her. Well, that, and she never complained about carting her little brother to gymnastics every Tuesday and Friday. But Nathaniel was Joe Cool. I wouldn't mind carting him around, either.

  It was the first time I actually thought about my in-development sibling. Normally, I abhorred the subject. But just then I got to wondering.....Would I have a brother? Or a little sister? I definitely would prefer a brother-less dramatics. And then again....having a little sister could be cool, too. When I was little, I was obsessed with having a little sister.

  I had actually planned on telling my mom about these thoughts-they'd make her happy-when Lulu pulled down the drive. However, the red four horse trailer attached to the back of Liam's truck struck me curious. That, and the silver Maxima parked beside it. I said a quick goodbye to Lulu, put my things on the front porch swing, and headed down to the barn to see what was up.

  The first thing I saw when I walked in the barn was the back of a brunette head, belonging to a tallish, curvy body. She yammered on and on about something in a sweet southern accent-not nasally, like Tanya's. She didn't even notice me coming into my own barn. Although I didn't actually see him, I assumed she was speaking with Liam; apparently, he was a celebrity in Lewisburg.

  When Liam revealed himself from behind the wall at the crossties, I nearly burst out laughing at his expression. His sun bleached chestnut hair-which I rarely saw, due to his crummy baseball caps-was in horrible disarray, as if he's continuously raked his fingers through it. He looked frustrated and weary as hell. He looked....like a little kid again, I couldn't help but notice. So much so that I just wanted to smile and say "There you are". But I didn't.

  "His eyes were wide in relief upon spotting me. "Piper. Hey."

  Before I could get a word out, the brunette had swung her head around to see how was behind her. Bright blue eyes scanned me up and down in confusion.

  I waved awkwardly, pressing my lips together in my awkward greeting smile. "Uh....hi."

  "Alicia," Liam said, making his way over to me. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into him. "Play along, willya?" he whispered to me. Before I could agree, he turned back to Alicia. "This is my girlfriend, Piper."

  I really had to have a poker face then. It was so hard not to laugh my head off. As it was, an unattractive snort escaped me. "Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm his girlfriend." Now, you see, I couldn't help faking a dramatic southern accent. This was just too good. I put my hand on my hip in a snooty manner. "An, uh, what, may I ask, were you doin' here alone with him?"

  Alicia blinked, her blue eyes wide with nervousness. "Oh...Liam, I, um....I didn't know you had a girlfriend...."

  Liam smiled, all wide and kid-like. "Yup." He smiled down at me. "An ain't she just great?"

  I batted my eyelashes up at him dramatically. "Ah, sweetcakes, you don't hafta be such a gentleman!" I smiled back at Alicia. "Ain't he just the sweetest thing?!"

  "Y-yeah, he is...." Alicia said awkwardly.

  I laughed, too loudly. This was so much fun! Yeah, I had no idea why I was lying with Liam, but that's what friends do, right? Then my smile vanished in the blink of an eye. "Now what in the hell are you doin' alone here with my sweet thing?"