Today was the final filming day for Legacies, and to Francis it felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. She wouldn't have to wake up so early anymore and practically fall asleep as she was getting her makeup done or hair braided. She's sure Liam has a picture or five somewhere.
Her and Liam have slowly started to let go of the feud over the screen recordings that seemed to have suddenly been fake according to him.
Francis was close to damn sure he had no proof it was fake, but she was so tired of fighting him that she let it go completely.
The kiss she'd been absolutely dreading for weeks was here, and she was standing a few feet away from Liam ready to run when the director said action.
"Rolling!" He shouted, Francis took a better form in preparation. "Action!"
This was the moment after Judith and Silas had been separated for so long, in which they finally met again. She was gonna have to bring it her all— crying, heaving, and maybe even falling to the floor.
Except when she finally grabbed Liam, it didn't feel like acting anymore. He'd pulled her up and swung her around a few times, and she was pulling on his flannel so hard with strength she didn't even know she had, keeping him as close as she possibly could.
"Jude." Liam whispers, putting her down on the floor. Finally she yanked herself away from him, fixing the curly hair on his head. "Hi." She smiled with a sniffle and a few extra tears in her eyes.
This wasn't Judith and Silas, this was Francis and Liam. She didn't even realize they were meant to kiss at this time until Liam did it for her.
He held her back as gently as he could, but he couldn't help it when he bumped his lips to hers a little harsher.
Francis kept him stuck to her by wrapping her arms around his neck. "Cut!" The director yells. Liam pulls away a second later— after he'd said cut.
Francis was first to let go of him and fix her shirt while he removed his arms from her. People were clapping, moving around and congratulating them, but all Francis could think about was Liam.
"Liam!" Someone shouted from behind the set. It was Lorena, and Liam felt a breath leave his mouth in a little annoyed and shocked way, wiping his hands off on his pants.
She pushed the smoothie into his hands and took a sip of hers. "Hey, Francis.." she mumbled, looking at the girl up and down. Francis took a deep breath in and clenched her fists, turning around and walking away.
"Fran—" Liam sighed before turning to look at Lorena. "What do you want?" He muttered. "I got you your favorite to celebrate the end of filming! Now you can come back to school." She smiled.
Grabbing the arm that wasn't occupied with his smoothie and tucking herself underneath it, Liam suddenly found himself in dire need of an excuse to leave.
"Liam!" Asher shouts from a few feet away. "Let's go, you'll be late to your own party!" He waves the boy over.
"Kay, bye. See you at school! Or not." He mumbled, walking down the hill and away from the tree they just filmed under. "Thank you so much." Liam sighed.
"For saving your ass, you have to tell Francis how you feel." Asher nodded and took a bite of a sugar cookie in his hand. "Dude, let it go. I don't want Francis." He grumbled and put the smoothie down on the table, taking a few sweets for himself.
"That entire kiss you were just acting?" Asher asked. Liam nodded, not even bothering to look his way. "That look you gave her at the end that acting?" Liam was still nodding, but only slower. "Woah. So convincing."
The party was full of every young Hollywood actor and actress you could think off— some weren't even actors or actresses. Children of costume makers, the hair and makeup department, casting directors etc. the house was full.
Francis was sipping on her coke and talking to her best friends as she awaited for her group to go there. "You're kidding." Autumn's eyebrows furrow as Francis tells the story.
She's sitting up against the couch and the two girls were both behind her on it. "I'm serious. He kissed me for a second longer after he said cut and I didn't know if he was gonna pull away or if I was gonna have to do it!" She speaks over the loud music.
"Where even is he?" Bailey asked. "Probably running around with Lorena." Francis mutters. She tries to not sound too sad, but it's hard when she assumed they were making some sort of progress.
"It's fine, if you ask me Lorena's been passed around so much because she's the casting directors daughter." Bailey huffs and lays back on the couch, taking a sip of her drink. What it was? Francis had no idea.
"You summoned her." Autumn groaned as she stared at the door. Lorena walked in, followed shortly by Isaiah, Marsai, Asher and Liam. Carlos Francis already assumed was in the house.
"When is Spencer gonna get here?" Francis asked Autumn, looking up at her. "Soon is what she said," Autumn scrolled back up on her phone. "Two hours ago."
Francis groaned and took another sip of her soda, leaning her head back.
Francis picked at the skin around her nails, watching the street as she waited for her mom to arrive. Autumn and Bailey had already left, and Spencer was no where to appear. She was half asleep and it was nearly 3:30 am, so she decided to get the hell out and go to bed.
The door to the house opens and there are steps on the porch before someone sits down next to her. Francis looks over to her side and sees the blonde hair she so very hates.
She sighs. They both sit there in silence as she continues to play with her fingers and Liam stares out into the street in front of them. "I'm sorry." He's the first to say. "I know I fucked up bad. I know it wasn't worth ruining our friendship over." He mumbles.
Francis doesn't bother to say anything. She knew she had nothing to apologize for, but their proximity was making her heart beat so fast and she just wanted to look at him.
When she gives in and turns her head towards him, he was already staring at her. "It's.. fine." She muttered. She didn't know what else to say. Was it fine? No. But she wasn't willing to fight with him anymore.
Liam just stared at her. He didn't say thank you— not even a nod. He stared so deep into her eyes it was almost scaring her.
Her pinkie twitches. She knows his hand is right next to hers and if she moves it close enough to him, she could hold it.
Before she even gets the chance to think about it, he's already moving his pinkie to overlap hers. They stay there for a second, and she looks down when she feels it.
At the point, she decides to go all in and just grab his hand. "I never wanted to tell you but," she licks her lips, staring anywhere but his face. "I don't know if I like you anymore." She sighs.
Liam's heart drops. She can tell from the look in his eyes. "I think it's... gotten worse. I think I might be in love with you." She whispered.
Liam's eyebrows raise at the confession. It definitely wasn't what he was expecting and his heart did not stop racing. "Yeah?" He nods.
Francis nods her head. "I think I might be in love with you too." He whispers back. Francis bites the inside of her cheek.
She didn't want to lean in, but the pretty purple hues of the party lights coming from the window of the house and bouncing off of his face made him look so pretty.
Now she isn't even stopping herself. She tilts her head enough so that they're both comfortable and she does it. She kisses him.
And it's so sweet. Everything about it is sweet, how his hand clutches hers harder and how his lips taste like tart strawberries and the way he starts to lean into her too.
They probably would've been there for a while if a car didn't start honking and pull them away from each other. "Francis!" Her father yells. She pulls her hand away from Liam's and stands up, running down the stairs.
Liam watches as she leaves, and he doesn't get up until long after she's gone. He just sits there and smiles like an idiot as the wind blows his hair every which way.