FOUR

 

MARGARET

 

I could forgive Liam for most things but the one thing I would never forgive him for was if he ruined prom for me. After adding some minor improvements to Liam’s style, personality and just overall confidence I figured I would start to see the old Liam back but things got worse.

Liam loved the tweaks I made and it boosted his confidence to the point where he was practically a hit with the varsity football players and cheerleaders. In fact, it was as if he was the hot new kid in school except he was just the same Liam that lived next door to me for the past eighteen months except I don’t think he remembered that.

The more his popularity grew the more he was bombarded by everyone at school and he was constantly getting pulled away and encouraged to hang out with the various groups that wanted his company. I was seeing Liam less and less often and with all of the social invitations he was getting, our Friday night movie ritual got put on the backburner.

The theme for this year’s prom was called Cherished Memories with the song of the night, “What Is It About You?” by the Wexley Brothers, Liam’s favorite band.

It was this unspoken rule that Liam and I would go to prom together IF we ever decided we would go and although Liam hadn’t officially asked me out, I knew he wouldn’t let me down. I decided to ask him about it because I really needed to know because Roger asked to be my prom date and if Liam didn’t want to go, I wanted to see if it was alright with him if I went with Roger instead.

I didn’t give Roger an answer also because I’d rather go with Liam. Despite the tension and lack of time spent with each other this past year, I knew I’d still have more fun with him and that’s what prom was about. It was about having long-standing memories during significant moments in your life and high school was one of those defining moments.

“Hey, have you seen Liam this morning? I usually meet up with him at our locker but he never showed up.” I asked Cherie, a girl that was in my 6th period Calculus.

“Yeah, I think I saw him by the water fountain around the corner.”

“Thanks, Cherie, I’ll see you in class.”

I rushed down the corner, anxious to ask Liam if he considered going to the prom and if so, would he want to go with me or if he expected that as much as I currently did but it took all of three seconds for my hopes to be crushed.

There Liam stood in what looked like a flirty conversation with Brooke. I inched my way closer so I wouldn’t be seen eavesdropping, I wanted to know what they were talking about.

“So, the word is that you don’t have a date yet.” she twirled her hair.

“No, not really but I don’t think I’m going.”

“Well, lucky for you I am available for you to take so you can still go. Not that I couldn’t get a date or anything, plenty of guys have asked me to go but I said no to each and every one of them. Do you know why?” she asked.

Damn her.

“I haven’t the slightest clue.”

“It’s because you’re taking me, silly.” Brooke giggled.

“You want to go to prom with me?”

“Yes, so I’m wearing a blue dress which means you will have to coordinate with me. Don’t forget to get me a corsage and the gang is going to pitch in for a limo so we can ride with them. The limo is going to pick you up around eight on Saturday. P.S. There may be a special treat in it for you.” she said as she walked away.

“But…”

“Eight on the dot, Liam,” she called over her shoulder.

What in the hell just happened? Was Liam going with Brooke Miller? She was one of ten people he and I vowed to hate together, forever. I really was losing him.

I took off running down the hallway and shoved the admin building doors open causing them to slam against the wall. I ran down the sidewalk heading for the bus stop at the corner, tears stung my eyes as they continued to slide down my cheeks. Sobs wracked my body, my vision blurred and I didn’t care who saw me. I just wanted to get out of there.

The city bus appeared several blocks away and I was careful to wipe away my tears, put on my sunglasses and calmed myself down before it arrived. All I could think about when I finally sat down while the bus pulled away from the curb was that I was wholeheartedly and unforgivably crushed by Liam Collins, my former best friend.