Oliver had arrived at school the next day, in the crisp , expensive uniform Liam had given him. He felt self conscious, but whenever George and his gang so much as look his way, Liam would appear. He didn't say a word, he simply stood behind Oliver or draped an arm over the back of his chair. The message was clear; Oliver was under his protection.
During the week, the shifts in their relationship were impossible to ignore, moving from distant acquaintances to something deep and protective. Since Oliver was the only one good at physics, they began spending their lunch breaks in the quiet corner of the library.
Liam who usually breeze out during physics classes with minimal effort, found himself actually listening as Oliver explained complex theories.
During a break period, Liam had handed the new Newton's cradle he had bought from a science store a day before to Oliver.
Oliver felt a rush of emotion as Liam handed him the gift. By the end of the week, Liam and Oliver were no longer a strange sight together. They had developed a shorthand-a look across the classroom, a shared bag of chips, or Liam waiting by his Ducati at the end of the day to give Oliver a ride to his part time job.
The insecurity Oliver once felt had begun to melt away, replaced by a quiet confidence.
By the middle of the following week, the school was buzzing with rumors. Liam's girlfriend, Lorette, had been pushed to the sidelines. Liam had stopped answering her calls and skipped their usual lunch dates to sit in the library with Oliver.
On Thursday afternoon, while Oliver was heading to the locker room alone, he found his path blocked.
Lorette stood there, flanked by two of her friends. She was beautiful In a sharp, intimidating way, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"So you are the one?," Lorette said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She stepped closer,her eyes scanning Oliver's face. "The poor boy who thinks he can just slide into Liam's life."
" Friend?" One of her friends laughed mockingly. "Liam hasn't spoken to Lorette for days because he's too busy playing 'bodyguard' for a waiter. Look at you. You're nothing compared to him."
Lorette stepped into Oliver's personal space, forcing him to back up against the lockers." I don't know what kind of pity play you used on him at willows valley, but let's be clear. Liam belongs in my world, not yours. You're a charity project to him, Oliver. Once he's bored of feeling sorry for you, hell realize how embarrassing it was to be seen with someone like you."
Oliver felt a wave of shame wash over him. Her words hit exactly where it hurt most. Was he just a project? A way Liam to feel like a hero?
"Stay away from him," Lorette hissed, her finger poking his chest. "If I see you near him again, I'll make sure everyone in this school knows exactly how desperate you are. Do you understand?"
Oliver couldn't find his voice. He just nodded slightly, his eyes stinging. The girls laughed and walked away, leaving him standing in the hallway feeling smaller than he ever had before.
The new uniform Liam had given him suddenly felt like a costume he didn't deserve to wear. Just as he was about to sink to the floor, he heard the familiar heavy footsteps of someone approaching from the corner.
It was Liam. He had just passed Lorette in the main corridor, she had tried to grab his arm with a triumphant smirk, but he had brushed past her without a word, his eyes scanning the lockers for Oliver.
When he finally turned the corner and saw Oliver, his expression softened, but it quickly turned into concern. Oliver was pressed against the lockers, his head down, looking as though he wanted to disappear into the metal.
"Oliver, there you are," Liam said, stepping towards him.
As Liam reached out, Oliver flinched and took a sharp step back, creating a wide gap between them. The distance felt like a physical blow to Liam.
Liam winced, realization dawning on him.
"Oliver, listen to me. Lorette is just a name on a piece of paper at this point. Our parents set us up for social reasons. I haven't even looked at her since willows valley. Nothing has ever happened between us, not like what happens with us."
"What is happening with us, Liam?" Oliver questioned, finally looking up with eyes brimming with tears. The insecurity Lorette had planted was blooming into dark certainty. "Am I just your good deed for the year? 'A charity project' to make you feel better about being a jerk before?"
"But it makes sense!" Oliver cried, his voice cracking. "I'm the poor kid whose mom works for your grandmother. I am the waiter you had to save from bullies. Of course, you feel sorry for me. But I don't want your pity."
"It's not pity you idiot!" Liam shouted, his frustration boiling over. "I'm here because I want to be! I gifted you, brought you to my home...do you think I'll do that for anyone?"
"Maybe you just like the way it feels to be a hero," Oliver choked out, his heart breaking as he spoke. "Lorette was right. I don't belong in your world. I'm just a distraction until you get bored."
"Oliver, stop it! Just listen -"
Before Liam could grab his hand or explain further, Oliver turned and bolted down the hallway. Liam reached out, his hand grasping thin air, his own heart a mixture of rage at Lorette and a desperate need to bridge the distance Oliver had just put between them. For the first time in his life, Liam 'the ice king' felt truly alone in his own palace.
For the next two weeks, Oliver avoided Liam like a plague. It hurt more than any bruise George had ever given him, but Oliver buried himself in his part-time job and his physics book.
He managed to get over the pain of Lorette's words, replaced by a dull ache of disappointment.
One damp evening, Oliver was walking home from the restaurant after a long shift. The streets were quiet, his footsteps echoing on the pavement.
He had an unsettling feeling, a prickle on the back of his neck, suggesting he wasn't alone. He quickened his pace, glancing over his shoulders.
A few meters back, keeping within the shadows of the streetlights, was Liam.
Oliver sighed and turned around fully. "What do you want ,Liam? Go home."
Liam walked closer, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, looking unusually hesitant. "I just.... I just wanted to make sure you got home safe. It is late."
"I can take care of my self. I'm a grown up guy," Oliver said stiffly. "Just like I was doing before you got here."
Liam flinched at the harshness in Oliver's tone. He was genuinely confused about his own feelings. He's got so many friends - dozens of them. If any of them had told him to get lost, he would have shrugged and moved on.
But with Oliver, it was different. It felt like something vital was missing from his life every time Oliver ignored him ....