I walk through my home door just after Louis dropped me off. My heavy booksack makes a thump on the floor as I take it off. Avarie speeds down the stairs,"Claire! Claire! Daddy's home! Daddy's home!"

"Avarie, are you serious?"I ask her.

Just as I ask the man with broad shoulders and greying black hair walks down the stairs. "Dad!" I yell, run up to him, and hug him. I feel his strong arms wrap around me, "Hey Claire Bear." he says as i smile. That was my nickname throughout childhood. "I'm gonna be around a lot more, you two. That's why I accepted this job." Part of me wanted to believe my dad and think everything was going to be better from nowon, but I don't know. He's left so many times and said he'd be back, and always took longer. I can't ever remebering him surprising us that he's home... Maybe this time its different...

I'm inerupted by the sound of a doorbell. "I'll get it!" Avarie perks up and says. Not long after, she yells my name. walk to the door and see a man with muscles and tattooos covering the muscles, His hair is a lighbrown color. I know his face and voice all too well.

"Ready to study, love?' Liam asks.

"We start today?" I turn back.

He shows me folder of his. The first date says today. "Sorry, didn't look at the folder well," I explain. He walks right on in. "Come in, I guess." I say closing the door.

"Nice place," He says sitting on the couch making himself comfotable.

"Who's this?" I hear my father ask in a matter of fact tone.

"Dad this is-" "I'm her boyfriend." Liam says with a smirk. My jaw drops at what he says. What gave Liam the audacity to say that!! "I was just taking her in a date," He says as he puts his arm around me and practically drags me out the door and shuts it.

"Lets go," Liam says, pulling his arm away from me.

"What was that?!" I half yell.

"Me getting you to go on a date. Get in." He demands.

"No!" I exclaim, infuitated.

"Suit yourself," He says picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder and puts me in his car.I squirm and throw a tantrum like a toddler, but it doesn't work.He get in onthe drivers side and backs out of my driveway.

"Where are we going?" I demand.

"A place" He simply says like he's done nothing wrong,"Your dress is in the back" He says, "You can either change in the back or at a gas station. your choice."

I sigh aggervatedly and look in the back. I see a long sleeved black lace dress. Its elegantly stunning. My jaw drops at the sight of it. I grab it and say, "Gas station," He then hands me a shoe box and pulls into the next gas station. He walks in with me, but waits outdide the door fof the bathroom. "You have 5 minutes" He demands.

When I walk out, I see Liam standing there. He has a nice short sleeved shirt on and some dark blue jeans that look like dress pants.I don't entirely know how I feel about this date. If thats what you want to call it. It was unusual seeing Liam in dress clothes, or without his leather jacket, for that matter.

He turns to me and says,"Lets go," very coldly. I sigh and follow him to his car.

"You have a car and motorcycle?" I ask him.

"What's it to you?" He demands more than asks.

"I was curious..." I told him as I slouched in my seat. Liam's upset about something tonight. I didn't know if it has to do with me or something else, but he's really in a. infuriating mood.

We drive a little longer in awkward silence. It stays that way most of the ride. It only breaks when I ask, "Can I look through your CD's?" Liam gives me a sharp nod, and I lookm through them. Most of his CD's are Rap, Punk, etc. But one CD catches mt eye. It looks like it was made at home. The writing it said on it was,

Liam,

As you know I am terribly ill and could not buy you a birthday gift. So I asked your father to give me my laptop and a blank CD. I put all our favorite songs from your childhood and our songs that we constantly listen to on the radio.I want you to know I am and always will be proud of you.

Loving you always,

Mom.

I don't know whether or not to tell Liam I saw this. I hurridly look through some more, but that one stays on my mind the whole night.

"We're here." Liam says. I look up from the stack of CD's and see a huge mansion.

"I thought principals didn't make much," I admit.

"They don't," Liam tells me, "But CoverGirl models do."

Once I walked into his house, I could tell Liam"s dad had a high standard of living. There was a flat screen TV in the fourier, the floor was marble, and the walls were slick black, like Liam's motorcycle.

"Wow," I admit.

"A lot of people say that." Liam laughs.

Laughs. I've never heard Liam laugh, or happy for that matter. I look up at him and see him smiling. His warm smile makes me feel like theres a bonfire going on in my stomach. My eyes turn fro his teeth to the way his pink lips form his beautiful smile. I turn away before I stare any more... What happened...

I hear the sound of feet walking downstairs and see Emma come down.

"Hey Emmie," Liam's husky british accent says as he pulls Emma in for a hug. Emmie... Hm...

"Hey Payne." She says , not knowledged to my presence.

They pull away and Emma asks, "Where have you been? You know Dad's been wanting to have this dinner withe Ms. Magdaline for ages." She says.

"Why do you call her Miss? She isn't much older than us," Liam scoffs.

"Liam, I know you're having trouble letting Mom go, but she's Dad's new girlfriend. I haven't seen Dad this happy since before Mom died. Could you please at least try to respect that for at least one night? Dad really wants us to meet her." Emma explains.

"We did, it's called freshman year. She was a senior at our school, remember?" He snaps, "She's using Dad for money."

"Shut up and be nice," She says, then turns and sees me.

"Claire, what are you doing here?" She asks.

Before I can respond, Liam does, with "If Dad wants to introduce his new girlfriend, I'm introdcung mine."