The Chapstick Girl

The Journal

Amber's pov:

Going through the front doors of school the next morning, I am constantly turning my head in every direction while looking for a certain figure.

The bundle of nerves in my chest has not gone away since yesterday, and I am about to scream if I don't figure out where it went.

Turning around the corner, I don't know whether to sigh in relief or let out a painful cry as I see Liam chatting with Luke and Ella by his locker.

Obviously I have to tell him sooner than later that the book he spent YEARS into making may be in someone else's hands. 

Meaning that it's finder will know that I've been crushing on Damien for YEARS.

That does not sit right with me.

"Hey guys!" I try my best to sound cheerful as I walk towards the three of them. They turn towards me and greet me back.

"Well good morning sleeping beauty-... oh girl, maybe you should go back to bed." Liam doesn't even try to lie as he puts his finger over the bags under my eyes.

He's not lying though, I barely got any sleep last night due to stressing about the journal. My worst fear would be Damien finding out that I've actually had this major crush on him since middle school. 

Not only would that be embarrassing, but he believes that I barely knew him when we first started talking, he's gonna know that I continued to lie to his face since I was too afraid to admit my crush on him. 

Not only that, but I dreaded having the conversation about losing the journal to Liam. 

"Don't you think it's a little to early for compliments?" I say, rubbing my sleepy eyes. 

"As much as I hate to say it, he's right. You don't look as energetic as you usually are... Maybe you are coming down with something." Ella says, her mom mode activated as she feels my head and cheeks to check if I felt warm. 

"I don't feel sick." I say as she withdraws her hands from my face.

"Well you feel fine, maybe you should stop at the café to get some caffeine in your system, it would do you good." She suggests. 

I nod my head at her, finding it as the perfect excuse to pull Liam away to chat, "You're right, Liam do you mind coming with me?" I ask. 

At my question he nods his head with a goofy grin before locking his arm with mine, "Of course, anything for my bestie." 

We wave bye to Ella and Luke before heading towards the café, but once we are halfway there, I pull him to a stop.

With a guilty expression, I look towards the ground, "I have to tell you something."

Picking up on my mood, he puts a hand on my shoulder, "You can tell me anything, is everything alright?" 

"No it's not... and I really don't know how you are going to react once I tell you this."

"oh my gosh..." Liam says all of a sudden, causing me to look up at him in shock thinking that he already found out.

I was wrong. 

Very wrong. 

"You and Damien did the dirty-..." 

"What-... LIAM! NO!!!" My cheeks turn bright pink as I push his laughing form away while muttering a few interesting words under my breath at my so called best friend.

"I'm kidding! If you guys did it you would be crawling through those school doors on your hands and knees because-..."

Not wanting to here the rest, I cover Liam's mouth with the palm of my hand, "What I'm trying to tell you is really important Liam..." I say, removing my hand once I can tell that he understands.