Missed Me, Missed Me, Now You Gotta Kiss Me

Oh, So He Speaks!

   Tonight on the menu with dating Kreepy Kyle? What could possibly be worse than salsa dancing, right?

  Apparently, a lot.

  Salsa dancing had been easy compared to this. At least at the salsa club or whatever, there wasn’t anyone from my school there. This was much more dangerous. This involved people actually knowing about me and Kyle. While that was the whole reason I was “dating” him, was I ready? Was I ready to possibly face Tanya, or worse, Liam?

  “He’s taking you where?” Lulu blanched.

  I just nodded. “And you’re coming with me.”

  She snorted. “Honey, this is a date. Last I checked, you don’t bring your friends on a date.”

  I frowned. “It’s a party, Lulu. That’s not a date. That’s showing off.”

  “So this is perfect, then!”

  “Yes and no.” I threw around the contents of my dresser drawers behind me after a quick examination. “God, why am I so nervous?!”

  “Cause Liam might be there?” Lulu threw in, expressing my exact fears.

  I snorted. “Liam doesn’t go to these kinds of parties, Lulu.”

  “Or does he? You don’t really know Liam anymore, do you?”

  I paused in my mad rush. Not know Liam? After all this time…..But it was true. I never would have thought he’d date Tanya again just to hurt me. I never would have thought he’d have stopped being friends with me just because he didn’t get his own way.

  I shook the thoughts away, not ready to be depressed by my Liam situation. “Well, whatever.”

  “Piper,” Lulu grabbed my hand gently, making me stop in my tossing of clothes. “I’ve been pretty cool, letting you use my pig brother and what not without ever asking why. But you had to know I’d ask sooner or later.”

  I ducked my head and nodded.

  “What happened with you guys? I mean, one minute you’re best friends and the next I know he’s dating Tanya. At first I thought you were just a wee bit jealous, but then you started this whole charade with Kyle. Whatever Liam did it wasn’t good…..was it?”

  I took a deep breath. I knew she’d ask; that’s what best friends were for. And while I still didn’t want to face the reality of it all, I knew I couldn’t hide from it any longer.

  Just don’t cry, I begged myself.

  Taking a deep breath, I started, “You know all the business about David and such. Well, Liam said he was gonna take me somewhere fun to make me feel better. We went to Momma’s Country and it was fun, but….” Here I had to pause to gauge my next words. “When we got home, we were both acting….silly….and, well, one thing led to another and he was kissing me.”

  Lulu gasped quietly.

  “And…I told him I didn’t wanna be with him that way, that we were friends.” Anger started to build up inside of me again as I said, “But Liam didn’t want that. Said he couldn’t be just friends with me anymore and that he….” I stopped.

  Lulu waited a minute before she nearly whispered, “What? And that he what?”

  I looked down and started folding my discarded clothes. “Loved me,” I finished thickly. “And then Monday I found out he was dating Tanya and…..I dunno, I just snapped. He said I had no right to yell at him about it. Said he was done waiting around for me……Whatever.”