LAST SUMMER

Liam Patterson

Carmen. My name is Carmen Yuri.

The words were on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't say them. I felt like running away from everything and everyone but I was frozen in place.

Dave Fara, the guy I had just met at the party and was drinking with cocked his head, Waiting for me to introduce myself. He politely told me his name and clearly hinted that I tell him mine but my lips were sealed and my eyes were on something else.

More like someone else.

"It is okay if you don't want to tell me your name just yet. How about another drink?" Dave offered. I did not answer him nor look at him. I only stared at the man standing four feet away.

His brown locks of hair were tied up in a messy bun and his handsome face was just as handsome as it was last summer. His eyes were different. He had on a bright smile but his once warm green eyes contrasted it. His now cold and lifeless eyes were on me.

Liam Patterson was alive and well.
How on earth is he still breathing!

"So, you do not want to dance either ehy?" Dave asked me. I pulled my gaze from Liam and focused on Dave. Well, at least I tried to. My eyes went searching for Liam again but he was nowhere to be seen.

"It's the alcohol. Liam is not here." I whispered to myself, completely ignoring Dave's offer to dance and walking away. I needed to get home.

"Liam Patterson is dead." As usual, the mantra worked and I neither saw nor thought of Liam for the rest of the night.
.
.
.

"This is amazing Liam." I said stating at the beautiful sunset on the beach, my toes instinctively curling and uncurling in the sand.

"I knew you would like it here." Liam said bending down to draw in the sand with his index finger, his brown hair blowing in the wind. I smiled down at him and looked at his family beach house.

It was just as beautiful as he had described to me when inviting me over to spend the summer holiday with him.

Being staunch and strict Christians, my parents were initially against the idea of me spending time with a member of the opposite sex. The only reason they let me go was because I told them that Liam's mother would be there. Yes, we lied and it was totally worth it.

At least that's what I thought.

Liam stood up while looking at the soil, rubbing his hands together nervously. I was curious to know what he had written but his bulky frame obscured my view.

"Carmen, how do you feel about me?" He asked me suddenly. I gave up my quest to read the message on the sand and looked up at him.

I smiled at him and playfully rolled my eyes at him, my hands on my hips. "And where is this all coming from?"
He didn't smile back at me. His usual smirk or trademark smile was nowhere in sight. He stared down at me intently and our eyes met.

My stupid heart chose that exact moment to pick up its rate. He was being serious about something and this was a rare occasion.

"You know I totally love you Liam. We love each other, duh." I said trying to ease up the tenseness that was building up between us. A tenseness I was liking. He took both my hands in his, his eyes not leaving mine.

"Carmen, I love how your chocolate brown skin glows and brightens my entire being, I love the way your smile can literally light up the entire room, I love the warmth in your brown eyes, I love how you hate basically all hair products but get angry when your afro is too kinky, I love your bubbly personality, your slight denseness and your social awkwardness_"

I laughed, cutting him off mid sentence. "Liam, I am literally the most popular girl in school. I do not think that is social awkwardness."

He smiled at me. "A popular girl who has no idea what to do with her popularity."
I laughed but he didn't laugh with me.

"I know the first bit sounded a little bit too poetic but I think you are smart enough to know what I'm telling you." I nodded. Of course I knew what he was telling me, no one is that dense. Not even me.

"You are telling me that you love me." He let go of my hands and cupped my cheek with his right hand, his left hand at the back of my neck. He stepped closer to me, leaning down till our foreheads were touching.

"Wrong." He breathed.
And his lips met mine. It took me three seconds to realise that I was sharing my first kiss with my bestfriend and another three seconds to pay attention to the fact that my body was clearly enjoying it.

I kissed him back. Despite my clear lack of expertise or experience, I felt like I knew what I was doing. I knew what I was feeling.

I am kissing Liam Patterson!

He lightly bit my lower lip making me gasp. Well, at least I tried to. His tongue entered my mouth, deepening the kiss and oh goodness I loved it. I loved the lack of space between us and I loved him. So much so that when he pulled away, I was panting; my heart rate probably too abnormal to be payed attention to and an entire zoo running freely in my stomach.

"I am telling you that I am in love with you Carmen." He said, clearly experiencing the same lack of breath as me. His eyes were so warm and full of love that I couldn't help but notice my new found feelings bubble up and explode inside me.

"I feel the same way Liam."

And just like that, the sweet and desirable tenseness around us turned into a cold and uncomfortable one. His entire being suddenly went cold, his eyes murderous.

"Then why did you kill me?"

.

I fell off my bench and everyone's eyes were on me. I was in the school assembly hall with the rest of the school, mourning the death of a special student ; Liam Patterson.

A student that I killed.

The scary dream I just had came back to my mind with a force that caused my head to ache.

"It was just a dream. Liam is dead." I whispered to myself, hoping to calm my thudding heart. I stood up and sat on the bench and everyone went back to watching the cheerleaders do a cheer in memory of my best friend. As usual, the mantra worked wonders.

Through out the speeches, I kept receiving pitiful glances and whispers. They kept telling each other how hard it was on me.
How right they were.

"Liam is dead." I told myself again. This time, I couldn't help but let my tears pour out. I was not mourning Liam_ I was mourning myself old self.

I was so sad and hopeless that I couldn't even boss people around like I used to. I was a popular with everyone begging to be my friend. But now I'm just crazy. I'm insane. The fact that I kept dreaming about my last day with Liam and catching glimpses of him here and there wasn't helping the matter.

"Liam is dead." I told myself.

"Am I?" I almost jumped off my seat when I heard that voice. When I heard his voice. I tried to stand up, ready to run but two cold arms circled around my waist and held me in place.

My body was shaking and I felt my insides burn. I was scared. Slowly, I turned to look at the source of the voice and the owner of the hands holding me.

Liam smiled coldly. "I know what you did last summer and I'll make sure that everyone else does too."

I fainted.