Free LIAM by Kat Lieu Page A

crying, Mandi says, “I’m looking forward to us hanging out.” She glances at her watch. “I gotta go. Feel better, okay?” She pats my head, gives me a sympathetic smile, and waves.
    She climbs over the fence that separates our backyards and disappears into her house.
     
    ~*~
     
    …The next day…
     
    “Come to the door, Willie,” Grams calls from the first floor, demonstrating the unexpected strength of her impressive 80-year-old lungs. I come downstairs and freeze. Mandi and her brother are outside our door. She waves at me.
    “You kids want to come in for a snack?” Grams asks them. For some reason, she winks at Mandi.
    “Sure, Grams!” Mandi says. She’s calling my grandma, Grams? Since when have they become best friends?
    Mandi pushes Carl through the door. Carl’s eyes are dark brown, darker than his sister’s. His hair is jet-black. Carl rolls his eyes. Seeing this makes me smile. I’ve always wanted a brother or a sister to either boss around or boss me around. Yes, I’m strange. I know.
    “Willie, where are your manners? Please bring our guests to the dining room,” Grams says. I guess having Grams boss me around is enough. No siblings then. Not that I’ll ever have any now…
    I nod and signal for sister and brother duo to follow me. I hear Carl dragging his feet.  
    “This better not be a waste of time,” he mutters. “Ow!”
    I turn around and see Carl rubbing his shoulder. Mandi is shooting daggers through her narrowed eyes at her brother.
    “Carl’s a little cranky because he hasn’t had his bottle yet. Let me ask Grams to make you some warm milk.”
    Carl turns to face me. He plants his palms on my shoulders. “Kid, you’re lucky she’s not your sister. She’s a real mean witch.” He quickly turns to hide behind me as his sister storms toward him.
    “She’s… she’s not that mean,” I stutter.
    Mandi wags her fingers at us. “You two better behave or I’ll cast a spell on you.”
    But Mandi, you’ve already cast a spell on me.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     

Two: Mandi
(16, almost 17, years old)
     
     
    Willie wins for being the saddest boy I’ve ever seen.
    Even Carl wasn’t that sad when our father left us for Maggie, our home-wrecking neighbor, and the bastard baby they had together. My brother was relieved that he and I would no longer have to shield Mom from Dad’s biting words and bruising punches.
    Sometimes at night, I can hear Willie cry himself to sleep. In the dead of night, he would wake up from nightmares, calling for his mom and dad. My heart can’t help but ache for this kid. Even if Grams hadn’t approached me and asked me to be his friend, I would have reached out to him.
    Us broken souls, we need to pick each other up.
    I hope the monster who killed Willie’s parents rots in his jail cell.   

 
     
     
     
     
     

Three: William
(16 years old)
     
     
     
    It’ll always be her.
    I park my bike at home and head over to the house next door. Like magnets, my eyes fix on Mandi, the goddess sitting on the porch with her yard-long legs crossed. Those summer short shorts of hers should be illegal.  
    I can’t help but ogle at the amazing sister of my best friend, Carl. Mandi is a college junior this year. She’s also five years older than me.
    She doesn’t notice me wiping drool from my chin. Phew. The content of some large-ass textbook has her undivided attention. I take a deep long breath and clear my throat. I clear my throat again, this time adding a dry cough. Mandi doesn’t look up.
    As usual, she’s always the nerd.
    An impossibly hot nerd.
    I run my fingers through my hair. Act cool, Liam. Smirk like a sexy rogue. Girls love it when guys smirk. Oh, and tilt your head. No, cock your head. (Fact: I sometimes read romance novels.)
    “Hey, Mandi,” I say with a cracking voice. Dammit puberty! Why do you always have to strike at the worst possible moments?
    Mandi looks up and chuckles. “Put on a shirt, Shaggy Willie.” She shakes