Your Never Fading Smile

Chapter 16

"Liam, I prepared your room. My own is right next to yours so if you need anything just come and tell me." "Alright, thank you." I smiled at him and then we both said our goodnights. I walked inside the room and let myself rest on the comfy bed. I turned left and right and I still couldn't sleep. My overthinking taking the best of me.

Then, what happened next made me wide awake. I was having another seizure. I had completely forgot about my medicine. My breath becoming short as I cursed myself for forgetting something so important. Soon, it wasn't enough that I was struggling with my seizure, I had also fallen to the floor. I hate this! I hate this! I hate this!

"What happened?! Liam are you okay?!" Noah had opened the door and ran towards my side with a face full of worry. Once my seizure had stopped, I stood motionless to the floor facing the ceiling. Small tears escaping my eyes as I was slowly trying to stabilize my breathing. "Liam... Are you hurt anywhere?" "I'm scared..." I whispered as I covered my eyes with my left arm. "I really hate this... I hate my epilepsy... Why did I had to forgot about my medicine... I want this to stop..." Noah lifted me up from the floor and placed me over the bed. "It's going to be fine. I'm here now." I didn't know why, but his words gave me comfort. "Could you...stay here?" That caught him off guard but he looked happy nonetheless. I didn't wanted to stay alone... I was afraid that I would had another seizure. "Of course." He said and finally laid down on the bed beside me.

After a while, I finally decided to speak. "Thank you Noah... I really thank you." "It's nothing really." He spoke and I shook my head. "No, you're wrong. You helped me so many times, always staying by my side and I honestly feel bad because I don't deserve to be liked by someone like you. You truly are an amazing person Noah." I turned my head to face him with a smile as he stared at me with widened eyes.

"You wanted to know how I got that injury on the cheek right? To be honest, it was because my brother hit me when he visited our home. Our relationship isn't that great years now, but I can't seem to understand why we have become like this. It doesn't help the fact that he refuses to explain either. For some reason, when I tried to kill myself, his face was full of worry and pain. Is it bad that I was happy seeing him like that? It was as if he cared about me even a little." I spoke as Noah listened to me silently.

"I should try and talk to him one last time. If he still refuses to face me, then that's it. I won't bother him anymore. But I'm worried how our mother would feel. She is really worried about us and that saddens me..." I let out a sigh and then I suddenly remembered my mother's words.

"Speaking of which, my mom wishes to meet you." "What? Your mother?" He questioned in disbelief. "Yeah, she heard us talking to the phone and she said she wanted to meet you." "I... I don't know about that Liam..." He replied nervously with a small blush as I let out a laugh. "Come on, see it as a repayment for today's meal. If not, think about tomorrow that is Christmas. If you were going to celebrate it alone, forget it. You really should come with me." I turned to face him with a smile and he let out a sigh of defeat. "Okay, fine... You won. I can't say no to your beautiful smile anyways..." He said with a smirk and my eyes widened. I turned around and hid my face. How can you say something like that so easily?!

"Liam? Did I crossed the line again?" He asked with a saddened tone as I refused to turn my head to face him. "N-no! It's just that I'm sleepy. You should go back to your room as well!" I said warping the blanket around my body. "Alright, see you tomorrow Liam. Sleep tight." "G-goodnight." What in the world is wrong with me...

~~~

"Liam! You're back! Where in the world were you since yesterday?! You weren't answering your phone either!" Yelled my mother with a concerned voice once I had opened our house's door. "Do you know how worried I was?" She finally sighed, now slowly calming down. I should had asked Noah to give me his phone to give her a call since my own is somewhere around the ocean... I really should buy a new one.

"Anyways, I'm glad that you are fine. I see you also brought a friend with you." She spoke with a smile now taking notice of Noah who stood awkwardly behind me. "Right, he's the friend I mentioned to you yesterday. His name is Noah Jefferson. He lives alone so I was wondering if it would be alright if he celebrated the Christmas with us." I introduced him as Noah gave her a smile. "Nice to meet you ma'am."

"Of course! Come in, come in. No one is allowed to stay by themselves those joyful days." She smiled warmly at him as we entered the house. "I'm so happy that my boy Liam finally made some friends. He was always by himself and that worried me to death. But now I see he made himself a very good friend." She happily spoke after closing the door. "Liam is a good kid, I don't understand how he didn't get any friends before." Replied Noah with a smile. "Right?!"

I let my mom and Noah talk for a bit and left towards my room to get my medicine. It's going to be fine... Everything's gonna work out... My anxiety getting the best of me. It's been too long since I had last gotten a sudden seizure like that so I was pretty worried.

I walked out of my room and saw both of them decorating the Christmas tree. "Now that you are here I can finally decorate it. It would be meaningless if I was the only one to do this." She spoke once she had noticed me as I walked closer. "Come here Liam." Motioned Noah with a gentle smile for me to sit beside him. Is it just me, or does he smiles all the time?

"Are you sure you want to help Noah? If you find it a chore you can just leave it to us." "It's my first time decorating a tree, so I'm quite happy to help." "Your first time?" I questioned him as his smile dropped and his eyes narrowed. "My parents aren't religious and they find those kind of things meaningless. So... I'm very happy I can celebrate Christmas with you Liam!" His sad expression soon turning into a grateful one. His ocean blue eyes were as if they were pulling me in. A beautiful color indeed. The strange feeling appearing once again inside my chest. "Aww you two are such great friends!" Said my mom and that brought me back from the staring state I was. Why was I staring at him...? I took a glance back towards Noah and saw him with a small smirk. I immediately turned away and focused on the tree. I'm turning crazy...

~~~

"Now that we finished eating, let's go open up the presents." Smiled my mother as she walked towards the Christmas tree. "This is for you Liam." I turned around to see Noah holding a small present pointing it towards me. "W-what...?" "I had already bought it, even before the school close. I was planning to give it to you yesterday but you know... Things happened. Happy Christmas Liam." He motioned for me to take it but I could only stare at it with widened eyes. "Wait here! I'll go buy something!" Without letting both of them say anything, I quickly grabbed my coat and ran outside of the house. I needed to give him something a well. Why am I running? Why do I want to give him a president so much? Why does this feels so important?

Then my eyes widened as I immediately stopped on my tracks.

"Do I... Do I like him...?"

I stood motionless in the middle of the street with widened eyes and a red hot face. My heart beating faster as everything around me seemed to stop.

"...Is this how it feels to like someone?"