Crestfallen

24: You Come Here Often?

Mme Drinnan let us talk for the rest of class since there was only fifteen minutes left. Chris had moved across the bleachers to sit with us and talk to Liam so I closed my eyes and leaned back against the seat behind me. I could feel a headache coming on but I relaxed my muscles and hoped it would go away with a quick nap.

"Casey?" I felt a light nudge on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and found myself staring into a pair of deep blue eyes. "Are you okay? You've been acting a little off today and I noticed you've been taking a lot of naps." I frowned. Had Liam really noticed that much about me? Did he really know me well enough to know that I was acting strange?

"I'm fine, it's probably just a minor concussion. I've heard the symptoms only last for about a week or two anyway," I said with a weak smile. He frowned in response.

"Are you sure you want to hang out today? We can wait until you're feeling better," he suggested, putting his face in between his hands. I smiled and laughed a little bit.

"Yeah, it's fine," I said with a tiny laugh. "Besides, I'm not one to bail." He seemed unsure but smiled nonetheless. The bell rang soon after and Liam stood up, putting out his hand for me to grab. I looked at it with a mischievous smile before taking it. He pulled me up and we walked down the bleachers hand in hand which caused a bunch of our classmates to stare at us. As my eyes landed on Jeremy and Tiffany I noticed they both wore the same glare which was pointed in our direction. However, while Tiffany's was focused on my face and my entire existence, Jeremy's was simply on our interconnected hands.

Or maybe I was just imagining it.

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As we approached the parking lot, Liam turned to me suddenly. "So, uh, here's the thing. I don't um..." he paused awkwardly and I frowned confusedly. He looked down at the floor and rubbed the back of his neck as he seemed to struggle to find the proper words. His head stayed down but his eyes flicked up towards me as he admitted, "That car I drove the other day is my dad's, he just lent it to me because I had an appointment after school that day. I actually take the bus to school and get off one stop before so that people don't know I take the bus. I don't know why I do it to be honest. I know it's stupid and insecure of me but it's just something I like to do I guess? I think it's because I don't want people to know I don't have a lot of money... My point is, we are going to have to walk." He kept his head down towards the ground as he finished and I could see a blush beginning to tint his cheeks.

With a boldness I didn't know I possessed, I walked closer to him and gently lifted his chin with my fingers. His mouth parted slightly and he stared at me with anticipation. "Liam, I like walking," I said to him with a laugh. "Besides, do you think this sexy body comes without some form of exercise? You might've noticed I'm not too coordinated and can't handle much other exercise judging by today's fitness test."

Liam's eyes lit up as he looked down at me and I quickly removed my hand from his face once I realized I was lingering. "Really? You don't mind walking?" he asked excitedly.

"Liam, I am a track goddess. I can run an 800m race without breaking a sweat and you're asking me if I mind walking?" I asked rhetorically with a small laugh.

"You do track?" he asked curiously as he continued to stand in the middle of the parking lot. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Yes, now you can ask me about it when we start walking to wherever we're going," I told him with a goofy grin on my face. I noticed a glint of something in his eyes along with a smile I found myself admiring before he turned away slightly. I looked away quickly to hide my lingering gaze and we began walking towards an unknown destination.

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"I've only known you for a few days but never in a million years would I have guessed you were taking me here," I commented with a small laugh.

"Why not? Guys can like dancing too," Liam responded with a pouting smile. I followed him into the dance studio and waited behind him once we reached the front desk. However, he didn't stop like I thought he would. Instead, he strolled past and led us into a room where other dancers were already stretching. Has he been here before?

"Ah, Liam! And you told me you wouldn't be able to find a partner for today's lesson," an older lady greeted as she approached us. She wore a red cloth near her hair line which helped keep her dark curls out of her face and her dark brown eyes. "She is very beautiful, wonderful choice. Hopefully you can keep your eyes off her and on your feet." I looked up at Liam curiously to find him blushing a dark red colour.

"I-uh, yeah, I'll try," he stuttered with a little cough at the end. The lady smiled and walked away, leaving the two of us alone in the corner of the dance studio.

He looked like he was going to say something but it seemed to be caught in his throat. "You come here often?" I inquired to help fend off his embarrassment.

"Yeah, my mom registered me in a class last year and I kinda liked it so I stayed. Apparently I'm not very good though," he added, awkwardly brushing his arm. I reached out and grabbed his arm where his hand was.

"Trust me, you can't be worse than me," I said with a joking smile on my face though I caught the way his body stiffened at my touch. Maybe he doesn't like to be touched? I'll have to keep that in mind. "Besides, you're lucky I'm wearing leggings today instead of jeans."

I turned around to put my bag down and barely heard Liam whisper, "lucky indeed."

"What?" I sprung up and turned around. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly.

"No-I-I, I just meant that otherwise it would be really hard to dance in jeans, obviously. That's why I wore sweats," he clarified though I found it hard to believe him. I rolled my eyes and made a motion to slap his shoulder gently though I stopped myself, remembering that he didn't seem to like being touched.

"Alright little dancers, I'm glad to see everyone found a partner for our couple's lesson today." The woman at the front of the studio stared pointedly at Liam though there was a playful smile on her face.

"Couples?" I asked jokingly, looking up at Liam with a teasing smile. Once again I was surprised to find a dark blush spreading across his cheeks and towards his ears.

"It's just the name," he defended, staring straight ahead. "It's not like I could take Tiffany or anything and I don't keep much company with other girls. At least, not for long enough to take them to one of these things." I tried not to read into the meaning behind his words as the instructor began talking.

"Why didn't you bring Chris then?" I whispered, trying to keep the tone lighthearted. Liam just gave me a look before listening to what the instructor was saying.

"Now, your partners might not be experienced but you have all been practicing with me for a while now. We will be starting with the salsa so make sure to help your partners along! I might throw in a prize for the best couple!" the lady added, causing the studio to go up in hoots and hollers. We began taking our places when suddenly the doors to the studio opened abruptly.

Our heads snapped towards the sound, only to find two familiar faces standing at the entrance. "Well, I don't think we've seen you two before. Is this your first time?" the instructor asked politely however both of them completely disregarded her statement and took their place directly beside us.

"Hello, Liam," Jeremy gritted out as he brought Tiffany closer to himself. She just glared at me.

"Hi," Liam replied curtly with a similar look on his face.

"Uh, alright, let's get to dancing!" With that, the instructor clapped and the music filled the room.