90210 -- CBS/Paramount Network Television
A Special Question
"If you want him, come and get him."
That was exactly what the scene before Annie appeared to be saying.
Her head was telling her to settle down, but her heart had a few reasons to decline that advice. First of all, she'd found a shirtless Liam asleep in his room. Secondly, his mother had gone out after letting Annie in. Thirdly, no one else was present in the house right now. And last but not least, a nasty storm was on today's forecast, promising to bring all sorts of loud, frightening sounds that could get a girl all shaken up.
Annie paused, took a breath, and attempted to calm herself a little. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, letting a private chuckle escape her lips.
Then she noticed something else. Upon taking a closer look at the covers, which were just below Liam's waist, she realized that she couldn't quite spot a pants line.
So much for settling down. This discovery wasn't going to help calm her nerves at all. Instead, it had created a question that was now begging to be answered: Was he wearing anything underneath that cover?
While pondering this, she eventually forced herself out of her transfixed state, and managed to remember why she'd come here.
Reaching backward while staring forward, Annie closed the door with a quiet click, holding the knob nervously with both hands. She was donned in a loose shirt, shorts, and a thin brown jacket. Her hair was tucked back in a scarlet-black ponytail, pretty strands falling along the sides of her face.
She knew she was going to have to admit this eventually, so she figured she might as well get it done now: It was almost a relief to find Liam asleep.
All week long, she'd been preparing for this moment -- imagining what she'd do, what she'd say. Each of her visions began a little differently, but all of them ended exactly the same: with her making a bumbling idiot of herself.
This kind of anxiety wasn't exactly new; it seemed to turn up every time their relationship approached uncharted waters. She'd felt it the day he'd caught her eyeing him in class -- the day she'd quickly turned away. Annie wasn't quite ready to confront things head-on back then, and she still wasn't ready to confront things that way right now.
No, instead of having him awake to witness her embarrassment, she preferred him just as he was. Unconscious, unalert, unaware...chest exposed...muscles bared...
Helpless.
Make that harmless.
Annie blushed suddenly, trying to figure out which of those last two words she'd been looking for. Eventually, she settled on the latter. In Liam's current state, the situation was, indeed, perfectly 'harmless.' He couldn't see her stumble, and he couldn't hear her stutter.
Suddenly, Liam stirred a bit under the cover, laying still on his side. Looking closer now, Annie could indeed see a pants line after all.
Damn, she thought.
Her eyes quickly widened.
I mean...good!
With a sigh, Annie brought her hands to her face, shook her head a little, and exhaled through her fingers. Afterward, she gave herself a reassuring nod, and then -- keeping her eyes on Liam the whole time -- she quietly pulled off the jacket, and slipped out of her shoes. She reached upward, and with one quick pull, her hair fell plainly down her back.
A little too plainly, for her taste.
To boost her confidence, she began to imagine it flowing gloriously in slow motion, like in one of those shampoo commercials with super models. That was when a sudden boldness began building within her. Okay, let's try this one more time.
She bunched her hair back up into the ponytail...then whipped it out again -- in slow motion -- wearing the most snobbish expression she could manage. Annie giggled to herself.
Why stop there?
She perched one of her bare feet atop a nearby chair, pretended she was posing for photographers, and began pulling her shorts seductively up her thigh -- little by little, inch by inch. Afterward, Annie lowered her leg and chuckled again.
Then she decided that the room seemed a little too plain, a little too gray. Seconds later, she imagined a collection of candles casting a sensuous glow about. She imagined several flower petals sprawled out on the floor. And she imagined her favorite romantic song playing softly in the background.
Annie bent at her waist and began laughing freely. Just then, a clap of thunder screamed through the sky and roared through the room, causing her to leap straight up where she stood. Her happy expression was quickly replaced by a tense one.
Still sleeping, Liam moaned a bit amidst the sound -- just as he'd done ever since he was little.
Annie glanced at him suddenly. A flash of lightning filled the room and illuminated her stare. While watching him closely, her fear began to fade -- but not in the way that she'd originally imagined. Much to her surprise, as she heard him mumble, and saw him stir...all Annie could think about was comforting Liam.
The scene outside the house grew darker. A slow rain began to fall.
As another flash of lightning reached the window, Annie became a still silhouette against the glow. She stood quietly, staring at the boy in bed.
Reality had kicked back in by now. The candles, the petals, and the photographers were gone. Annie was no super model...but she didn't have to be. It seemed that Liam liked her just as she was. And that reminded her again of why she'd come here.
Annie fidgeted a little where she stood, licking her lips briefly.
Liam was still asleep.
With slow, quiet steps, she began approaching his bed.
* * * *
Six Days Ago
"It's a four-step test." Silver directed Annie's eyes to the laptop screen. She'd been surprised when Annie asked her to look up something she'd blogged about last month.
Annie stared the familiar test over, seeing a few questions she began to recognize. After a pause, she turned to her friend. "Wait a minute. Was this something you approved of, or ridiculed?”
“Ridiculed,” said Silver without hesitation. "It didn't suit me, but you...let's just say that you might be another story."
Annie nodded and eyed the screen again. Then she lifted an eyebrow, turning back to Silver. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Never mind. Forget I said anything." Erin hid a tiny grin. "So, there are four steps: Affection, Attraction, Jealousy, and Caring. You test the guy for each of these, and when it's all over..." she gave Annie a calm glance, "you'll apparently have the answer to your question." A small smile began crossing her face.
Annie exhaled gently. "So he has to pass at least three of the four?"
"That's what they say."
She briefly went quiet, staring at the screen. "Which should I start with?"
"Which do you think?"
* * * *
The Present
Annie was sitting cross-legged on a corner of the bed, staring at Liam as he slept.
At times, she wanted to dig her nails into his flesh, rub her hands along his biceps, and run her fingers through his hair. On more than one occasion, she'd almost indulged in those desires. But every time she'd come close, she somehow found the will to stop.
She reminded herself that this moment couldn't be about her actions, because it had to be about his. It couldn't be about her, because it had to be about him. Annie closed her eyes and swallowed. Another flash of lightning illuminated the room.
Opening her eyes, she began crawling toward Liam like a cat, slowly, cautiously. He was still laying on his side. Upon reaching him, she paused to stare. Her cheeks turned a bright red, and she could've sworn that the sound of her heart was drowning out the raindrops. With more caution than ever, Annie crawled just over Liam, laying down right next to him. They were facing the same direction, her back several inches from his stomach.
Around 10 minutes later, Liam's alarm clock went off -- on his side of the bed. Instinctively, he quickly reached out and silenced it.
Taking a deep breath, Liam began rubbing and blinking his eyes, the effects of slumber fading away. He was so drowsy that he didn't even realize he hadn't set the clock today. Sitting up, he reached down and hugged his knees, burying his face in the twin mounds he'd created. The sound of slow raindrops filled his ears.
When he finally glanced to the side, everything seemed to stop. His eyes widened, his jaw sagged, and the rest of his body became utterly still.
Upon snapping out of his trance, he leaned across the bed, hesitated...and then slowly began to whisper something. "Annie?"
There was no response.
A series of questions filled his mind, but only one statement left his mouth. "Annie?"
She mumbled defensively, eyes held steadily closed.
Liam stared for a while.
The gentle storm carried on.
In time, a half-smile crossed Liam's face, as though he no longer cared about the answers he'd been seeking. Eventually, he began laying himself down once again -- but moved a little closer to Annie's side of the bed this time. After a long bout of hesitation...he wrapped a slow, gentle arm around her waist. Leaning in closer, he rested his other arm just above Annie's head.
Liam's own heartbeat had sped up a tad now. He watched the girl with a very focused stare -- a deeply held mixture of curiosity and longing.
Then he closed his eyes once again.
As they lay there arm in arm, side by side, another flash filled the room, looking almost like a camera snapping a picture.
Annie remained completely still -- except for her face, which had begun to smile. The Affection test was over. Liam had passed.
They'd embraced one another before, of course, and she'd been grateful for that each time it had happened. But things had been different on those occasions. This time, Liam wasn't being affectionate to comfort her. Instead, he was being affectionate because...
Annie opened her eyes slowly, then closed them again.
She couldn't be sure of the answer just yet, but she could be sure of at least one thing: She'd been wrong about what she'd thought before. This moment wasn't about him, nor was it about her. It was about them.
* * * *
There were certain compliments that Annie was getting tired of. Actually, she'd been tired of them for quite some time. One of these words was cute. Another was adorable. Along with those, there were a few other terms that boys always used to describe her appearance, terms that sounded entirely too 'sweet.'
It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the compliments -- she made sure to let people know that she did -- but she'd long ago reached the point of wanting to hear something else. She wanted to be "beautiful," "hot," "ravishing," or "lovely." Hearing one of those terms, or something along those lines, would be more than enough to satisfy her.
She sat quietly in the park, wearing an elegant sundress and a good deal of make-up. One of her legs was crossed seductively over the other, and her hair looked better than any super model's today.
Right on schedule, Liam began approaching from a distance, donned in jeans and one of his usual shirts. Annie produced the most sensual smile that she could manage.
He slowed considerably upon arrival, taking in the sight of her as he neared.
Annie maintained her expression and looked him straight in the eye.
He was speechless for a moment. "Annie..."
She grinned.
"You..." he shook his head in awe, "you look..."
Her smile began to widen.
"So cute."
And just like that, her grin faded and her jaw dropped.
"...What?" said Liam. "What's wrong?"
She shook her head suddenly, flashing a fake smile with gritted teeth. "Nothing. I just..." She chuckled. "Nothing."
Liam grinned back at her.
Annie sighed. Oooookay... she thought. So the Attraction test is over.
In her mind, Liam hadn't exactly passed.
* * * *
"A date?"
Annie nodded while walking beside Liam in the park. Her eyes were on the grass. "There's this guy. He says that he's sort of liked me for a while." She ran a finger along her face shyly. "I kind of turned him down the first time...but he recently let me know that the offer still stands if I was to reconsider.”
Liam was silent for a moment. "What did you tell him?"
Annie shrugged. "I told him I'd let him know if I changed my mind."
Liam went quiet again.
She glanced at him with curious eyes. "What do you think? About the date I mean." A quick blush came over her.
He stared at the ground, pausing before he spoke. "...I say go for it."
Annie lifted an eyebrow.
Liam smiled. "Whatever makes you happy."
Annie licked her lips, then nodded to herself as they continued their walk. Liam had passed one out of three tests so far, and because of that, she wasn't exactly feeling 'happy' right now.
* * * *
A new day had arrived, and Annie was sitting alone in her room. She stared quietly at the floor, a phone clutched between both hands.
There was only one thing left to test, one matter left to resolve: How much did Liam care for her? And how was she going to find out?
She could twist an ankle, then call him in agony.
Annie shook her head slowly.
No.
She could go somewhere, then get herself stranded.
In time, Annie let her eyes flutter closed.
...No.
The situation began to grow disheartening. What else could she do? What else could she say? What kind of intense scenario would prompt the reaction she wanted?
She was searching for something dramatic. Something extreme. Something that was guaranteed to induce compassion in Liam. And not the kind of compassion he'd give to just anyone...but the kind of compassion he'd reserve especially for her.
Annie paused suddenly, glancing upward at nothing at all.
While her eyes were transfixed, her fingers began dialing a number. Seconds later, she lifted the phone to her ear, waiting.
A few rings passed before his voice arrived. "Hello?"
Annie's tone was low, gentle, and utterly sincere. "Liam...can I see you?"
There was a slight pause on his end. "Are you okay? You sound..." He briefly trailed off. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," she muttered, lowering her somber gaze again. "I just..." Annie quieted a moment, then made a conscious decision. She stopped looking for something dramatic. She stopped looking for something extreme. She simply looked inside of her heart, and found exactly what she wanted Liam to hear. "I just need you."
Another brief silence followed. And then, it was Liam who said exactly what he wanted Annie to hear. "I'm on my way."
* * * *
The room was quiet as they sat side by side. When Annie wasn't staring at her lap, she met Liam's steady grin with a shy smile of her own.
The test was over. He'd gotten a two out of four. Could she count that as a draw? It wasn't exactly a pass, it wasn't exactly a fail, and above all else, it wasn't exactly the result she'd been hoping for.
Annie leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and bringing her cupped hands to her lips. "There's something I should probably tell you," she mumbled.
Liam nodded. "All right. When you're done, there's something I should probably tell you."
She turned to him in surprise.
"You first," he said.
Annie felt her face heating up, her heart beating faster. She had to avert her stare again. "Some of the things that have been happening lately..." she took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly, "...they were kind of...sort of..."
Liam listened closely.
She looked him in the eye. "I found this silly experiment on the Internet," she winked, as though to ask if he was following her, "and I kind of tried it out with us." She turned away again.
Liam watched her a moment. "I know."
Annie swung her gaze back to him in surprise.
"Believe it or not...I read Silver's blog too." A long smile crossed Liam's face.
Annie shook her head while chuckling and covered her face with both hands. "How long have you known?"
"I didn't catch on until the second test. 'Attraction.' I began to recognize the pattern then."
Annie shoved her elbow into his side.
"Hey!" Liam laughed.
"How could you do this to me?"
"How could I do this to you?"
"Wait..." She began to focus again. A more serious expression crept over her face. "If you knew all along...then that means some of your responses weren't real."
Liam eyed her with a sudden calmness, a sudden sincerity. "The ones I failed weren't real. The ones I passed were."
Annie felt a slow warmth beginning to glow within. "How did you even know I don't like being called cute?"
"Dixon."
She rolled her eyes and nodded.
The seriousness in Liam's eyes was still present. "It's not a 'silly' experiment, not really," he shook his head. "It's about getting someone to show you how they feel, rather than simply telling."
Annie glanced at him shyly.
"But if you'd prefer the alternative..." he sat up a little, "go right ahead. Ask me whatever."
She licked her lips suddenly. Her breaths came heavier. "I...I..."
Liam waited.
"All right then," she lifted an eyebrow with a bold smile. Each of the four topics flashed through her head. Before she could speak, Annie let her gaze drop just a tad. "Do you like it when we're being affectionate?”
Liam chuckled quietly while staring at her. "Yes."
Annie grinned at her interlocked fingers. "Do you think I'm more than just cute?"
"Yes."
Her lips parted a little, releasing a silent breath. "Would it bother you if I went out with another guy?"
"Yes." Liam had said it softly, deeply.
Annie felt rather silly for even bothering with the final question, but she decided to ask it anyway. "And do you care about me?"
He watched her in silence for a moment. "I'm here, aren't I?"
Finally, Annie looked up again, giving Liam the warmest stare he'd ever seen from her, the warmest he'd ever seen from anyone. She reached out and stroked one of his hands.
He spoke up again. "There's one thing I never quite found out: What was the purpose of this test? What's it supposed to prove?"
There was a slight delay in Annie's response. "The results are supposed to provide the answer to a question." A special question.
He lifted his eyebrows. "And that is?"
Annie simply stared, watching him very closely, very seriously.
"Go ahead. I answered all the others...might as well do this last one too," he grinned.
After another moment of hesitation, Annie slowly shook her head. "No. It's like you said -- the test is about showing, rather than telling." A smile crossed her face. "I think I've already seen the answer. I think I already know it."
Liam watched her with curiosity.
"And if our roles were reversed...I know what my own answer would be as well."
In time, Liam gave Annie a slow nod, looking her closely in the eyes.
"Got anywhere to be right now?" she asked.
"No. You?"
Annie shook her head. Slowly, her eyes glanced down at the bed, before meeting Liam's stare again.
Soon afterward, Annie and Liam were laying together once more -- arm in arm, side by side, cuddling as they held each other close.
END
A Special Question
"If you want him, come and get him."
That was exactly what the scene before Annie appeared to be saying.
Her head was telling her to settle down, but her heart had a few reasons to decline that advice. First of all, she'd found a shirtless Liam asleep in his room. Secondly, his mother had gone out after letting Annie in. Thirdly, no one else was present in the house right now. And last but not least, a nasty storm was on today's forecast, promising to bring all sorts of loud, frightening sounds that could get a girl all shaken up.
Annie paused, took a breath, and attempted to calm herself a little. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, letting a private chuckle escape her lips.
Then she noticed something else. Upon taking a closer look at the covers, which were just below Liam's waist, she realized that she couldn't quite spot a pants line.
So much for settling down. This discovery wasn't going to help calm her nerves at all. Instead, it had created a question that was now begging to be answered: Was he wearing anything underneath that cover?
While pondering this, she eventually forced herself out of her transfixed state, and managed to remember why she'd come here.
Reaching backward while staring forward, Annie closed the door with a quiet click, holding the knob nervously with both hands. She was donned in a loose shirt, shorts, and a thin brown jacket. Her hair was tucked back in a scarlet-black ponytail, pretty strands falling along the sides of her face.
She knew she was going to have to admit this eventually, so she figured she might as well get it done now: It was almost a relief to find Liam asleep.
All week long, she'd been preparing for this moment -- imagining what she'd do, what she'd say. Each of her visions began a little differently, but all of them ended exactly the same: with her making a bumbling idiot of herself.
This kind of anxiety wasn't exactly new; it seemed to turn up every time their relationship approached uncharted waters. She'd felt it the day he'd caught her eyeing him in class -- the day she'd quickly turned away. Annie wasn't quite ready to confront things head-on back then, and she still wasn't ready to confront things that way right now.
No, instead of having him awake to witness her embarrassment, she preferred him just as he was. Unconscious, unalert, unaware...chest exposed...muscles bared...
Helpless.
Make that harmless.
Annie blushed suddenly, trying to figure out which of those last two words she'd been looking for. Eventually, she settled on the latter. In Liam's current state, the situation was, indeed, perfectly 'harmless.' He couldn't see her stumble, and he couldn't hear her stutter.
Suddenly, Liam stirred a bit under the cover, laying still on his side. Looking closer now, Annie could indeed see a pants line after all.
Damn, she thought.
Her eyes quickly widened.
I mean...good!
With a sigh, Annie brought her hands to her face, shook her head a little, and exhaled through her fingers. Afterward, she gave herself a reassuring nod, and then -- keeping her eyes on Liam the whole time -- she quietly pulled off the jacket, and slipped out of her shoes. She reached upward, and with one quick pull, her hair fell plainly down her back.
A little too plainly, for her taste.
To boost her confidence, she began to imagine it flowing gloriously in slow motion, like in one of those shampoo commercials with super models. That was when a sudden boldness began building within her. Okay, let's try this one more time.
She bunched her hair back up into the ponytail...then whipped it out again -- in slow motion -- wearing the most snobbish expression she could manage. Annie giggled to herself.
Why stop there?
She perched one of her bare feet atop a nearby chair, pretended she was posing for photographers, and began pulling her shorts seductively up her thigh -- little by little, inch by inch. Afterward, Annie lowered her leg and chuckled again.
Then she decided that the room seemed a little too plain, a little too gray. Seconds later, she imagined a collection of candles casting a sensuous glow about. She imagined several flower petals sprawled out on the floor. And she imagined her favorite romantic song playing softly in the background.
Annie bent at her waist and began laughing freely. Just then, a clap of thunder screamed through the sky and roared through the room, causing her to leap straight up where she stood. Her happy expression was quickly replaced by a tense one.
Still sleeping, Liam moaned a bit amidst the sound -- just as he'd done ever since he was little.
Annie glanced at him suddenly. A flash of lightning filled the room and illuminated her stare. While watching him closely, her fear began to fade -- but not in the way that she'd originally imagined. Much to her surprise, as she heard him mumble, and saw him stir...all Annie could think about was comforting Liam.
The scene outside the house grew darker. A slow rain began to fall.
As another flash of lightning reached the window, Annie became a still silhouette against the glow. She stood quietly, staring at the boy in bed.
Reality had kicked back in by now. The candles, the petals, and the photographers were gone. Annie was no super model...but she didn't have to be. It seemed that Liam liked her just as she was. And that reminded her again of why she'd come here.
Annie fidgeted a little where she stood, licking her lips briefly.
Liam was still asleep.
With slow, quiet steps, she began approaching his bed.
* * * *
Six Days Ago
"It's a four-step test." Silver directed Annie's eyes to the laptop screen. She'd been surprised when Annie asked her to look up something she'd blogged about last month.
Annie stared the familiar test over, seeing a few questions she began to recognize. After a pause, she turned to her friend. "Wait a minute. Was this something you approved of, or ridiculed?”
“Ridiculed,” said Silver without hesitation. "It didn't suit me, but you...let's just say that you might be another story."
Annie nodded and eyed the screen again. Then she lifted an eyebrow, turning back to Silver. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Never mind. Forget I said anything." Erin hid a tiny grin. "So, there are four steps: Affection, Attraction, Jealousy, and Caring. You test the guy for each of these, and when it's all over..." she gave Annie a calm glance, "you'll apparently have the answer to your question." A small smile began crossing her face.
Annie exhaled gently. "So he has to pass at least three of the four?"
"That's what they say."
She briefly went quiet, staring at the screen. "Which should I start with?"
"Which do you think?"
* * * *
The Present
Annie was sitting cross-legged on a corner of the bed, staring at Liam as he slept.
At times, she wanted to dig her nails into his flesh, rub her hands along his biceps, and run her fingers through his hair. On more than one occasion, she'd almost indulged in those desires. But every time she'd come close, she somehow found the will to stop.
She reminded herself that this moment couldn't be about her actions, because it had to be about his. It couldn't be about her, because it had to be about him. Annie closed her eyes and swallowed. Another flash of lightning illuminated the room.
Opening her eyes, she began crawling toward Liam like a cat, slowly, cautiously. He was still laying on his side. Upon reaching him, she paused to stare. Her cheeks turned a bright red, and she could've sworn that the sound of her heart was drowning out the raindrops. With more caution than ever, Annie crawled just over Liam, laying down right next to him. They were facing the same direction, her back several inches from his stomach.
Around 10 minutes later, Liam's alarm clock went off -- on his side of the bed. Instinctively, he quickly reached out and silenced it.
Taking a deep breath, Liam began rubbing and blinking his eyes, the effects of slumber fading away. He was so drowsy that he didn't even realize he hadn't set the clock today. Sitting up, he reached down and hugged his knees, burying his face in the twin mounds he'd created. The sound of slow raindrops filled his ears.
When he finally glanced to the side, everything seemed to stop. His eyes widened, his jaw sagged, and the rest of his body became utterly still.
Upon snapping out of his trance, he leaned across the bed, hesitated...and then slowly began to whisper something. "Annie?"
There was no response.
A series of questions filled his mind, but only one statement left his mouth. "Annie?"
She mumbled defensively, eyes held steadily closed.
Liam stared for a while.
The gentle storm carried on.
In time, a half-smile crossed Liam's face, as though he no longer cared about the answers he'd been seeking. Eventually, he began laying himself down once again -- but moved a little closer to Annie's side of the bed this time. After a long bout of hesitation...he wrapped a slow, gentle arm around her waist. Leaning in closer, he rested his other arm just above Annie's head.
Liam's own heartbeat had sped up a tad now. He watched the girl with a very focused stare -- a deeply held mixture of curiosity and longing.
Then he closed his eyes once again.
As they lay there arm in arm, side by side, another flash filled the room, looking almost like a camera snapping a picture.
Annie remained completely still -- except for her face, which had begun to smile. The Affection test was over. Liam had passed.
They'd embraced one another before, of course, and she'd been grateful for that each time it had happened. But things had been different on those occasions. This time, Liam wasn't being affectionate to comfort her. Instead, he was being affectionate because...
Annie opened her eyes slowly, then closed them again.
She couldn't be sure of the answer just yet, but she could be sure of at least one thing: She'd been wrong about what she'd thought before. This moment wasn't about him, nor was it about her. It was about them.
* * * *
There were certain compliments that Annie was getting tired of. Actually, she'd been tired of them for quite some time. One of these words was cute. Another was adorable. Along with those, there were a few other terms that boys always used to describe her appearance, terms that sounded entirely too 'sweet.'
It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the compliments -- she made sure to let people know that she did -- but she'd long ago reached the point of wanting to hear something else. She wanted to be "beautiful," "hot," "ravishing," or "lovely." Hearing one of those terms, or something along those lines, would be more than enough to satisfy her.
She sat quietly in the park, wearing an elegant sundress and a good deal of make-up. One of her legs was crossed seductively over the other, and her hair looked better than any super model's today.
Right on schedule, Liam began approaching from a distance, donned in jeans and one of his usual shirts. Annie produced the most sensual smile that she could manage.
He slowed considerably upon arrival, taking in the sight of her as he neared.
Annie maintained her expression and looked him straight in the eye.
He was speechless for a moment. "Annie..."
She grinned.
"You..." he shook his head in awe, "you look..."
Her smile began to widen.
"So cute."
And just like that, her grin faded and her jaw dropped.
"...What?" said Liam. "What's wrong?"
She shook her head suddenly, flashing a fake smile with gritted teeth. "Nothing. I just..." She chuckled. "Nothing."
Liam grinned back at her.
Annie sighed. Oooookay... she thought. So the Attraction test is over.
In her mind, Liam hadn't exactly passed.
* * * *
"A date?"
Annie nodded while walking beside Liam in the park. Her eyes were on the grass. "There's this guy. He says that he's sort of liked me for a while." She ran a finger along her face shyly. "I kind of turned him down the first time...but he recently let me know that the offer still stands if I was to reconsider.”
Liam was silent for a moment. "What did you tell him?"
Annie shrugged. "I told him I'd let him know if I changed my mind."
Liam went quiet again.
She glanced at him with curious eyes. "What do you think? About the date I mean." A quick blush came over her.
He stared at the ground, pausing before he spoke. "...I say go for it."
Annie lifted an eyebrow.
Liam smiled. "Whatever makes you happy."
Annie licked her lips, then nodded to herself as they continued their walk. Liam had passed one out of three tests so far, and because of that, she wasn't exactly feeling 'happy' right now.
* * * *
A new day had arrived, and Annie was sitting alone in her room. She stared quietly at the floor, a phone clutched between both hands.
There was only one thing left to test, one matter left to resolve: How much did Liam care for her? And how was she going to find out?
She could twist an ankle, then call him in agony.
Annie shook her head slowly.
No.
She could go somewhere, then get herself stranded.
In time, Annie let her eyes flutter closed.
...No.
The situation began to grow disheartening. What else could she do? What else could she say? What kind of intense scenario would prompt the reaction she wanted?
She was searching for something dramatic. Something extreme. Something that was guaranteed to induce compassion in Liam. And not the kind of compassion he'd give to just anyone...but the kind of compassion he'd reserve especially for her.
Annie paused suddenly, glancing upward at nothing at all.
While her eyes were transfixed, her fingers began dialing a number. Seconds later, she lifted the phone to her ear, waiting.
A few rings passed before his voice arrived. "Hello?"
Annie's tone was low, gentle, and utterly sincere. "Liam...can I see you?"
There was a slight pause on his end. "Are you okay? You sound..." He briefly trailed off. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," she muttered, lowering her somber gaze again. "I just..." Annie quieted a moment, then made a conscious decision. She stopped looking for something dramatic. She stopped looking for something extreme. She simply looked inside of her heart, and found exactly what she wanted Liam to hear. "I just need you."
Another brief silence followed. And then, it was Liam who said exactly what he wanted Annie to hear. "I'm on my way."
* * * *
The room was quiet as they sat side by side. When Annie wasn't staring at her lap, she met Liam's steady grin with a shy smile of her own.
The test was over. He'd gotten a two out of four. Could she count that as a draw? It wasn't exactly a pass, it wasn't exactly a fail, and above all else, it wasn't exactly the result she'd been hoping for.
Annie leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and bringing her cupped hands to her lips. "There's something I should probably tell you," she mumbled.
Liam nodded. "All right. When you're done, there's something I should probably tell you."
She turned to him in surprise.
"You first," he said.
Annie felt her face heating up, her heart beating faster. She had to avert her stare again. "Some of the things that have been happening lately..." she took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly, "...they were kind of...sort of..."
Liam listened closely.
She looked him in the eye. "I found this silly experiment on the Internet," she winked, as though to ask if he was following her, "and I kind of tried it out with us." She turned away again.
Liam watched her a moment. "I know."
Annie swung her gaze back to him in surprise.
"Believe it or not...I read Silver's blog too." A long smile crossed Liam's face.
Annie shook her head while chuckling and covered her face with both hands. "How long have you known?"
"I didn't catch on until the second test. 'Attraction.' I began to recognize the pattern then."
Annie shoved her elbow into his side.
"Hey!" Liam laughed.
"How could you do this to me?"
"How could I do this to you?"
"Wait..." She began to focus again. A more serious expression crept over her face. "If you knew all along...then that means some of your responses weren't real."
Liam eyed her with a sudden calmness, a sudden sincerity. "The ones I failed weren't real. The ones I passed were."
Annie felt a slow warmth beginning to glow within. "How did you even know I don't like being called cute?"
"Dixon."
She rolled her eyes and nodded.
The seriousness in Liam's eyes was still present. "It's not a 'silly' experiment, not really," he shook his head. "It's about getting someone to show you how they feel, rather than simply telling."
Annie glanced at him shyly.
"But if you'd prefer the alternative..." he sat up a little, "go right ahead. Ask me whatever."
She licked her lips suddenly. Her breaths came heavier. "I...I..."
Liam waited.
"All right then," she lifted an eyebrow with a bold smile. Each of the four topics flashed through her head. Before she could speak, Annie let her gaze drop just a tad. "Do you like it when we're being affectionate?”
Liam chuckled quietly while staring at her. "Yes."
Annie grinned at her interlocked fingers. "Do you think I'm more than just cute?"
"Yes."
Her lips parted a little, releasing a silent breath. "Would it bother you if I went out with another guy?"
"Yes." Liam had said it softly, deeply.
Annie felt rather silly for even bothering with the final question, but she decided to ask it anyway. "And do you care about me?"
He watched her in silence for a moment. "I'm here, aren't I?"
Finally, Annie looked up again, giving Liam the warmest stare he'd ever seen from her, the warmest he'd ever seen from anyone. She reached out and stroked one of his hands.
He spoke up again. "There's one thing I never quite found out: What was the purpose of this test? What's it supposed to prove?"
There was a slight delay in Annie's response. "The results are supposed to provide the answer to a question." A special question.
He lifted his eyebrows. "And that is?"
Annie simply stared, watching him very closely, very seriously.
"Go ahead. I answered all the others...might as well do this last one too," he grinned.
After another moment of hesitation, Annie slowly shook her head. "No. It's like you said -- the test is about showing, rather than telling." A smile crossed her face. "I think I've already seen the answer. I think I already know it."
Liam watched her with curiosity.
"And if our roles were reversed...I know what my own answer would be as well."
In time, Liam gave Annie a slow nod, looking her closely in the eyes.
"Got anywhere to be right now?" she asked.
"No. You?"
Annie shook her head. Slowly, her eyes glanced down at the bed, before meeting Liam's stare again.
Soon afterward, Annie and Liam were laying together once more -- arm in arm, side by side, cuddling as they held each other close.
END