Andie was... Great. Amazing in fact.

She was everything Holden looked for in a girl.

She was cool, funny, creative, and no one could deny she was attractive.

So it confused Holden, and made him almost... Angry, at himself for feeling the way he did.

For feeling like he was living a lie, and for feeling like it wasn't right. He felt guilty, and he wasn't sure why.

Or at least he wasn't sure why, up until the moment Andie slipped her warm hands, rough from gripping hard metal tools, into his calloused hands, and smiled at him. But it wasn't the hand holding that made him feel as guilty as he did, although that added to it.

No, it was the strange longing he had. The one that ached for something he couldn't have. The one that wished the warm glimmering brown eyes staring up at him, were the beautiful emerald green eyes belonging to the one and only Liv Rooney.

She was... Nothing like anyone Holden had ever met.

Way back when, even before she was a huge star, he had really liked her.

He loved her bouncy yellow-gold curls, and her nails, that would be a different color every day. He liked how even then, he was taller than her. He loved her smile, and her cute awkward giggle. But most of all, he admired her generosity and kindness. The way she would help whoever needed it as best she could.

His friends would tease him about him liking her, and so to make them stop, he stole her pen. But that seriously backfired, she HATED him after that.

She would avoid him, and sometimes glare at him when she thought he wasn't looking.

Even now, He still felt awful, even though he had apologized and had been forgiven, he regretted it.

Maybe if he hadn't done that, he would be holding her hand. Maybe he would be looking down, into HER eyes. Andie was great. She really was. But Holden didn't want "great." He wanted Liv. Which is why it stung so much, to see Liv smile at him and Andie, to actually support them.

But there was something that confused Holden.

That smile didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm so happy for you two! My best friend, and my... Next door neighbor friend!" she giggled.

Holden chuckled.

"I know, right? Isn't it great?" Andie asked, happily.

Liv nodded, slowly.

"Uh, yeah. Sooooo great."

As she said this, her eyes seemed to be saying something along the lines of: "As soon as you leave, I'm going to fall apart."

Liv's eyes started to water, ever so slightly.

"Liv! Are you okay?" Holden asked.

Andie looked concerned.

Liv nodded, and gave a sad smile.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I just have super bad allergies."

"But you said you weren't allergic to anything..." Andie trailed off, her eyebrows raised.

"It's allergies!" Liv exclaimed, closing her locker, and quickly walking off to class.

"That was weird..." Andie said. "Anyway, ready for algebra?"

Holden looked at their intertwined hands.

"Yeah. I guess so."

But as they walked down the hallway, towards their class, the image of Liv's eyes wouldn't leave his mind. The nervous, kind of jealous, wishful expression that was embedded in her shimmery green orbs.

But... He must have imagined it... Right?