Hi - sorry it's been a while, I am very busy at the moment. Also sorry if the story is a bit slow, I prefer to post short chapters as I really don't have that much time to write and have to squeeze it in when I can. But thanks for reading, and please leave a review if you can!
It was a couple of days later, sitting on a cold metal gate that I first felt myself falling for Liam. We had met by chance, once again, when I had been walking along a path near one of his farm's fields. I had gone out for walk to clear my head out, after a stressful morning where grandma didn't recognise any of us and we spent the whole time trying to make her eat breakfast. It wasn't exactly fun. I was singing again, when I heard footsteps running to catch up with me.
And now we were sitting on one of those large country gates you always used to swing on as a child. Liam had been telling me how his family went back centuries, he was so enthusiastic about it that I just thought it was really cute.
"Doesn't it ever get a teensy bit boring here, you know, like always seeing the same people everyday for years and years?" I was a city girl, and I couldn't imagine what it'd be like knowing everyone. "Sometimes, yeah, I'll admit it. Sometimes you want something more, to meet new, different people. People like you." He looked at me then, a soft kind of stare. I smiled back, but then got self-conscious and quickly looked away.
"New people have a habit of turning up now and again, anyway" He stretched.
"Yeah, but you only notice 'new' people because you're so used to everyone around here."
"You're probably right. I've got plans, anyway, to get out. I've just gotta wait a couple more years."
"What's your plan?"
"I want to go to Edinburgh, up to Scotland. Alternately I might go to Newcastle or Leeds."
"What, for university?"
"Maybe, I dunno. Maybe I'll just go and work there. The only thing I I think I'd like to study, anyway, is…" He faltered. "Mythology. You know, like celtic folklore and stuff." He had turned a bit red, embarrassed.
"That's so cool!" He looked at me, surprised.
"You really think so?"
"Yeah. I've always found legends and stories interesting. Why are you embarrassed?" I was given a book of Irish myths aged six, and had loved them ever since
"People don't really expect it from me. They expect me to be all sporty and macho and 'northern lad' kind of thing. Which I am, but it's not all I am, if you get what I mean."
"I know how you feel, but people are going to judge you and not let you be yourself, they're just being shallow idiots. People give others labels because they want to squash the individuality."
"Thanks, but I don't really have any individuality." He gave me a shy smile.
"That is so not true!" I suddenly realised that I was giving myself away, but I didn't care. Liam was staring at me now, like he was taking in every inch of me.
"Have you got any plans?" He said.
"Not specifically. I have ideas, but they're just crazy, wild dreams. They're not achievable."
"How do you know? There's nothing to stop you"
"No, they're not realistic at all. And there's only so many things one person can do in their life. I think maybe… it's more fun, safer to live those dreams in my head."
"True." I suddenly felt this pang of longing, realising how much I liked Liam and how much I wanted something to actually happen, for it not to be just another dream in my head. I was staring out across the fields lost in thought, then I turned, looked at him looking at me. His eyes were so deep and grey, like a swirling storm, and suddenly we kissed. I didn't mean to, it just kind of happened. His lips were warm, soft on mine, and comforting, I was lost in him. Unfortunately, I was a little too lost and suddenly realised I was losing my balance fast. I half-fell, half-jumped off the gate and landed in a puddle, splashing myself. Embarrassed, I looked up at Liam still sat there, but to my relief he was laughing, and so I did too.