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What happened to you?

That's all it seemed anyone wanted to know anymore. It didn't matter of the person had just met him or had known him all his life. All they wanted to know was what was wrong with him and why he hadn't bothered to fix himself and move on like everyone else. Liam thought leaving would have made things all the more easier for the whole family. That his mother wouldn't be so irritated with his lack of emotion and that his sister Michelle wouldn't feel so guilty about trying to be a normal girl of seventeen and having fun like everyone else her age should be. It hadn't worked out as he planned though.

His sister with whom he used to have the most friendly of correspondence wrote him constantly now berating him to come home and calling him selfish. Michelle had said it was dire now more than ever because Carla is engaged to be married to some fellow named Tony Gordon. Liam wanted to scream and write back in bold letters that it was because Carla was getting married that he could never come back. He couldn't be the thing keeping her from a happy future and he couldn't live with having to see her at the same events and within the same social circles gliding about with a husband on her arm. It was supposed to be him he thought bitterly but Paul dying had changed everything so he'd just have to get over the fact that he couldn't have everything he wanted anymore. The siblings corresponded back and forth practically shouting at each other. Liam called his sister an annoying brat and she wrote back with just as much venom calling him a selfish bastard with no heart at all. It was emotionally draining and Liam got to the point where he was considering ignoring all further letters and not telling her where he was headed next. He wanted to have a sane mind and be confident in his decision but he couldn't do that with his sister constantly whispering in his ear telling him he was stupid.

Liam had received a letter from home again one morning and had it in his mind to tuck it away and not even bother looking at it. But something urged him to open it. It was a foreboding feeling of something bad happening and his first thought was of Paul and wherever Paul was in his spectrum of thoughts death followed closely. He hoped no one else in his family was hurt.

Dear Liam,

We have not spoken in so long and I am truly sorry for it. But I write to you child because I think it is time to stop the sadness and shutting yourself off from everyone that loves and cares for you back at home. I know you are going to response to this letter with some nonsense about trying to find yourself and trying to come to terms with your brother's death. But I am sorry to say that you are wasting your time.

Death isn't something for any one person to overcome, as we al have tol die some day. And although out Paul was much too young and we all miss him terribly the time has come for you to grow up. You must accept as we have all accepted that your brother is indeed in a better place now and that he would want you to make better use of your life outside of mourning his death so bitterly and disconnected from the grace of God.

You must realize that life goes on and evidence of such life is presented to me everyday son. Now I have some news son; your baby sister is pregnant. I wish I could say that I am delighted in such news but I am neither happy nor angry. I simply accept the situation for what it is. But your sister Michelle still is from a respectable family so she will be expected to do what is right. Which brings me to my second piece of news; Michelle is engaged to be married to her longtime boyfriend Dean. He is presumably the father of the child and expected to do what is right just as you are expected to do what is right.

You must return home immediately, the family needs you now more then ever. Michelle is at a vulnerable state and only you seem able to keep her calm. She does not seem to understand that this whole situation needs to be kept under wraps for the time being and for the sake of the family image. Liam you must come home immediately and support your only living sibling. It is time to stop walking in the shadow of the dead.

Your ever loving mother,

Helen

Liam almost dropped the letter. He didn't know what to say much less do. How could Michelle have kept this from him? He felt so horrible now for all the nasty things he had said in his letters to her just so she would get off his case. His mother was still being as close minded to his suffering as ever, so that was no surprise. She had never understood that not everyone was able to walk around and act like they were unaffected by things. But his main concern was for Michelle, his mother was right in saying that he could not turn his back on his only living sibling. No wonder Michelle had pleaded so hard for him to come home. She had wanted her brother back for herself not for Carla's sake but she must have been too afraid and stubborn to reveal her condition to Liam. But ever since she was a baby Liam had always had a soft spot for his little sister. Michelle was always getting herself into some situation that required him to come rescue her and raise fury against anyone who did her any wrong.

This was how he met Carla or rather first saw her when his family had just moved into town. Michelle had been the new girl at the all girls school and some of the ladies were not being to kind to her because of it. Liam had felt so bad seeing his poor sister reduced to tears everyday at some of the mean stuff the girls were doing to her; girls like Tracey Barlow and Maria Sutherland. Liam had decided to cut his own classes one day to sort these mean girls out and his cousin Tom offered to come along and be of some assistance. They weren't going to be violent or anything, they were just going to give these girls a talking to and a warning.

Liam felt so lost as he wandered the halls of his sister's school just trying to sort things out. He was becoming increasingly agitated and annoyed because Michelle had promised to meet them in the front courtyard so that he and Tom wouldn't have to sneak in. They ended up waiting for about fifteen minutes near noon when his sister claimed she'd be able to sneak away and point them in the direction of her tormentors. She had never shown, so Liam and Tom went in search of her sneaking into the building even though they faced serious precautions if caught because no boys were permitted on the premises.

Liam had to watch his back at every corner, deciding to split up with his cousin so they could increase their chances of finding Michelle. The two boys decided to meet back in the courtyard by 12:45pm if they did not find his sister. Liam had searched for her everywhere that day peeking in and out of rooms and just narrowly escaping the teachers and staff members who patrolled the hallways. By 12:30 he was fed up and exhausted and reasoning that he probably wouldn't have any breakthroughs in the last fifteen minutes decided to go back to the school courtyard and wait for his cousin Tom.

The courtyard was composed of several archways on either side with a fountain positioned in the middle. Liam hoisted himself up on the makeshift bench under one of the archways throwing his book bag down next to him he retrieved his pocket watch just preparing to spend the next fifteen minutes watching the dial slowly reach its mark. He heard voices then, whispers and giggles coming from an archway near him peeking his head over he saw two girls one blonde the other one dark haired like a ravens. They had school books pulled out along with a pencil and notebook the blonde girl was sitting while the raven haired girl sort of stood bent over her trying to get her to focus.

"Okay Leanne we can't joke around anymore. You have to get this assignment in, remember? Mrs. Harris will not be happy with you if you fail literature."

"Oh I hate her so much Carla! She is just jealous because we are young and beautiful and she's old and dried up and no one wants her anymore."

"Yeah, yeah Leanne. We all know she is a cow but the difference is no one says anything outright to her face. Do you really want your mother to be called in again?"

Liam was simply stunned and taken aback by how beautiful the girl called Carla was. She hadn't really looked up once but he could tell from the angle of her face that she was like one of those legendary beauties his father claimed only existed in fairytales. He couldn't stop gawking at her and hoped she wouldn't sense he was nearby so that he could continue you to take her all in without any interference.

She had long hair down to her shoulders with half of it pinned back and tied with a black ribbon. Her school uniform was a teal color a skirt and blazer with tights and black shoes. Liam's eyes fell on her legs a few times which seemed to go on for miles in those black tights. He felt a bit creepy just looking at them like he did but he just couldn't help himself. A nervous feeling was beginning to take root in his stomach now and he watched her in a daze as she continued to help her friend with her assignment.

"Did you even open your books all semester Leanne? If you don't do well on this your mother won't let you come to my party—"

She seems to sense him as her eyes which were once focused on the page shift and she slowly raises her head to look at him stopping mid sentence. Her stare is a perplexed one. She seems confused as to what he is doing on the premises and Liam wants to explain himself and say anything really just so she won't think him a creep but he is tongue-tied. They hold each other's stare for a moment and because Liam can't think of anything else to do he smiles. Her relentless blinking is stalled as she blushes quickly and looks away back down at her friend's assignment.

"Hurry up Lea," she whispers, "I want to get out of here," again she looks back up at him still wondering why he is staring.

"But it is so much to do! I hate this assignment so much Carla!...Carla?" The girl Leanne looks up now noticing Liam, "Hey! There aren't any boys allowed here! How'd he get in here?"

"Shh," says Carla immediately trying to silence her friend from making a scene and alerting the school authorities. She glances at Liam again, "He's just a boy."

But he wasn't just a boy and she wasn't just any girl. Liam thinks they both knew this fact from the start.

"My names Liam," Liam blurts out foolishly stumbling off his bench and holding out his hand for Carla to shake completely ignoring her friend Leanne.

Carla's stunning green eyes drift over his hand for a second and exchanging a glance with her friend who is now glaring at Liam with an overprotective look on her face. Carla hesitates briefly before extending her hand to shake his.

"Liam what?" she asks

"Oh sorry. Liam Connor."

"Nice to meet you. I am Carla Donovan."

They exchange nervous and shy smiles but both sets of eyes dancing. They know they can't ignore whatever it is going on here; that it will be impossible.

"And just what are you doing here, Liam Connor?" says Leanne her face is an expression of jealousy.

"My little sister goes here. I was coming to visit but couldn't find her. Her name is Michelle."

"Oh she's new at our school isn't she? I've seen her a few times she's a grade below us—lovely girl," Carla smiles.

Leanne starts to make huffing noises to show her annoyance over the whole interaction. She starts to grab hastily at her books shoving them into her book bag making a great show of it.

"Thank you," Liam says his eyes completely on Carla, "She's been having problems with a few girls though. A couple of them have been treating her quite poorly. I was going to sort them out."

"Let me guess, Tracey Barlow. She's a cow. I can handle her."

"Really?" says Liam grinning at the thought of her handling her own in a fight, "And what about this girl Maria Sutherland? What's she like?"

"A prissy little princess and a snob. She is all but nasty words nothing threatening. But she tries to act all sweet and innocent but I see right through her."

" Good to know," says Liam again grinning at her. He was watching her lips as she talked and all he could think about was how nice they looked and that he would very much like to kiss them.

"Carla," says Leanne trying to get her friends attention, "We have to go now. Remember your mother wants you home early today to help with the selection for the society tea. She doesn't know what table cloth patterns to use and then we have to meet up with Peter and everyone—"

"I know," says Carla looking a little annoyed.

Liam felt a little crescent fallen wondering who this Peter guy was. His mentioning had changed Carla's demeanor completely. Leanne started to walk away to indicated even more clearly that it was time to leave and Carla began to hastily gather up her own work now. Liam was about to say something else when she looked up and spoke again.

"Uhmm so you're new in town right?"

"Yeah," says Liam now adjusting his own book bag.

"You should come to my party."

"Oh yeah," says Liam trying to keep his voice casual although inside he is jumping for joy, "What type of party is it?"

"Well it's not really my own party as much as it is my parents," she fumbles around nervously now slipping her school bag over her shoulder and looking at him straight in the eyes, "I'm allowed to invite a few friends and what not so I thought maybe you'd like to come."

"I'm a friend already?" says Liam teasingly although they both know he'd like to ask so in a more serious manner.

She blushes, "A sort of friend I guess," then trying to recover from her incessant staring she adds, "And I'd love to get your sister to come. I'd like to get to know her more. I can give her a few pointers when it comes to dealing with the mean girls—"

"CARLA ARE YOU COMING?!" shouts Leanne in the distance impatiently tapping her foot.

"I'm so sorry about her," says Carla, "Leanne can be very rude. But I best not keep her waiting before she explodes on me. I'll send party details with your sister the next time I see her if my mother hasn't already contacted your parents with an invitation instead," she turns to walk away before abruptly turning back and smiling, "And Liam it was nice meeting you."

He watched her walk away completely in a daze wondering if she was indeed real and if that had actually just happened. He felt like she was a beautiful angel not apart of this world; something much too good to be true.

His cousin Tom came back late but he had managed to find his sister Michelle. Liam had been ready to yell at her before for not being where she said she would be. But now he felt it was a good thing she hadn't been around and one day he would thank her for indirectly bringing Carla Donovan into his life.

Now it seemed like history was repeating itself. Liam had swore with every fiber in his being that he would never return home to that place again or to Carla if he could help it. But somehow Michelle always managed to get him to break the promises he was so intent on keeping. And because of his special love for Michelle he'd always break the rules he made in order to protect her just like had broken the rules the day he came to her school and met Carla. It was now inevitable with him having to return home to England that he would have to meet and see Carla again. He'd just have to pretend that he didn't love her and that he felt nothing towards her at all. It was the only way he was going to survive her engagement and marriage. No matter how much he wanted her Liam had to restrain himself. He had almost hurt Carla in his black out over Paul so Liam would have to stay as far away from her as possible and find a way to continue to turn his feelings off until he felt nothing. That way it wouldn't break him when he saw her in the arms of her soon to be husband Tony Gordon. The quicker she was married the better Liam thought, because then he would have something, an excuse and concrete reason as to why he couldn't have Carla. He would have something stopping him from acting on anything he felt and something to keep his feelings in check. Liam wouldn't touch a married woman because it wouldn't be right. So Liam hopes to God that Carla will have a very short engagement.