Chapter 5 - Spaghetti and Pool

A/N: Hello! Okay so this chapter is back to Sirens POV. I hope you all liked the chapter in the Liam's POV and I hope it answered any questions you may have with regard to his thoughts and actions thus far. Here's Chapter 5 :)

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING

Siren stayed on the floor all afternoon, not moving, just getting lost in her memories. Memories of the streets and of... before. When the memories became too painful, like wounds in her chest, she instead thought of nothing. Nothing but the vast emptiness that she could find inside herself.

Another knock at the door brought her back to the present and before she could say a word Carmen waked in.

"Come on Siren, it's tea-time. And don't eve think about getting out of it. Mike warned me that you'd try something." She walked over to the window and opened it, letting in a surprisingly cold blast of air. "You can't stay cooped up in here forever."

"I can try," she muttered, but even as she said it, she had reluctantly stood and sorted her hair. "Time to face the music then, eh?"

:::

Tea was rather uneventful. It was spaghetti and Liam once again sat opposite Siren.

After tea, she was grudgingly persuaded by Carmen and Lily to sit in the lounge.

She was staring, unseeing, at the TV screen when Liam began asking who wanted to play pool. He asked everyone before finally asking Siren. Instead of answering, she simply stood and walked over to him. He backed away a bit and did a strange thing with his legs as if trying to protect them. She almost laughed. Almost. But instead of kicking him as he clearly expected, Siren took the spare pool cue off the table and shrugged.

"Sure."

He looked amazed as did the others. Carmen giving him a 'discreet' thumbs up. Siren presumed she had spoken with him. It was only Sapphire who didn't look the slightest bit interested.

Liam let Siren go first so she lined up her shot. She could tell by Liam's face that he didn't think she would be any good. She had, however, picked up a few tricks for this game over the years. She angled the cue just right and broke the balls up. Just as she had predicted the 8-ball was pocketed. An automatic victory.

"No way!" Liam groaned in defeat but it was clear he was also impressed.

Johnny had also entered the room with his sister Tee after having done the washing up. He went over and was shocked to say the least, "How did you learn to do that?"

"I dunno really, just kind of... did." Siren was nearly smiling.

"Yeah but you don't exactly find many pool tables on the streets do you?" Silence followed Johnny's words. The girls had muted the television and wandered over.

"You're right, you don't." Siren's good mood had vanished and was replaced with the same emptiness that she had felt upstairs. She turned around and left the room, dropping the cue just before she passed the door. As soon as she was out of sight, the others began to have a go at Johnny. Oh well.

Siren returned to her room and barricaded the door with the furniture in there. Not out of hostility or anger; more for her own peace of mind. She then sat on the floor and stared at the walls.

At one point Siren heard Carmen knock on the door but she ignored her.

She slept on the floor that night.

:::

The young red-head woke up sensing the presence of another person in the room. Jerking to full alertness and sitting bolt upright, Siren noticed it was Liam. He had been careful to place himself on the opposite side of the room. Good.

He spoke first, "So you like to barricade doors."

"How did you...?" Siren trailed off, glancing at the door seeing everything in it's place, then noticing that she had left the window open last night. An amateur mistake.

"You do have a bed you know, and blankets. The floor can't be that comfortable." he continued with that irritating smirk of his.

"I'm used to it." she shrugged. By now she had positioned herself so that her back was against the wall and she was facing Liam.

He nodded. "I suppose you are."

There was a pregnant pause in which Liam's eyes wandered around the room and Siren's stayed trained on him.

"Why are you here?" she demanded sharply after what seemed to her like hours. She had said it quite sharply and internally winced.

"You barricaded your room." He said simply, as if this answered everything. At the girls blank look, he rolled his eyes and continued, "if Mike or Gina found out they'd kill us. Johnny upset you, but he's just an idiot."

"He didn't upset me." Siren demanded.

"'Course he didn't. You just pile your bed, your chest of drawers and wardrobe against the door normally." Sarcasm.

"That's not why I... oh never mind." Siren considered him for a moment, "Why are you here though?"

"I already told you, you-" Liam was confused.

"No, no, not that," Siren clarified, "Why you in particular?"

"Because I'm the only one mad enough to climb through a window two stories high into the room of a sleeping girl who may or may not want to kill us all."

Siren smiled and another, smaller, pause passed.

"You're one strange girl you know that." he was looking at Siren quizzically now, as if she were some great puzzle for him to solve.

"I don't see how I'm any stranger than Carmen or Lily." she shrugged.

He gave a small chuckle before saying, "Well Carmen is pretty strange I'll give you that. All that pink," he gave a small shudder as if the very thought terrified him, "but seriously, you don't seem like a horrible person but you attack people left right and centre. We don't know what to do."

"Leaving me alone would be a good start."

"Well no can do I'm afraid. We all live together."

"Maybe if you hadn't stopped me the other day that wouldn't be the case. So how about you let me sneak away now then we're even?"

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"You will just go back onto the streets. That's no way to live."

"I managed it for a year with no problems. I like it out there. There's freedom Liam, no rules, no adults watching your every move." Siren had leaned forward slightly, her eyes wide with earnest. Liam realised with a start that, for the first time, Siren had called him by his name.

"It's not safe out there. You would have no food, no money, nowhere to go. Summer is soon gonna be over. What will you do when it's cold?"

"I have connections."

"You leave and I will tell Mike and Gina." Liam was determined.

"I thought people like you wouldn't snitch. I must have been wrong." Siren had decided to play dirty. Over the years she had developed lots of skills to do with lying and manipulation. More than once she had had to lie her way out a police cell. Now, she turned her head to look out of the window, her posture showing hurt. Liam would have to be very tough to resist what she had up her sleeve. A sigh came from his corner.

"You can try that all day, you won't get me."

"I don't know what your talking about." Siren's face was a perfect mask of confusion, a neat crease was on her forehead and her lips were turned down slightly at the corners.

"I weren't born yesterday." Liam was looking at Siren with weariness.

She opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. "Liam you done yet? Tracy asking after you." Lily's voice was slightly muffled by the door but was otherwise clear.

Liam rolled his eyes before replying. "Sure Lily, just coming out now." He then turned to Siren and raised his eyebrow.

"Oh no, no, no." Siren's eyes were wide, "I'm not going out there. You can leave the same way you got in. that barricade is staying."

In answer Liam stood up and walked over to the door. He passed uncomfortably close to Siren causing her to shrink against the wall. He noticed and gave her a small frown. He then turned back to the door and began tugging the furniture away from the door. Siren stood upon seeing his intent and grabbed his am tightly.

"Don't," she pleaded. Liam looked down at where her arm was gripping his. Siren seemed to realise what she was doing and quickly released him. "I don't want you to."

"Siren, you're gonna have to open that door sooner or later. Better to do it on your terms than theirs, ain't it?" His brown eyes were almost pitying now. Siren felt the usual hatred she felt when she was pitied rise, but she pushed it down forcefully. Liam was just being nice.

"OK."

Together, they pulled away first the chest of drawers then the bed and night-stand. Siren opened the door and stepped out of her room slowly. Before her stood Lily, Carmen and Tee. All of them looked worried which made Siren cringe in almost-guilt. She had worried them.

Johnny rounded the corner at a run, his mouth already open to begin shouting. He stopped abruptly when he saw Siren. For a moment they both just stood and looked at each other until Siren prompted him, "There was something you wished to share with us?"

He was momentarily confused but then spoke, "Tracy's on her way," he turned to Liam, "how on Earth did you get her out?"

Liam looked as though he was going to reply but Siren beat him to it, "No-one 'gets me out'. I decided to come out all by myself. Aren't I clever?" her voice turned sarcastic towards the end. Truth was, she was still mad about Johnny's little comment earlier. She heard Liam chuckle beside her and so swiftly elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted in pain but made no further complaint.

Siren pushed past Johnny, knocking him as she went. Just as she did Tracy came around the corner. She looked very stressed. Her cheeks were flushed rosy red, beads of sweat had began to collect at her hairline and her eyes were wide when she saw Siren.

"Where have you been?" she demanded; her breath was shallow and coming out in quick puffs.

"Just in my room," Siren smiled innocently.

For a moment Tracy narrowed her eyes before smiling in return. She then looked behind Siren at the accumulated children by her door. "What are you lot doing here? Come on, move it," she gestured towards the general direction of the lounge downstairs. They all complied, their mission accomplished. Siren joined them at the prompting of Carmen.

Liam walked beside her and when they reached the lounge they sat beside each other on the sofa. Granted there was a good amount of space between them but it looked as though the fighting was – for now – over.

A/N: So it looks as though Liam and Siren are getting along better. I'm thinking this story will be around 20 chapters long so we've still got a ways to go. I know where I am going with this story so don't worry about that. It will take a while to really kick off but please stick with it. Thank you to Linneagb, CharlieSMarts12, CamoGirl14, and RosaSilvermist for reviewing so far – I'm really glad you all like it. I will try to reply to you all but I can't always but your response is always welcome. Anyways I'm waffling, thank you for reading and please drop a review if it's not too much trouble. See you soon hopefully.