Once we had Liam unpacked and settled in, I took the first chance I got to text my best gal pal, Sam. 'He's here!' Of course, I didn't have to specify who 'he' was. Sam knew he was coming. She's been obsessing over it with me for weeks!
'Oh, LORD! Finally! What's he like? Is he cute? DOES HE HAVE AN ACCENT?' She replied almost immediately.
'What are you talking about? Of course he has an accent! And oh goodness, wait till you see him! He's amazing!'
'Can I come over? Please please please please please?'
'Yeah, just wait a couple minutes, so you don't seem too eager.'
As usual, Sam didn't listen. She was barging her way into my room three minutes later. "Alright, where is he?" She demanded.
"You don't just come smashing into my room demanding to see my exchange student," I scolded, grabbing my pillow from my bed and tossing it at her head.
"Hey, I'm curious about this boy who has unexpectedly won over your heart," She said shrugging.
"I never said he'd won my heart!" I said throwing an empty Dixie cup at her.
"Yeah, okay. Sure." She said reaching into my drawer where I keep my secret stash of candy bars.
"Those are not for—"
"Yes they are," She opened a pack of Reese's Peanut Buttercups and shoved one in her mouth.
"No they're not! They're for when I get overloaded with school work and need a little bit of happy to enter my life," I said trying to grab the orange package out of her hands.
"Yuno, thesrrelgud," Sam said through a mouthful of peanut butter and chocolatey goodness.
"Yeah, uh huh, that's why I have them."
There was a knock on my door. "Erm, Melanie… Your mum says it's time for dinner," a deep velvety voice mumbled from just outside the room. Sam and I turned around to see Liam leaning against the door frame. Someone was obviously feeling comfortable in my house.
"Holy. Shit." Sam whispered, staring at Liam like she wanted take him and shove him in her mouth like she'd done with my Reese's.
I whacked her in the shoulder. "Err, Liam this is Sam, Sam this is Liam." I said quickly trying to get the awkward introduction over with. Sam just stood there, with her mouth opening and closing like a fish gulping in water.
"Hi, Sam," Liam said nodding in acknowledgement.
"H-hi," This was not like Sam. This wasn't like her at all. Sam is that girl. The loud one, the one that always has an opinion and isn't afraid to voice it. She does not stutter and get flustered around boys. "You, my friend, are extremely hot." Okay, Sam was back.
"Uhh, okay. Just come to dinner," Liam said backing out of the doorway.
"Way to go Sam! Just scare off all the attractive males come into my room, why don't you?" I sighed. We collected ourselves and skittered down the hallway and into the kitchen.
"Yo, Ma! What's cookin'?" I asked as we rounded the corner and sat at the table.
"Mabu tofu and miso soup," My mom said placing a dish in front of me.
"Oh, so on Liam's first night in America, we make him Asian food?" Silas said sarcastically.
"Don't talk to your mother that way," My dad growled at my brother.
"I'm just saying…" Silas said, turning his attention to his food.
"Is there even such a thing as American cuisine?" I asked trying to save my brother from getting himself into even deeper trouble. Silas tapped my foot twice under the table to thank me. It's another one of those twin things. I kicked him in the shin, as payback for the car earlier. That wasn't a twin thing, it genuinely pissed me off.
"So, Mrs. M, how do you feel about having an attractive male living in the room next to your daughter?" Oh Sam, you never cease to make our dinner conversations awkward.
"SAM!" I spat my soup all over the table.
"Oh, look. You got soup all over Liam! Come here, dear. Let me help you," Sam said reaching across the table and swiping at Liam's face.
"Sam, sit down. Melanie, go get the paper towels and clean up this mess," My mom said trying to keep a straight face.
"I'm so sorry Liam," I stood up from the table and went over to grab the paper towels and handed one to Liam, who wiped his face. His beautiful face. Wait. What? I shouldn't think like this.
"Don't worry about it, it needed a wash anyways," he shrugged and brushed it off like it was nothing. I'd just spit soup on him. Out of my mouth and he didn't seem to mind that my dirty American germs were all over his face. Maybe some had gotten in his mouth. That would be kind of like kissing. Whoa there, gotta keep m thoughts in check.
I was just about to sit back down when there was a knock on the front door. "I'll get it!" Sam screamed, jumping up and making a mad dash for the door. I swear, this girl walked around like she lived here. Well, the practically did. "Oh, hey Adam!" I heard her say as she opened the door.