Oh how I remember the day I met him, the mysterious man who was a mystery to everyone and the start of the change of me, the story behind his sad, sad eyes. Let me start at the beginning…
It was the first day at Meadow-love High school. I was standing at my locker waiting for my best friend, Carmen when he walked by. I had herd we had a new student and in a small school like this that was an amazing feet. I had only herd he was new, not what he looked like or how smart he was. But when I saw him I knew he had to be the new kid, because I had never seen him before.

He was tall with shaggy straight black hair that fell around his ears and into his eyes, a dark t-shirt that was so worn I couldn’t see who the band was that was on it at one time and black skinny jeans with black combat boots on his feet, his head was bowed so I couldn’t see his eyes but he let off this mysterious and sad aurora. His shoulders were slumped and his head was down as if he was shy and waiting to be rejected by the small crowd in our school. I couldn’t look away there was something about him that drew me to him. It confused me this dark stranger walking by; he drew me to him and pushed me away at the same time.

Just then I felt a tap on my shoulder. Startled I spun around to see Carmen standing behind me, “What were you looking at Leeah? The new hot guy?”

“No Car, I wasn’t really staring at anything just one of my spacy moments.” I sighed and looked back toward the mysterious attractor, but he was gone probably down the hall to a class or something.

“Yeah sure Lee whatever, you may be a newspaper writer nerd but even you could not pass up a chance to look at someone like him I mean come on a new guy, every girl in this school is looking and he won’t get a moments peace. Well maybe from you ‘cause you are way too shy to talk to a guy let alone flirt with him.” Carmen smiled at me and even though I knew she was joking it made me angry that she would say that out loud, I didn’t need to be badgered about it anymore I had been since my freshman year. I was a senior now and everyone still picked on me about my shyness which didn’t help it.

“Car shut up ok? I am who I am why can’t anyone leave it alone!? I just wanna be me is that so bad? I relate better to people through words on a page, I cannot help it ok?” what a way to start out the day, I thought, my best friend already accusing me of being anti-social. “I am going to go to the newspaper room, bye” I turned and walked away.
As I walked I heard the click of Carmen’s heels as I walked away, right behind me. “Lee wait, I didn’t mean it like that come back please...LEE!” Carmen shouted after me but I was already threw the door to the small news room, my only small refuge here in this school.
“I will talk to you at lunch Car leave me alone right now ok? I have writing to do.” I walked in and closed the door behind me.
I looked around the room to see the photographer, Jackson, and Mr. Caddy were the only ones in the class room. Mr. Caddy look up from his novel he had been work on for at least 12 years, I had secretly read some of it and it wasn’t overly bad it just needed a little work, and said “Well if it isn’t The brains of this entire operation, so are you ready for another year of great writing?” he was entirely to energetic for this paper that was barely keeping going with only about 50 readers in the whole school, it was surprising that he was this enthusiastic about it.
“Yeah I am here, are we starting a story already today?” I said trying to hide my depression about Carmen’s criticism.

“Yes we are doing a Bio on the new student for the first issue, front page news for a school like this you know?” said Mr. Caddy, “anyway since you are our best writer I have put you on the story.”
“Um I am the ONLY writer this newspaper has at the moment this newspaper consists of you me and Jackson that is it!” I said in a flat voice.
“Yeah well I was trying to make you feel better ‘cause Lee no offence but even though your TYRING to hide it we can both tell you are upset and judging by what I heard at the door you and Carmen had a fight again.”
“Yeah I don’t see why you hang out with her Lee she is a snob” said Jackson who was considered the nerdiest boy in our school. But he didn’t look nerdy he was actually kind of cute. But once you got to know him, if you could get him to talk to you, you find out that he is the poster child for nerd. “I mean come on Leeah she is top cheerleader and almost rules the whole school she could have anyone she wanted and wrap them around her little finger so tight they never come undone. You are the quiet writer who is more likely to write a note to a hot guy and get shot down like a duck in hunting season!”
“Jackson, first of all horrible analogy! Second of all how many times do I have to tell you, Car and I have been friends since we were about three years old, how are you supposed to just drop a friend after…” I had to stop and count on my fingers”…almost 15 years?” Now Jackson was starting to get on my nerves.
“That’s easy Lee, see your different and that she is using you for publicity because she likes her picture taken and to be the center of attention, then you tell her flat out friendship over. It’s that easy.” Jackson said matter-of-factly and smiled so smugly I almost backhanded him.
“Jacky, Jacky, Jacky, You really don’t get it do you? What it means to actually have friends? I may not be the most popular person in this da** school but I do have friends unlike you who only has the computer!” I stood up to my full height which was about 4 inches taller than Jackson who has always been pretty short (or maybe I am just extremely tall that is a possibility) and glared down at him. “now I want you to shut up so that Mr. Caddy can start this class we are already 45 minutes late in getting start, thanks to you AGAIN! This is going to be just like last year isn’t it!? If it’s going to be that way then by about December you are going to hate me just like last year. So let’s try and make this a good year ok? This is my last year so shut up sit down and listen!” I went to the desk at the far end of the room put my purse down then my backpack and sat down and looked at Mr. Caddy.
He was staring at me like I had lost my mind. “Ok um so back to what I was saying, Lee I want you to do a Piece on the new guy. His name is Liam,” Mr. Caddy walked back toward me holding some papers in his hand. He walked up to her desk and flopped the papers down on her desk. It was a picture or the Boy she had seen that morning, the sad boy who looked so mysterious and everyone turned away from. Underneath his picture was his schedule. I looked at Liam’s schedule and compared it to mine. We had almost every class together except first period, we even had lunch together!
“So that’s his name.” I said
Mr. Caddy and Jackson looked at me like I was crazy, “Are we missing something here Lee?” Asked Jackson
“Jacky if you wouldn’t run from class to class like a pi**ed off bull was after you maybe you would have seen him.”
“Leeah will you stop calling me Jacky! You know I despise it!” Jackson whined. He always whined when someone was frustrating him, and I hated it.
“That’s exactly why I do it. When you stop annoying me I will stop calling you that…Jacky” I said to him as I gathered my stuff back up because the hour was almost over. “now if you don’t mind I am going to go Try and see if I can talk to Liam about a short interview with him for the school paper. Bye Mr. Caddy.” Then I turned to Jackson, “Bye Jacky. I will see you later I am sure” I said as I turned around and headed for the door.
I almost had the door closed when I heard Jackson say to Mr. Caddy, “How do I annoy her I don’t understand.” I laughed as I finished shutting the door and walked toward my next class, which to my horror was Calculus.


****
I got to the room just as the bell rang to end first hour. I watched as the students filed out. After the last one was out I went into the room and found a seat and sat down all the time keeping my eyes on the door so that I would know when he entered the room. He was the second one in, for a new student he sure knew his way around the school because his first hour class was on the other side of the school. He went to a seat in the back and sat down. He just stared out of the window as if he were waiting to see someone he knew. I got up out of my seat and went back to where he was, “Hey My names is Leeah but you can call me,”
“Lee” he said before I could finish my sentence.
I was Stunned a new student knew my name when almost no one else in this school knew me, even though Carmen was my best friend. “How did you know that?”
“Simple I heard that preppy chick yelling at you this morning,” he said and looked over at me. When I saw his face up close like I was I saw his eyes, they were a deep blue that seemed as if they could reach past the depth of the deepest ocean, but there was also a lot of sadness in those eyes. Almost like he had lost every one he cared about plus some he didn’t. They went beyond beauty, they shocked me into silence. “You know how amazing it is when you just stop talking and listen,” he said. I stood there trying to make my brain work, not just trying but willing it to work. He turned his head to the side and smiled a little have smile that about stopped my heart, “I didn’t mean you need to stop talking right now I was just making a simple statement for you to consider.”
“Oh um sorry I got sidetracked. Anyway yes call me Lee. I am with the school paper and I was wondering If maybe we could have a short interview with you? You are big news we haven’t had a new kid since eighth grade.”
“I kind of guess I was going to be an oddity, this school has a total of how many students? It is lucky if it reaches 500.”
“Actually 435 students total. Yes it is a small school but it is also ranked second in the state.” I said automatically. I knew random facts more than anyone else in town.
“Well looks like someone has a lot of school spirit.” He said with a smirk.
“No actually I just know facts that most people don’t, it is just the way I am.” I said slightly offended.
“So you’re a nerd?” Liam said no longer Hiding his humor.
“Look either you will do this or not…which is it?” I was tired of being laughed and told what I was, especially from a new guy, so I snapped at him.
“Hey hey hey Lee, take a chill pill. I was only picking on you. No need to get all uppity. Yeah I will meet with you. How does lunch off of campus sound?”
“Do you have classes in the afternoon? I don’t but if you do we will only have about 45 minutes which isn’t worth it.”
“I don’t actually. Tell me where and when and I will meet you there.” Liam went back to looking out the window as if I was not there.
“How about Gigi’s on 18th street? Do you know where it is?” I asked hoping I wouldn’t have to give him directions because I am horrible at directions.
“The small artist’s café? Sure I went there on my first day because I was told they had the best Mocha’s in town.” He said off handedly.
The bell rang then and the teacher walked in and glared at me, figures I had to get the one calc teacher who hated me, Mrs. Emmerson. “Take your seats now class”
I turned back toward Liam, “Alright talk to you then. Come ready to…”
“MISS TIPSIAC! Will you please sit down! If this is how the year is going to go we are in for some trouble.” Mrs. Emmerson was about purple in the face. I knew she hated me I just didn’t realize how much. She jabbed her finger to the seat where my bag was.
“I am sorry ma’am I was talking to someone about an assignment for the newspaper.” I told her and rushed toward my seat.
“Leeah Tipsiac here is the million dollar question. Did it involve MY class?” she glared at me like I would disappear if she stared hard enough.
“No Mrs. Emmerson it did not.” I said quietly looking at the floor so the my eyes would not be burned out by her stare.
“Then Miss. Tipsiac sit down and be quiet!” she said making her fury almost tangible
“yes ma’am” I said doing my best to hold back a laugh, it was so funny mainly because she hated me just because I had corrected her on an answer once when I was a freshman.
Mrs. Emmerson turned around and started classes and I sat there trying so hard not to laugh.



****
The bell rang for 5th hour to let out, signaling the end of my day. I hadn’t gotten any books yet so there was no need to stop at my locker, and that was a good thing because I still wasn’t in the mood to deal with Carmen who still had classes thanks to her lack of hard work. She grabbed her purse from under her desk, slung it over her should and headed for the door with an almost happy gait. The bad morning had been forgotten with the ringing of that bell. She was down the hall out the door and at her car before the bell for 6th hour even rang. She put her key in the lock on her driver’s side door and started to twist only to see a pair of feet walk up beside her. She knew these feet, they wore black combat boots. I followed them up until I Saw his face with the smirk that didn’t reach his, His eternally sad eyes, Liam.
“Can I help you? I thought we weren’t supposed to meet until the Café.” I said in a dead tone, though inside my heart was jumping for joy just seeing him.
“Yeah sorry about this, my bike won’t start can I by chance catch a ride with you and call a mechanic later?” he frowned only increasing the sadness in his eyes and gaged my face for my reaction.
“Um, yeah sure. But give me a minute I gotta clear off my Passenger seat, it is a mess because I pretty much live in my car.” I said pretty sure I was blushing so bad I looked like a cherry. I unlocked my door and leaned over to the passenger side and started grabbing things and throwing them carelessly into the back seat until I could see the seat. As I went to tell Liam he could get in I looked down onto the passenger floor and saw my large bag with some of my extra clothes in it. Da**, I forgot about that what the he** am I gunna do with that? The back seat is full. I suppose I can shove it in the trunk if I can find room. I thought as I grabbed the bag and yanked it off of the floor boards. “Ok go ahead and get in I will be there in a second.” I said to him as I rushed to the back of my car and opened the trunk. I looked down and every inch of me sagged. Where the he** am I going to put this? It is packed!
I heard a throat clear behind me. “You want me to hold that? Your giving me a ride the least I can do is work with you if you don’t have room for something.” He said expressionlessly.
I looked over at him and stared at him like he was out of his mind. “But that is so unprofessional and I thought this was a business meeting. You don’t have to.” I said and looked back down into the trunk.
“Lee, I don’t mind really.” He said almost hurt.
Just as he said that I found a small spot that could possibly work, I dove for and shoved with each shove I said a word, “No. That. Is. Okay. I. Got. It.” and on the “it”, the bag slid into place. I looked over and smiled at him. “See I told you. I made it fit.”
“I hope there was nothing breakable in the. Because if there where then it is probably broken” He said.
“No just cloths, now how about we get going.” I stated and rushed toward the driver’s door and hopped in.
Liam followed but slower almost as if he was incapable of moving faster than a leisurely walk. He opened the door and sat down. I started the car and he shut the door. “Lee can I ask you something?”
I laughed, “I thought that was supposed to be my line.”
“Not until we reach Gigi’s. So do you mind if I ask?” He said almost timid like he would get shouted at, or I would go Berserk on him.
“Yeah sure I don’t mind. If you want to know about me it is only fair since I am going to be grilling you soon. Go ahead.” I said, though I had a feeling I knew what he was going to ask and I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell anyone.
“Why do you have what looks to be everything you own in your car?” the words came rushing out like he couldn’t get them out fast enough.
“I was afraid you were going to ask that, I am not sure I want to bore you with that.” I was trying to deflect the question to see if I could avoid answering it.
“Like you said before you are going to be grilling me within the hour sssooooo why not answer me this one question?” He was smirking again. It seemed like that smirk was never too far away.
I sighed, “Alright you really want to know?”
I looked over and saw and almost smile not the little smirk he usually wore but an almost smile, “yes” he said and I could hear he was almost laughing, which struck me as weird.
“I got kicked out of my House a week ago, long story short I told my parents I told them I want something different for my life than what they wanted for me, we didn’t see eye to eye and they told me to get out until I see sense.”
“Hhhhhmmmmm I am sorry about that, Lee. Where have you been staying?” He said and he seemed genuinely interested and not condescending at all like I thought anyone and everyone would be.
“In my car. I haven’t told anyone yet, you were the first one, and I would really appreciate it if you don’t tell anyone, please?” I looked over at him to see his reaction.
“No worries Lee I won’t tell anyone, who would I tell anyway? No one talks to me so no worries” Liam said sounding truly sympathetic.
Just as he finished saying that I pulled into Gigi’s Café. I looked over at him and stared him right in the eyes. “Well we are here, let’s go.” I said and got out of the car head toward the building needing some caffeine.



****
We were sitting at the table with our drinks, me with a double shot French vanilla mocha and Liam with a triple shot Mocha. I bent down to get my notebook and pen out of my enormous purse and as I was straightening up I hit my head hard on the table. Shaking the entire table and nearly spilling our drinks. “Ouch f*** da**! That hurt!” then I realized where I was and who I was with, “Oops sorry I tend to forget where I am sometimes I am sorry.”
Liam was actually laughing, Very loudly in fact. “Oh my god Leeah and here I though you the nice girl who never swore. I am glad I was wrong.” He went back to laughing.
“It is nice to know that you aren’t always so stoic Liam, you haven’t cracked true smile almost all day, and as for laugh well I thought I heard a chuckle at one point in the car but I’m not sure.” I said and smiled my head pain forgotten.
He sobered almost at once, “I don’t often have a chance to laugh anymore. Too much has happened it tends to be very hard to make me laugh.” He was looking at me so seriously and I saw the sadness again in his blue eyes and it aged him many years. He looked like a person had endured a life’s worth of tragedy in just a short time.
I didn’t know what to say his response stunned me into silence for a few seconds while I thought up how to say something and not be totally awkward. “I do not know what to say except I am sorry; I do not know what you went through, or how you feel but I can tell you that I am sorry and if you need anything I will do what I can to help.”

Liam Just sat there and looked at me for a moment, “Ok so let me just get this straight the girl who has no home and is living out of her car is offering me help? Wow either you’re really stupid or you don’t think you need help.” He said plain as day. Liam she was coming to find out always spoke his mind. And in this case the thoughts where kind of rude and degrading.

And I said as much to, “You know Liam I was just trying to be a good person. Good people help others you know? I get I need help but I am working on finding and apartment or a place where I can live, so yeah just back off. Anyway I thought this meeting was supposed to be about you and how you are new to this town?” I said and looked down at my questions I had written down to ask him, “Ok so what made you move to this particular town, I know it wasn’t for the crowds.”

“I wanted a place far away from where I came from, somewhere where people wouldn’t know me or my past. I wanted to start new.” Liam said without hesitation.
“how old are you?”
“eighteen” he said

I wrote furiously trying to get everything he said down, “Where exactly have you come from, if I may ask.” I said as I finished the final word from the previous question.

Liam deflected the question very fast. “Nowhere of importance Lee, can we leave it at that?”

I was puzzled but went onto the next question, “What do you like to do in your spare time?”

Liam laughed, “What spare time? If I am not doing homework then I am working. I never have any spare time.”

I was Kind of surprised to hear this from the guy who rode a motorcycle and was dressed like a hot emo boy. “Where do you work?”
“The CD store down town, it is a great place to work. I really do enjoy it there.” He brought back his smirk for this statement and then looked out the window.

“How do your parents feel about you working so much?” I asked that one was not for the paper it was just an off handed question I had come up with.

Liam didn’t answer right away, his expression looked like it was full of pain from my angle. “My parents,” he said and then stopped and took a deep breath, “My parents died on a trip they took 3 months ago.” He looked down at the table as he finished like he didn’t want me to see his expression.

I was slowly starting to understand, the ages of sadness in his eyes. “I don’t mean to pry but then who do you live with?”

He looked up from the table, “No one. I live by myself.” I saw even more pain in his eyes than I had all day. “I live in a Small loft on elm Street.”

I stayed silent for a couple of minutes and the silence was bordering on uncomfortable when I finally spoke, “I…I am sorry Liam. If you would rather not do this interview, or at least rather not have it published I understand.” I looked at him closely to gage his reaction.

He looked me straight in the eyes, “Leeah, Thank you. I agreed to this interview because I was tired of having no one to talk to and I just need to hear a voice that was consoling and willing to listen more than judge. I was hoping you would be that person. I guess I was right to talk to you, I haven’t really talked to anyone since my parents died. I have no other close family and all my friends thought me weird for being sad that my parents died, you see they all hate their parents with a passion though I have no clue why. So for 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days I have not said a word to anyone. It feels good to talk again.” He looked at me and the sadness in his eyes had somewhat abated, but it was still there, only mixed with something I could only describe as relief.

“You are welcome Liam everyone needs someone to talk to some time or another. Looks like we each shared something about ourselves no one knew before today. I wish there was a way I could help you.” I said trying to think of a way even though I had no place to stay or nothing to offer him, to help him.

“There is a way Lee though it will sound very…wrong to most people.” He looked at me almost mischievously.

I looked back and smile a little bit, “Oh? And what might that be?”

“Move in with me.” He stated plain and simple. He must have seen the look on my face because he held up his hands and started back tracking, “now wait a minute and let me explain. You need a place to live right? And I would like someone just to talk to, nothing else. It benefits us both don’t you think?”

“Yes I suppose it does. I guess it will work, at least for now…ok sure I’ll do it, But don’t go getting and weird creepy Ideas into you head ok?” I said and smiled

“No worries there I would rather not get hit by you because you look like you could hit hard” he said and actually smiled. We both just sat there and laughed .