Chapter 3

The headmaster didn' t reassign Liam, mostly because my dad made a donation to the library fund right after Ms. Davison complained.

But the incident with the glasses stuck with me.

That weekend, I told my dad I needed money for "school supplies."

I took Liam to an optometrist.

"My treat," I said, when he tried to protest. "Consider it payment for saving my butt with Davison."

He got new, modern frames. They made him look... different. Older. More defined.

He kept touching them, a small, shy smile on his face.

One rainy afternoon, tutoring ran late.

"I can give you a ride," I offered. My driver was waiting.

Liam looked hesitant. "It' s out of your way."

"Nonsense. Where to?"

He gave an address in a part of town I' d never been to. Old, small houses, cramped together.

We pulled up to a tiny, slightly run-down apartment building.

"This is it," he said.

An elderly woman opened the door as he was getting out. She had kind eyes, crinkled at the corners.

"Liam, dear! And who is this?"

"This is Hailey, Gran. She helps me with... school."

His grandmother smiled warmly at me. "Come in, dear, come in. Don' t stand in the rain."

The apartment was small but spotless. The smell of something good cooking filled the air.

Liam looked embarrassed. "Gran, Hailey has to go."

"Nonsense. Stay for a cup of tea," she insisted.

I stayed. His grandmother, Mrs. O' Connell, was sweet and talked about how proud she was of Liam.

I noticed the fridge was nearly empty when she opened it for milk.

The next day, I brought two large bags of groceries when I picked Liam up for tutoring at my house.

"My mom went overboard at Costco," I said, a now-familiar excuse. "We' ll never eat all this."

Liam looked at the bags, then at me. He didn' t say anything, but his eyes were grateful.

My grades were actually good now. Really good.

I aced the next history test, all on my own.

Bryce tried to take credit. "See? Told you I could inspire you." He winked.

I rolled my eyes. "Liam' s the genius, Bryce. You should ask him for help sometime."

Liam, sitting nearby, blushed.

He was changing. The regular meals, the new glasses, maybe just not being so stressed all the time.

He wasn' t as painfully thin. His shoulders seemed broader.

When he smiled, which was rare but happening more often, it lit up his face.

I found myself watching him sometimes when he wasn' t looking.

He was... actually kind of handsome.

This thought was new and slightly alarming.

One afternoon, as he was explaining a complex math problem, I teased him. "You know, for a quiet guy, you' re pretty bossy when it comes to calculus."

He looked up, a rare flush on his cheeks. "Sorry."

"Don' t be," I laughed. "It' s working."

His eyes met mine for a second longer than usual.

My stomach did a weird little flip.