Cliché Gone Wrong

Chapter 3

Caitlin Annabella Masterson. Liam knew that name very well. He grew up with that name, he learned things with that name. He even lost his virginity with that name. So many years alongside the name, that it wasn't just a name anymore. Instead, it was a strawberry blonde girl, with messy pigtails, freckles on her nose and a big smile on her face. That was the Caitlin he remembered, not the one in front of him. 

"Why did you hurt me?" Liam asked, rubbing his back in an atempt to cool the pain. Caitlin gave a half smirk in victory, her large green eyes staring at him with nothing but disdain.

"Serves you right. You aren't answering my calls since yesterday. What happened? Are you with another girl already?" She started to ask question after question, making Liam sigh in annoyance and what to leave her by herself, rambling about his possibly new "affair".

"Look, Caitlin, what happened at that party stays at the party, okay? I was probably drunk and so were you. Let's just pretend nothing ever happened and continue our lives." Liam was ready to walk away when Caitlin's words made him stop.

"What if I wasn't drunk?" That made the player's eyes widen. He turned around, looking at a defeated Caitlin. Her eyes tried to hide it, but he knew that whenever she bit her lip it and twirled her locks, she was either nervous or upset.

"Err...I..." Liam couldn't find the right words. Actually, there were no right words to simply say what he meant. But deep in his heart, he felt that he owed Caitlin a explanation after all those years of partnership. 

"You don't remember a thing, right?!" Her eyes were starting to water.

"Sorry..." Was all Liam could say. He felt a pang in his heart. Guilty. He didn't want to hurt his childhood friend like that, but that was what happened to the ones who got too close to him. They got hurt, and hurt Liam in the process. That's why he liked to call her just a "friend with benefits", it helped him to remember she wasn't the girl he met as a little boy. Neither he was the same guy she met as a little girl.

"So we are really becoming the head cheerleader and the captain jock who hook up then forget about each other existence, huh? That's so cliché, Liam. Even for you." Caitlin sounded rather offended, spitting all her venom on his

Liam listened everything but pretended he didn't. Then walked away, leaving his "friend" behind. 

---

The bell to lunch break rang. Quinn sighed in relief, closing her notebook and standing to walk towards her locker. She was in a surprinsigly good mood that day though, the reason being her vengeful plan working and how Liam was embarrassed in the front of the whole class earlier, he didn't even come back after making a fool out of himself asking to go to the bathroom. That silly little note sure caught him, he must never heard a cheeky reply from someone so "low" in the social chain like her.

After putting her notebook on the locker and catching her lunch, Quinn was already walking to her spot near the soccer field when she remembered: Liam had lunch at the cafeteria. Being a "lower than dirty" nobody at school, Quinn avoided going to that place like the plague. 

But if she wanted to win the king of school over, she had to make some effort.

Huffing, she slowly walked to the door of hell. Each step made her doubt if it really needed to be done, wouldn't it be better if he was the one who went after her? Probably not, he was as stupid as a brick, he wouldn't guess she ate by the field. Opening the door, she saw a bunch of teenagers going back and forth, buying lunch or chatting something senseless until break's over. Some even looked her way, others didn't even bother. Walking aimlessly, Quinn spotted the table where a bunch of cheerleaders and jocks sat. The famous "popular table".

She tried to find Liam among them, but did not see him until a warm hand touched her shoulder. Jumping in surprise, Quinn hiccuped.

"What?" She said quickly, with a high pitched voice. A low, sexy laugh filled her ears.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Liam smiled at her, holding his tray of food with only one hand while the other touched her shoulder. Quinn wondered how strong could he be. 

"If you stopped appearing from behind me, maybe I could stop being scared." Quinn wanted to say this as seductive as possible, but with her tone of voice it looked more like a sarcastic remark. 

"Touche. Where are you going to sit?" 

"I don't know, having lunch at cafeteria is not really my favorite passtime." Again, it sounded like sarcasm. Quinn wanted to smark herself for not being able to be "smooth".

"Wow, your tongue is sharper today or is it me who didn't notice before?" Liam said smiling, but Quinn knew that he was trying to get back at her, his eyes weren't good liars. His gaze was of mild annoyance with her behaviour. She smirked, maybe it was her chance to take it to the next level.

"Who knows? But you seemed rather surprised at Maths. Still up to some head ups after class? Or does your squirrel is still in the three?" She mocked him, making Liam's eyes widen in both surprised and embarrasement. 

"Errr...no, he's out of tree. But today I have practice so I can't. Maybe this weekend?"

"This weekend?" Quinn frowned, Liam was really trying to win her over. He was even up to study at a weekend! Man, that was gold. And she would exploit everything.

"Y-yeah, are you fine with that?" He stuttered, earning some curious glances from bystanders who were unintentionally(or very intentionally) eavesdropping.

"Okay...are you sure you're fine with that?" 

"Why not?! Now let's go and sit at my table." Liam put his free arm around Quinn's shoulder, guiding her to the feared "popular table". Gulping, Quinn could swear she saw the jock smirking while making their way towards the table. 

Quinn didn't even got close to the table, but her mere presence was enough to earn some surprised yet disgusted looks from all. Scanning her eyes through the clique, she saw girls with their mini skirts, heavy make up and (probably) ironed hair. So much different from her, they weren't exactly beautiful but at least knew how to deceive others into thinking they were worth more than one night stand. Which most of times, they weren't. 

"What the hell?" Some bimbo squeaked.

"What's she doing here?" A guy asked.

"Liam, are you with this...thing?" The girl who spoke lastly was a bit different from the others. Her beauty didn't seem so fake, but still she had lots of make up on herself and a skirt so short everyone could almost see her entire tights. 

"Yeah, I invited her over. Problem with that?" Liam said. His voice didn't sound so nice anymore, he straightened himself and glared at all of his "friends". They all nodded in response, cowering in front of his authority. Liam surely had some effect even in the people who are as popular as him. 

"Let's sit together." He softened, looking at her and pointing at two spots on the table. Everyone watched as they sat and began to eat. The girls looking at Quinn like she was an troll among fairies while the boys stared at Liam with both fear and curiosity. Only two of them seemed calm enough. One was really tall and broading, he kept his serious face, while the other, who was a bit shorter and more handsome, tried to hide his laughter.

"Hey, James. Will you by a new car?" Liam asked the handsome guy casually. The boy chuckled a little, looking at Quinn in utter disdain. 

"Yeah,  my old one broke and pops won't pay to fix it anymore." 

Oh, so daddy is going to buy a new one? Quinn thought sarcastically, rolling her eyes. The awkward atmosphere was almost taking over the whole cafeteria, several other tables constantly quickly glanced at the scene before them. The nerd at the table of the populars, what could be more stereotypical?

That awkwardness made Quinn lose her hunger, all she wanted was to get out of the sight of everyone. Maybe it was all a crazy idea, maybe she wouldn't be able to fulfill her revenge. What if Liam broke her heart anyway? In a week or less everyone would forget, and she could survive until graduation day. Then, she would head to a good college, earn a lot of money while Liam most likely would go to a local one, while working party-time at a fast food restaurant and spending the rest of his days remembering his 'old days' at school. 

It would be so easy if life was that fair.

Tired of being stared at, Quinn got up. "I need to go to the bathroom. Excuse me." 

"You don't need to excuse yourself, freak." A black haired girl spoke but Quinn didn't mind and fastly made her way to the toilet. There, she looked in the mirror and thought how stupid she was being. She couldn't beat Liam at his own game. 

While drowing in her own low self steem, Quinn barely heard the door opening.

"So here you're, freak." A green eyed girl said, slamming the door behind her. Her two "best friends" right behind, smirking.