chapter 4: Ridiculous performance

LUNA POV

Guarding Bryan's head on my shoulder, I took a deep breath. I had contemplated for a while if I should be that close to him or just let him be. And if I get that close to him, what would the boys say?

What if Liam gets angry at me? If I were to place his head on my thighs, if anyone turned around they wouldn’t see Bryan. How would I explain that another man's head was on my thighs? And same goes for my chest, it would be too intimate.

Anyways, I still decided to do it. His head being on my shoulder isn’t that intimate and I could play it off as he wasn’t comfortable and leaned on my shoulder, and I couldn’t just push him off.

This is my small way of appreciating him for cleaning my burns earlier today, and also thanking him for giving me Liam's number five years ago. I haven’t thanked him since that day.

It wasn’t easy to get Liam’s number and no one would outright give it to a nerd. I had tried Maya first, since she was a girl, maybe—just maybe—she would understand a fellow girl’s plight. Well, Maya didn’t care one bit. I had made her breakfast and brought it to her class, asking her to be my friend. She just laughed, looking at me like I could infect her expensive bag, as if I wasn’t even worth breathing the same air as her.

"I can’t stand nerds," said Maya the first day I asked her to be friends. "You irritate me. What would happen to my image if people see you alongside me? OMG, you look like a charity case," said Maya before walking out.

It didn’t stop me. I didn’t even take it to heart. I just planned a different approach: to outright ask her for Liam’s contact, which I did.

The next day I waited outside her class and told her how I felt about Liam. "You aren’t the first and won’t be the last. It’s just a fantasy. It won’t happen, so wake up," said Maya before walking out, while some girls laughed at me as they trailed behind her. I’m sure they were only pretending to be friends with her because of the Big Six. And Maya, taking advantage of this, turned some into her maids and minions.

After my encounter with Maya that day, I felt discouraged. Was this just a fantasy, being in love with someone who I couldn’t reach? Should I stop?

After a month of giving up the idea of chasing after Liam, I bumped into him at the school cafeteria. He just walked past everyone in line while everyone made way for him. I was next to be served but seeing him made my brain stop working. Standing beside me, he made his order and, while paying, he said, "Debit my card for the next five ladies."

Eating my meal, all I could think about was Liam paid for my meal—and just like that, I was ready to chase after him again, this time without giving up.

It took me some months to track Liam's schedule. I had to pay to get his schedule to know where he would be. I had planned a public display to confess my love for him. It had taken me months to get my dad to send me such a huge amount of money. We weren’t rich, but comfortable. I had to give him reasons why I needed the money, and when I finally got it, it was already six months after the incident with Maya that day.

The band played the song I made for Liam while some girls danced. Upstairs, the Big Six stood looking down at the ridiculous performance. While most found it funny or cute, there was a rumor later Liam called it "ridiculous."

After the performance, the Big Six just walked away without a word. It was proof that I failed, but that didn’t stop me.

Thinking of my next plan, I decided to confess my love on the school podcast system:

"Liam, I love you so much. Will you be my boyfriend? My name is Luna Hunter from Business Management."

I did this for two weeks, every day, until I wasn’t allowed access to the podcast system anymore. So I joined the school newspaper typist team. At the end of every paper I wrote, I love you Liam, would you be my boyfriend? —Luna Hunter.

After that, I went to the radio to confess my love again, but I still got no answer.

I was also banned from the news team, so I had to change plans and go back to my former ways—target his friends, and one of them would give me his contact.