The sky was the colour of indigo and it contrasted beautifully with the light of the full moon. Liv and her friends headed back to their van in a parking lot. Everyone took a few polaroid photos together. After they were done, they gathered and took turn to look at them fondly. Liv joined them eagerly. She thought the lighting made her skin seem a shade darker which fortunately complimented her long dark hair and brown eyes. Her friends made kind comments about one another except about the only blonde girl in the photos. It was Becca, the blonde bombshell who had never shown interests in spending time with the people she spent half of her day with that day. They all had a great time together. But was she a part of the group now? Of course not. There was no indication she wanted to be one of them either. Becca was the only person who wasn't smiling in the photos. No one wanted to say anything about it.

Liv turned around to look at Becca. Under the right light, her long golden hair almost seemed to glow. Liv forgot and allowed herself to stare at her for several seconds longer than she was supposed to.

Becca stood rigidly, her arms folded and her face frowned. It was plain as day that she didn't belong where she was. Liv suspected that Becca was aware of it too. She could feel Becca's irritation radiating from her and it grew more and more visibly every minute.

Most parts inside the van were occupied by things that weren't meant to be there; a pair of dirty, mismatched socks lying next to a big bag of half eaten snack and a bunch of chocolate bar wraps which were all on top of a very old, oversized shirt. There was a plastic trash bag far in the back and it was stuffed with unsightly things which included strands of long dark hair and a few short hair. Or leg hair, Liv was not sure. But one thing was certain. As attractive as Becca was, she now seemed no more than a queen bee trapped in a rat's nest and had no clue how to hack her way back to the hive.

She looks out of place, Liv observed silently. But no one can blame her for that. Liv was convinced that Becca had never imagined that she would somehow be merely inches away from her ex, her secret fling and her secret fling's ex at the same place and at the same time especially when there was not much space left for her to retreat to.

Liv let her brown eyes wander around inside the vehicle. None of her friends made an attempt to converse with the blonde bombshell. Liv did not blame them for that either. They had not known Becca the way she did. They had not seen the sweeter side of her the way she did. But hopefully they will. The sooner, the better, Liv thought. The young brunette believed that Becca's true self was hidden behind that cold facade and California eyes.

Liv wanted to reach out her hand and touch hers but she couldn't. Instead, she lifted her forefinger in front of Becca's flawless face to remove an eyelash that got stuck on her cheek. Their eyes met and Liv could have sworn Becca's face turned pale pink.

"Stop touching my face," she hissed before giving Liv an annoying look.

"You got something on your cheek. I was just trying to get it out," Liv said truthfully. Whether Becca believed her or not, she did not say.

Their brief exchange of words somehow drew attention from her friends. They lifted their gaze from the polaroid photos to look at her and the blonde girl. The look on their faces were a mix of small surprise and confusion which heavily hinted that they just remembered that Becca was there with them too.

"So," James began after he turned to the blonde girl. "Are you gonna go somewhere or are you gonna stay in here with us?"

It was a simple question and everyone including Liv was expecting a simple answer. Becca drew a short breath through her mouth and squinted her eyes at James. "Did you actually sleep in here?" She scoffed.

"It's not as bad as it looks though," Zack said calmly but there was a look of annoyance written on his face. The van was old and outdated but it belonged to his uncle and moreover, it was the reason this trip was possible in the first place.

The blonde babe just shook her head disapprovingly and muttered, "this is lame."

"I heard that," said Zack, his tone thick with annoyance this time. "Look, no one's begging you to stay. If you don't like it, you can just go."

Becca parted her lips to say something but Liv interfered.

"Guys, calm down," she said. Then she took a quick step to stand between the two of them, extending each of her palm before Becca and Zack. "We're all just tired and hungry and grumpy. Why don't we call it a night?" She asked. Then she looked over at Abbie and Kaitlyn, signalling for their help. But nothing came out of their mouths. They stood very still and looked at her as if they wanted to ask what made her think letting Becca come along was a good idea. Liv turned directly to Zack and mutedly mouthed the word please. Only then did Zack lift his hands in defeat and take half a step back.

Liv had a plan to convince her friends that Becca would be an attractive addition to the diversity among her peers. The plan seemed very hard now and she knew it.

Each of her friends settled down in their usual places and they started to speak again. A few moments later, Kevin Driver's name was mentioned to Zack.

Zack shook his head quickly. His brown eyes darted from one friend to another. "I'm not looking for someone new right now," Zack said finally. "The thing is…" He trailed off and caressed his chin absently. "I think when you fall in love, it will be easier to experience pain and I don't want that now." He shrugged. "No love no cry."

Becca stared at Zack as though she wanted to say something comforting but she didn't. Liv wanted to ask what was on her mind but she thought better of it. In such small space, it was better to keep a cautious distance between her and Becca. Everyone knew she and Becca had been rivals since the first day of college but nobody knew they had become lovers in bed weeks ago.

"Do you think it's stupid though?" Zack's brows knitted. "Because I'm single but I'm so not ready to mingle anytime soon."

Kaitlyn lightly patted his knee and gave him a smile. "It's fine, Zack. You're not wasting your youth away. Love will happen when it happens. You don't have to rush."

"Thanks," Zack said softly as a subtle smile graced his face. It was a look that suited him much better than a furrow.

Then Zig and Chris who were sitting near him gave him a comforting clap on the back.

"Something wrong?" Zack cocked his head to a side and looked at Becca self-cautiously. "You're kinda staring at me."

"Nothing," Becca said before she prettily pushed her hair behind her shoulder. "I agreed with what you just said."

This raised a few eyebrows. Keeping a straight face was all Liv could do.

"That was a first," said Zack, surprised.

"I guess it's true when they say there's a first time for everything," Chris said.

Becca gave him a look "Can you not make a fuss out of this?" She then crossed her arms before her and continued, "just because I agree with a few things you say, it doesn't mean I like any of you."

Here we go again, Liv fought an urge to roll her eyes. Why does she always have to say something mean? Liv quickly regained her composure and tried to draw attention to herself by saying how attractive Kevin Driver was in person.

"But Seriously though, I'd totally smash Kevin," she said loud and clear enough for everyone to hear. "I mean, you guys saw him, right? With that smile and those piercing eyes, who wouldn't smash him?"

"I'd tap that for sure," Zig said easily.

"What about you, Abbie?" Liv asked.

"Me?" Abbie gave a sudden startle but after a brief moment she said, "If I were single then yeah."

Tyler looked at her sideway and Abbie noticed him. The next minute their quiet bickering grew a little louder. Liv felt bad about it but she didn't make a move as her friends struggled to keep peace between the couple. So long as they all directed their attention elsewhere and not at Becca's remarks, Liv was happy. By the time Abbie and Tyler stopped, everyone was talking about love again.

Liv slouched in her seat opposite Kaitlyn. She placed her chin on her hand and told herself not to look at the girl whom she had broken up with recently. It was not because she didn't want to look at Kaitlyn right in the eye. It was only that hearing her talking about love felt awkward to the bone. Love was what she had for Kaitlyn. She still loved her now but not in the same way. Liv felt relieved that Kaitlyn didn't turn to her either. She just continued chatting with the others and turned their friends' laughter louder every time she made jokes. Eventually, Liv forgot herself and eyed Kaitlyn with a laughter on her lips.

"This is the first time I've been to a music festival. I think there're a lot of things I can use in my next script," James said.

Kaitlyn lifted her palm up for James to give her a high five. James did. When Kaitlyn reminded him that she loved his play, they gave each other a high five again. Even at the end of a long, loud day, Kaitlyn was still as energetic as ever. "We should come here next summer too", she said cheerfully, her dark brown eyes dancing and her posture dashing. Who wouldn't fall for Kaitlyn? She was down to earth and up for anything. Charming and cheeky. Especially in bed. She was a kind of girlfriend any girl could ask for.

I didn't regret breaking up with her though, Liv thought. The thing about Kaitlyn is when she falls for someone or something, she falls hard and fast. Liv knew this better than anyone because she dove in head first in their relationship with her and for her. But God forbid anything goes wrong or all hell will break loose. Liv gave a long silent sigh and dropped her gaze to her feet. Less than a month ago, Kaitlyn fell in love with music but her new addiction brought a disaster to their romance. Even so, they held no grudge against each other. Liv was glad that they could still be friends.

The banter became merrier still. Becca joined their conversation and mentioned how much she enjoyed the performance of the last band in the festival. Kaitlyn leaned forward and they started talking enthusiastically. Liv might have thought it was strange if she didn't remember that Becca and Kaitlyn shared at least one thing in common; the taste in music.

"So what's next for you now that you've left your old band?" Becca asked.

"Well, I'm planning to recruit new members" Kaitlyn said, absently let her slim fingers comb her long straight black hair. "Finding new members isn't the tricky part. The most difficult thing is finding members who can all get along," she added.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Next semester you're so gonna be on your way to become a punk rock princess," Liv said proudly. And Kaitlyn beamed at this. Liv saw at the corner of her eye that Becca looked back and forth between her and Kaitlyn. The blonde babe said not a word more. She just turned her face other way.

There was a ringing of a cell phone and everyone started to turn their heads around to look for the source. Becca dug her hand into her jeans pocket and pulled out her cell phone. When she looked at the screen, she half-raised her eyebrows but instead of getting out of the vehicle, she lifted a finger and hissed at everyone to be quiet before she picked up the phone.

"Hey, dad," she said. "What's up? Did you forget something at home again?" After a short pause, Becca let out a chuckle. "Are you being serious?" Another short pause then Becca's expression softened.

"Really?" She asked. "Are you—are you sure you can do that?" Becca blinked rapidly and the next moment her face lit in delight. When she hung up, everyone looked at her with curiosity.

Becca cleared her throat and said, "My dad's gonna be home late tomorrow so I'm just gonna head home right now."

"How are you gonna do that? It's late," Chris said then he pointed his thumb over his shoulder to the small window behind his back. It was dark outside and awfully quiet.

"I've watched enough horror movies to know that it's not safe to go out there alone," Kaitlyn said.

If Becca was discouraged, she did not show. She never does.

"We can give her a ride," Liv said before she looked at each of her friends. "Right, guys?"

"Uh, yeah, I suppose so," Zack said. "But where are we going to park tonight though?"

Becca expanded both of her palms at him and said, "Don't be silly. You can stay at my dad's." There was a moment of quiet then half of them asked almost at the same time if Becca would really let them stay a night. When she nodded, they all beamed at her.

"Stop looking at me like that." She waved her hand at them dismissively. "I just think you all can really use a shower," she said mockingly. But everyone was too excited to feel offended. They thanked her and admitted they were longing for hot shower, soft bed and room to stretch legs when they fell asleep. And not having to put up with Chris' snoring, Liv thought, relieved.

"We'd better hurry then." Zack smiled and set himself behind the wheel. He started the van and turned the music on before he drove to the direction Becca gave him.

One hour later, everyone was asleep except Chris, Liv, Becca and Zack. The young man hummed to his favorite song while he was driving. The two girls exchanged whispers as if they were trading secrets with each other. Becca covered a side of her mouth with her hand then she leaned closer to Liv's ear. Liv laughed and swayed to a side. Her shoulder bumped into Becca's and Becca gave a playful bump back at her. Before long, they realized that Chris was watching them with a small smile on his face.

"Creep much?" Becca asked. "Don't you have something else to look at?"

"Wh—What? No, No, I, er." Christ stuttered. "I was just thinking it's nice you guys are getting along," he said immediately.

Becca gave him a very slow nod and said nothing but a judging look remained on her face. She then got to her feet and went to give a direction to Zack who made a turn and went straight down the road. A few minutes after that, Liv and Chris both looked outside the windows and gaped at the rich neighbourhood they had arrived.

There was no small residence in the area at all. Not only there seemed to be a large garden in every house, it was very likely that there were one or two or more luxurious cars parked inside those houses together with expensive european automobiles.

At the same moment, Kaitlyn stirred herself awake. She rubbed her eyes wearily and let out a long, loud yawn which woke James, Abbie and Zig in turn.

"Are we there yet?" Abbie asked, her eyes half closed.

"In a few minutes," Becca said.

Abbie had to put in an effort to shake her boyfriend awake. When Tyler finally opened his eyes and stretched his arms widely, the van was already parked inside Becca's dad's house. The three storey, architectural house looked similar to one of those showed in movies. There were a lot of tall glasses and wide windows though the dark curtains and reflective glasses completely blocked the inside of every room. Surprisingly, there was just one white european car in the garage. But then Liv remembered that Becca's mother already moved out.

"Beautiful house," Chris said. All his friends nodded in unison.

"Really beautiful," James added, a look of impression clear on his face.

Everyone was aware that Becca was from a wealthy background so it was natural that none of them expected her dad's place to be less luxurious than other people's in the same neighbourhood. But actually seeing it with their own eyes felt completely different from merely imagining what it'd look like. It would be so easy to get excited when they had a chance to experience a sleepover in such a huge house. Fortunately, everyone carried themselves properly and kept calm. Liv hoped that she and all her friends could still remain calm when they went inside or they would have to suffer condescending comments from Becca.

After driving for almost two hours without rest or complaint, Zack could finally give his arms and back a stretch. His joints cracked like an old man when he repeatedly rolled his neck.

"You okay, Zack?" Liv touched one of his shoulders and rubbed the tension away with her thumb.

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit hungry," he said.

"Me too," Chris and Zig said at the same time. Becca told them the pizza she ordered when most of them were sleeping should be delivered any minute. There was a round of appreciative cheers for this. Kaitlyn touched her stomach and tapped her foot impatiently.

"You're hungry too, Kaitlyn?" Liv asked, looking at the girl's bloating stomach.

"A little," said Kaitlyn. "But first I have something more important to do."

Becca stepped out of the van and her high heels made a clear click sound with every step she took. Kaitlyn and James followed her in an unusual hurried manner. Kaitlyn called after Becca and asked for direction to the nearest bathroom. When Becca pointed the way, she and James trotted alongside each other and went through the door.

"I told them not to drink that much water," said Tyler knowingly. When he bent down to grab his and Abbie's things, it was obvious that they were too heavy for him. In spite of that, he refused to let Abbie carry anything. Holding two fat backpacks in his thin arms, Tyler ran clumsily towards the door and disappeared inside the house.

Zack stretched his legs one by one after his feet touched the ground.
"You know what? I've thought about it so many times but I just really don't get it," Zack suddenly whispered to Liv. "First Becca came to hang out with us and now she's letting us stay at her dad's house. What's going on with her? Why is she being nice?"
He waited for a minute for Liv to reply. When she didn't he continued, "do you think she's trying to get with one of our friends or something?"

That would be me, Liv almost said.

"I feel really weird about this succubus-turned-saint version of her," Zack said.

"Come on, Zack. Giver her a chance," Liv pleaded.

Zack tiredly scratched a side of his head and gave her a half hearted nod. Then he and Liv took a step away from the van door to make way for Zig. He had his bag in one hand while the other was carrying the lobster's tank.

"Careful. Fresh lobster coming through," said Zig, grinning an easy grin. Liv and Zack both watched him in awe. He was carrying the tank filled with water like it weighed no more than a small child. Zig did not seem to be aware of his friends' staring and he even asked if they wanted him to help with their bags. When Liv and Zack refused to let him help, Zig took a quick glance at the blonde girl who was standing several metres away from them.

"I don't know much about this Becca girl except that she's from a rich family." He jerked his head at the huge house. "But I agree that everybody deserves a chance."

"I'm glad you think so, Zig," Liv said brightly and patted him on his arm.

Zig winked at her before he and Zack started to walk to the front door. Liv watched them leave with a smile on her face. When she turned around, she saw Abbie standing silently behind her.

Abbie looked at Liv then at Becca then back at Liv again. "I don't know when or how you managed to make peace with her. Or why you chose to. She still looks like someone who's never found anyone she likes more than her own hair to me." Abbie gave a lazy shrug. When Liv opened her mouth and started to explain, Abbie interjected, "but anyway, fine by me. I'll give her a chance too."

"That's really nice of you, Abbie," said Liv. "Thanks."

"You should thank yourself," Abbie said emphatically, nodding her head towards the brunette. "Because I'm not doing this for her."

Is she saying she's doing this for me? Liv blinked blankly. Why? She wanted to ask but Abbie already took too many steps away.

Chris casually strolled down from the van and nodded towards the faux leather suitcase on the ground. "You need help with that?" He asked.
It was actually heavier than it looked. She would have to hold it with two hands when she carried it herself but it wasn't beyond her and so she told him not to worry about it. He then gripped the shoulder straps of his backpack with his strong hands and leaned towards her with a boyish grin on his face.

"So when are you planning to tell me your secret?" He asked.

"Huh?" Liv's eyes widened in confusion. She looked at him like he had just spoken a foreign language to her. "What do you mean?"

Chris cocked his thick eyebrow at her. "Come on, Liv. You don't have to act like that," he said. "You can tell me anything, you know that right?"

Liv gave him a searching look. Is he talking about me and Becca? She considered for a quick moment then decided to keep her pretense and tried to manage a serene smile. It felt forced on her face. "I really don't know what you're talking about," she said as calmly as she could.

"I'm talking about you and Becca," he said finally.

Liv had to fight an urge to fidget like a child caught in her misbehaviour. How did he find out? Then she remembered him smiling at her and Becca when they were on their way here. I should have be more careful, she told herself. She thought it would be best to tell him that she would willingly give him a thorough explanation later. She slowly opened her mouth to say what she meant to say but Chris shot a question right away.

"How did you and Becca get along so fast?" Chris asked abruptly.

"What?"

"I don't know what happened between you and her but you guys don't hate each other anymore." He looked at Liv like she had just magically turned something impossible into reality. "I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see that with my own eyes."

Dumbfounded, Liv stared at him for a few vacant seconds. "Was that all you wanted to say?"

"Yeah." He gave her a quick nod. "What else did you think I was gonna say?"

"Oh." Liv let out a short laugh as she felt a rush of relief washing over her. He doesn't know what he's not supposed to know yet. Liv was glad about this. When she saw a frown slowly forming on his face, she immediately regained her composure.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Nothing." She shook her head easily. "Actually It's no secret. We just had a talk."

"You just had a talk?" Chris repeated as though he didn't understand what that meant. "And that's it?" He asked skeptically. "Are you sure you didn't bribe her with a pair of shoes or brand name stuff?"

"I'm telling you the truth, Chris," Liv insisted. It's not the entire truth though. I'm sorry, Chris but that's gonna have to wait. "Besides, you know I can't afford expensive stuff anyway. All I did was having a real talk with her. I know it sounded easy but it actually took a lot more guts than I thought"

"So you just talked things out and now you're friends?"

Friends. The meaningful word mercilessly stung her heart. Does she see me as a friend? Or less? Liv did not know. A frown found its way on her face and Liv was not even aware of it. Had Chris seen the look on her face, he would have been able to tell that there was something wrong.

Luckily, Chris happened to be keeping his sight on the stars above. He then murmured something about having guts as a new captain. And Liv was too caught up in her head to hear any of the words Chris was saying to himself.

Shortly after, Chris lowered his chin and brought his attention back to her.

"But I shouldn't have been surprised, really. You're like a special kind of magnet that draws different kind of people together," he said with a wide smile full of white teeth.

Liv was not sure if he said that to her as a friend or as the supportive student council president that he was but she appreciated it anyway.
"Thanks, Chris." She smiled a natural smile to him this time though it faded almost instantly. "But I'm not even that close to her," she admitted.

"And?" Chris asked calmingly. "When I was dating her, I barely knew anything new or personal about her. It's definitely gonna take some work." He paused to take a breath in. "But ever since I met you, there isn't a thing you can't do. You just slay everytime." He made his hand into a firm fist and held it out to Liv. She bumped it lightly with hers and gave him an appreciative nod.

"I hope I can keep doing that throughout our sophomore year too," she said seriously and offered no false modesty to his compliment. She didn't need to.

All her friends knew her and her story. Since the first week of her freshman year, Liv dug her own way out of problem with nothing but her own head, heart and hands. And guts. Just like how she bravely bulled her way through a lot of other things that had happened during her first year at Hartfeld. The fact that her path was never paved by privileges or priorities gave her the right to be proud of her own achievements as any young, confident and independent woman should be.

Chris and Liv had not spent much time together recently so she nearly forgot how sweet and supportive Chris could be. It was what she needed especially now that she couldn't talk to Kaitlyn about everything anymore. When she broke up with her, she lost her best friend too. It was a pity but there was nothing neither of them could do. A best friend is so hard to come by and so easy to lose, Liv thought bitterly.

The handsome athlete let the brunette girl went inside the house first, but they both stopped and stared at a large crystal chalcedony at the same time. It was hanging elegantly on the high ceiling before the white double stair cases. The interior design was truly a sight to be hold. It was bright, beautiful, classy but awkwardly quiet. There were no people or pets, just plants. There was no sign of life other than her group of friends.

Becca told them not to drag their bags on the floor. "My dad will get grumpy if he sees any scratches on it," she explained. Then she led the way to the living room. When Becca pushed the double wooden doors open, Liv held her breath despite herself. She and Chris carefully laid their things down on a soft beige rug near a wooden table with the same pattern of the doors. The brunette ran her hand on a white lavish leather couch near her. It was new and nice to the touch, not like a worn out one at her parents's house which she suspected it wasn't even genuine leather.

Liv couldn't help but feel out of place. She looked to her friends to see how they were doing and was surprised at how naturally they were all acting.

Everyone was looking at several pictures decorated on one side of the wall and talking normally. There were scarcely any family photos. Mostly there were photos of a blonde man in his middle aged with his friends or his golf trophies. Liv assumed he was Becca's dad but she refrained from asking any questions about her parents who had just signed divorce papers.

The door was slightly opened then Becca motioned to someone or something to come in. A short and square lady in her late fifties took slow and small steps towards them with half a smile on her wrinkled face. Liv just knew it was not possible for this tired and grey woman to do all the choirs in the house alone. This brought her to a conclusion that they regularly had cleaning service. She imagined that the overall expenses in the house would probably exceed a tuition of her first year at college.

Becca said that the foreign maid would show them the way to the guest rooms. Liv and her friends gathered their things and followed her to the second floor.

The maid slowly led them to three guest rooms that were prepared for them. There were three plain white beds covered by clean plain white sheets in each room. No one made a comment about the lack of fabulous furniture or television. Tyler and Chris jumped back and forth on the beds like small children. Kaitlyn joined them at first sight. And it looked like the three of them were ready to start a pillow fight.

Liv and Abbie tried to tell them to stop but once a pillow hit Abbie right in the face, all she wanted was to get back at the three of them.

"Guys, try not to destroy anything, okay? I don't want Becca to come chasing us back to the van," Liv half pleaded and wasn't certain any of them heard her so she just made sure to leave her suitcase in her room before she wordlessly went back to the first floor.

There was no one except Becca who was sitting with her back towards the entrance of the living room. Liv shut the door as quietly as possible then she took silent steps to stand behind the blonde girl before covering Becca's eyes with her hands.

"Don't touch my face," Becca demanded and brusquely brushed them off. "Seriously, how many times do I have to tell you that?"

Liv ignored her question. "How did you know it was me?"

"Because you're ridiculously into childish stuff and no one else in this house has a nerve to sneak up on me." Becca then looked at the brunette girl as if she was explaining something simple to a simple-minded person.

"I guess now we're even," Liv said triumphantly.

Becca looked up at her again. "For the last time, Liv. I didn't sneak up on you today. You were just so clueless. I swear sometimes I don't even know what I'm even doing with you," she said. Then she placed her gentle palm on Liv's face. "Stop pouting. You're not as cute as you think you are."

Liv grabbed that hand and took it off of her but didn't let go. "You can't just tell me not to touch your face and wipe your hand on my whole face like that."

"We're even now, right? So stop whining. I'm trying to send something to Madison here," she said, looking at the screen of the smart phone in her hand. After a short moment she asked, "where are your friends?"

"Admiring the rooms. Probably gonna take a while until they get back here," Liv said shortly. It was a wise thing to say. Had Becca known that at least four of her guests were hitting one another hard with pillows, she would have run upstairs, not to join them but to yell at them to stop out of annoyance.

Becca gave her an acknowledging nod and didn't say another word. She drew her hand back from the young brunette and continued typing on her mobile screen with her thumbs. She occasionally paused and tapped her lower lip abstractedly while her eyes never left the screen.

Liv sat beside her and let herself be absorbed into a comfortable and serene silence that was surrounding them.

"I thought you couldn't reach Madison."

"I still can't. I'm just leaving some direct messages to her on twitter," she said plainly.

"About today?" Liv sneakily stretched her neck to steal a glance at the message Becca was typing on her phone but she only succeeded in making Becca lean away. "Are you gonna tell her that you're having fun?"

"I just told her I had fun. What else do you want me to say?"

"You had fun, huh?" Liv leaned back in her seat and asked, "will it kill you to speak what you really think for once?"

"Will it kill you to just shut your mouth for once?" She countered, not unkindly.

Liv was amused and not at all alarmed. This was a part of their regular conversation that she had grown accustomed to. It was one more thing she unexpectedly had developed a taste for. Simply because it was endlessly entertaining to tease Becca and watch her reaction and hear her response.

One moment later, Becca put her phone down beside her and asked what the brunette and Chris was gossiping about before they came inside the house.

"We weren't gossiping. We were just talking about stuff," Liv said casually. "Mostlly about me and only a bit about you actually."

Becca's calm expression disappeared instantly. "That is exactly what gossiping is," she said, wiggling a finger at the brunette girl. "Now tell me what you were talking behind my back."

"Relax, okay?" Liv gently brushed the finger out of her face. "Chris just told me he was glad you and I got along."

"And?"

"He wanted to know how," Liv continued. Becca's expression turned from confusion to horror in half a heartbeat. Liv pressed her lips tightly together to keep herself from laughing. She set her hand on Becca's shoulder and told her to relax again but the beautiful blonde didn't seem to hear her.

"And what did you tell him?" She asked in a low tone.

"That we had a serious talk like grown ups," Liv said calmly, "before you ask any more questions, I'm just gonna point it out for you that Chris wouldn't haven been acting as normally as he has if I told him what really happened."

"Of course I know that," Becca said right away despite a small amount of confusion on her expression. "I wasn't going to ask you anything anyway."

Becca then grabbed her phone again to check her social media pages. Liv moved her hand from Becca's shoulder to touch the tip of the soft golden hair and unconsciously curled it around her finger.