Middle school was supposed to be a time of fun and freedom—at least, that's what Lily Davenport thought. The halls were buzzing with gossip, the playgrounds filled with laughter, and most days seemed to float by like a carefree breeze.
For Liam Foster, middle school was more like a battle of will. Homework was becoming harder, expectations from his parents were mounting, and on top of it all, he had Lily to worry about.
"Why do you always act like the world's going to end if you don't get an A?" Lily teased as she leaned over Liam's desk, watching him methodically solve a math problem.
Liam didn't look up. "Because I don't want to fail."
"Fail? You? That's like... impossible," she said, with the same confidence that came naturally to her, as if life would always go her way.
Liam paused, glancing at her with a sigh. "It's not impossible, Lily. You could be doing better if you tried."
She shrugged, not caring in the slightest. "But who has time for that? I'll get by." Her voice was nonchalant as she flipped her hair back and smiled as if everything was just fine. To her, it probably was.
Liam continued to write, his frustration bubbling under the surface. She was always like this—carefree, unbothered by consequences. It was as if nothing ever stuck with her. She breezed through school, barely passing, surrounded by a cloud of friends that only seemed to grow each day.
But that was the problem, wasn't it? Liam wasn't blind. He saw the way people gravitated toward Lily. The way they clung to her generosity, her kindness, and—he hated to say it—her family's wealth. She didn't see it, though. She never did.
That afternoon, as they left school together, Lily was rattling off stories about her new group of friends. There was always someone new—someone trying to get close to her.
"So, Joe wants me to come to his party this weekend," Lily said excitedly. "Everyone's going to be there. It's going to be so fun."
Liam's brow furrowed. He'd been suspicious of Joe ever since the guy showed up, constantly hovering around Lily, acting like her best friend. But he knew better. Joe didn't care about Lily; he cared about what she could give him.
"You shouldn't go," Liam said, his voice firm.
Lily stopped in her tracks, blinking at him. "What? Why not? It's just a party."
Liam met her gaze, his expression serious. "Joe isn't interested in being your friend, Lily. He just wants to use you."
Lily's face twisted in confusion, then in irritation. "You're just being paranoid again, Liam. Joe's nice. He wouldn't do that."
Liam clenched his jaw. "You don't see it, but I do. He's only hanging around because of your dad's money."
"Not this again," Lily groaned, throwing her head back in frustration. "Why do you always have to do this? Why can't you just let me have fun?"
"I'm trying to protect you," Liam snapped, his patience wearing thin. "Not everyone is as nice as you think they are."
Lily crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing at him. "Maybe I don't need protecting. Did you ever think of that? I'm not a little kid anymore, Liam."
Her words stung, but Liam stood his ground. He'd seen too many people try to take advantage of her over the years, and he wasn't going to let it happen again. "You're not a little kid, but you still trust people way too easily."
Lily scoffed, shaking her head. "You know what? Maybe I do. But I'm allowed to make my own choices, even if they're mistakes."
With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving Liam standing there, his heart sinking. He hated fighting with her, but what else could he do? She was too trusting, too blind to how the world really worked. And he... well, he was the one who had to keep her from falling apart.
That weekend, despite Liam's warnings, Lily went to Joe's party. The music was loud, the lights dim, and the air smelled like trouble. Lily had arrived with a smile on her face, determined to prove that she didn't need anyone telling her what to do.
But halfway through the night, things started to go wrong.
It was a small thing at first—Joe and his friends asking Lily for some extra cash to "help out" with party supplies. She hesitated but handed over the money anyway, her trusting nature getting the better of her. But it didn't stop there. Joe and the others kept asking for more—more drinks, more favors—until finally, Lily realized they were only using her.
As the night wore on, she felt more and more out of place, like she was just a tool for their fun. The carefree vibe that had drawn her in started to feel suffocating.
By the time Liam arrived, tracking her down after hearing about the party from one of their classmates, Lily was standing in the backyard alone, her face pale and her usual smile nowhere to be found.
"Lily," Liam said, his voice gentle as he approached her. She turned to face him, her eyes filled with guilt and frustration.
"You were right," she whispered, her voice small. "They were just using me."
Liam sighed, stepping closer until they stood side by side. "I didn't want to be right. I just didn't want you to get hurt."
Lily wiped at her eyes, forcing a shaky laugh. "I thought I could handle it. I thought... I don't know what I thought."
Liam didn't say anything, letting her gather her thoughts. He knew better than to push her when she was already feeling vulnerable.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you," Lily continued, her voice barely audible. "I always act like I know everything, but... maybe I don't."
Liam glanced at her, his expression softening. "It's okay. You don't have to know everything. That's why I'm here."
Lily looked at him then, really looked at him, and for the first time, she seemed to understand just how much he cared. Not because he wanted to control her, but because he wanted to protect her.
"Thanks, Liam," she said quietly, a small smile returning to her face. "I guess I'd be lost without you."
Liam chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You'd probably be fine... but maybe a little lost."
They stood there for a while, the tension between them melting away as the noise of the party faded into the background. And in that moment, Lily realized that as much as she wanted to be independent and carefree, having someone like Liam watching out for her wasn't such a bad thing after all.