Cookie

14

I knock on my mum's door while holding a tray with hot chocolate, brownies, and potato chips like she used to prepare for our talks. When I hear her inviting me in I carefully open the door and her face lights up when she sees me and my goodie tray understanding that I am ready to talk.

We sit on her big bed with the tray placed between us and the hot beverages in our hands. She smiles looking at me with green watery eyes as I start to talk.

"That was indeed Liam, after our training he wanted to make sure I get home safely."

She nods taking a sip from her hot chocolate.

"I already like this boy," she says laughing. "Wants to teach you how to defend yourself, calls your dad to talk and ask for permission to train you, walks you home..."

Mom grabs my hand squeezing it, making my entire body relax in an instant.

"Do you like him, honey?"

She asks emphasizing the word you, letting me know that the only thing that matters is how I feel about him. Everyone else could give me opinions, but I have the final saying.

"I don't know, mom... I am so confused that I can't even tell if I like him or not."

I say closing my eyes and frowning, but she puts her hand on mine as she talks.

"Why don't you tell me what you like about this guy?"

I will have to start with how he took my side when those guys took on me, but considering I am not able to tell her how and from what Liam defended me, I have to make something up about it so she gets a general idea.

"Look, guys make stupid comments and pranks all the time back at school, you know how they are..."

I tell her shrugging like that's not a big deal or it doesn't upset the hell out of me. I know Criss used to always complain about boys and their pranks in our freshman year so I know she is already familiar with this.

"This year a few guys tried to pull some pranks on me or make jokes, but, mom, Liam defended me like no one ever did. I can't explain to you how good it makes me feel to know he has my back, because every time he walks in a room he searches for me first, even when he's with his girlfriends he's always looking out for me."

"Girlfriends?"

My mom asks lifting her eyebrow waiting for me to explain. Her smile just disappeared and a worried look took its place.

"I'll get there in a sec, just hear me out, I need to get everything out."

I breathe in and out a few times to build up my courage before continuing.

"He offered to train me because I have no idea how to thrown a stupid punch even if he didn't have to, he could easily mind his own business. He sits with me in every single class that we have, I let him copy from me and I think that maybe that's why he does it, but then even on computer science he took the seat next to me and I swear mom, he's 10 times better than me with computers."

She looks at me still frowning, still not knowing exactly how to feel about him or my feelings for him.

"And his jokes make me blush causing my heart to skip a bit every time. At first, I thought he was mocking me and I got upset, but he apologized telling me he's only trying to make me laugh more, he says I don't laugh too much and he likes to see me happy. He calls me 'cookie', mom! "

I say laughing remembering how he told me I was sweet and innocent so that's why the nickname, it's funny that I was so upset about it when he first called me that, but now I just love the sound of it. I love how his face changes when he says 'cookie', how his voice gets a little husky, his eyes softer.