Liam watched as Allison quickly gathered her things and rushed out of the library. He was taken aback by her sudden departure, and his curiosity was piqued.
"Hey, is everything okay?" Liam asked, catching up to her in the hallway.
Allison turned to him, with her eyes darting around nervously. She gave a low tone response..
"Yeah, everything's fine. I just...I need to go."
Liam's eyes narrowed. He felt uneasy about Allison's response, which only left him more curious..
"You're not telling me something. What's going on, Allison?"
Allison hesitated, then seemed to make a decision.
"I'll tell you later, okay? Just...just trust me." Allison gave her reply and then hasten her pace
Liam nodded, though he was far from satisfied. He watched as Allison hurried away, feeling a sense of unease.
What was Allison hiding? And who was on the phone?
Liam couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. He decided to do some digging, starting with Allison's friends again..
He tracked down Jake and Emily in the cafeteria, and they filled him in on what they knew about it.
"Allison's been getting those calls for a while now," Jake said, with his brow furrowed.
"She's always been tight-lipped about it, but it seems to really stress her out." He added with an expression of concern
Liam's eyes narrowed.
"Do you think it has something to do with her family?" He suddenly brought up the question with made both Jake and Emily flinched.
Emily nodded with an affirmative glance at Liam.
"I'm sure of it. Allison's family has been going through some tough times. Her dad's been struggling to find work, and they're barely making ends meet."
Liam's heart went out to Allison. He had no idea she was dealing with so much.
He was determined to get to the bottom of things to help Allison in any way he could.
"I need to talk to her," Liam said, standing up. "Thanks for telling me, guys."
Jake and Emily nodded, and Liam set off to find Allison.
He finally tracked her down to the school's courtyard, where she was sitting alone on a bench.
"Hey," Liam said, sitting down beside her. "What's going on? You can tell me."
Allison looked up at him, her eyes welling up with tears.
"I don't know what to do, Liam. My dad's in trouble, and I don't know how to help him."
Liam's heart went out to her, with his expreseeminga little shocked
"What kind of trouble?" he asked gently.
Allison took a deep breath and wiped her tears before speaking.
"He owes some people money, and they're threatening to hurt him if he doesn't pay up."
Liam's eyes widened in shock.
"Who are these people?" he demanded immediately.
Allison shook her head. "I don't know. My dad won't tell me. But I know it's serious. He's been getting these threatening calls for weeks now."
Liam's mind was racing. He had to help Allison, and he had to find a way to get her dad out of this mess.
"We'll figure something out," he said, taking Allison's hand. "I promise."
Allison looked up at him, her eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thanks, Liam. Just knowing you're here for me makes me feel better."
Liam smiled, feeling a little bit blushed and feeling a sense of determination. He was going to help Allison, no matter what it took.
As they sat there in the courtyard, holding hands and watching the sun set, Liam knew that he was in this for the long haul. He was going to help Allison, and he was going to make sure she was safe.
But as they sat there, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment, Liam's phone suddenly rang, shrill and insistent.
He hesitated for a moment before answering it.
"Hello?" he said, with his voice cautious.
"Liam, it's Jake. I just saw something weird. There's a guy lurking around the school, and he looks really suspicious." Jake spoke from the other end
Liam's eyes narrowed. "What does he look like?" He asked for further information
"He's tall, with a black jacket and a hoodie. He's been hanging around the school for a while now, and I think he might be connected to Allison's dad's troubles by the way he is parading,"
Liam's heart skipped a beat. This could be the break they needed.
"I'll be right there," he said, already standing up.
Allison looked up at him, with concern etched on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Liam hesitated for a moment before filling her in
"Somone is currently spying in the school, and jake thought it might be connected to your dad's troubles,"
"We have to go now, don't be afraid, I'm here for you,"
Liam assured, trying to make Allison feel a little calm
As they hurried back to the school building, Liam's mind was racing. Who was this suspicious guy, and what did he want?
"I don't like this," Allison said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if he's connected to my dad's troubles actually," I mean.."
Liam's grip on her hand tightened. "We'll figure it out together," he said. "I promise."
They reached the school building in an instant, with Jake already waiting for them by the entrance.
"Hey, guys," Jake said, his eyes scanning the surrounding area.
"I'm glad you're here. I was starting to get worried."
Liam nodded. "What's going on? Where's the suspicious guy?" He hitted the banter straight forward
Jake pointed down the hallway. "He's down there, lurking around the lockers. I've been keeping an eye on him, but I haven't seen him do anything suspicious yet."
Liam's eyes narrowed as he tried to peep from where he was
"Let's go check it out."
As they made their way down the hallway, Liam's senses were on high alert. He could feel Allison's tension radiating from her, and he knew she was scared.
They reached the lockers, and Liam spotted the suspicious guy immediately. He was tall, with a black jacket and a hoodie, just like Jake had described.
Liam's eyes locked onto the guy, and he felt a surge of adrenaline. Who was this guy, and what did he want with Allison?
"Let's go talk to him," Liam said with his voice low and even.
Allison's grip on his hand tightened. "Liam, I don't know if that's a good idea."
Liam smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I've got this."
As they approached the suspicious guy, Liam could feel Allison's tension radiating from her. He knew she was scared, but he was determined to protect her.
"Hey," Liam said with his voice firm.
"What are you doing here?" He added immediately
The suspicious guy suddenly turned to face them, and Liam's eyes locked onto his. He could see the guy's eyes flicking back and forth, as if he was sizing them up.
"I'm just...uh...looking for someone," the guy stammered.
Liam raised an eyebrow. Before uttering the nest word.
"Who?"
The guy hesitated, then seemed to make a decision, glancing at Allison more intimately.
"Allison," he said, his eyes locking onto hers.
Allison's eyes widened in fear, and Liam's grip on her hand tightened.
"What do you want with her?" Liam demanded.
The guy smiled, a cold, calculating smile. "Oh, I think she knows exactly what I want."
Liam's eyes narrowed. "I don't think so."
The guy chuckled. "We'll see about that."
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Liam and Allison staring after him in confusion.
What did he want with Allison? And what did he mean by his cryptic message? Jake asked suddenly.
Liam turned to Allison, his eyes searching hers. "What's going on?" he asked. "What does he want with you?"
Allison shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "I don't know," she whispered. "But I think it has something to do with my dad's troubles."
Liam's grip on her hand tightened. "We'll figure it out together," he said. "I promise."
As they stood there, trying to make sense of the mysterious guy's words, Liam knew that he would do anything to protect Allison. He would uncover the truth, no matter what it took.
But as they turned to walk away, Liam couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched. He glanced around but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Still, the feeling persisted.
And as they walked away from the lockers, Liam knew that this was only the beginning of a much larger mystery.
One that would change everything.
TO BE CONTINUED.