Chapter 2

Liam spent the next two weeks in a funk. Miserable with the results of his attempt in the gymnasium, he sulked over his lost opportunity. School was automatic, home was depressing, and there was nothing else.

On a Thursday afternoon, Liam was working on his chemistry homework, when there was another knock on his door. Puzzled, he opened the door again. She had returned.

"I did as you asked," she said, so fast that the words blended. "I figured you wouldn't want me to return until some changes were obvious."

Gape mouthed, Liam stared at her. She still looked bad. Her baggy white shirt wasn't enough to hide her thick torso, and her legs still looked swollen. When he looked up at her face though, he could see her. Unlike the last time she was at his door, her hair was crammed behind her ears this time. The face that was cratered with acne two weeks ago was now much less hard on the eyes. Her complexion was clearing. Splotches of red skin were visible, and her breakouts were diminished by well more than half. Liam was taken back by her return.

"Who are you," Liam said with his mood turning frustrated. Why was she returning? He wouldn't be able to get over his failure if she keeps coming back and rubbing him in it.

"Courtney Trammel," she said in the same whispering, pleading voice from before. "I was in your geometry class last year."

Liam thought back to that class, but couldn't place her. He probably ignored her. She wasn't anyone he'd have bothered to remember. Getting an itch in the back of his neck like he always did when he had a problem to resolve, he looked her over again.

"Come in while I figure out what to do with you." Liam stepped aside, and let her in. Once the door was shut, he sat on the edge of his bed, and gestured for her to take a chair.

"What did you do between the last time you were here and now?" He was curious how effective the beam had been on her. Maybe he could find a way to make it all go away.

"I haven't picked up a soda since I left here," she said. She didn't seem able to look him in the eye when she spoke. "Same for candy, and desserts, I lost ten pounds."

Thinking to remember what he'd said last time, he realized how complete she'd taken his words. 'Stop eating dessert, and drinking sodas, ' it had been total, unable to interpret his words any other way, she'd done it without fail.

"Was it hard?" He leaned forward more curious than he wanted to be.

"I had a headache for almost a week."

"What else?"

"I've been washing my face and hair more," she said. The red splotches on her face darkened. She was embarrassed to admit she hadn't done those things much before. "It's hard though, I forget to sometimes."

Liam thought about it. He'd left those more open, and since he hadn't said 'everyday' at the end, she'd just tried to do better with them. It occurred to him that while the target was wrong, the laser worked exactly as described. She would do anything he wanted.

"Wash your face and hair everyday Courtney."

"Ok," she said, turning darker, and scuffing at the floor with one shoe.

"Do you still want to help me?" She perked up at that, looking eager.

"Oh yes," she said, excitement in the words.

"Clean my room then," he said. A wicked smirk curled his lips. Maybe she wasn't the right girl, but he'd make her pay for being the wrong girl. "You clean my room every Thursday."

Courtney jumped up from her chair, and took in his room with her eyes. Without waiting for instruction, she went about straightening things up. Liam got up and brought a broom and some rags from upstairs. He was going to make her work, and then he was going to think of other things he wanted.

Sitting in the chair, watching her hustle around the space, he thought about other things she'd do for him. Wash his car, do homework, and get money were on the top of his list, even if he hadn't figured out the money part. He couldn't have her fat and ugly. That seemed to be easy to fix though.

"Monday Wednesday, and Friday you run," he said when she was done cleaning. "After school, you try to run a mile. When you can run it nonstop tell me."

She nodded. If the prospect frightened her, it didn't show. Liam thought he was being mean, thought he was venting his frustrations on her. She just took him as wanting to make her better, and wanting her to do things for him, which is what she really wanted.

Courtney showed up the next Thursday, and her face looked a little better. Liam didn't speak to her though. She came in and started cleaning, and when it looked clean enough, he opened the door, and gestured for her to leave.

At school Liam was as ignored as ever. If he saw Courtney looking at him he went the other way. The 'In' crowd was just as oblivious to him as always. He wanted to go back in time, and fire his laser before the girl with the watch got in the way.

His mother finished her Nursing school the Friday after Courtney's third time cleaning his room. She was hired by the local hospital before her graduation that Saturday, and told Liam she'd be working nights for a while. He just took it for what it was, more not seeing her.

The fourth time Courtney cleaned his room he looked her over with care. There was slack in her pant legs, and the hem of her shirt was hanging lower. With her now clear skin, her dark eyes stood out more. She'd taken to pulling her hair back in a pony tail.

"I ran the whole mile without stopping yesterday." She said when she saw him looking at her. "I've lost eight more pounds too."

"Good," he said. She seemed so proud of her self. He didn't want that, he wanted her to suffer for getting hit by the beam meant for Amber Wetzel. "Tomorrow you change your running to two miles."

Courtney was unaffected by his words. She just kept sweeping and organizing his things. He had to admit she was a good cleaner. The basement had never looked better since he moved in. Every week on Thursday she would empty his trash, change his sheets, wipe down his desk and bookcase, and organize his books and collectibles. She even swept the whole floor.

"Stop eating fried foods too." He only said it to try and upset her. Instead she nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor, and kept working.

He should have expected it. Should have known she was complete in her devotion to him. The thrall of the beams ten lines was unyielding and unavoidable. It still surprised him when he told her to do things and she just acquiesced.

"School ends next week," he said, deciding to push harder. "You're going to get a job in the next two weeks."

Liam could feel his heart beating in his chest. The line in his mind had been crossed, and he felt that she was about to come back across the room from folding his laundry and hit him. She didn't.

"Ok," she said. Setting his matched socks into a dresser drawer, she moved across the room and picked up the broom.

Clenching his fist in victory, Liam grinned. One way or another he was going to find a way to feel better. A door had just opened to him, and he was determined to get through it.

For the next week he was lost to contemplation. What could Courtney do for him? How could his life be better because of her? Would there ever be a point where she couldn't be pushed?

Wednesday was the last day of school. Catching Courtney in the hallway between classes, Liam told her to come to his house Thursday morning when she would normally go to school. The rest of the day he started writing his ideas onto paper, trying to best determine the course of action he wanted to take.

Struggling he got himself up early Thursday morning, and made it to his shower with sleep filled eyes. His mom was asleep in her room from hew new schedule. It had been good to her to work, but he still didn't see her often.