Chapter 9: Signs and Signals

Chapter 9: Signs and Signals

The night before the protest, Liam sat in his room, staring at the ceiling while his guitar rested across his lap. He had tried playing, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Maya. Was Ethan right? Was Chloe right? Was this really a date, or was he just overthinking everything?

His phone buzzed. It was a text from Maya.

Maya: Just finished my sign! "Save the Earth, It's the Only One We Have." Hope it's not too cheesy. How's yours coming along?

Liam looked at the blank poster board sitting on his desk. He hadn't even started.

Liam: Uh… still brainstorming.

Maya: Want to FaceTime? Maybe we can work on them together.

His heart did an embarrassing little flip, but he quickly hit the call button before he could second-guess himself. A moment later, Maya's face appeared on his screen, her dark hair pulled up in a messy bun, her room softly lit behind her.

"Hey," she said, smiling. "Need some inspiration?"

Liam rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm not really great at, uh, slogans."

"No worries! Let's figure it out together. What's something you care about?"

He thought for a second. "I mean… I do care about the environment. I just don't really talk about it as much as you do."

Maya grinned. "Then let's make that your angle. Something like… 'Even Quiet Voices Can Make a Difference'?"

Liam blinked. "That's… actually really good."

She shrugged. "Well, you are making a difference by coming. That counts."

He felt warmth spread through his chest. "Thanks."

They spent the next hour chatting as they worked on their signs, the conversation drifting from environmental issues to music, books, and everything in between. Every time Maya laughed, Liam felt a little more at ease.

By the time they hung up, Liam wasn't sure if he had figured out whether this was a date or not. But what he did know was that he couldn't wait for tomorrow.

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The next morning, Liam arrived at the train station a few minutes early, clutching his sign. He spotted Maya right away—she was wearing a green jacket, her sign tucked under her arm, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she searched the crowd.

When she saw him, she grinned and waved. "Liam!"

He walked over, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. "Hey."

She eyed his sign and smiled. "I love it."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks."

As the train pulled into the station, Maya nudged his arm. "You ready for this?"

Liam took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah."

As they stepped onto the train together, shoulder to shoulder, he realized something.

No matter what today was—protest, date, or something in between—he was glad to be spending it with her.