What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

1.28: hayes

Why-How could she hide something like this? The worst fucking part is that I want to believe Seph, but I don't know what actually happened. I don't know what to think. But I do have Ollie's phone number.

Hayes: You need to call me when you can.

But by the time I make it to my truck, my phone's ringing with an incoming call from Ollie.

"Hello?"

"What happened?" Ollie asks urgently, and I resist the urge to bang my hand on the top of my truck.

"You need to tell me exactly what happened in Seattle."

Ollie pauses, "It's not-"

I open the door and slide into the driver's seat. I don't waste any time tiptoeing around the bullshit. "Don't you dare say that it's not your story to tell. Why does Sephine think she killed Ethan?"

"Shit," is all that Ollie has to say in response, and I push the key into the ignition. "So, I'm sure you know by now that Ethan was my cousin and that Sephine is my best friend?"

"Yes, I was there when you came to visit." I can hear him clearly through the Bluetooth speakers in the car that automatically connect to my phone while I pull out of the parking lot. I just need to think. Driving helps me think.

"Tessa was in one of my classes after she transferred to Bayard, and I introduced her to Ethan and Seph. It didn't take long for all of us to be friends, and I know it would never seem like it now, but Sephine and Tessa were friends at one point."

"What?" That's complete news to me considering they hate each other now, but after learning some of the pieces today, it makes sense why Sephine's been afraid of what Tessa knows.

"Yeah, I know. Our dance instructor here pushed Sephine harder than everyone else because she was the best at Bayard. Seph had a hard time juggling that with school, and Ethan offered her Adderall once before a test to help her stay up and study. But it didn't take long for her to get hooked once she realized how much it helped. He was a dealer, but I didn't find out about the Adderall until she was completely reliant on it, among other things she was taking. The worst part is that our instructor knew that she was having some kind of problem, completely ignored it so Seph could continue competing."

He pauses to take a breath, "Tessa and I were pretty good friends, and then Sephine asked during a late rehearsal near the end of the year if I would ever date Tessa. The thing was-well is that I thought I might be gay? I had a hard time accepting that possibility because I've heard all the jokes in the book about being a male ballerina. I've never had any feelings for Sephine, but even I know that she's attractive, so I asked her if I could kiss her to see if it had any effect on me. Nothing would ever happen between us even if I weren't gay because I've known her for so long." This part is said much quieter, and I know how hard it would be for someone to admit it.

This is why she wouldn't tell me what happened. Because it wasn't just about her, Sephine kept insisting that it would ruin not only her life but other people's if it got out. She's been protecting Ollie.

"We left, and Seph went back to her room where she was high out of her mind after taking Adderall to help her study, but I guess someone saw that one kiss and told Ethan. It's that, or he saw himself. The thing is, though, Sephine never answers the phone when she was studying. She gets distracted too easily, so it made sense that she didn't answer the phone when Ethan called. The next thing I know is our morning classes were canceled because a student was receiving medical attention in their room." Ollie clears his throat, and I'm just stunned. At this point, I've already turned the car around, and I'm heading back to the school.

"Somehow it got out that Ethan had OD'ed on some heroin he scored at a college party we were at the week before. He had left a voicemail on Sephine's phone, accusing her of cheating. I don't think I've ever seen someone fall apart the way she did when the police came to talk to me because she was in my room with me." His voice wavers when he gets to that part, and I'm starting to understand why Sephine never talked about it.

"So Ethan died thinking that she had cheated."

"I told her parents when they came to the memorial where her stash was and that she needed help; next thing I know, they've pulled her out of Bayard, and Sephine was in rehab right until she left for Italy. I hoped that she would come back for our senior year, but it would never have been the same after the way Tessa all but attacked her at the memorial."

"Are you serious?" That explains why Tessa hates Sephine and why Sephine hates Tessa. I would think that by this point, nothing would surprise me, but this does.

Ollie barks out a short laugh, "Yeah, that was the nail in the coffin for their friendship. Tessa called Sephine out in front of everyone for cheating, and blamed her for Ethan dying. It was hard to see how Sephine just kind of shut down, only I knew that Tessa had confirmed what Sephine was thinking about herself. I wish I could have said something, I should have said something, but I wasn't ready, I'm still not ready. So Seph took all the heat for me. She was in a dark place, so I think being away in Italy helped her cope with the way everything went down. Even now, she still blames herself for what happened. Seeing her with you was the happiest she's been in a long time, so it made it easier to know she was there."

"Fuck." Dylan gave her pills. Oh my god, and I just left her there.

"Yeah, listen-uh-I would appreciate it if you didn't tell-"

"Yeah, no, of course. I won't tell anyone." I personally don't care whether Ollie is straight or gay, it's not my place to judge how he loves but a lot of people do care. I don't blame him for not being ready to deal with that yet.

"So why am I being questioned about what happened instead of her? Did something happen with Seph?"

I feel like the biggest asshole on the planet. "Yeah, Sephine finally hit Tessa."

"Woah! Wait, that's not everything, is it?"

I rub my temple and try to think of a way to explain this, "Do you think that Sephine would ever relapse?"

All of the pleasantness is his tone is gone, "What are you not telling me."

"Tessa outed her recovery and announced to the school that Sephine killed Ethan."

"You better find her, and you better find her now."

"I know. Fuck," I breathe out the last word, and I look for her car in the parking lot, but it's not here anymore. She must have slipped out when I was out driving around.

"You won't be able to do that anymore if Sephine's not okay when you find her. I hope you know you're a asshole for even letting her out of your sight."

I hang up, not needing to be told that twice.

I speed faster than I've ever gone to get to her house.

Fuck.