Be True

Chapter 03

BE TRUE

CHAPTER 03

When Josh got home from the mall, he turned on his computer.

Wattpad!!

He checked the list on Meebo. Yay! Cabaletta was signed on too. He began typing to her:

(Meebo was an instant messaging app that was a feature of Wattpad at the time. It ain't no more. :P)

“Did you read my story? Did you, huh? Did you? ^.^”

“Yeah…”

“Well, what’d you think? >.<”

“Um…”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t get mad, okay?”

“What?”

“It didn’t really sound like you.”

“What? That’s ridiculous!”

“No, really! I mean, you’re a wonderful writer and everything and I think you have a real gift, but this last story…it just didn’t feel like it was you talking. It felt like somebody else. Like when you wrote that other romance story. That didn’t really feel like you either. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“Are you mad?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. At least you’re honest.”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, I gotta go.” Click. He signed off Meebo.

~~~

Josh turned off his computer.

Now what? Josh didn’t know what to think.

It was a good story. It was a damned-good story. And he really wished he could have written it. Besides, who’s going to know? Even Ken doesn’t know yet. The story hasn’t even taken form in his brain yet. Once Josh saved and published it, it would be Ken’s turn to be jealous of him, finally. Wow, imagine that. Ken Barey, author of a million reads, jealous of Josh.

But what would Lena think? And even more importantly, what would Cabaletta think? Josh caught himself. What was I thinking? Why do I care so much what Cabaletta thinks? I’ve never even met her. Argh!!

Josh went downstairs to watch TV.

~~~

Monday was always the worst. But somehow, Josh got through it and was getting ready to go home. He left by the back stairs, the set he usually took, the set that no one else ever takes and was just about to go through the doors when he heard someone crying beneath the stairwell, in the shadows.

He turned around and peered into the darkness. “Lena?”

It was Lena all right. She had her back to him, but he would know that hair anywhere. He edged up to her. “Hey, what’s the matter?”

She shook her head and began moving away.

He wouldn’t let her. He took her by the shoulders and stopped her. He lowered his head to peer deep into her eyes. She slumped down to sit on the ground with her back to the wall. He crouched down and then sat down beside her.

Slowly, she stopped crying, but still spasmed every once in a while. “He lied to me.”

“What?”