Started With a Lie

Chapter Four

            “What’re you making?”

            “Some stew with some bread rolls,” she answers, stirring the mixture. “Are you hungry?”

            “Very hungry,” I reply. “Tomorrow’s my overnight field trip to New York City. We’ll be staying for two-to-three days. Can you help me pack my things after dinner?”

            “Oh! I almost forgot about that. Of course.”

            Mom and I eat our stew and bread rolls in conversation about my first day and her upcoming gallery shows. She tells me about her new paintings and I tell her about cute guys who had a growth spurt over the summer.

            We’re on dessert when Mom says, “You know, I heard something strange today.”

            I continue to eat my apple pie. “What’d you hear?”

            “Something about,” she pauses, “you and this guy named Lee Richardson? Something about you two in a relationship and he’s a world class billionaire?”

            I jolt up and glance at her. She smirks like she knows just caught a criminal red-handed. “What are you talking about, Mom?” I know it won’t work. She’s already sure about what she heard.

            “Now,” Mom says, “I don’t mind if you’re in a relationship.” She helps herself for another piece of pie. “But I don’t get why you didn’t tell me.” Mom takes a bite of her pie, trying to hide her frown. “I wouldn’t have been angry.”

            I set my fork down. “Mom, it’s not how it looks.”

            “I get it, I get it. You’re growing up and you’re at that stage where you lock your parents and family out and — ”

            “Mom.”

            “And you don’t feel like telling me everything because you think I won’t understand but trust me, I will. I was once — ”

            “Mom,” I try again.

            “I used to be a teenager too. Maybe centuries ago, but still a teenager — ”

            “Mom!” I exclaim. She finally looks up at me. “Listen. You know the lie I was talking about earlier?” She nods. “This is what I meant. You know Karen?” She nods again. “Yeah well, she’s together with Peter now.”

            “Peter?” Mom gasps. “I thought you liked Peter.”

           “Yeah, I know. Well, they’re together and she obviously still hates me and I kind of, maybe, could’ve, just maybe, slipped out by accident, pure accident that I was going out with Lee Richardson.”

            Her fork drops to her plate. “What! You told her that?”

            I nod. “I didn’t mean to lie or do anything so big that it would cause me to be the trending topic on gossip websites. I just panicked and blurted it out because I was pissed at Karen.”

            “Oh, honey.” She massages her temples, a sign that she’s thinking deeply. “What about Mr. Richardson? Does he know?”

           “Oh, he knows.” I finish my pie. “Hecalled me some minutes ago.”

            “He did what?”

            “He wants to meet me in New York City. Talk things out, you know? I have to idea what to say to him, but I don’t care. It’s kinda my fault I kind of humiliated him by saying he’s dating me,” I explain.