Life is Stranger

Living a Lie

"Finally! Max, are you okay my baby? I've been worried sick about you."

"Yeah Pop. I'm...fine. Totally fine. Honestly."

"You don't sound very sure about that."

"Dad, there's absolutely no need to worry about me."

"Max, don't you think I know when you're hiding something from me? I'm on your side Max. I'm not your mom. Is what I've heard true? Have you been in a fight?"

"How do you know about th...never mind. Yeah. I was. Sorry Pop, but it wasn't my fault. Someone tried to bully me, that's all. It was nothing really. And it's all sorted out now. It won't be happening again. I've spoken to them since and we're cool now. Besides, I wasn't hurt that bad...thanks to Chloe."

"Thanks to Chloe? Why's that?"

"Chloe, she, erm, waded in to help me. I'm real glad that she was there for me."

"Just like old times, eh? Chloe always had your back, didn't she? She's still your real life Lara Croft, then?"

"Um. Yeah. She's awesome...erm, Pop, listen, there's something that I need to tell y..."

"Let me guess – your mother's been there and she's given you a hard time? Where are you, anyway? Is your mom still there now?"

"Erm, nope. She's been here, but she's already left. I'm at hom...Chloe's house. Things went awful bad, Pop. She wasn't that nice, and I...I wasn't nice to her either. But that wasn't what I was going to say. Pop, Chloe and me...we're...we're together. I mean, really together. You know?" After a couple of seconds Max removed the phone from her ear and checked the screen briefly before moving it back to the side of her head. "Pop? Hello? Are you still there?"

"Yes Max. I'm still here."

"Well? Is that it? Is that all you're going to say? Aren't you going to say anything else?"

"Max, I'm just...I mean...I knew this was going to happen, but..."

"Oh god! Not you as well? Jesus Pop! I thought that at least you would be happy for us."

"Max, I am happy. I'm the happiest I've been in a long, long time. I'm over the moon. That's what I was trying to say, but it just stymied me a little. Max, I can't find the words for how overjoyed I am to hear that you and Chloe are finally with each other. I've been waiting years to hear you say those words to me, Munchkin. I know that Chloe will treat you like the princess you are. No one will ever love you as much as Chloe does, Max."

"Thanks Pop. I know. It's been majorly intense, but the best thing that's ever happened to me. Ever. Pop, I love Chloe just as much as she loves me. I love her more than anyone."

"Max, do you think that I don't already know that? I've known for years. Max, everybody knew."

"Everyone except me, it seems."

"You and Chloe had a different sort of love back then. But it was just as strong as the love you have now. That love was the foundation for what you have today. And nothing on earth can break it. Nothing. Don't ever let anyone or anything come between you."

"We won't. But Mom's sure trying her level best to tear us apart. Why can't she be more like you? What the hell is her goddamn problem?"

"Max, your mom is...sick. Very, very sick. She has been for a long time. You shouldn't be too hard on her. She doesn't want to do the things that she does. It's ripping her apart. I realise that you'll find this quite hard to believe, but she loves you deeply, Max. She always has done. I know that for a fact."

"Well she sure has a fuc...funny way of showing it."

"Max, that person...the person that she is now, isn't...isn't your mother."

"What? Of course it's her! What the hell are you talking about? Have you taken some of her meds or something?"

"Max, listen to me. You have to know eventually. I can't keep this from you any longer. Max, your mom is...a different person. She's someone...or something else. And they're not nice. Not nice at all. But it isn't your mom. I know it isn't. I know her very well, Max, and whoever or whatever that thing is living inside of her, it's most definitely not the woman that I love. She's fought this thing for years, Max, but...I think that she's losing. I try to stay positive and tell her that she's doing well, but my whole life has been a total lie for years. Most of the time she can't remember what she's said or done, and I usually manage to get things sorted before she comes back round, but she's been getting worse all the time. I'm just grateful that I've managed to spare you from the worst of it. It's breaking my heart to watch her being...Max, something is destroying her, slowly but surely. It's eating her from the inside out. Devouring her. She's been incredibly, amazingly strong, but it's gradually grinding her down. She can only take so much, and I fear that the battle is nearly over. There's hardly any of her left now, baby, and what little of her that's still there doesn't have the strength to fight any more. Max, she may still be alive, but...she's already gone, baby. I'm sorry Munchkin. I've tried to help her. I really have. For years and years. But I just don't have the strength to carry on, either, and the woman that I love is already...gone. Max, she's gone. She's left me. She's left us. I miss her so much. I...I can't bear to look at what's left of her. I just can't. I want to kill it, Max. Kill it for what it's done to her. For what it's done to us all. But I just can't bring myself to do it. It still...it still looks like her. Max, I've failed her. I've failed you. I've failed everyone. I'm so, so sorry."

"Oh Pop. I knew things were bad, but...oh man. I had no idea. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. Don't blame yourself, Pop. It's not your fault. None of this is. You're the best. I love you heaps."

"Max, you don't know what I've done. I've done something truly terrible. I'm so ashamed of myself. I promised her...promised her that I would stand by her...but I just couldn't take it any more...Max, I'm...I needed...I don't know how to tell you this..."

"Tell me what? What is it? Pop, what have you done?"

"Max, I've...I'm...never mind. It can wait. You have enough to deal with without that. I'm already on the way there. We can talk then."

"Don't you dare do that to me. I want to know what it is. Right now."

"No, Max. You don't. You don't want to know. Trust me."