Operation Hookup✔️

Truths

They say with truth; you can't hide it. You can't change it. What one person says is their perception. Nothing more, nothing less. Reality is hard, cold, and precisely what it is, truth.

No matter how hard I tried to hide the truth, it wouldn't stay hidden for long.

******
Emma's POV

I came to school and waited to see if twatwaffle would harass me once again, except he never came. Odd but whatever.

All-day, he wasn't at school. I didn't want to ask because I didn't want people to get the wrong idea. I did not like him.

The next day the same thing. This made no sense. Who misses school at the beginning of the year. Brett didn't strike me as the type to miss being king of the school.

By the third day, my curiosity was seriously peaked and decided to find out why. I needed to find out where the hell twatwaffle lived. So I snuck into the office.

I found a file cabinet where student information held. I know, a big no-no, but I didn't care. I found his file and pulled it. Bingo. I hurried up and put it away, sneaking out before getting caught.

I decided to cut class to find out what was going on. Who needs math, anyway? I'm pretty sure X and Y will still be there when I get back.

I made my way to his house, and I walked up to find a regular home. I figure he would be living in some mansion. Oh well.

I walked up to his door and knocked a couple of times. Finally, after knocking, the door opened. My eyes widened as I saw a feeble looking woman standing there with a scarf on her head.

"I'm sorry, it took me a while to get to the door. Brett went to get me my medication," she said softly. I stood there, shocked.

"Emma?"

I turned to see Brett walk up.

"What are you doing here?" He asked me with furrowed brows.

"You weren't in school," I said.

"Yeah, so?"

"I just came to check on you," I said to him.

He walked past me over to the woman, "mom, what are you doing out of bed?"

"Someone was knocking at the door. I just came to answer it," she explained.

"Come on, let's go get you back to bed," he said as he helped her.

"Why don't you invite your friend inside," he asked him.

"Mom."

"Brett, don't be rude. Invite her in," she said firmly.

"Okay, but first let's get you back to bed," he said to her. I walked inside and watched as he helped her up the stairs. I stood there and waited.

Ten minutes later, he came back downstairs, "Why are you here?" His tone was serious.

"I said."

"I know what you said. Why would you want to check on me when you already have an opinion of me," he asked me with seriousness.

"Your mom. What's wrong with her?" I asked with concerned.

"My mom is dying. Happy now?"

I was shocked.

"I don't need pity. I don't need people talking. I need to keep this private," he told me.

"Do your friends know," I asked him.

"Why should they?"

"Because it helps to have a support system," I suggested.

"No, they don't know, and I don't want them to know. People don't care if you are going through things. They only care about themselves. I learned that a long time ago," he said his voice learned with disdain.

I never realized that Brett was going through something like this. Then I did something I never imagined myself doing; I offered to talk to him.

We went out and sat on his back steps. I let him talk.

"Six months ago, my mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She had surgery and went through treatment, but they didn't know her cancer went inward. It wasn't until it way passed the chance to do anything. So, now she is just buying her time," he said as he looked ahead.

"What about your dad," I asked.

"I didn't know him. He left when I was two. It's just been my mom and me," he sighed.

I sat there and listened to him. He was so different than at school.

"Why do you act like a twatwaffle then at school," I asked him.

"It's just easier to be a dick then deal with the gossip about my mom. I don't need people talking about her when they don't know her," he sighed.

"People are too concerned with reputation," I said casually.

"Sounds like something you're familiar with," he said to me.

I looked at him. Brett just told me one of his biggest secrets; maybe it was time for me to tell him mine.

"Something like that. Last year, I was considered what you "popular" call a geek. I was a little overweight and not very popular. I was a nobody. Then the most popular guy at school asked me out. I was so excited because everyone wants to date the most popular boy in school," I told him.

He cringed when I said the last part.

"So, I got ready and had my parents drop me off at the place to meet him. As soon as they drove away, that's when they decided to pull a prank on me. Not only did they throw tomatoes at me, but they threw other things. I was called names and humiliated. It would have been my very first date," I said to him.

He looked at me as I looked at him. What could you possibly say to something like that? Both of us were dealing with a secret that we didn't want people to know.

He thought about it, "then how about we start over?"

"What do you mean?"

He held out his hand, "I'm Brett Hayes."

I looked at him and took his hand, "Emma Valentine."

We shook hands. I liked this Brett so much better. He was just a guy who was only himself.

"So, do you even date," I asked him.

"Honestly, no. I use to until my mom got sick. I prefer to have her as my date than most girls, plus she is way more beautiful," he smiled. That warmed my heart the way he talked about his mom. Now I could see why people are drawn to him.

"I better get going," I said, standing up.

"I'll walk you out," he said, standing up. He walked me to the front door.

"See you at school," I asked him.

"Yeah," he nodded as a smile curled upon his lips. The funny part is I returned his smile. Sometimes we need to know people care. I know Brett didn't have that; maybe I could be that for him, a real friend.

Who knows anything is possible.