The Lies That We Tell

𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬

It had always been so easy between Quentin and Isaac. They grew up together from third graders to seniors in high school, always making sure the other one was close.

While meeting other people, there were always things that they couldn't talk with anyone else but their best friend. At least, most of the things.

Maybe that was the problem. Lately, Quentin felt like all he did was lie to Isaac and hide things from him. Yes, he had been hiding his feelings for years but that was different. He knew for sure that nothing good would come from telling him the truth.

But this? What he did with Theo was scary and confusing. He didn't know what to do and he couldn't talk with anyone about it. Besides, he had no idea what he could even tell if anyone was listening. He didn't understand his feelings and everything was just a little too much for him now.

And the worst part was that although Isaac had forgiven him and even apologized for ignoring him a little too long, it still felt like Phoebe was still between them like a wall. They were talking and playing games and eating too much like they used to do every week but somehow, it just felt different now.

He might have been a bit selfish when he yelled about Isaac spending too much time with his new girlfriend but it didn't have to change everything. Maybe Isaac knew that Quentin didn't really like Phoebe and was angry about it?

But for his defense, he didn't know her well enough to like her. Now that he thought more about it, he realized that it only made him look as if he didn't care enough to get to know his best friend's girlfriend which was mostly true.

But what could he say? 'Hey, I know I haven't been good with Phoebe but that was because I really love you and she was in the way even though you're straight and now this is awkward'?

Yeah, no thanks. But maybe he should put more effort into this, be a better friend and show Isaac that he would always have his back like they said when they were younger.

"So... how are you and Phoebe?" Was this awkward? No, it wasn't. It was a normal thing friends talked about. Then why was Isaac looking at him like that? "What? Can't I be nice?"

"You can be but you have never been with her. All you do is glare at her as if she murdered someone and I have to say it now, you gotta stop it. It's really hurting me and her," Isaac said frowning.

"Sorry, I just don't know her, she's still a stranger sitting in our table," Quentin mumbled an excuse that was stupid even to his own ears.

"That's because you never got to know her!" Isaac yelled angrily before stopping to calm down. "We're fine but that's not what I had in mind. Listen I have wanted to talk to you about this but I didn't know how so I'm just gonna say it straight. I know you've been hiding something from me."

Of course he knew. If you have been best friends with someone almost ten years, you will eventually start to see if he wasn't completely honest. If Quentin denied it now, he would be a liar lying about lying. Was that what he had become?

No, he wouldn't do it again. Not with Isaac who deserved a better friend. It was time to be that again after forgetting the meaning of that word for a while.

"Okay, okay... I - how would I put it - I met someone," Isaac's face lightened up like a Christmas tree at that. "And we had dinner and well, you know, went to bed after that."

Isaac's mouth opened and closed five times before he finally decided what to say. "Why didn't you just tell me? Why hide it? And is he good for you? In and outside on bed," he smirked the last part and that was all Quentin needed to lose the nervousness. Only Isaac would go from a serious topic to sex jokes in one sentence.