The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

19

I was cold, but suddenly colder, not from the air but from her. No one has really...told me that before. When really, all they've ever cared about was my looks and the money I brought, never really about my talent. Or if I even had one.

"You know I can't sing. You've heard it, it's all autotune."

A small smile pulls at her face. "I never said anything about singing. Never said I wanted to be you because of your singing."

"I think that might be an insult."

She laughs. "It's not supposed to be but if you insist I guess it will."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Aren't you scared that I can do something as your instructor that will get you eliminated? And aren't you like, sixteen? Respect your elders, ever heard that before?" I was smiling, maybe a little too much.

She sat up and I do the same so we're eye-level. "I know you won't eliminate me even if you can."

"You're so sure huh?"

She smiles. "Adding on, you're not even that much older than me. Which by the way, I'm seventeen now, my birthday passed by a few weeks ago. So basically we're now the same age, at least for a few more weeks before October 25th comes."

I raise my eyebrows even higher at her. "You know my birthday? What, do you like stalk me?"

She waves me off. "Don't flatter yourself, Maeve Sun Lively. I only remember your birthday because coincidentally it's also my brother's birthday."

My senses got the better of me, and I was about to tell her that October 25th wasn't my real birthday, that I didn't know my actual birthday, that I'm fake. That I'm not who everyone thinks I am. But luckily, she holds out her phone to me which stopped me. I couldn't be more thankful.

It was her lock screen, the picture of a boy that looked about five years old with big black eyes and chubby cheeks, his hair a deep jet black like Klarise's.

"Is that your brother?" She nods. "He looks so much younger than you."

She tucks her phone away but the image of the boy lingers in my mind. "Yeah, late birth I call it."

We're quiet for a moment until I remember her phone call in the bathroom when I found her.

"Who were you on the phone with in the bathroom?"

She doesn't look at me, and any glimpse of a smile had all vanished on her face at my question. "My mother. She was telling me to go back home and continue home school. Except, even now that I'm here, I've still made sure I'm catching up on my education. None of them understands."

I let the silence hang between us until I ask; "Do you want to go back?"

"I don't know."

I lean back on the sidewalk again. "School has never really been my thing. But I also still go."

"You do?"

I nod. "Yeah, got to have a good background you know? But I guess no one really cares at this point. All they care about is my face I feel like, isn't that right? I can't sing, I can't...I mean I can dance. But that was only because of someone else." I couldn't get myself to mention Bridget in front of her. I have finally made another okay friend, and I didn't want to ruin that. I didn't know why, but for some reason, I felt like if I mentioned Bridget to her she'd know everything of what I have once done.

"You're right, you can't sing."

I looked up at her, surprised she was so straightforward and blunt. "Wow, I thought you'd at least lie or something."