Liar

Thirty-three

One week has passed by. A week full of suffering. A week full of nightmares. A week of missing Niall and still loving him unconditionally. Though I felt better by every day that went by. Tomorrow Jake drives me back to Attleboro and we'll spend one week there, before I'll leave this town forever.

My dad told me that a county fair is in Attleboro since yesterday and Jake and I decided to go there in two days. I talked to Mona and Ezra if they would like to go there with us and Jake asked Louis as well.

I actually manage to smile and to even laugh sometimes already. I feel a lot better since I realized that I won't ever see Niall again, it's really relieving.

Jake and I met up with Louis twice this week. He still doesn't know what happened to me and why I am so dazed, but we'll meet him today as well and I will tell him, now that I feel better. Jake told him that my grandmother had died and that this is the reason why I'm so down. I put on some jeans and a sweater. It actually is one of my mom's one. I decided to wear it because I imagined her scent while I wore it.

I miss her. I really do.

"Where are we going to meet him?" I ask Jake as we put on our shoes.

"MacGee's. If it's okay for you?" After one week his words still are filled with pity.

"Sure," I respond, opening the door, acting like I'm all fine again. I am... In some way. I'm still hurt as fuck though.

We walk down the Avenue and I remember why I actually love this city so much. It's just fabulous.

We enter MacGee's and Jake orders two beers for us. We sit down on a table for four people, waiting for Lou to arrive. As a good-looking young man enters the bar, I stand and embrace him.

"How are you? Are you feeling better?" He asks me, concerned.

"A lot!" I smile, but his worried expression won't fade. "Actually, there's so,ething I gotta tell you. You remember our conversation at Eric's game, don't you?" I ask, shuddering inwardly at the word 'game'.

"Yes."

"Well, yes, I love Niall. We kind of slept with each other twice and on the last day of school I sort of heard the group of them talking about me and it turned out that it was just a game they used to play with the entire high school." I must not cry. Not again. Not here. Not in fron of Louis. I swallow the lump in my throat and act like I'm all fine.

"That motherfucking asshole!" Louis cannot believe it. Well, neither can I.

"I couldn't lie to you any longer about my grandma. She's fine. Jake just came up with it because he thought I'd be embarrassed. I am, though, but it's okay."

"I was part of the game for a long time as well. I'm so happy I'm out of that bullshit. They find it amusing and totally funny to play with girls' feelings, but now that Tracy and I are a couple I can't stand this game anymore. It's disgusting." He spits the last word. Jake is awkwardly sipping on his beer, listening to our every word.

"Since you were part of the game for a while... Would you mind telling me how it works?" I am curious. Of course I am. I thought I was a smart young woman that would notice if a boy only uses her, but nope. I was completely wrong.

"Well, since I've left Attleboro High the game has changed. Especially the game they played with you. You are the big one. They used to talk about how the final game would be like and that it would be the biggest one. I have no idea how it works, though, I'm sorry. I only know that Niall never followed a girl to New York to win it. I was so dumb, like, I must've noticed that he was playing the game with you. As we were here he kept begging me to visit you. But he also kept telling me that he really liked you. He's a great liar, isn't he?" I am numb again. Only one single tear floats down my left cheek. The final game. Suddenly I am nothing more than the final game.