A LIE AT THE BEACH

Chapter 21: Sidney.

"No. I only met her for the first time that day." I reply somehow harshly and I regret it but I can't tell her I do because that will come with other questions I'm not ready to answer. I can't belive I freaking lied to her.

"Sid..."

"You trust me?" I ask coldly and Athens flinches a little.

Shit, I'm sorry for pulling the trust card right now but I can't fess up yet. I'm a coward and that makes me angry. By reflex, I tighten my palms on the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white. I notice how Athens turns away to face the window and I know she doesn't believe me. I'm so fucked up. I can't even look in her eyes while talking to her and this also happens when I drop her home.

I rush out of there like my life depends on it. The irony of it all...I always rush to get there to pick her to spend as much time as I can with her but now I'm rushing to get out of her sight. Hits different...in a bad way. I decide to drive back home to the house I share with Jake. We bought it in freshman year second semister since we had practically become brothers...we were really close friends that had instantly kicked it off as soon as we met. I open with my spare key and head straight for my room passing Jake lounging on the couch...guy never gets tired of the playstation.

"Hello to you too man." He hollers as I enter my room and I ignore him. It keeps replaying in my head...I lied to her. I fucking lied to her. But what would I have done? I couldn't just say yes because there would be consequences I know. She would have to find out about Delilah and that I know about Jill and Jake...and that we all knew each other from before the beach. Oh fuck.

Worst of it all, she would know Jake forged the attack of the girls at the beach. Where the hell was my brain at? How could I let Jake go through with his plan just so he could get back to having hookups with Jill. I am disgusted with myself. I accepted the plan Jake gave me. I accepted to go for Athens and Jake for Jill when we saw them at the beach. I let Jake pay off those two rascals to go try to attack the two girls so Jake and I could swoop in like heroes and woo the girls. Jill and Jake broke up in freshman year and according to Jake, Jill had become hotter now and he needed her back. I only accepted the plan because Athens looked sexy as hell that day at the beach. Also because I had never seen her around here so I guessed she didn't know me or my ugly history. I can't face her again with all this guilt. I have to avoid her at all costs until I find a way to tell her everything.

She will hate me. She might even reconsider working here after graduation and I'll lose her forever. God, what is wrong with me? I remember Jill also pretended not to know us because she hated us and now she knows the whole truth of the occurrences of the beach day. She was really hesitant to keep playing along because she feared Athens would find out. I'm still in my thoughts when I get a phone call from Jill.

"What?" I say angrily as soon as I pick.

"Uh I should be the one speaking angrily right now so you better calm the fuck down, mister." she replies equally angrily and panicked.

I hope it's not what I'm thinking. "What do you mean?" I ask stoically but deep down I'm scared. "I mean, Athens knows we all know each other asin you, Jake and I." She lets out a shaky breath. "No way. How?" I growl into the phone. "She.. " "Come over" I cut her off. "Ugh I can't you asshole. I can't leave her in this state." Jill says.

"What state?" I ask urgently almost panicking.

"She's hurt...She literally chased me out of her room a few moments ago." No no no.. shit no. Now she definitely knows I lied to her.

"Sid?"

I just throw my phone on the floor. I don't even want to know what it looks like now that it hit the door so harshly. Damn we had such a nice day and this is how it ends! This karma thing must be true. I hear Jake pound on my door but I don't care right now. My hands are gripping my hair. We didn't even get to know each other well and down the drain everything goes. It's just my bad luck at this point. It always fails me. I almost got something nice in my life...almost but. I throw my laptop at the wall. I sit on my bed with my elbows on my knees and fingers in my hair gripping it hard. I'm such a loser.

"Sid? Sid? Sid you okay in there?" I hear Jake worriedly ask at my door. "Go away fuckface." I know that's not necessary but I'm too angry and he led us into this situation so he deserves it. I hear him sigh loudly. "I'll be back, dude." He says and leaves. Whatever. I need some alcohol in my system so I walk out of my bedroom and head straight for the kitchen fridge and grab a beer. I open it with my teeth spitting out the bottletop and chugging the burning liquid down my throat. I've had a girlfriend before but it never hurt this much whenever I hurt her. Athens. We've never even kissed but look at how I'm reacting just because she's hurt. I have to either avoid her or find a way to tell her the whole truth because in all due honesty, I can't allow to lose her.

"Hey man, what's up your ass?" Jake approaches me with a stern look pausing at the kitchen counter as I stand leaning against the fridge with a beer in hand. I glare at him. "Nothing." I'm probably being childish but I couldn't give two shits. He releases a sigh and sits on one of the stools surrounding the counter and stares me down. "What happened at the waterfalls, Sid?" This guy never gives up what the heck. "Nothing happened. Had fun and now I'm back." "Wow. I can see you're in a colourful mood. Can you come braid my hair while you're at it?" Jake speaks sarcastically. "Look, nothing happened okay?" "Yeah I believe you." You and I know he's still being sarcastic. To hell with it.

"I lied to her." I speak up. "Athens?"

"No, Cinderella you punk." I glare and he shrugs and nods for me to continue. I blow out a breath through my mouth. "She asked whether I knew Jill from before the beach incident-" Jake's eyes widen and I nod. "I panicked and said no. I pushed it even further by asking her if she trusted me when she asked again. Fuck. Now she knows I lied and Jill called a few minutes ago saying she's hurt. Imagine how she will feel when she knows the whole truth..." An involuntary shiver goes through me.

"How the hell did she find ou....oh Jill spilled. Shit. Athens must have overheard when I went over to their house about the pregnancy stuff."

It's now my turn to widen my eyes. "What? You went to their house? Couldn't you just call Jill over instead of going there to ruin my chances of ever having Athens as my girlfriend?" I am furious right now. "Well, your girl wasn't on my mind when I went there livid as hell." He flails his arms around.
"Now that you know and you're also aware you brought up the whole mess at the beach...." I bark and Jake cuts me off. "Don't be a fucking bitch, Sid. You gave your consent to it that day after all you had seen a fine as fuck girl with my ex." He glares. We both glare at each other and I walk out of the kitchen pushing Jake along the way.

"You know instead of acting childish as you are doing right now, it would be better if you sought solutions to your problems." Jake barks at my back as I climb the stairs to go to my room and maybe break more stuff. I need to sleep this off first. Dad used to say sleep was always a perfect escape when I was little. I slam my door and fall onto my bed to catch some sleep before Jake pushes my door open in anger. Why the fuck didn't I lock the damn door.

"You are going to listen to me." Jake says in finality and I just look at him.

"Look, I may be stupid sometimes and make fucked up mistakes but I can't just sit around when my best friend is hurting. I know you are even if you don't admit it. I'm really sorry I put you through this but again I'm not sorry because if I hadn't pulled that shit at the beach, you wouldn't have even gotten to know Athens' name. You have to do something about this not me. It was my mistake yes but it's YOUR girl that's hurting right now and she needs answers from YOU not me." Okay that makes sense but... He continues "I see the wheels turning in your head but I assure you, this time it's good advice. Just fight for what's yours. She needs to know and it will be upon her whether to accept you as you are or go running for the hills. Whatever she chooses, it's for the best."

Thank heavens for a best friend like mine. "Why are you looking at me like you might kiss me the next second?" Jake says playfully. "Bring it in." He says and I roll my eyes but nonetheless stand up and hug him as we clap each other's backs as a way of bromance. I nod my thanks to him but he shakes his head meaning no problem. Now I have to find a way to talk to Athens and explain. It won't be easy.

"Good luck, bro." Jake says with a small smile. "Thanks." I say. He's starting to walk out of the room and I holler at him.

"You too though. I know you still like Jill...if not more now just that you can't allow yourself to." By now he's turned towards me with a shocked face and I smirk at him knowing I got him. "No, I don't like her." He's already pissed and that confirms it further. "Yeah, sure got it." I reply sarcastically. "Damn you." He says and flips me the bird. "No thank you. " I shout at him as he goes and he laughs. "Your loss." he shouts back. Punk.