Turning Tables

Confessions

In high school, I discovered I was different.

While most of my friends were crushing over the gorgeous boys in campus, I was checking out girls.

To avoid peer pressure, I would randomly look for a guy when asked whom I liked.

It worked for a while.

No one suspected I was a lesbian.

Except for my dad.

***

One day, he saw me at the park talking to my crush.

When I got home, he asked me whom the girl was.

I couldn't hide my flushed cheeks and my father only laugh.

"You can tell me, Althea." He told me.

"Otherwise, the color of your face speaks your truth."

***

Lying was never my forte.

I thought of that incident as Jade waited for me to reveal what I have to tell her.

Her beautiful face was a picture of a thousand emotions.

I saw confusion, curiosity and fear among other things.

"My name is Althea," I declared.

She didn't respond to what I said.

Instead, her expression changed to one of amusement to dismay.

"You lied to me?" she asked when she gained her voice and the words pierced my heart.

We were still standing in front of my father's grave.

How apt that I chose to make the revelation here.

I could never lie to my dad, well, there were times when I did, but I always came clean.

In the same manner, I could never prolong the agony of hiding my identity to Jade.

She's the only one afflicted with amnesia.

I'm not.

It won't be fair to her or to myself to keep this betrayal.

"Althea?" Jade whispered my name as she bit the nail on her index finger.

"Althea...Althea...Althea" she repeated the words as if trying to make sense of what I told her.

Jade slowly walked away and I followed behind her.

Her face quickened and I asked where she was going.

"I don't know," she replied without looking at me.

"Jade please?" I pleaded.

She stopped in front of a wooden bench and absentmindedly sat on it.

The sun was already high in the sky and I felt the humidity.

I unzipped my hoodie and sat beside Jade who looked dazed.

My hand reached for hers and Jade stared at my red fingernails.

"Why do you make me feel this way?" she blurted and it was my turn to be puzzled.

"What do you mean?" I replied.

Jade took a deep breath before answering my question.

"I couldn't get you out of my mind since the day I met you in the bathroom," she confessed.

She placed her hand on top of mine and the warmth of her palm engulfed my skin.

I looked up to see her lovingly looking at me.