Behind the Fake Smile *completed*

Behind the Fake Smile Cp30

In school everyone remained oblivious and I was thankful that John and Lizzie too pulled a fake smile on their lips when needed and I knew that everytime they did, something inside of them ached. I knew it wasn't the fact that they knew about my cancer, it was something else. They're eyes clouded over with memories everytime they pretended to smile. They were hiding something, I know they were but I'm not going to press them to tell me. It seemed like something they wanted to hide forever...

"Anna," Michael whispered to me once John and Lizzie were quite ahead of us. "Is there something the matter?"

"What do you mean?" I looked at him feeling panic raising slowly from the pit of my stomach.

"Well they seem all smiley like always but their smile doesn't reach their eyes," he looked at me. "They're faking their smiles."

"No they aren't!" I lied.

"Yes they are. I'm actually very good at catching people out when they use fake smiles," he jutted his chin out proudly. I had to cough to stop myself from laughing at his last remark since he hasn't spotted me faking my smile for a good month. "So why are they faking it? You can tell me Anna! We're best friends!" He slung his arm around my shoulder.

"I'll tell you but you have to promise not to treat me, Lizzie or John differently. I still want you to be stupid and goof off like you always do because if you don't then I won't tell you anything ever again," I looked in his eyes serious and he returned his gaze.

"I promise," his mouth in a straight line.

I paused for a while contemplating whether or not to tell him. I should at tell him that at least since he is my best friend. He changed my whole life. I used to think that best friends were stupid to have. The idea of having someone to be your best friend meant that you needed to be best friends forever. Not for a while. Forever. Now I have to say that having a best friend is the best thing that's happened to me a long time- apart from John and Lizzie becoming my siblings.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry but I promised someone that I wouldn't and I never break a promise... I'm so sorry Michael."

"Why are you sorry?" I asked still hugging him. "A promise is a promise but if it's something serious, you have to tell me."

"Us homosapians and our strange need to keep promises," I laughed and tried to steer the conversation away from agreeing to tell him if it became serious... which it was.

"You're a strange lil' cookie aren't you?" he laughed nudging me slightly.

"Well I have to agree with little but I hope I'm not a cookie. You'd probably try to eat me if I was," I laughed and nudged him back.

"I would have tried to eat you regardless," he winked at me playfully making me blush immensly.

"Why does everything have to be so dirty with you," I mumbled and then shoved him harder than I had planned. He stared at me angrily from the ground where he landed when he lost balence and tripped over his feet after I had pushed him too hard.

"Bitch," his mouth was in a straight line and I would have thought he was being serious if it wasn't for the twinkle in his chocolate brown eyes.

"What're you gonna do?" I shrugged then skipped the remaining distence to the tree house. I climbed the tree skillfully and threw myself through the poor excuse of a door landing with a forwards roll. I still don't understand what went through his mind when he decided to use the window a door. What if one of us suddenly became morbidly obese? I'd love to be able to witness him kicking himself in the bum.

Michael collapsed in a heap on the floor behind me but quickly stood up so I wouldn't make fun out of him. "Not a word," he held up his index finger and sat on the floor. "It's really dirty isn't it?" He pulled a face as he looked around.