A Life of Lies

~8~

~"The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you UNIQUE"~

Celeste and Brielle decided to leave the posting of the picture alone and let it die down on its own. 

They'd get in trouble for it later because they weren't being honest with Lillie, but for now they wanted to keep the peace within the group. 

Celeste was feeling better (aside from her waterfall of a nose and her cough) and Lillie was actually happy, not causing any tension or stress or trouble. It was an official day of breathable, not so thick air. 

Perfect

For the most part... 

Not all things end perfect, do they?

* * * * 

Celeste still didn't have her appetite back, but she's always been like that. Even with just the tiniest of a cold she loses her appetite completely and takes weeks for it to come back even in the slightest. So instead of eating the lunch her mum made, she tossed her PB and J to Hazel and slowly ate away at a package of fruit snacks, not planning to eat her granola bar or fruit cup. 

"You feeling better today Ce." Lillie asked with a bright smile, and Celeste nodded, not able to contain the smile which tugged at her lips. She loved it when she could get along with Lillie. 

"Much better, thank you." She smiled at Lillie and continued to slowly fill her stomach, not wanting to upset it. She loved days like these, days where she can relax and talk without accidentally hitting a button and setting somebody off into a horrible explosion. 

Lillie and Hazel and Lila were having their own conversation about god know what, while Brielle and Celeste were talking about another embarrassing event that happened to Celeste. 

"So I was in Math and we were watching a movie since it was a free day. I took advantage of this, as I always do, and I went to the bathroom but when I came back they stole my chair!" Celeste began laughing, knowing how ridiculous the story is and just proves even more how anti-social and anxious she is. 

"Oh you poor thing, what did you do after that." 

"I just sat on the ground about ready to cry. Tear's were legit about ready to pour out of my eyes. I didn't want to draw attention to myself by walking to the-" 

"What did you say?" Lillie interrupts her current conversation and Brielle and Celeste's. Celeste shoots her a confused look. 

"Walking?" It came out as more of a question. 

"Why did you say the L?" 

"I've always said it like that..." which was a true statement. Celeste has always said words such as 'walk', 'talk', and 'chalk' with a bit more emphasis on the 'L' in the word. She's never been sure why, but she has for as long as she can remember. She gets shit for it all the time, but she generally laughs along and shrugs it off. 

Was it her want to be British? 

Or her parents/ influencers? 

She'll never know, but she sure as hell isn't going to try and change her accent because of one person who isn't very happy with the way she says it. 

"That's not how it's said." 

"Does it entirely matter Lillie?" Brielle asks, not entirely sure why she's all of a sudden mad about it. 

"It drives me nuts. You're the only person I know who pronounces it that way." Lillie rolls her eyes, continuing to poke at her school bought lunch. 

"Okay, well the way you pronounce Wattpad drives me up the walls. I can go there too Lillie." Celeste smiles, not trying to sound or look like a jerk but doing so anyways. This is the second time Lillie has brought up her accent and she's starting to get tired of it. 

"I pronounce it the way it's supposed to be pronounced." 

"According to the internet it's watt-pad not wat-pad," Lillie rolls her eyes when Celeste pauses to consider her next statement, "So what the hell do you call a lightbulbs brightness then huh? Is it a 60 watt or 60 wat?" 

"Well that's watt but-" 

"Which would imply that something with the same spelling would be pronounced the same way, correct?" 

"Well... no." Celeste rolls her eyes, and crosses her arms in defeat. 

"Whatever Lillie." Celeste's somewhat good mood had officially been ruined. 

"Wanna head to PE?" Brielle asked, and Celeste gave a meek nod. 

"Yes please." 

* * * * 

"I don't get why it freaking matters." Celeste, once in the dressing room, yells. A few heads turn, but they ignore her outburst and she ignores their turned heads. 

"It really doesn't," Brielle tries to reassure her, "I'm not sure why it bugs Lillie so much. It's just a word and I know you aren't the only one who pronounces it that way." Celeste shakes her head. 

"It just- confuses me so much, she does. I've always said those words like that, and we've been friends for three years, why is it all of a sudden bugging her?" 

"Just ignore her Ce," Brielle smiles, "It doesn't matter what she thinks." Celeste nods, giving Brielle a genuine smile. 

"You're right." 

It didn't matter. Nothing Lillie judged her on really mattered. It never would, yet she continued to mention it, and continued to get under Ce's skin. She never understood why, she just wanted to know why it mattered so. damn. much.