Believe Me, I'm Lying

Chapter Two

"Hey, kiddo. How was your first day?" Immediately after stepping into my house, I was greeted by my Aunt's voice, loud and clear. Realizing that the voice came from her office just down the hall from the doorway, I followed it. Stepping into Aunt Jill's office, I was hit by the scent of packaging supplies with undertones of ink. Despite the largeness of the office, most of the room was already filled with boxes of various sizes, some cabinets, and a single glass desk set back by the window.

"Hey," I spoke, stopping to feel some ribbon samples sticking out from a sloppily opened box stacked upon other boxes by the doorway. "School was good," I murmured.

"That's good," Aunt Jill replied as she kept her eyes glued to her laptop, her manicured fingers speedily typing away. "You saw Alexis and Christopher and everyone?"

Everything seemed to slow down as she said his name. I was not going to cry, but I wasn't breathing, either. "Um, yeah, I did see them," I managed to get out with some coughs while tugging at the tennis bracelet on my wrist. I hadn't told Aunt Jill about Christopher dumping me, but I knew I would have to. He was always over here when he was free during the school year, so she should notice when he wouldn't be here at all this year. Still, Aunt Jill was always preoccupied. Or, maybe he would be back before she noticed he was ever gone. "They're all doing well," I smiled a bit too cheerfully as I looked up from the ribbon.

"Good," she commented, glancing up from the computer. "I was thinking about Chinese take-out tonight? I've got a major call for the McGowan's to get this French catering company. They've always been booked nearly a year ahead and I've only had one other wedding with them before. Hopefully, they'll be able to squeeze something in for us pretty soon."

I shrugged a nodded with an apathetic smile. "Sure, that sounds good. I can call in an hour."

"Great, thanks, hun," Aunt Jill responded, the clacking of the keys telling me where her attention was back at.

     As I walked out of her office, I didn't feel so stifled anymore. Perhaps I'd have to cross the bridge of telling Aunt Jill another day. Or hopefully, never at all.

• • • • •

"So, what's the plan?" Alexis inquired with a cool voice, her words reaching me through video chat on my laptop.

I shrugged, continuing to flip through a battered and well-used book on ancient mysteries. History itself was a somewhat boring subject, but the unknown parts of it were completely captivating. "I don't know, I mean he did say we could work, but I think I've got to stay away from him for a week or so," I reluctantly answered, not enjoying the sound of what I knew was the truth.

"Uh, no," Alexis scoffed, to which I glanced up at the screen to find her tossing a soccer ball to herself while she laid on her bed. "I meant Toby."

"Oh, right," I replied absently, sitting up on my bed. "Him."

"You know, Scar," Alexis sighed, still tossing the ball up, "you should just forget about Christopher. I know he's a really great guy and all, but you shouldn't make yourself so upset over this. Maybe it's for the best that he dumped you."

I rolled my eyes at her suggestion, serving her image on the screen an angry glare. "You don't get it. We were together for a year and eight months; I can't just forget everything."

"When he says the whole relationship was a sham, I think you can," Alexis countered.

"But he said he felt something," I pleaded, "and I know I did, too. I know what he said makes sense, but that's not the whole story."