Two Truths & A Lie

Chapter 2

People buzzed all around me at I sat in one of the worn, blue cloth chairs in the front office.  Nervous Freshmen with their excitable mothers grasping their hands tightly glanced around the office for anyone they might know.  Two Sophomore girls giggled together and pointed to their schedules - probably trying to see if they could change their schedules to be in the same classes as one-another.  Heave knows that's what Miranda and I did.  A third girl who looked like she might be a Junior was sitting in the corner of the room sniffling.  Partially being nosy, but also wanting to help, I walked to her and took the seat beside her.  "You okay?" 

She brushed some of her brown hair behind her ear and sniffled before trying to smile. "I'm okay.  Just waiting for the nurse.  Thanks Emalia."

I had no idea who she was, but she certainly knew me.  Something I loved, but also something I hated.  I wished I knew her name without asking.  

"Liz," the girl said as if she was reading my mind.  "We've talked before but you probably don't remember.  Everyone wants to talk to you..."

I pursed my lips.  "You sure you're okay?"  I asked again.

She shook her head and sniffled again, finally giving in.  "This guy-"  She whispered.  "This summer we were so close and today he completely ignored me in front of his friends.  I mean, I lost my virginity to him... and he just ignored me like I was nothing-"

Ouch.  Boy problems on the first day of school.  I put an arm around her shoulders and rubbed them slowly.  "Look at me."  She blinked up slowly at me.  "Repeat after me," I told her.  She nodded.  "He's an asshole." 

She hesitated, furrowing her brow and studying my face slowly. "He's-"

"He's an asshole," I repeated.

"But I love-"

"He's an asshole." 

"He's an asshole," Liz finally said, wiping a tear from her cheek.  

"You're absolutely gorgeous and you deserve someone who will take you out and show you off to the world... and especially to his close friends."  I smiled softly at her.  I hadn't been in a ton of relationships in my life and my mother certainly never showed me what a GOOD relationship looked like, but for some reason, I was a relationship expert.  Actually, I considered myself an expert in a lot of things - and I say that in the most humble way I can.  One of the most exciting things to me was watching someone take my advice and end up having a better life because of it.  I'll admit it: I usually looked for people with problems just so I could give them advice.  That, or I searched for the truth behind rumors like a detective so that I could help save someone's reputation.  After years of being at this school of liars and drama-stirring individuals, I was basically an expert at picking out the lies.  "You're not really sick, are you?  Tell me the truth." 

Liz shook her head shamefully.  "I was going to fake throwing up to go home just so I didn't have to see his horrid face."

I frowned and shook my head.  "Nooo.  Don't let that douche see you run.  Let him see you strutting down the hallway with a confidence that could kill.  Show him that he can't hurt you."  Grabbing a tissue from the table beside us, I handed it to Liz and smiled at her encouragingly as she stood up with her books.  

"Come find me at lunch if you need to talk to someone, okay?" I said.  Liz grinned and nodded before walking across the room and into the hall.  I sat back and sighed, perfectly pleased with myself.  One good deed for the day?  Done. 

More and more people seemed to be running in and out of the office door, trying to fix their schedules or lockers or even faking illnesses.  The phone was off the hook and the usual secretary looked like she had been through hell that morning.  Just as I decided that waiting for a new lock wasn't worth my time, Niall walked in.