Creativity // 5SOS

Liar, Liar

"I said the same thing." Jas said smiling like a little kid who just entered the candy store.

Dad walks closer to me and says, "I've missed you so much!" He hugs me tightly for a while then let's go to face Luke.

Luke shines his make-a-girl-melt-and-make-her-father-like-you smirk and says, "Hi I'm Luke, Eliza's boyfriend. It's so nice to finally meet you sir! Eliza, talks about you all the time."

Dad nods and says, "Yes Eliza. Nice to meet you too Luke, I'm Daniel."

I look over to Mum who looks nervous and says, "Dear, don't you think it's time for dinner?" She turns to Luke and I and asks, "Want to stay?"

"Sure." We both respond at the same time.

***

All five of us are sitting around the table having tacos for dinner, enjoying each other's company.

"So Daniel," Luke began to ask, "what do you do in the military?"

"I work with drones in Iran." He said nervously.

Luke nods and asks, "Have you only worked in Iran or were you ever somewhere else?"

Dad hesitates for a minute and says, "Isreal and that's it."

I turn to his and ask, "I thought it was only Iran and Germany?"

"Ah yes! Germany. Sorry Amelia."

"Eliza." Luke corrects him.

Mum gives out a nervous laughs and says, "Daniel, you've been in that place so long you've lost your memory."

Jas begins to tell Dad all about her new school and the giant change from New York to Australia. Gosh that move was almost eight months ago!

I play around with my fingers wondering what changed him. "You didn't write on my birthday this year."

"I'm sorry. It was just that I had many things to do and all mailing-"

I don't what snapped, but I push my chair back making it fall and yell, "MY BIRTHDAY DIDN'T EVEN PASS AND YOU NEVER WOULD WRITE!" Luke eases my down making my calmly ask, "Who are you?"

Dad looks to Mum who looks down and says, "I'll explain."

"Explain what!?"

Mum takes a deep breath. "This is not your father."

My jaw drops in shock. "No, no that's a lie! He's Daniel Wan my father! He's in the military and I remember for five years of my life we all lived in freaking Germany!"

"Eliza, we lived in an army base in Germany, but you didn't have a father there, it was just my friend Carl here that pretended. I don't know where your father is, he left right after Jas was born."

I stand up and slam the front door and start walking in the cold weather.

"Ms. Creativity." Luke called running closer to me.

"I'm not in the mood for nicknames. I've lived a giant lie all my life! I thought I had a dad!" I rub my arms to keep me warm.

Luke takes his coat off and places it over me, "Here, it's freezing out here."

"I've lived a lie." I keep repeating to myself.

Luke drapes his arm around me to pull me closer to him. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, at least you know where your dad is."

"Hey, come on."

I cover my face in his chest and take deep breaths full of anger. Then for a minute of dead silence I begin to burst into tears. "I fucking hate this world. Why does it have to be so unfair!?"