The Truth Comes Out

by Victorine E. Lieske

  “Really, Sadie? For a smart girl, you sure can be dumb sometimes.” Lorena’s face soured.

  “What makes you so sure he likes me?”

  “Well, let’s see. One, he’s been hanging around you a lot lately.” She ticked it off on her finger.

  Sadie raised an eyebrow. “We’re science partners. He has to hang around me.”

  “Two, he acts funny around you.”

  “He acts funny around everybody.”

  Lorena folded her arms across her chest. “Three. He told me he likes you.” A triumphant look crossed her face.

  Butterflies assaulted Sadie’s stomach. “Really? He told you that?”

  “Yes. I told him to ask you out. He didn’t want to because he was sure you’d say no. I told him to do it anyway, and I got my brother to pick me up, so you could be alone with him. He finally gathers up his courage to ask you, and you say no.” Lorena glared at her.

  “Well I…I just thought he was thirsty.” Lorena was right. She was an idiot.

  “Okay. Here’s the plan.” Lorena shifted, leaning toward Sadie. “You have to act like you like him, so he’ll ask you out again.”

  “But I don’t like him. At least, not that way.” She couldn’t like him. A boyfriend definitely wasn’t part of her plan. Love screwed things up. She’d seen it happen first-hand.

  “You are a master at denial, Sadie Garrett. You’ve told yourself you don’t like him so much you’ve convinced yourself. The only problem is you do like him. I can tell.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  ***

  Sadie punched her pillow and flipped over. Eleven forty-five. Why couldn’t she sleep? Thoughts of Aaron kept drifting into her head, and her body filled with nervous tingling.

  Aaron liked her.

  Not good. She didn’t need this. She had to stick to her plan. Graduate with honors, attend law school, get a good job, and excel. Attainable. Predictable. She knew how to accomplish those goals.

  She didn’t know how to handle Aaron.

  Why couldn’t things go back to the way they were?

  An image of Aaron leaning over Jenna popped into her head. He had acted quite friendly with Jenna.

  Aaron doesn’t like me. Lorena must be mistaken. She’d go to school tomorrow and things would be the same as they always were.

  Wouldn’t they?

  ***

  The chair scraped as Sadie pulled it out and sat down. The first one in the classroom. She set her notebook on the desk and placed her pencil beside it, then crossed her legs and straightened her skirt. Kids began filing in; conversations started, and more chairs scraped.

  Sadie tried not to look around for Aaron. She’d never done it before. No reason to start now. Instead, she stared out the shaded window at the vague outline of a tree.

  Jenna’s hips swayed as she sauntered toward her. “Hi, Sadie.” Jenna hadn’t mispronounced her name once since Sadie helped her with her science project.

  “Hey, Jenna.”

  “My experiment is going really good. What a great idea to fill the balloons with different things to see if they would float or sink. Even Rick is helping me now.”

  “Great, Jenna.” Sadie smiled.

  Aaron slapped his notebook on his desk and took his seat. “What’s great?”

  “Jenna’s experiment is going well.” Sadie chanced a cursory glance at him. He had on a dark green polo shirt, which brought out a hint of green in his eyes. Her insides twisted. She looked away.

  “I’m glad,” Aaron said.

  The bell rang, and Jenna hurried to get into her seat. Sadie sat up straight and scooched her chair in.

  Mr. Thorton cleared his throat. “I would like the initial data from your science projects handed in by tomorrow. Use your class time wisely.”

  The hum of conversations filled the classroom. She allowed her gaze to land on Aaron again. He seemed to be acting normal. Good. Lorena was wrong. He’s friendly. Nothing more.

  “I did some research last night.” Aaron grinned at her. She tried not to notice the way her heart thumped in her ribcage in response.

  “What’d you research?”

  “This website says if you count backwards while answering, you can lie and fool a lie detector machine.”

  Sadie grabbed her notebook and flipped to her notes. “Interesting. Let’s try that after school.”

  “You’re coming over again?”

  “Yeah. We’ve got to get more data compiled, so we can hand it in.”

  “Sounds good. It’s a date.”

  The word ‘date’ sent a shiver through her. Of course it wasn’t a date. It was simply an expression. They worked through the class period, Aaron acting as he always did.

  Sadie breathed a sigh of relief.

  The rest of the day sped by, and before she knew it, the final bell rung. As she put her books away in her locker, Aaron walked over and leaned on the wall. “You want a ride to my house?”

  Why did her heart have to speed up whenever he was around? She frowned. “Sure.”

  They walked down the hall together. Several girls waved or batted their eyes at Aaron as they passed. He nodded in acknowledgment, but didn’t say anything to them.

  He opened the door and held it for her.

  Friendly, that’s all.

  The afternoon had warmed, and Sadie slipped her jacked off. The top was down on Aaron’s car, and a group of cheerleaders scowled as Aaron opened the car door for her. “Do you need to stop off at your house or anything?”

  “No, my mom knows I’m working on this project with you tonight.”

  “Okay, then.” He shut her door and walked around to the driver’s side.

  Silence filled the car as he drove, the wind blowing through her hair. She adjusted her headband and then stared down at her fingernails. I should say something.

  “Did you go see the end of the world movie?”

  “No, I…not yet.” Aaron tapped the steering wheel with his thumb.

  “Well, if you decide to go see it, let me know if it’s any good.”

  More silence. He pressed the break for a stop light.

  “Do you want to go with me? To the movie I mean.” He glanced at her then rushed to say, “Just so I don’t have to go alone.” He cringed. “I mean—”

  “Sure.” It’s not like he’s asking me on a date. He just wants to see the movie with someone else. Lorena is so wrong about him.

  Aaron flashed her one of his hotter-than-the-latest-teen-sensation smiles. “Cool.”

  He parked in his driveway and they headed down to the basement. They decided to hook Sadie up to the machine again.

  After the control questions, Aaron began the questions they decided on in class. “When you were five years old, did you steal something from a grocery store?”

  Sadie began counting backwards in her mind. Twenty-five. Twenty-four. Twenty-three. “No.”

  “Didn’t you slip a pack of gum into your pocket?”

  She concentrated on the numbers, and tried to tune out the thought of her childhood incident. “No.”

  “Didn’t your mother find out about this and make you take it back to the clerk?”

  Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen. “No.”

  “Did you—”

  A door slammed upstairs, making Sadie jump.

  Aaron startled, looking up from his piece of notebook paper. Shouting carried down the stairs. A woman’s voice.

  Aaron’s face flushed. “Um…we’d better finish this another time.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Sounds like my mom’s home, and she’s not too happy about something.” Aaron tore off the test results sheet, shoved it into his backpack along with the other papers, then unhooked Sadie from the machine.

  More yelling, a male voice joined in. Most of it was muffled, but she did hear a few f-bombs being thrown around. Sadie’s throat constricted. Is this what his parents are like?

  “Come on, we’d better go.” Aaron picked up her stuff
and led her up the stairs and out the front door, which he pulled shut despite the warm afternoon. They could still hear hollering coming from inside the house.

  Aaron slung his backpack over his shoulder, his cheeks pink. “My parents…they get like this sometimes. Can we go to your house?”

  Her house? Sure, why not. He’d already seen the outside. No reason not to. “Okay.”

  Sadie chewed her lip as Aaron drove. What her father did was horrible, but at least when he was around he treated her mother with respect. She’d never heard her parents argue. Not even after her mother found out what he had done. Things had simply become eerily silent.

  “I’m really sorry.” Aaron looked uncomfortable.

  “It’s not your fault.” Sadie touched his arm. Warmth spread through her fingers and up her hand, but she didn’t remove it.

  “I know. It’s just…you shouldn’t have to listen to them fight.” He stopped his Mustang in front of her house and cut the engine.

  “Do they fight often?” she asked quietly.

  Aaron’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, and he stared straight ahead. “I guess.”

  “Do you think they’re going to…get a divorce?”

  “I don’t know. I just wish they’d get along.” He clenched his jaw.

  A hollow spot formed in Sadie’s chest. “Come on, let’s go inside. I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  She unlocked the metal door and ushered him in. “This is the living room, dining room, kitchen and family room, all in one convenient fifteen by twenty five foot space.”

  He laughed. “It looks homey.”

  Her mother’s hand-sewn curtains, which matched the maroon carpet, did add a nice touch. There wasn’t a lot of space for nick knacks, but several framed pictures of her and her mother hung on the walls, and a nice candle arrangement sat on the coffee table. “Thanks. Do you want some water or something?”

  “Sure.”

  Sadie opened a cupboard and took out a glass, then grabbed an ice tray from the freezer. She plopped two cubes of ice in the glass, filled it with tap water, and handed it to Aaron. They sat on the couch, and he took a sip. He stared down at his glass. “Thanks.”

  Sadie watched him for a minute. She wasn’t sure what to say to take away his obvious embarrassment.

  He cleared his throat. “You’re mom’s not home?”

  “She works two jobs. She’ll be home after dinner.”

  He nodded. “That’s tough. I guess with your dad not around…”

  “My dad’s in jail,” Sadie blurted out. She didn’t mean to; it just came flying out. Maybe a part of her wanted to make him feel better about his parents.

  Aaron stared at her. “Really?”

  “Yeah.” She fiddled with the fringe on the blanket draped over the back of the couch. She’d done it now. No going back. Might as well tell him everything. “He embezzled money from his company. A lot of money. They came and took our house, all our things, and dragged him off to jail.”

  “How awful.”

  Sadie swallowed. “Yeah, it was. But it was a long time ago, and we manage to keep our head above water. I wish Mom didn’t spend so much time at work, but in the end, what matters is that Mom and I are together.”

  “When will he…uh, get out?”

  She shrugged. “Not anytime soon. He got fifty years. Even if they let him out on parole, my mom wouldn’t take him back. We’re officially on our own.”

  Silence settled in between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Aaron stared at her, and she held his gaze. She liked the way he bit his lip when he was thinking. It showed vulnerability.

  He took her hand and her fingers tingled. “Thanks for telling me about your dad.”

  She didn’t take her hand away.

  Chapter Five

  Aaron shifted in the theater seat as the lights dimmed. She was here, with him, on a date. Well, a sort-of-date. He had downplayed it to a friend thing, so she would say yes. He’d call it a success anyway.

  And she’d let him hold her hand when they were at her house. Definite progress.

  “Want some popcorn?” Sadie nudged the bucket toward him. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of her neck.

  “Sure.” Actually, he’d eaten two double cheeseburgers before picking her up and was stuffed, but everyone ate popcorn at the movies, and he didn’t want to seem weird. He took the bucket and popped a kernel in his mouth. His stomach complained.

  The previews started, and Aaron looked down at Sadie’s hand. It was sitting on the arm rest. No, he didn’t want to try holding her hand now. The movie hadn’t even started yet. He’d better wait. Instead, he stared at her hand.

  “You painted your nails.”

  “Hmm?” Sadie turned to him.

  “They look nice. Your nails. They’re not usually painted.”

  “Oh, thanks.” She smiled.

  Time seemed to crawl by. He was sure everyone in the theater could hear how loud his heart beat. He waited until the movie was half way though, then stared down at her hand.

  I should just take her hand. It’s no big deal. People hold hands all the time. It’s not like I’m trying to kiss her or anything.

  Aaron bounced his foot.

  Great. Now I’m thinking about kissing her. That definitely is a bad idea. No. Stick to hand holding, Aaron. What’s the worst thing that could happen? She could pull it away. That’s all. It’s not like the world would end.

  The thought made him smile, given the nature of the movie they were watching. The ice age had come; millions had died; the rest were living underground. He let out a little chuckle.

  “What’s so funny?” she whispered.

  “Nothing.”

  She moved her hand a fraction of an inch closer to him.

  Is that a sign? Does she want me to hold her hand now?

  A lump formed in his throat, and he tried to swallow it down.

  Here goes.

  He reached over and took her hand, tentatively. Her skin was so soft and warm.

  She didn’t pull it away.

  Yes!

  They held hands through the rest of the movie.

  ***

  The lights came on in the theater, and Sadie stood, letting go of Aaron’s hand. A part of her didn’t want to. The warmth of his touch was nice. Every once in a while, his thumb stroked the side of her palm. Her nerve endings tingled when he did.

  But he’d been clear about tonight. This was not a date. He simply needed someone to go see the movie with him, which was fine with her.

  “Did you like the movie?” Aaron shuffled down the isle behind her.

  “Yeah, it was great.” She stuck her hands in her pockets, then took them out again, in case he wanted to hold her hand again. As a friend, of course. They were just friends.

  He held the door open for her, and they stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Maybe we could do it again sometime.”

  “Yes, we should.” The words came out too fast. She didn’t mean for it to sound so…eager. Aaron was going to get the wrong impression. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  The cool night air blew over her skin as they drove to her house, and it helped clear her head. Aaron stopped the car and got out so he could open her door for her.

  “Thanks for coming with me, Sadie.” They stepped up onto her tiny cement landing in front of her door. He stood quite close. Of course he did. There wasn’t a lot of room.

  “No problem.” Gah. Her voice sounded all high-pitched and breathless, like those dim-witted girls that flirted with Aaron at school.

  He leaned a little closer to her. The warmth of his body and the smell of his breath washed over her. He must be chewing gum or something; his breath smelled really good. She leaned a little closer to get another whiff. A touch of mint mixed with a sporty scent. Her head spun.

  She gazed up into his eyes…those cloudy grey eyes. They darkened. Something inside of her stirred.

  Before she knew it,
she closed the distance between them, brushing her lips to his. The sensation was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Fireworks. That’s the only way to describe it. Her body felt all tingly and hot, and she stepped back and gasped.

  “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to.”

  Aaron stared at her, and then pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers. Not a feather-light brushing like she’d given him, but a call-the-fire-department kind of kiss. Warmth flooded her; her knees went weak, and she closed her eyes. She’d never imagined kissing would be so good. His lips, moist and hot, urged her to give him more. She couldn’t resist.

  When he finally broke away from her, he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers, holding her face in his hands.

  Panic swelled in her. They were friends, nothing more. How could she have done this? She had to get away from him. Now. She backed up, out of his grasp.

  “I have to go.” Sadie turned, tugged open the screen door, and fumbled with the key. “Good night.”

  “Wait—”

  She stumbled inside and slammed the door. She barely made it to her room before the tears started.

  ***

  Aaron stood there, staring at the door.

  Just great. He’d done it again.

  How did I manage to screw things up? She kissed me. Didn’t that mean…?

  Aaron let his thoughts drift away. It didn’t matter. She was mad, and he should leave. He turned to go, but couldn’t take a step. His jaw muscles clenched.

  Wait.

  Anger bubbled up in his stomach. She kissed him. She liked him; he knew it. And he was going to get her to admit it. No more walking on egg shells. He was going to force her to be truthful once and for all—with him, and with herself.

  He whipped around and knocked on Sadie’s front door. “Sadie, open the door.”

  No answer. He waited and then pounded on the door with his fist. When nothing happened, he beat on the cold metal again.

  “I’m not leaving until you open this—”

  The door flew open.

  “—door.”

  Sadie’s tear streaked face made his heart fall into his shoes. His anger melted away. “I’m sorry.” Those weren’t the words he wanted to say. He didn’t even mean it. He wasn’t sorry for kissing her.