Lie Lie Pinocchio

VALENTINA’S POV

“This isn't revenge; It’s a promise— a promise I made to myself when she was taken away from me...”

April 19, 2013.

“Hi, Mum, did you get it?” I asked, pressing the phone closer to my ear. In the background, I heard ruffling followed by dad muttering a curse.

Shit. Dad said over the phone.

“Oh no, Bunny, we got so caught up at the hospital that we completely forgot to grab it,” Mum said, her voice apologetic. “We’re almost home now. We’ll get it next time, I promise.”

A frown formed on my face, and I shook my head furiously, even though they couldn’t see me.

“No, Mum! The play is tomorrow, and I’m the lead! If I don’t have Ariel’s costume, Mrs. Richy’s gonna make Hailey take my spot!”

My middle school was hosting its annual spring play, and I had landed the role of Ariel, and Danny Fletcher, the dreamiest boy in school… and a grade above me… was playing Prince Eric. I have had a crush on him since forever and I also knew for a fact that Hailey, my understudy and a total meanie, had a massive crush on him too. If she took my spot, she wouldn’t hesitate to use it as an opportunity to get closer to him.

“It’s okay, Princess. We’ll turn around and get the best Ariel costume for my little girl,” Dad’s voice rang through the phone, steady and full of warmth.

“Thank you, Daddy,” I said, relief washing over me.

“Gary,” I heard Mum’s voice faintly in the background. “You spoil her too much. We can’t turn around now.”

“We have to,” Dad replied without missing a beat. “Val can’t get replaced, that’s my little girl. Don’t worry, Bunny, it’ll be a short drive—”

The call was cut off. I stared at the screen, blinking, knowing exactly what had happened. Mum and Dad must have gotten into an argument and Mum is probably scolding him saying he spoiled me too much, and Dad, like always, would be insisting I was his princess. I knew Dad wouldn’t let me down. He’d get that costume, no matter what.

But I didn’t end up playing Ariel.

Hailey did. And not only did she steal my role in the play, but she also ended up dating Danny until high school, while I was left with a hole in my heart.

If only I’d known that was the last time I’d ever speak to them, I would never have asked for that stupid costume.

APRIL 19 2021…

The door creaked open, and the cold night wind swept into my room. I applied the finishing touches to my makeup and stepped away from the mirror to check my dress. I was wearing a short, fitted wine-colored mini dress with thin spaghetti straps. After strapping on my heels, I took a final glance in the mirror before heading downstairs.

Today was a day I hated to remember… a day that brought nothing but pain.

I had been cooped up in my room all day, a tradition I followed every year on this day. During the day, I stayed away from civilization, isolating myself in my room. But by night, I had another tradition: getting absolutely shitfaced drunk.

My friend Chloe had invited me to a new club that had opened a few months ago. The offer was too tempting to refuse—drinks were on her, and I desperately needed something to take the edge off. Alcohol was my escape, my way of washing away all the emotions that came flooding back on this cursed day. Tonight, I planned to drown myself in every drop of free liquor I could get.

When I reached the living room, I spotted my sister, Taylor, sitting on the couch, staring blankly into nothingness. She was still in her work clothes, so I figured she had just gotten off work. Without saying a word, I stopped in front of her, hurriedly grabbed my bag from the couch, and prepared to leave.

My phone pinged indicating my Lyft was close by, and I didn't want to miss it, as it was almost midnight, and the chance of seeing a taxi was 10%.

I felt a hand drag me back and I looked back to see Taylor holding me back. “Where are you going?” she asked, grabbing my hand and pulling me back gently.

“The new club that I told you about,” l replied, trying to pull my hand out of her grip but it was strong.

“That’s tonight? Seriously? It’s so late! Can’t you skip it and stay home? I was hoping we could sit down together and talk.”

I stopped struggling and shot her an almost angry look. “Talk about what?”

“Them, Len,” she said softly. Her eyes softened as she looked at me, and I immediately knew what she was about to say. “Mum and Dad. You never talk about them, and every year on their anniversary, you do this. Avoiding it won’t make it go away. Alcohol won’t make it go away either,” she said, her voice gentle but firm.

I yanked my hand out of her hold. “Who said I was avoiding it? And besides, it’s been, like, a decade since they died. We don’t need to sit down and rehash how I killed our parents,” I snapped, rolling my eyes.

That was a lie. It had only been 8 years.

“How many times do I have to tell you? What happened to them was an accident. You didn’t kill them, Len. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Taylor said, standing up from the couch and moving closer to me. Instinctively, I stepped back. I didn’t have time for any emotional talks today.

She was starting to get on my nerves. “Sure. Can I go now? It’s getting late.”

“Len,” she said, shaking her head with disappointment. “Fine. Let’s not talk about them. But please, stay home with me. Just this once. Is that really too much to ask?”

She stared at me, her eyes pleading, but I avoided her gaze, unwilling to let her words sink in. 

Taylor only calls me Len when she’s about to manipulate me into doing what she wants. Maybe on another day, it would work—but not today. I couldn't face her today, I couldn't sit and talk knowing it was because of me she was working this hard, whether Taylor liked to admit it or not, I ruined our lives.

“It’s getting late, Taylor. You said it yourself… I need to leave early. So please, let me go.”

“What's wrong with you, you party every day, every single day, Valentina,” she started, her voice sharp. I knew the outburst was coming. 

‘Here we go again’, I thought, rolling my eyes internally.

“I’ve never stopped you from living your ridiculous lifestyle because I thought you needed space to get over it but you’re twenty-one years old, with no job, no money, yet somehow, you manage to pull off partying every single day. It’s just us, Valentina. What would you do if I weren’t here? Hooking? Robbery? Cocaine?”

Taylor leaned in closer, her voice firm but trembling with emotion. She kept trying to meet my eyes, but every time her gaze locked with mine, I looked away, pretending to be interested in anything but her.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you, Valentina,” she snapped, her frustration spilling over. “Do you think this is how Mum and Dad would’ve wanted you to live? Do you think this would make them happy?”

Her words hit me harder than I wanted to admit, but I refused to show it. Finally, I yanked my hand free from her grip and strode toward the door.

“Well, they’re not here, are they, Taylor?” I said, my voice heavy with exhaustion as my fingers reached for the door handle. “Please, not today. You can lecture me tomorrow.”

Without waiting for her response, I turned the knob, eager to leave her words and the weight of her disappointment behind me.

“I hope you don’t come back home one day, pregnant and all alone,” Her voice echoed from behind me.

Her words stopped me in my tracks. Anger surged through me, but I bit it back. I didn’t want to ruin the mood I had set for the night. Still, the sting of her comment lingered. 

“The second the words left my mouth, regret hit me like a wave. But I couldn’t go back inside, not now. If I did, Taylor would win—and she’d make me stay home with her.

I couldn’t do it. Not today.

“I’ll apologize in the morning,” I muttered to myself as I walked away, trying to convince myself it would all be fine by then.

*****

The warm atmosphere greeted me as I entered the club. Its warmth had me removing my furry shawl, exposing my bare back to it. It barely had people inside, probably because it was a new club, and not many people knew about it. But I like the calmness, it soothed my raging heart. 

I walked over to the bartender’s corner and slid onto a leather stool in front of the counter. The room was warm, but the leather felt cool against my skin. Pulling out my phone, I texted Sophie. The message was delivered, but there was no reply. Annoyed, I decided to call her instead.

Her voice came through the line on the first ring, light but distant. “Hey, Val.”

“Where are you?” I asked, glancing around the room. I scanned the club, hoping to spot her, but she was nowhere in sight.

She sighed, her tone dismissive.“I’m at Kyle’s. I waited for you at the club until midnight, but you never showed up. Where are you now?” she shot back, flipping the question on me.

Her casual tone reignited the frustration bubbling inside me. How could she leave without even calling or texting? And now she dared to ask where I was? Where else was I supposed to be? I steadied my voice, trying to mask my irritation. “I’m at the club,” I replied.

“At the club?” she repeated my words like she hadn’t heard me right.

“Yes,” I replied, my tone sharper than I intended.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Val,” she said hurriedly. “I thought you’d changed your mind and bailed.”

“Why didn’t you call to check?” I snapped, my frustration bubbling over. “I got caught up in another one of Taylor’s pep talks.”

“Um… my phone battery died,” she said quickly, too quickly. I instantly knew it was a lie.

I sighed, wishing her nose would grow like Pinocchio’s—it’d probably knock her boyfriend right off his feet.

Without another word, I hung up, my jaw tightening.

This day just keeps getting worse, 

A sudden chill crept down my spine, making me shiver. It felt like someone was watching me. My eyes darted around the room, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.