Not Everything Is As It Seems Novels & Stories

"They think you're just mooching off them. It must be awkward, right? I don't want you to be mistreated because of me." After that, it got harder to look Anna in the eye. Meanwhile, Michael and Chloe were fighting more often too. I thought maybe life would have settled into this strange rhythm… until I ruined everything with my own pride and blind trust. "Joel, help me! I fell down a hill—my stomach hurts so bad—I'm so scared!" Anna's voice rang out in a panic. I shot up in bed, drenched in sweat, only to realize it was a dream. I had just seen her, but I already missed her again.

Maybe what is true for your eyes it's a lie in reality. *******************************

I was the only one who still looked relatively fresh, aside from a light sheen on my forehead. Louisa's gaze landed on me. Suddenly, she shot to her feet, pointed at my jacket, and yelled loud enough to rattle the whole field. "Everyone, look at what Mallory's wearing!" People turned toward me instinctively. Her voice dripped with poison. “That jacket costs tens of thousands. Know where she got the money? Sleeping with old men. She acts innocent, but who knows how dirty she really is behind the scenes?” Whispers rippled outward. Eyes turned sharp and suspicious. The air around me went cold.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine.” But it wasn’t. Not even close.

The kind that said I’m not offended, please don’t feel awkward, everything is fine, I promise I’m not crying inside. But maybe I was… “I don’t know,” I said lightly. “When I meet the right person, I suppose.” Polite. Acceptable. Non-confrontational. My aunt nodded, satisfied, but only temporarily. These questions were never one-and-done. They came in layers, like an onion of judgment. “Well,” she added, “you’re not getting any younger, love.” Ah. There it was. The follow-up punch.

“Tell me everything.” ***

He muttered. "Uhm... Work...yeah work, I got a new job, the pay is really nice," Kim stuttered. Kim couldn't help but applaud herself inwardly for making up such convincing lie in a second. "A new job?" Josh muttered staring intently at her. "Kim, if I find out that you involved yourself in any shady business and you are lying to me, I'm really going to be mad at you, for real," "I'm not lying Josh, why would I?"

We are what matters. Everything else? Just noise.