Lies I Never Told You

CHAPTER TWO: HUNTER

"Whatever you say here, only the Kois will hear it." I can't help but smile at how subtly Blair is telling me that I can indeed trust her. She seems harmless.

I sat by the pond and started talking to the fish. "She broke up with me. After all this time, it still wasn't enough. I'm still not enough. Our four years together wasn't enough." I looked at her. She was looking intently at me, not intending to speak. So I continued, "Kiera and I were doing fine over the summer break. We went out a lot. We went to the beach, we went on adventure trips, food trips, we went sight seeing in different cities. But the night before the school year begins, she told me it was fun, and she won't forget those memories we had in the summer."

It still pains me to remember that night. "At first, I was confused. I couldn't understand why she was saying that. Then, she said goodbye and kissed me on the cheek."

I didn't realize I was crying until I saw Blair handing me a bunch of tissues from the cafeteria. "You're too soft for a heartthrob-s***h-varsity star player. Go wipe those tears and man up." I took the tissue and did what she said. "Did she mention any reason behind that goodbye?"

"She said she couldn't be with me anymore. She said going to different universities can't work for us. That's what I can't understand. We made it work for the past year. Why is she giving up now? We only had to wait until we graduate, then we can be together again." 

"Do you want me to tell you what I think is the answer or you just want to let your emotions out?" she asked.

I looked at her, straight in the eyes. "Tell me what you think."

"It may or may not be true. But surely, it will hurt you," she said.

"What else can hurt me?" I scoffed.

She hesitated a little, but she didn't blink when she said, "She found someone else? Someone within her reach? Someone better?"

I wasn't hurt. Maybe because I didn't believe it. I know Kiera. Distance is a petty thing. She wouldn't let it be the reason to break up. "I don't think so."

It was her turn to scoff. "Who are you, really?"

"What?"

"You know, you're ruining my perception of popular jocks and campus star players." She laughed. She sure is having fun. I don't know why. "You see, you're popular. You're a star player of the basketball team, though not yet the Captain. You're supposed to be a cool kid. But everything you showed me from when you chased me out of the cafeteria up to this moment, is so uncool. Don't you realize that?"

"I don't care anymore. All I want is to get back with Kiera. I love her. I don't ever want to lose her."

She laughed again. "Well, that makes you uncool and stupid. You're one living proof that love is enough to make one a fool."

She's starting to annoy me. "You know, you're pretty straight-forward for a reputed liar. Or is that natural? Is it that easy for you to say the opposite of what you mean? It's starting to annoy me."

Her expression turned serious. "Let me get things straight. Not every thing I say is a lie. For things that don't involve me, I say what I mean. I don't lie. I only lie about things that affect me, and things that involve me." She paused. "So, don't make this conversation about me and my lying a*s, because I mean it when I said that you're becoming uncool and stupid."

I can't keep myself from asking, "Why lie about yourself? Don't you want people to know you better? Don't you want to have friends?"

"I have lots of friends." She looked at me as she said that, waiting for a reaction. "Of course, that's a lie," she said when I didn't react. "I told you not to make this conversation about me. Don't get side-tracked."

She's got me there. "Okay. Let's get back to business."

"What business?"

"About you and me getting together."

Her eyes squinted at me. "I haven't agreed on that yet."

"Please, Blair. I need your help to get Kiera back."

"Why me in the first place?"

I sat next to her on the bench. "Because you can lie with a straight face. You're believable. I think you're going to pull it off." I looked around us. From where we are sitting, I can see the students going about in their day outside the park. "And besides, you don't seem bothered by my presence. If it were other girls, I'm sure they'll be either squealing, screaming, or just staring at me, speechless."

"Wow! That's more like the image you should be portraying - overly confident." She was smiling. I don't know if it's a good thing or not. She's been laughing since I told her about why I chased her.

"If you want to see more of this overly confident cool kid attitude, just agree with my proposal. I'll give you a handful of that every day."

"Nah, I don't need that. I'm seeing enough of that every day."

"So you want the softer, naive me?"

"I don't want any of your versions. I just want to get through this year in peace."

I heard my own heart whimper. "Please, Blair. I'm desperate. I already did everything to try to get her back but everything failed. This is the last thing I think would work."

"What is it? Make her jealous? What if she doesn't care about you having a new girl? What if she would be happy for you than jealous? I'm telling you. She's found another guy. I'm betting on that."

"Please. Let's just try." Just a little more and I'll be on my knees begging for her yes.

"Tell me, what's in it for me if I do this? Aside from the death glares from the other girls and the fake friendly antics of the freshies?"

I haven't thought about that. All along, I was thinking about me. I haven't thought about her benefits from this deal. "Uhmm..." I scratched my head. She was just looking at me, waiting for an amswer. "Nobody will bother you anymore? Yes. I will never let anyone bother you. If we start dating, I can tell anyone to back off."

"We both know that isn't true, right? You can tell the guys to back off, for sure. But how about the girls who are crazy about you? What are you gonna do with them? They can be nice if you're around, but what if you're nowhere to be seen?"

"I'll make sure they won't bother you. And besides, I can see you're not going to let that happen either. Well, without fighting anyway. You're a tough girl. I know that."

She shrugged. "Well said."

"So, it's a yes?"

"How are we gonna do this? And until when?"

"This whole school year? Or until Kiera goes running back to me."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "That's too long."

"Pretty please." I tried showing her my puppy eyes but she just laughed.

"You better make this worth my whole year of peace."

"Sure, I will." I couldn't help but smile. I grabbed her hands and enclosed them into mine. "Thank you! Thank you! I promise I'll take good care of you."

She smiled. "I believe that's the start of our whole year of this lie."

"Yes, it is."

"Okay, then." She closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them, her aura changed. Her eyes were twinkling, her face was bright. "I'm looking forward to it. Thank you," she said with a sweet smile.

"Thank you for helping me, Blair. It means a lot to me," I said, still holding her hands around mine.

She pulled out her hand. "Yeah. You owe me. Just remember, no strings attached. No emotions involved. Everything I do to you, for you, and around you will always be pretense. Everything I'll say about us, will always be a lie. Understood?" She turned back to her careless aura.

"Understood, Ma'am." I made a saluting gesture. It made her smirk.

"It starts now, right?" I nodded. "Walk with me," she said as she started walking towards the park exit, and I followed suit.