Living A Lie

Chapter Two-White Like Purity

Elizabeth's P.O.V

My parents surprised me this morning.

I had just finished eating my breakfast and was about to leave out my front door when my dad stopped me. His hand was firm but gentle as he held my arm. Me and my dad shared some similar features. We both had the same straight nose and light brown hair with brown eyes. Everyone says I look just like him but I can only kind of see it.

My mom is excitedly bouncing, while she holds her car keys in her hand. She's always been so energetic and I love that about her. She was the lenient parent. She would let me get away with almost anything. But not my dad. And I learned quickly to never go against him or disobey him in anyway shape or form. Of course, when he wasn't being strict and on my ass about everything, he was fun to be around.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" I was nervous. I thought I was in trouble, but I knew I couldn't be. That was just my imagination running wild.

"No reason." My dad grinned and opened the front door of our house. I kept my eyes on him for a minute before looking outside.

I raised an eyebrow at the sight of a third car in my family driveway.

"Why is there a..." I trailed of to look at my mom as she squealed and shouted, "Surprise!"

"Wha-" my dad interrupted me.

"The car is for you, Liz." he smiled and ushered me to it. I looked back at the car and the first thought that came to mind was white. The car color was white...like purity.

The second thought to enter my mind was that I needed to appear happy. So I quickly push down this unknown emotion I was feeling and plasted on the biggest smile on my face. Not only this, but to go along with my act, I squealed like my mom had, and ran to the car opening the door and glancing inside, seeming to be interested in the interior. I really wasn't. It was a nice car, but I didn't understand why I was receiving it now, of all times.

"Oh my gosh! It's so pretty! I love it!" I turned back to my parents seeing my dad recording me on his phone while my mom jingled the keys in her hand for me. I ran to her and jumped into her arms and thanked her repeatedly. She kissed my forehead and cheeks and then it was my dad's turn to get jumped on and thanked. He laughed and handed his phone to my mom so she could continue recording. He picked me up and spinned me around. I let out happy noises and laughter as he squeezed me in his bear hug. I even went as far as to let out a few happy tears.

My dad saw them and he hugged me closer. At this point my mom had stopped recording and had joined the hug.

"Those are happy tears, right baby?" my mom asked. I nodded and wiped them away.

"I thought I wasn't getting a car until my senior year?" my mom beamed and my dad had that cleaver smirk on his face.

"That was the plan munchkin, until your last recital. You did such an amazing job that I knew you were ready for this car," he grabbed the keys from my mom and put them in my awaiting hands. "You earned this, munchkin. All those long hours of practice and practice finally pulled off." He kissed my forehead.

"I am the proudest dad in the world. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect daughter than you." I forced the biggest grin on my face, even as my heart sank to the pit of my stomach. If he only knew how perfect I really was.

Jumping in forced joy I ran back to my car and turned it on. The engine was smooth and quiet and I ran my hands around the steering wheel. My dad closed my car door for me and I put down the window so he could talk to me.

"Remember, always wear your seatbelt, don't speed, and don't text and drive, munchkin. You have bluetooth so there's no reason for your hands not to be on the wheel." I nodded as I put my seatbelt on and adjusted my seat closer and steering wheel lower. I was short so I need to move everything so I could see.

As I was fixing my mirrors with my dad telling me what all the buttons in the car were for, my mom opened the back door and put my bag in the back. She closed it and went to stand next to my dad. I grinned and put the car into reverse.

"Drive safe, baby!" my mom yelled as I backed out of the driveway. I shouted back at her that I would with an I love you and drove off to school.

When I was finally out of their site, my smile fell and a burning pressure started to form behind my eyeballs. I pulled over the first chance I could and started crying. I felt beyond myself with guilt. It was really eating at me now.

Did I really even deserve this car?

Yes I did great at my last recital, the best performance I had ever done in fact, but a small part of me didn't feel like that success was enough to makeup for the fact that I disobeyed and indirectly without them knowing broke a rule. This wasn't a petty rule. Not like stealing a cookie out of a cookie jar. This was something that has been ingrained into me since birth.

And I needed to makeup for it somehow.

There was no way I could tell my parents now. I just can't even think of their look of disappointment if I did. I needed to keep on being the perfect daughter. It was one slip up that wouldn't happen again.

With this thought in mind, I wiped my tears and drove off to school again.