The Uprising

CHAPTER 32

Denial is the first phase of acceptance. Even when the truth is right in front of us, denial is the first thing we resolve to. A type of second truth. What it should be, not what it is. The truth we want, not the one that is real. The one that makes sense and is acceptable. A truth that doesn't cause pain but favors everyone, it goes our way and pleases us.

We tell ourselves this second truth to deny the harsh reality of what is actually true. A lie. We choose the lie because it isn't as painful. It isn't as messy and muddled. I prefer the lie. The second truth. I will rather be oblivious than in pain knowing the truth because the truth also reveals liars. It breaks trust and ruins people. 

Sometimes a lie isn't a bad thing.

In my case, that is exactly what it was. An awful lie. My room had always been the place I run back to when things got complicated. When I was younger and had a bad day at school, Brandon would come into my room and tell me that high school won't be forever and that one day I would grow to become a great CFO for a top company. Of course, the younger me had believed him and I find it laughable that still believe it to this day.  

I stared at my laptop screen which had the unfinished university reapplication form. It had one question. Do you want to continue majoring in finance? The better question was. Did I want to continue with anything at all? Was anything in my life real and true? The answer to that is complicated. Nothing in my life id simple. I had been lied to about life-changing matters. 

Matters that include my brother and everyone around me lying about his death. Sure, they were highly trained liars but I thought I made friends. How naive and foolish of me. They only let me stick around because my mother was one of their leaders. Friends, my only friend wasn't even a friend. She brought me to my death and ended up dying. I was better by myself, in my room away from anything having to do with the Three Rings or my mother.

A tap on my door took me out of my thoughts. I place the laptop on the deak, close it and drape the sheets over my head. I didn't feel like talking to anyone. I thought Lia's betrayal hurt but this was much worse. It's grief and years of crying all over again, except the crying part.

"Jemi, I know you're in there!" It's to hear Ameilia's voice. For the last six hours, my mother had been trying to talk to me. Hearing a different voice calling my name in the house is good for a change. "I don't want to talk about your brother. I need a friend's help." I walk to the door.

"Are we friends?"

"I didn't know about your brother." She explains. "You're not a member but it's been great having another girl on the team. There aren't many of us."

"You expect me to believe that you didn't know about my brother?"

"I honestly didn't know until today. None of us did, Daniel and Jason kept it a secret between themselves," I opene the door and hug her. She returned the gesture. "So are we okay?" she asks hesitantly.

"Yeah. You said you needed help?"

"I have had a change of heart in Wade's fate"

"Why?"

"If we simply kill him then nobody will know what he had done. The virus, the explosion, all of it would be gone and he will die a hero. The public needs to know. They should be the ones to choose."

"It sounds as if I have inspired you."

"Maybe. Daniel found information on Wade's laptop from the bug you planted. It has blueprints from bombs. The same ones that were used in all the explosions."

"Then let's just send all his information to the public." I propose.

"That's what I was thinking. Our only probably is Daniel won't do it because if Wade is dead none of it would matter."