Our Lies

Chapter 26

"You look like someone who just got shat on by a bird." Sera remarked as she saw her brother walked into the house.

"Something like that. And I am the bird." Jean replied lazily. He walked into the living room and ransacked the alcohol cabinet.

"What are you doing?" His sister asked as he took out a bottle of whiskey and attempted to drink it from the bottle. Sera rushed to stop him and took the bottle away.

"Are you crazy?? Do you want to die?!!" Sera shouted at him.

"I do now. A trash like me should just die." Jean cried. Sera noticed his brother was reeked of alcohol. His whole face was red. He stumbled and fell down to the floor.

"Why are you like this suddenly... here, can you get up?" She held out her hand.

"Shut up, sis." He pushed her hand away. "Leave me alone."

"It's late and I have to go home soon. Should I call Dad?" Sera looked at the big grandfather clock behind her.

"I don't need him."

His sister sighed. There was no other choice. She mustered all her strength and dragged him upstairs. "Go cool your stupid head under the shower. I'd better see you sober up tomorrow morning."

Jean lay down in his bed after a long shower. He took a chunk of his long wet golden hair. The hair she used to love brushing for him.

I really like your hair, Jean. It's so smooth and beautiful. I wish my hair is like yours.

Jean did not understand. He thought Amaria's natural red brown curls were beautiful. In fact, everything about her was beautiful, even now, almost ten years after they broke up with each other. Jean laughed at himself. Broke up? He was the one ending their relationship cruelly after taking away her dream. It was a given that she still hated him. She should just hate him for the rest of her life – that actually would make him feel better. He recalled what he just did to her, succumbing to his desire to hold her, and her disgusted rejection. Sometimes he wanted to kill himself so he did not have to feel like this.

Funny how they actually only dated for two months but his feeling for her was so strong. They had hidden their relationship from everyone. Not even Gia and his sister knew about it. He was always the popular, friendly guy in high school for various reasons so nobody really noticed when he suddenly got close to one particular student. In the beginning, he too never thought much about Amaria Tempton, one of his classmates that he sometimes met at his best friend's house. Not until one day, when she approached him out of the blue.

"Can I ask you something?" Amaria suddenly asked while holding a few sheets of paper in her hand.

Jean who was sitting alone in Dignita's living room turned his head and saw his classmate standing not far from him.

"Amaria?" He flashed his handsome boyish smile which he was quite sure, made the girl blushed a little.

"I heard you and young master are going to a recital this weekend? At Santerra Music Hall?" She looked excited.

Jean tilted his head to the side. "We are. What about it?"

After making sure Gia was not going to come into the room soon, Amaria spread the paper on the coffee table and turned to Jean. Her eyes were sparkling.

"Actually, I applied for this audition and it will be held there at end of this month. I just need to know how to get there." She fidgeted as she explained.

Jean picked up one of the sheets and looked at it in a skeptical manner. "The paper looks so flimsy and cheap looking. Are you sure you are not being conned or something?"