Our Little Lie (Complete)

THIRTY

"This may be a long afternoon, because you are finally going to hear the truth. The real story behind the story. The last puzzle piece," I begin. I walk back and forth across the stage to seem more professional. "Do you remember Audrey Johnson? This happens to be her diary. I know for sure because I know her hand writing and well," I show them the label. "She was in the closet of the guest bedroom at her house that night due to hearing family drama and wanting to be alone. We don't know if her witnessing this had anything to do with her suicide, but we do know she died the next day."

I clear my throat,"I will put this on the screen so you know I'm not lying about what she wrote." I open the page that Tyler bookmarked and slip it onto the table.

I begin to read her writing,"'Dear Diary, It's been a long night. First my mom told me that she found out about me talking to Dad and Natalie. She was angry and told me I should just leave if I wanted to, so I went to that guest bedroom closet like I always do when I'm upset. During my own party, I was sobbing, alone, in a closet. Pitiful I know. Next, the door opened and in came two people. Two of my best friends actually. And they were making out. My best friend Elyssa Stewart and my best friend's boyfriend, Stephen Taylor. Stephen Taylor remember him? That guy from two pages earlier who confessed his love for me? Well guess what? He used that same wimpy speech on Elyssa. She was obviously drunk while Stephen wasn't. Poor Elyssa, as much as I can hate her sometimes, I can only imagine the train wreck she's gonna be after everyone finds out about this. Now, I feel used and betrayed and every other terrible feeling there is in the world..." I stop reading. "I think that's enough, I don't want to read the rest." I grab the book off of the table and walk back to my seat.

Emerson stands up. "The judges will now vote and decide on the consequences. Please have an hour break then return." The crowd immediately stands up and mills around collecting their friends to go grab a bite or head home. I stand up and I'm immediately hugged from behind. Then from the front.

"That. Was. Awesome," Mirren squeals,"You sounded like a real attorney and you should have seen Stephen's face! I'm so proud of you!" She hugs tighter then releases me. Renee on the other hand still has her arms wrapped around me.

"Renee? You okay?" I ask patting her back.

"I'm fine," she says,"Your sweater is just really soft and it feels good." She finally leans away and smiles. "I'm proud of you too, you did great!"

I laugh and turn around to go find Tyler, but instead I'm met with a different and way les expected face. "Lena, I'm so so sor-"

"I don't want to here it," she says. Uh oh. Is she mad still? I mean she has every right to be but still. "Come here bestie!" She smiles with open arms. I grin goofily and practically fall into her arms. It's so familiar, us, our hug, the smell of her expensive perfume on her neck. It brings me back to when everything was okay. And perhaps everything will be okay now.

"I missed us, that was too long," I say and I feel tears starting to form in my eyes.

"Me too, Lys," she sighs still rubbing my back. She probably thinks this sweater is soft too knowing her. "Me too." I lift my head and see him. Damien. He's barely smiling, but he's still smiling so it counts.

"I'm so sorry, Elyssa,"he sighs,"I wish I would've helped you earlier when you really needed it."

"It's alright," I smile,"I would've been the same way if I were in your shoes."

"But I'm guessing that, regardless, that was actually the end for us," he says,"When we broke up."

"Yeah," I look down then back up at him. I grab his warm hands,"But only as a boyfriend and girlfriend kind of relationship, we're much better at being friend who travel to different planets on a soggy, brown log." I laugh, and he does too. And everything starts to feels as if it's shifting back into place.

I finally manage to get out of the crowded room. I lean against a random column and just stand there thinking. I wish Audrey were here, I have so much to tell her about, I finally met her bratty twin for one. But I also have so many things to apologize for, I was never as good of a friend to her as she was to me.

"Hey," he says from the other side of the column. He's smiling only with his eyes and he looks just like he did on that cliff in the Maldives. Like he's containing so many words he wants to say into his brain that he just can't let out. Like he's hoping for something, that's just out of reach. Like he's reaching for me.

"Hey," I smile back. "Thanks for getting that diary. How'd you get it?"

"Mirren told me about Natalie. Landen helped me find Audrey's house. Natalie happens to have a very valuable collection of vintage china animals that she would do whatever it takes to keep safe. Told her I'd break them all if she didn't give me the diary," he explains.

"Wow," I laugh,"Agressive." We stand there in silence studying the grey sky that's darkening with every second. "What did you say to Emerson to let me talk?"

"I know she likes Landen. So I told her I'd convince him to go on a date with her if she let you finish," he says proudly. I bust out laughing.

"Sure he'll enjoy that," I say sarcastically. "Tyler?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't actually want to break up with you."

"I know you did it for the trial. I got it. I was selfish to want you to stay with me anyway."

"No  you weren't," I catch myself slowly inching over to his column. "I thought that was the answer. I thought that that would show everyone that I'm not like that. But it did nothing."

"So what now?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

He pulls me in by the hands and looks into my eyes. "Well, I hope it goes a little like this." He kisses me just like he did on the cliff. Only this time we're not hopeless. In fact, now I see our road laid out before us. And the view looks great because he's in it.