Just Another Lie, Right? [Kleinsen]

•32•

Evan wasn't shocked, no, he was purely terrified. He wasn't fidgeting anymore. He was as still as a stone.

I basically just told the Murphys that it was a lie.

That... was really dumb, wasn't it?

That was really dumb.

That was extremely dumb.

That was possibly the worst thing I could've said in that moment.

That was possibly the worst thing I have ever said in any moment.

I am a dumbass.

Welp, goodbye life. Goodbye sun, goodbye graduation, goodbye reputation, goodbye clean record, goodbye friends-

"What... are you talking about?" Zoe was the first to speak. "You... you guys were his best friends... his only friends."

What was I supposed to do?

I should've never joined this big fat lie. All I wanted to do was spice up my life a little, and, oh boy, did I?

Should I just continue? Spill it all out?

Turn it into a metaphor?

Let Evan do the talking?

(That last option seemed very appealing.)

"Evan..." Mrs. Murphy started calmly, "say something."

"I-" And once again, Evan physically could not speak. He just sat, speechless, facing Alana and the Murphys.

I couldn't just say nothing!

"Evan wrote the suicide note-"

"Who the fuck-" Zoe started, but I cut her off.

"I know! That's what I said!" I blurted, with the tiniest of smiles on my face to try to bring some humor to this conversation, "Like 'what is this, some sex thing?'"

"Jared." Alana said, pausing, "Just... talk." It sounded like a demand coming from Alana, not gonna lie.

I inhaled before speaking, "Evan wrote it for an assignment, and somehow Connor got a hold of it. He must've had it when he died."

Mrs. Murphy, "So are you saying...-"

"Yes, it wasn't Connor's suicide note at all."

Evan was trembling. Crying, no doubt. But I was the strong one here, I couldn't risk looking at him and crying, too. I did, though, manage to grab his hand. That seemed to calm him down.

"When you guys thought they were friends... I recommend he play along, as to not disappoint." I admitted, "I didn't think there was any way he could come over and just... admit the truth! You guys would surely think he was crazy!"

Silence.

Evan sniffed.

"I wrote the emails."

Zoe gasped.

"My idea. All of it."

Alana narrowed her eyes at me.

"Evan was trying to keep you guys happy." I said, starting to feel tears well up in my own eyes. This was really happening. We really did this, and now we're paying the very real price. "And I was trying to earn an easy buck."

Was I leaving anything important out? Did they need to know every detail? That was the jist of it, right? Evan was trying to help and I... helped him? I don't know, it's all jumbled now.

"Did..." Alana was the first one to speak up. She was also the only one not in tears, but rather a red, angry face. Her anger was not reflected in her voice, "Did Connor even die?"