White Lies

I don’t care if my mom wants to wash my mouth with soap. I like it better this way, not having to tell who I really am. Taylor and Susie fascinate me. Their lives are so much more interesting. Plus, I don’t like any of my colored classmates any way.

…

I’m glad Natasha is in our class. I don’t like being with all of THEM with only Taylor. Taylor is too shy. Natasha she seems nice enough. We always eat lunch together, the three of us, in the corner of the schoolyard. We usually just talk amongst ourselves. Come to think of it, Natasha never talks about herself. She is always asking us questions about our lives or families. And she’s determined in her questioning too. After school, whenever we go to someone’s house, it’s always either mine of Taylor’s. I wonder why Natasha never invites us?

I have decided to find out more about Natasha. After all, the three of us need to stay together. However, I am growing suspicious of her. Whenever I ask her a question about her life, she seems to always pause before answering. And a lot of what she talks about seems fake. I’ve never been to her house. Actually, I haven’t ever even seen her parents. But I’m probably just being unreasonable.

It is Friday today. I tell my mom that I will be coming home late today, since I want to go home with Natasha. After school, I tell Natasha that I want to go home with her:

Natasha: “You can’t come with me; I really can’t have anyone over today.”
Me: “Why not? It’s the last day of school. You can’t have anywhere else to be.”
Natasha: “ Uhh…actually I’m not going home today. I have to visit my father at work.”
Me: “I can’t come with too? I won’t be any trouble. And I already told my mom that I wasn’t coming home.”
Natasha: “No, he’ll get really mad. I’ve gotta go now.”

Natasha left that day and was never seen again…