Chapter 6  THE LIE I JUST OPENED

RIVER

I am sitting alone, munching on my chicken, when I see a familiar figure pass by me. I don't know where I know her from, but it is etched in my memory.

"River?" The voice comes out, and I recognise it at once. I look up at the girl as she slides into the seat in front of me, and her face forms in my head. "You came here? I swore you were going to go to Harvard or maybe Oxford; I never thought that Adlerbridge would be your choice. Her eyes are twinkling with excitement.

"Same here, Lana." Lana was a classmate at my high school, and we did not really talk; it was a surprise to see her here. I never imagined she'd make it to Adlerbridge. Not because I thought she wasn't smart, but more because I never paid attention.

"Oh my goodness, what are you in for?"

"Pharmacy," I murmur, wishing she would leave me alone.

"Same," she shrieks as if she had gotten big news. "We can be study buddies," she adds with excitement. I am not sure if I need a study buddy, but I am hoping that would be enough to get her off my back. I did not know she was smart enough to get

"So where are you staying?" she proceeds to ask when I stay silent, staring at her.

"Manson's Apartment," I respond, and she nods.

"Well, I took one of the campus accommodations," she replies, and right now I wish I had taken the accommodation on campus. There must have been no way that I would get entangled with a boy. The only problem I had with that was no privacy; I'd have to be in the face of my roommate all the time, and I was not sure if I was ready for that.

"That is good," I said, nodding silently, hoping and praying she had company and would leave me alone. "I am so glad to see a familiar face; I hope we can get along."

"Me too," I say, trying to be sarcastic, but it was almost as if she did not get it, or maybe she wanted to pretend as if she did not care.

"I would be going in tomorrow to get all of my courses registered. Should we meet up?" I wanted to tell her that I had done it or that I did not want to do it yet, but I knew she would see right through my lie, and I would be at the department tomorrow.

"Sure," I say with a nod, and she claps too happily.

"Let me get your number." She takes out her phone from the little purse hanging on her shoulder that I had not realised until now. "Here," she turns the phone to me, and I look up and begging to disappear. I take it and begin to punch in the number.

"River," she says as she saves the number and gives me a call. "Save mine too, and I will see you tomorrow."

I almost say thank you when she stands up and walks away with a wave. I stayed there until I finished my meal and decided to walk back to the house just in case Taylor still had the girl over.

My phone rings, and it's my dad. I had thought that by the time I was speaking to him this evening, the roommate situation would have been a story we could both laugh at, but now I couldn't bring myself to tell him. I did not even know how he was going to react. I had never had a boyfriend all through high school, and he never brought up the topic. I had to steer clear of mentioning Taylor until I was sure what his reaction was going to be.

"Kiddo," he sounded too happy. Maybe he had been drinking. Knowing that I had been so eager to come to school and leave him all by himself broke my heart. I just wanted to come here because my mom had come here, and this was the only piece of my life I could use to get closer to her.

"How are you enjoying the experience?" He had been so adamant that a university was an experience and I should not waste it. I just wanted to be a pharmacist like my mom and see why she enjoyed the course so much.

"Fine," I lie because nothing about today has been fine. Everything seemed to be crumbling all on its own, and I wanted just a little bit of control.

"I want you to have a good time."

"And I am having a good time." One lie, and now an entire portal is open. I know it's only more lies from here, but I promise to make it all right soon. "Dad, are you drinking?" I ask because I can't shake off the feeling from my mind.

"I just had a few with Mr..."

"Come on, Dad, you drank last night, and you are there to drink again? Do you want to relapse and become an addict again?"

"River, I have told you times without number that I am the parent and you are..."

"The child, I know, but you can't be drinking, and you know it," I say. If I had been right by his side, then he would not have been able to sneak away and have a drink.

"I can take care of myself; you don't have to worry," he adds, and I have to trust him. "How is your roommate?" He asks, and even though I know it's his effort to try and change the topic, I can't help but feel guilty that I was about to hide a big secret from him.

"She's fine," I say, hoping he would not catch me in my lie. "The same Taylor DeLuca," I add nervously.

"I know you have better things to do, and I just wanted to hear from you, so take care of yourself, and I will talk to you later."

"Bye, Dad."

"Bye, kiddo." The line drops dead at once, and I stand on the pavement considering my life. What could I do to remedy this situation so I stop lying to my father? I walk a few more miles and stop right in front of the door. The motorcycle out front is neatly parked, and I roll my eyes.

Of course, he is one of those who would ride something like that. I open the door and enter the house, and I am relieved to find that the blind girl from earlier is gone.

"Sweetheart, you are back!" I stare at him in annoyance; of course he is shirtless.