Mirrored Lies

For as long as I can remember, I have always lived alone… My name is Aiko, I am a sixteen year old girl and I am currently attending Molden High school. My parents died in a car accident three years ago, I don’t have any siblings and I know nothing about the rest of my family. My dad had never been close to his parents since they disinherited him for choosing a wife they didn’t approve of. My dad’s family is from Japan, but my mom was from England and his family always thought that my mum wasn’t a good person. My mother on the other hand wanted to escape from her family because of the life they chose. Her dad was a drug dealer back in England and, in order to protect me and dad from any trouble, she didn’t keep in touch with her family and moved with dad in America.

To be honest, I never tried to find my family since mum and dad died. I had such a hard time growing those last five years that I didn’t have the chance to go look for them. I wasn’t even sure if they wanted to see me, or if I wanted to see them. But at least, I wasn’t alone all this time. I might have been through many difficulties, but at least I didn’t do it on my own. There was always that one person beside me. Liam has been my best friend for almost twelve years now, and he has always been by my side. We literately grew up together as we are neighbors. He and his parents moved next door about twelve years ago and ever since, I can’t remember a time I wasn’t with Liam. He is always supportive, he gives me advices whenever I need it and he always makes me smile.

I had always been a little sad that I could never help him when he had a problem since he consistently says that he was okay. I guess that might have been true… But the real problem is that I am in love with him. I don’t know how and why, but somehow I have always loved him. His voice, his smile, everything. I didn’t realize until I lost my parents. That was the time that he treated me like a fragile treasure. He was there, supporting me the whole time. Even though he was so young, he took care of me. He was knocking my door every morning to bring me breakfast and then he would stay there until late at night. When I got sick, he came and took care of me. He didn’t pity me or make fun of me. Liam cared for me. That’s when I realized that I couldn’t live without him.

That day I told him. I told Liam how I felt about him. How much I loved him and that I wanted to be with him. But that was a huge mistake…

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My name is Liam and I am an eighteen year old teen who goes to Felisent High school. I am a quite happy person and I always smile but honestly, I don’t feel like a happy person. My parents love me more than anything and I know that they will never stop loving me… But they are not my real parents. Funny isn’t it? I have lived such a good life and everyone says that I am so lucky, but little do they know. Of course when people see someone who has a lot of money, good grades and a good face they automatically assume that that person has a good life and is happy. I can’t blame them though. If I was in their place I would think the same thing.

I discovered that I was adopted three years ago, when Aiko’s parents died and ever since I have been trying to find who I really am. And to be honest, I am not so glad that I did. I would prefer not to know anything about my family. I would prefer not to know that I was adopted. Because the day that I found out all about it, I lost her. I lost her forever and I just couldn’t bear the pain.

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“Liam! Hiiii!” yelled Aiko with a big smile while waiving her hand. Liam turned around and looked at her. Immediately he smiled and waved back at her.

“Ohayō gozaimasu Aiko!” he said with a very weird and funny pronunciation. And then Aiko laughed.

“Haha, you are doing well Liam. Is that the only thing you learned so far?” she said while walking towards Liam.

“Don’t laugh, I am trying. And...Yes. That is the only thing I’ve learned so far.” He replied with an awkward smile.

They both walked next to each other and headed to the school. It was a nice warm morning and the sun was shining. There was a lot of noise in the streets because of the traffic but it still was a good morning. Liam and Aiko were always going to school together. It was their habit. Like all the other people in the world have a habit… Just like them, Liam and Aiko had a habit of meeting each other every morning and head to school together. Even though they go to different schools… Even though Aiko’s classes start earlier than Liam’s… Even though their schools are in opposite directions… Even so, they still go together every day.

That sunny and warm day, Aiko and Liam returned to their homes after school. Just like every other day. They were walking slowly together.

“Hey Liam, can I ask you a question?” said Aiko with a smile.

“What is it? Did anything happen to you?”

“No, no don’t worry. Nothing happened. I just wanted to ask you something.” She said with a quite serious face this time.

“Oh, okay. What?”

“Why don’t you have a girlfriend?” she asked while looking at him. Right then Liam stopped walking and he was just standing there. He started sweating and he looked really uncomfortable. He didn’t say a word for a while. Suddenly, he continued walking.

“Ehh, I guess I haven’t found the right one yet.” He finally replied.

“What if the right one is right in front of you?” Aiko continued.

“If the right one is right in front of me, I will do anything to have her. And I will take care of her forever.”

“Then… Liam…” she said and stopped walking. Liam also stopped walking and looked at her.

“Liam, I like you. Honestly, I really liked you for a long time.” 

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She said she liked me. She was looking right into my eyes while telling me that she liked me.

“Liam, I like you. Honestly, I really liked you for a long time.”

I couldn’t forget these words. But I couldn’t do anything. I had no right to do anything. She was standing right there confessing to me, with her beautiful smile and her amazing, like the sea, blue eyes but I couldn’t let myself be swayed away. No matter how much I wanted to hug her and tell her that I liked her too, I just couldn’t do it. I shouldn’t do it. It just wasn’t right.

“But I don’t like you Aiko. You should know that I think of you only as a friend and that you should get over it quickly. I might have made your heart flatter a couple of times because I’m always taking care of you so don’t get the wrong idea. I have absolutely no feelings for you.”

That’s what I said. I said all those harsh things just to push her away. Why the hell did I do that? I hurt her feelings and literately threw her out of my life. But that was the right thing to do. However she didn’t give up. After all those harsh things I said, she kept coming back. 

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I couldn’t believe his words. But I never got the wrong idea. I didn’t expect him to like me back. I just wanted him to know how I felt. But still, I couldn’t stop my tears from falling. I cried so much that I couldn’t even breathe.

Ever since that day, Liam stopped texting me or going to school with me. He avoided me as much as he could. But one day I just couldn’t bear with it. I couldn’t accept that I was losing my best friend. So I went next door and knocked. And he opened the door. He was quite pale and he looked like he had been crying.

“What are you doing here Aiko?” he said with a weak voice. For some reason I couldn’t stop my tears from falling and before I realized it I was inside his house yelling and crying.

“Why are you doing this? Why? Stop avoiding me! That is not how you should deal with your problems! Idiot! I loved you and you threw me out of your life! I can’t even sleep properly now and I can’t focus in my classes. Why?!!!” I kept yelling and crying and he just stood there watching me. At some point I felt like my legs couldn’t keep me standing and I fell down on my knees.

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Aiko fell down on her knees and was breathing with difficulty. That’s when Liam rushed over and hugged her. He couldn’t also keep his tears from falling. But Aiko pushed him away.

“Leave me alone! I don’t want to misunderstand anything. I don’t want you to pity me! I don’t want to feel the way I feel. So leave!” she continued yelling.

Liam couldn’t bear with it anymore. He couldn’t control his temper. And he started yelling too. He was crying but he was angry.

“Idiot! You are the idiot here! I loved you so much! I loved you more than you think. And because I love you, I can’t treat you like that! I can’t do something that is not right.”

“How can it not be right?!”

He couldn’t say anything. They were both down on their knees, crying like the world had ended. For them it did. They were out of breath and unable to look each other in the eyes.

“Aiko…” he whispered.

“It’s not the right thing to do because…Because I-“he stopped. She slowly looked up.

“I am your brother…”

That’s when the last thing they had fell apart. It was all destroyed in one moment. Everything they did for so many years was just destroyed. Their lives were all built in lies and they just continued living in lies.

Liam had been in pain ever since he learned that he was adopted, that his parents died in a car accident and that the only person who he loved and cared about the most was his biological sister.

Aiko lost her parents and had to grow up all alone without knowing who or where her family was. And now she had to live knowing that she was related in blood with the only person she loved.

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“Liam can you please come downstairs?”

“Yes mum, coming.”

“Did anything happen?” I asked. Mum and dad were sitting in the living room and they looked quite serious. Aiko’s parents died a year ago and I had to take care of her. I was about fifteen at the time.

“Sit down son. We need to tell you something important.” Dad said. I sat down and looked at them.

“Liam you know we love you more than anything and that we would never let anything happen to you. But you also need to know the truth. Because we can’t keep hiding it forever.” I didn’t quite understand. What truth?

But that day I discovered that I was living in a lie. When we moved here twelve years ago, mum and dad said that the house was closer to his job and that it would be easier for him. Turns out that dad found another job just so we can move here. And why go through all that trouble?

I was the first kid that my biological parents had. However some drug dealers who were after my biological grandfather tried to find my mother too she tried to protect me by leaving me in an orphanage when I was just a baby. Later on the people I live with now adopted me and I grew up as their son. The orphanage told them that my parents were alive and so they tried to find them. They did find them thirteen years ago and they also found out that my biological parents had another baby two years later. That baby was Aiko. So the people who adopted me when I was just a baby decided to move so that Aiko and I can grow up together.

Funny thing, I was thrown out and left all alone in an orphanage. I thought I knew who I was for so many years, only to realize that I didn’t know anything. But I had already fallen in love with Aiko when I found out the truth. I already loved her for so long. And when I discovered everything I knew that I had to take care of her more than anything. I didn’t want her to be left all alone like me. I put my feelings aside because that was the right thing to do.

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As soon as Aiko heard that, she stood up and ran away. Liam followed her. She didn’t know where she was going, she was just running like there was no tomorrow. And Liam followed her. He didn’t know where he was following her to, but he did. He didn’t stop for a second. Aiko stopped in front of a building with big windows and looked at her reflection. She was a mess with swollen eyes and could barely breathe. She stood there and Liam also stopped and looked his own reflection. They were both a mess because of their own lies, because of their parents’ lies, because of every single small or big lie.

They looked at each other without talking. And then they hugged each other. They hugged each other so tight that they could feel each other’s heartbeats. And the tears started falling from their eyes again. But this time they weren’t tense like before. They were calm and peaceful.

“I’m sorry…” they whispered to each other.

The next day, Liam and his parents moved out of their house and returned to their old one. He didn’t say anything to Aiko. He wasn’t able to say anything. They were done packing in the afternoon, and when Liam was ready to go inside the car, he heard something.

Aiko was standing in the balcony, looking at Liam. Liam looked at her. They didn’t smile. They didn’t laugh. But they weren’t sad. They didn’t exchange a word. They said everything they needed to say with their eyes. And then Liam left.

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Aiko and Liam didn’t see each other for five years. The met again in a café when they accidentally bumped to each other in the entrance. Liam looked at Aiko and Aiko looked at Liam. They immediately recognized each other.

“Long time no see Liam.” She said with a smile.

“Long time no see…Aiko.” He replied.