The Truth Hurts

I remember the day clearly. The day how my Mom found out that Dad was cheating on her.

“Why Mom? Why didn’t Dad tell you he had another wife?” I had asked. A stupid question you might say, but not for my three-year-old brain.

“Because,” Mom had softly said. “The truth hurts.” I remembered what Mom said. I went to my room and wrote in squiggly handwriting:

The truth hurts.

Every day I stared at it. Every day I understood more of it. Because every day, the truth hurts.

“Why couldn’t you just tell me the truth, Noah?!” Jessica shouts. “Why couldn’t you just tell me? Why couldn’t you-?!” Now, you might be wondering, how did I end up here with my best friend screaming at me? Long story short, I lied to her.

“Because I-I just couldn’t tell you-!”

“Tell me what?!” Jessica gave a crazy giggle. “Why couldn’t you say tell me the truth! Why did you have to lie? I believed every single lie you told me! I ate off your lies!” 

“It’s hard!”

“Telling the truth isn’t hard! Why?! Why couldn’t you?!”

“Because-because…” I stammer.

“Because what?! Tell me the truth, Noah! At least you can tell me one truth!” I stare at her glaring eyes.

“Because The Truth Hurts.” I quietly respond, looking down.

“Do you know what else hurts?! Being lied to by your friend! Every single lie you told me! I thought you were a-a good person!” Jessica snaps. The last sentence hits me hard.

I thought you were a good person. I thought you were a good person. The sentences repeats over and over in my head.

“Are you saying I’m a bad person?!” I scream, anger replacing my hurt emotion. Jessica hesitates before glaring at me with her green eyes.

“Maybe I am!” Jessica sharply replied. Jessica has long blond hair, and here, everyone loves blonde haired people, or people with different colored hairs. They don’t like black haired people, brown haired people, or red haired people. Only blonde haired people and people who constantly dye their hair. She was wearing a white crop-top made out of yarn, and ripped grey jeans with converse sneakers.

“I hate you!” The words are out of my mouth before I know it. I wish I hadn’t said that. Popularity was everything. Jessica was the most popular person in the grade, and I was her friend. Which made me popular too. I’d told everyone I liked boys, not girls.

“Tell the truth next time!” Jessica screams, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“The truth hurts!” I shot back before running away. I regret it. I do. No. I don’t. Here’s what happened; Jessica had a boyfriend, his name was Aiden. But he hanged out with us a lot, and soon, me and Aiden developed feelings for each other. Whenever we were at the movies, Aiden would sit between us, and hold my hand. I knew he loved me more than Jessica. We stared dating behind her back.

Now Jessica found out. It wasn’t that I really cared about Jessica. Aiden was popular, too. That’s how Jessica and Aiden got together actually. The most popular girl and boy. I ran into my apartment and lay down on the couch, hugging my Extra-Large teddy bear Aiden gave me.

Someone knocked on my window, and I opened it. Aiden was grinning at me, his blue eyes shining.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, when he sees my face, guiding me back towards the couch.

“J-Jessica isn’t friend’s with me anymore…” I croak, leaning my head on Aiden’s shoulder. Aiden frowns at me.

“How come?”

“S-she’s mad that we were dating.” I whisper, pulling my teddy bear close.

“I was going to break up with her anyway.” Aiden replies, hugging me. “I’m glad your here now.” I smile, and soon, my eyes began to close.

Knock Knock. 

I jolt awake at the sound.

“Coming!” Aiden exclaims, gently removing me. He gets up and opens the door. I stifle a small gasp as the face becomes familiar.

“Dylan?” I whisper.

Aiden stares at me in confusion. “Who’s this?” He asks, glancing at me.

“It’s Dylan. He was my old boyfriend. He broke up with me, though.” I reply, sitting up on the couch. Dylan looks down at the floor.

“Yeah, sorry about that…My Mom really wanted me to be straight. So she said if I didn’t date girl, she would kill you.” Dylan muttered. I can tell when Dylan is lying. I’ve been around him a lot. This time, I could see he was telling the truth.

“I already have a boyfriend.” I grunt. Dylan’s eyes widen, and he seems to understand.

“Oh.”

“We can still be friends.” I invite. Dylan nods.

“Alright. I’ll see you guys later.” With that Dylan was gone. Aiden closes the door and comes back to the couch.

“How long were you guys together for?” Aiden inquired.

“A few months,” I reply snuggling closer to Aiden. “But I don’t like him anymore. He told me the truth. And The Truth Hurts. 

“I have to go.” Aiden stands up and pushes me away. “I have to drive my sister to swim.” 

At school, I met Aiden. However, he quickly left me alone. What was going on? 

As the day passed by, I realized Aiden was leaving me more and more often. Did he do that every day? Or just today? After lunch, Aiden disappeared. I followed him. 

“Hey Jess! I’m so glad I finally escaped that little jerk.” The voice of Aiden floated over from around the corner. 

“Hey Aiden,” the girly voice of Jessica exclaimed. I peeked around the corner.

“Traitor!” I yell, catching Aiden in the act. “I thought you broke up with her!”

“I said I was going to.” Aiden retorted. I glare at him.

“What were you using me for? Money?” I snap. Aiden hungs his head and nods. Tears form at my eyes. 

“I-I couldn’t tell you the truth!” Aiden stammered. I glare at him. 

“Because The Truth Hurts!” I yell.

I’m walking back to my house, alone, of course. Aiden wasn’t there. Suddenly, three girls and two boys emerge from the bushes. One of them is Jessica. She look’s like the leader. 

“Hey, Jessica, do you know this person?” A girl asked in a sassy tone. Jessica stared at me with cold eyes. 

“Of course not.” Jessica coldy whispered. “Why would I know liars?” I regonized this group. The Hawk’s, to be exact. They were a small gang, Jessica was the co-leader. They went around, killing people for no reason. 

“May we attack, Ma’am?” A boy hungrily asked, staring at me with malicousness. Jessica considered for a moment.

“Yes.” Those three letters. Y. E. S. It struck me hard, was Jessica really going to watch me be ripped alive? Jessica stared at me, not a single drop of warmth, and watched me get beat up. The boys punched me. One boy held me down while the other three girls stomped on me with their sharp high-heels. 

Suddenly, a girl fell. She legit collapased through the floor. Or maybe she gently fell to the floor. I’m not sure. I was in too much pain to think clearly. Four more arrows shot out of nowhere and hit the remaining Hawks, leaving Jessica cowering on the sidewalk. Or maybe she was doing the pee dance. 

A hooded figure jumped down from the building and landed in front of me.

“You are to tell Elijah that your Hawk group will stay hidden until Jagger speaks with him.” The hooded figure softly whispered. Jessica nodded before bolting down the road as fast as she could in those high-heels. 

Then I passed out. 

I wake up to find myself in a room. It was a dark room, and I was sitting in a chair. A single lamp hung above me. 

“Am I in jail?” I wonder aloud. 

“Haha, no.” A voice chuckles. A teenage boy with messy jet-black hair. He has the type of hairstyle where his front hair is covering his eyes, so he has to brush it away. He has blue eyes that glow in the dim light. 

“Why am I here?” I inquire, getting up from my chair. 

“You were found on the streets. The Hawks attacked. Don’t you remember?” His voice is soothing and cool. “I’m Jagger. You are-?”

“Noah.” 

“Follow me, Noah.” Jagger grabs my hand-a bit harshly- and pulls me towards a door. 

“Dylan told me he knew you.” Jagger said. 

“Yeah. He was my old boyfriend.” 

“Your gay?” 

“Yeah.” I yank my hand from Jagger’s hand. “Got something against that?” Jagger stares at me.

“No. I’m bi.”

“What made you bi? Why do you like boys?” I bet I broke the world record for asking the weirdest questions in a matter of seconds.

“I used to be straight…But at this moment I decided to be bi.”

“Huh. Interesting.” I reply, keeping distance from Jagger. Could you blame me? I don’t trust stranger’s. Would you trust Jagger if you suddenly passed out and woke up in a dark room to discover your in the same room with a assassin? He’d told me they were the Blue Rey’s. An assassin group. 

“Where’s Dylan? Who saved me?”

“Dylan saved you. We’re heading towards him. I have a new mission for him. 

“Dylan saved me?” I ask, unable to keep the shock out of my voice.

“Of course he did. He was on a mission-to kill a girl named Emma, and he saw you getting beaten up by the hawks. Of course he stopped his mission to save you. Blah blah blah.” Jagger informed. I stare down at the floor as we contuinue walking-it wasn’t a good idea because I hit the wall. 

“Does Dylan still care about me?” I whisper. Jagger looks at me.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” I quickly say, briskly walking away.

“Dylan works in there.” Jagger points to an open doorway, containing sevreal cubicals. Dylan sat in one, on an office chair. Nervously tapping his fingers on the desk. His tapping instantly ceases when he see’s me.

“Noah!” Dylan rushes over to me and hugs me. 

“I didn’t know you still had feelings for me.” I whisper into his ear as I return his hug.

“I always have.” Dylan replied. I broke away. Jagger coughed.

“Dylan I have a new mission for you. A man in the Hawk’s group has murdered three people. This folder contains all the information you need. He must be dead by midnight.” Jagger informed. 

“Of course, sir.” Dylan salutes before taking the folder-leaned towards me-then thought better of it and left. A young woman, perhaps in her 18’s just like Jagger, came up to him. Cluthing a folder with both hands.

“Jagger, I finished my work.” The girl happily exclaimed, a sassy hint to her tone, then she went to go get coffee. Jagger sighed.

“She’s my girlfriend.” Jagger added.

“Oh.” 

“What are you? Jealous?

“Pft! Of what?”

“My girlfriend!”

“What?! No!” I exclaim, thought I can feel my cheeks burning.

“Yes you are.” Jagger smirks.

“Shut up!” I snap, crossing my arms. “When can I go back home?” Jagger’s smile falls off his face.

“You can’t.”

“Say what now? I bought that home there, Mister.” I protest.

“It’s infested.”

“With bugs?”

“Well-no and yes. The bugs aren’t living creatures, there the ones you use to listen to people. Aiden is park of the Hawk’s, and he knew that at one point, you’d join the Rey’s. So, he bugged your whole house. It full of traps that are ready to kill you.”

“So where am I going to stay?!” I huff, sitting down on the floor.

“You can stay at my-”

“I’d rather be in the house infested with deadly traps.” 

“You don’t have a choice.”

“I do.” I grunt.

“Be quiet and live with it. It’s not going to be forever.”

“Make me.” I grumble. I’d expected Jagger to punch me, or perhaps kick me. I was already in enough pain for one day.

“You’re cute when your mad.” Jagger thoughtfuly said, completly changing the subject.

“You shut up.” 

I didn’t have a choice. I had to stay in Jagger’s house. His house has four bedrooms. One for himself, one for his little sister-she’s four and she’s adorable! She can’t say words properly, so when she says things like “rain.” She says “rwian.” My heart melted when I saw her. 

“Jwagy?” Rose, Jagger’s sister had asked when she first saw me. “Ish he your Boyfwiend?”

“Yes.”

“No,” I saw at the same time. 

“Yes.” 

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Annoying.”

March 21st. The worst possible day for it to happen. I couldn’t have believed it. Yet, it happened. 

Dylan asked me out on a date. 

No. I didn’t love him. Or did I? Why were feelings this complicated? All I could do was stare blankly at the floor. 

I couldn’t tell him. No. I couldn’t. I couldn’t break his heart into pieces again. 

Because The Truth Hurts.

““I-I…Can-n’t I-I’m visiting my Mom.” I blurt out. Dylan looks crestfallen and I wince. “I haven’t visited her in a while. This weekend I plan to visit her for a while. I have to tell her…”  That I’m gay.

““Oh. What are you going to tell her?”

“Er…How well I’m doing in school.” I guilty say. Dylan looks so sad, I have to hug him. Would you leave your friend hanging?

I arrived a London, where my Mom lives. I actually did want to tell her I was gay. She’d believed I was straight for my whole life. She deserved to know the truth now. I had wanted to take someone with me, perhaps Jagger. Defiantly not Dylan. So, I ended up going back to where I lived and dragging Jagger with me. I don’t think he enjoyed it very much. 

We walked up the steps to the small, white, cozy house. I raised my hand, ready to ring the doorbell, but stopped midway. 

“Go on.” Jagger encouraged softly, noticing my hesitation. I inhale and press the doorbell. 

“Mom,” I whisper softly when I see the familiar twinkling eyes full of mischief. 

“Noah,” my mom joyfully whispered. “Noah!” She flung her arms around me, nearly choking me. My mom has brown hair with graying streaks, and blue eyes. She’s not tall, yet not shorts, perhaps a bit thin, though. “Come in, come in.” She shoved us inside and forced us to sit on the couch.

“Mom, I have something to tell you.” I say. My mom is hastily making coffee.

“Oh, thank you ma’am.” Jagger politely accepted the coffee. Jagger was so cute. 

“So, what do you want to tell me?” My mom asks, shrugging off the wooly blanket she had draped around her shoulder’s. 

“I…” I took a deep breath

. Before I can even say I’m gay, my mom interrupts me. 

“Honey, can you explain who this emo boy is?”

“I am not an emo.” Jagger retorted. 

“Where did you get those clothes? I never bought you those clothes.” Mom scolded softly.

“Mom, I’m talking.” I huff. “Anyway’s, as I was saying I…I’m gay.” The last word made my mom’s eyes widen with shock. She slammed her cup of coffee down, splattering coffee everywhere. 

“What?! T-that can-nt-?!” She seemed to realize. “You! Emo boy, how dare you!” Jagger looked offended. 

“What?”

“It’s not his fault.” I whisper. Mom is breathing heavily, glaring at Jagger. 

“Why couldn’t you have told me the truth sooner?” Mom snapped. I finally look at Mom square in the eye.

“Because The Truth Hurts.” I flatly say. Mom’s breathing stops. Those three words hit her, bringing her back to thousand of memories. 

“The Truth Hurts.” Mom whispered, tasting each words. 

“It does.” Jagger piped up. Mom’s emotion changed-quite quickly. There was silence. Then my mom said.

“Someone’s coming over.” Then, the doorbell rang. The clear rang that echoed through the whole house. Mom hurried over to the door.

“Annie!” Mom smiled, gesturing for the guests to come in. “Annie, this is my son, Noah. And-and his f-friend. Noah, this is Annie. Her parents and I set you two up together.” Mom explained quickly. My eyes fell on Annie. She had blonde hair and was wearing a decent amount of makeup. She was wearing a red short-skirt and red high heels. Way to go for the red-style. 

“Noah! Your mom has told me all about you!” Annie rushed over and sat down next to me, clutching one of my hands with both of her hands. I immediately snatch my hands away. “Ooh, thank you so much, Marcy!” Marcy is my mom’s name. My mom smiled. 

“I’m sure you’ll have a good life together.”  

“We well!” Annie replied for me, not even giving me a chance to reply. I wonder how much lipstick Annie put on her lips, it seemed as if she used a whole bottle. Before I knew it, those red lips were coming towards me, of course, I followed my instinct and ducked, which created the fall. Annie somehow tripped over me and fell on my lap. 

I shoved her off. What did you expect me to do? Gently put her on the ground. 

“C’mon, Jagger.” I grab Jagger’s hand. Mom is sitting in the corner, sipping her coffee watch the whole scene. 

“Noah, you can’t be gay.” Mom scolded.

“Oh I can’t? The watch me.” I leaned over and kissed Jagger on the lips. Annie choked while Mom gasped. Don’t make fun of me, but that was my first kiss. I never kissed Dylan or Aiden. I have kissed my dog before, but that’s not a person. If any person could’ve been redder then a sunburned person, it must’ve been Jagger. Jagger turned pink, his cheeks the pinkest. Annie looked at me as if I was a crazy person.

“Ew, thats disgusting.”

“That’s what your parents said when they gave birth to you.” I shot back, gripping Jagger’s hand tighter. Those were my last words ever to my mom. 

       Dylan understood how I liked Jagger, and he was completely fine with it. He’s asexual now. He just hangout’s with us. I was snuggling with Jagger on the bed, watching some TV. I thought about all the lies I said, every single dent I made in everyone’s life. I realized something.

“Jagger?”

“Yes?”   

“The Truth Only Hurts When You’ve Kept It For Too Long.”