Tell Me More Lies

Chapter 9: Sierra

"How was school today?" Charlie asked, taking a bite from his dinner plate. He was still in his work clothes, occasionally loosening his tie whenever it felt too tight when swallowing.

I shrug. It wasn't necessary to tell him the specific details of my endeavors today. "It was fine, for the most part. Got paint on my uniform today. So, that's great."

Worry lines creasing his forehead. "Did something happen?"

A lot happened today.

"Just a few people pulling pranks. Nothing serious."

Savannah sits up straight with her usual suburban housewife smile. "Did Ayla help you settle back to your school environment today?" My face must've shown it because her shoulder slacked. "Oh, my God. I told her to stay with you on your first day. Tell me she at least drove you to school this morning?"

I give her a tightlipped smile. Savannah drops her fork and rests her head on her palms, muttering something I couldn't quite comprehend. "I'm so sorry, Sierra. My daughter isn't exactly a saint, I'm sure you've noticed. If I'd known I would've driven you myself to school but—"

"It's fine, Savannah. Charlie drove me."

She sighs. "Forgive my colossal failure of a child. I swear, if I could ship her off to military school, I would." I stay silent. I don't miss the empty chair beside me. Something tells me she's been hearing a lot of that in the recent years.

But still, I wouldn't say it wouldn't hurt her.

Charlie must've been thinking the same thing because he clears his throat. "Savannah—"

She takes the bowl of soup, setting aside what's left. "We should save this for her. She might be hungry when she comes home."

I blink, staring at Savannah who  resumed poking her steak with a fork. Can't say I didn't notice the immediate shift in her mood. First she was condemning her daughter and the next she's acting like a caring mother? You're either one or the other.

Charlie busies himself downing his glass of wine.

 "Where is she, by the way?" I ask.

Savannah waves a hand. "She's out with her friends. The usual social functions. You should tag along with her next time. It would put you out there on the radar, you know, being new and all."

My cheek turns crimson red at the suggestion.

Charlie gives a small laugh. "I don't think Sierra is into that kind of stuff."

"Oh." Her face falls. "I didn't mean you'd be putting yourself out there for boys. Just that you could develop your social life." She paused. "Not that you don't have one, I mean."

No, she's right on the money there. Haven't made a single friend today, not that it bothered me. Lunch period didn't help much, either. 

Her eyes sparkle in realization. "Oh, I almost forgot. I talked to Edith Nerry at that popular diner you kids love to hang out so much. Charlie said you were looking for a job? Edith has an opening since one of their waitresses quit last week if you're interested. You could swing by tomorrow for an interview."

I look at her, grateful for the effort she put into scoring me that interview. "You didn't have to do that," I say, suddenly feeling guilty at the lack of attempt in trying to get to know my uncle's fiancé. Savannah was kind, albeit, absentminded at times.

She waves a hand dismissing me. "It was nothing. Her daughter was an old friend of mine in another city."

"You're not from here?" I ask, curiously.

I swallow the piece of steak that I didn't realize I hadn't touched for a while now.

"No, I was. Then we moved to Sunview just a few hours from here." I heard about that place. My Dad used to go there on scheduled meetings for his company. And I also heard that place was a beacon for illegal business. Kind of like the south Ridgewood. Though they sometimes like to call it Mayfield now. God forbid Ridgewood citizens would like to be associated with the sour apple.

She regarded me with unease. "I'm sure Charlie mentioned about my recovering situation." I nod. "Well, I met Charlie at a rehab facility there and when we both did our time, then he convinced me to move back here with him." 

She giggled like a schoolgirl. 

"Charlie got out earlier than I did so he would drive there every weekends just to spend time with me. My burly little lovesick man."

Charlie regards her with a loving gaze that I found myself a tad bit jealous. They looked happy.

"I guess you could say we both helped each other out of a life of misery. It wasn't perfect at first, there were kicking and screaming, but we fought through it."

Placing a palm against his cheek, they both smiled like they were in their own little world. I envied them. They both found something they were willing to hold on to for the rest of their lives and they didn't let it go. 

I furrowed my eyebrows. They blossomed a relationship because of their shared experience with addiction. Charlie with alcohol and Savannah with drugs. They had encountered problems but they pushed through it together. Strangers who helped each other swim against the tide.

Julian and I were once good friends, I don't doubt that. In a way, we were like them. Our shared experience brought us together. 

We just didn't fight hard enough when our problems were too much to handle.