The most believable type of the lie is the one that contains some truth in it. I loved what you did with your hair, it was so much better than the previous hairstyle. I need some help with school so I can keep up with my siblings. Your pie tastes great but I think the one you made last time was better. Guess which one I’ve been using as an excuse to see my crush.

When Rosemond wasn’t watching, Isaac would stop doing his homework to admire her. When she noticed that he wasn’t doing his work, he would quickly return to his work and the cycle would continue. Isaac didn’t need the tutoring sessions, he understood everything in class but he was an idiot when it came to his unrequited love.

“You know, even if you pretend to do work, I know you’re not,” Rosemond said without looking up from her book.

“But this is boring,” Isaac whined. It was true, he knew it all like the back of his hand.

“Which is why you failed your test? Your mom hired me to get your grades up.”

“Anything that’s not perfect is a fail in my family. Hey,” Isaac put down his pencil and leaned forward on the table getting close up to Rosemond’s face, “tutor me in something more interesting. How about kissing?”

Rosemond put down her book and leaned in close to Isaac’s face. They locked eyes and she put on flirty smile and unfazed, she said, “But you did actually fail so go back to work.” She pushed him back before returning to her book.

“Why not?” Isaac pouted, unable to hide his disappointment.

“You’re my little sister’s best friend, let’s no go there.”

“But right now we’re tutor and student. It always works in the movies.” Isaac tried again.

“Cute but no. Did you finish your practice test?”

“Yeah, here. Now back to why you won’t date me.”

“You made ten mistakes but it’s still an eighty percent.” Rosemond handed the papers back to Isaac and moved over to the seat beside him to show him how it’s done.

“If I weren’t your little sister’s friend, would you date me?”

“Focus.” Rosemond tapped the paper. “You confused the suffix, it’s ‘-ic’ if it’s the higher oxidation number and ‘-ous’ when it’s the lower one. So it’s Ferrous when it’s Iron II and Ferric when it’s Iron III.”

“Ah,” Isaac said. Returned his attention to Rosemond and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I can’t see when your hair in the way.”

“Cheeky.”

“It’s Isaac or boyfriend, which everyone you prefer.”

“Back to work Isaac,” Rosemond said while rolling her eyes.

The two continued the tutoring session and only stopped to greet Delancy who was too busy remembering all the tasks she promised to do to return the favour. They returned to tutoring before a knock on the balcony window interrupted them.

“You know we have a front door,” Rosemond said to Asher who let himself in by the window.

“This way is easier. Is Del home?”

“You don’t want to deal with her today. The school festival is coming up soon and she’s been working nonstop.”

“Ah, I’ll go to Diego’s then. By the way Rei’s looking for you. She’s at my place.”

“Then we’ll pack up for today,” said Rosemond. “Fix your mistakes and do today’s homework.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“I’m only two years older than you. Don’t call me that.”

“Bye Mond.” The two boys left by the window with Asher headed up one floor to Diego’s and Isaac went down two to meet Rei at Asher’s.

On the second floor at Asher’s house, Rei sat at the dining table with her science homework and a pile of crumbled paper lying all over the floor.

“Isa,” Rei pouted, “I don’t get it.”

With a helpless smile, Isaac sat down and helped Rei with her homework. When they finished, the two stayed at Asher’s and went through the collection of manga Rei lent him.

“Are you still getting tutored by Mond?”

“Yup.”

“Even though you know everything.”

“Yup.”

“And you’re doing bad on purpose.”

“Basically.”

“Lame.”

“Ah, looks like it’s time to go,” Isaac said as he heard his mom pull up.

“Bye.” Rei also headed out and across the balcony and into her unit through the window.

“Ah, Rei-chan okaeri.” Her stepmother welcomed her back from the couch. “Would you like to join us? It’s the latest episode.”

Rei looked at the couch, her stepmother and stepsister were on the couch and the last space would be for her father when he returned home from work meaning the only spot available for her was in the one seater. Rei held back a laugh at how she found herself so relatable to a piece of furniture.

“I have homework to do Yukari-san.”

“Ah, I see. We’ll I’ll call you for dinner then.” The last sentence was useless as Rei had already closed the door to her room. She was able to enjoy two hours of silence before she was called for dinner.

“Rei-chan would you like seconds?” Her stepmother asked.

“Na-chi does,” Natsumi, Rei’s step sister, said.

“Na-chan, your mother asked your neesan first,” Rei’s father said.

Rei gripped her chopsticks harder when her father referred to her as Natsumi’s older sister. She was not. She was and always will be an only child.

“Gomen Rei-oneesan,” Natsumi apologised.

“Daijyobu Natsumi-san,” Rei said. “I’m full Yukari-san. I have a lot of work to catch up on so if you’ll excuse me.” Rei placed her dishes in the sink and returned to the comfort of her room.

Why do they try? Why can’t they just give up like I have? Why can’t they accept that I don’t want to be considered them my family. Does it matter to them that much that they have to pretend we’re picture perfect? They’re not my family, my family died the same day my mom did.

*

Upstairs on the fifth floor, Asher enjoyed dinner at Diego’s home. He was really glad that they offered since it beat eating convenience store food alone in a dark apartment.

“So how is your family?”

“Same old Mr. Alvadaro. Working, working, working,” Asher said, leaving out the fights that take place in between work. “How are you guys? Mrs. Alvadaro is still working?”

“Work is her therapy, she’s been working nonstop since the- she’s been working nonstop.” Mr. Alvadaro excused himself to bring a plate of food to his wife.

The two teens finished their dinner and headed to Diego’s room. Both of them were quiet as they passed his room and entered Diego’s. They worked on their homework together before Asher left to go home.

“Be careful,” said Mr. Alvadaro even though Asher lived three floors down.

“I will, thank you.”

Asher left through the window and stopped just outside of his window. The lights were on and he was going to rush in to greet his parents until their arguing stopped him.

“How could you not give our son any dinner Beatrice?”

“Maybe it’s because I have to work three jobs Quentin. What about you? When was the last time you made our son a meal?”

“Do you know how much I have to work overtime to pay for the bills? Would it kill you to spend a bit less when it came to shopping?”

“I don’t even touch your money Quentin! And the last time I bought something, it was a new shirt for work because someone got angry and destroyed half of my closet.”

“You said those clothes were too small anyways. I saved you the trouble of throwing them out.”

Hearing enough, Asher headed down the fire escape and entered through the main door. He put on the same fake smile his parents did and pretended like he didn’t hear anything. He put in the tape that Diego lent him and turned the music up loud, trying to drown out the sound of their latest fight.

We are all the same. We choose our words carefully to paint the best picture of ourselves. Maybe, we believe that if we lie to others enough, we can trick ourselves into believing our lies. I wonder how many more lies I have to tell before I can believe that I am loved by my parents.