- May 21, 2017
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“You liar!”
“Is now really the time?” He whispered, peeking quickly out of the alley. “And keep your voice down! Please.”
“I can’t believe you’d do this to me!” She continued, and though her voice was as angry as ever, at least it was somewhat quieter.
“I told you I was sorry! Isn’t that enough? What do you want me to do, a.. an apologetic breakdance??”
She paused. “That would be nice.” She admitted. She suddenly smiled, a teasing look coming over her face. “You could finally make use of those ballerina skills.” But then her face fell again, returning to an angry scowl. “Unless that was a lie too.”
He didn’t reply for a second, as he was looking around the alley, trying to figure out how to best escape it. The glaring midday sun was making him feel exposed, jumpy. Unfortunately, the alley was a dead end, but maybe they could get over that barbed wire fence… not without injury, though, and they might hear them..
“Peter!”
Peter flinched, turning around quickly. “Shhhhhh!”
Her face flushed red and she looked at the ground. “Sorry, I—” she looked up again, indignant, “I think we lost them, ok?”
“Yeah, maybe, but we still need to get out of here.”
“Can’t we just keep going down the road?”
“The station’s that way, we should probably avoid it.”
Just then, Peter heard the sound of feet hitting the pavement. Wait. That wasn’t right. Who would be running down an empty road flanked by warehouses?
Oh no.
“Amy, they’re coming,” Peter whispered.
Amy cursed. She darted towards the barbed wire fence and put her hands on it. But, after a second, her hands fell to her sides. “We don’t have time.” She turned to Peter, for once with a look of urgency on her face. “You have to do the thing.”
“I can’t—”
“You can. You’re better at being a freak than you think.”
Peter sighed at her teasing. “Okay.” He grabbed Amy and steered her towards the wall of the alley. There was nowhere to hide, he had to do it. “Remember; don’t move.” He muttered. He closed his eyes, facing Amy. He felt her grab his arms. He gritted his teeth and concentrated.
There was that familiar feeling. That horrible feeling that always made him feel like he wasn’t actually here, that he wasn’t actually real.
C’mon. C’mon… Peter begged, all too aware of the uncomfortable sensation of sweat forming on his back.
And then there they were. Two policemen, walking briskly into the alley, their walky-talkies beeping sporadically at each other.
Peter opened his eyes to stare at Amy. She stared back, her face inches from his own. Then her eyes focused on the policemen who were walking up right behind him. Time seemed to seep by as slow and lazily as honey. His entire body was rigid with tension as he waited for something to happen.
But… nothing did.
The police didn’t see them. They couldn’t see them. It worked. Peter thought with relief.
After what seemed to be an eternity and no time at all, the police turned and left the alley.
Peter and Amy faded back into visibility.
Peter expected Amy to let go of his arms, but she didn’t. A roguish smile was on her face. Once the police were out of earshot, she leaned forward.
“See, I knew you could do it.” She whispered. “Freak.”
Amy hopped away from him playfully, then added, “But don’t ever lie to me again.”
Peter scowled. His hands were trembling. He hated how doing it made him so shakey, but, hey, they hadn’t gotten caught.
“It was barely a lie. I didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to believe it.”
“Hmm. I’ll take that, but only because you just saved us.” Amy said, crossing her arms. “Why would I think you were lying? You said you rode an ostrich! That’s too cool to make up!”
Peter sighed dramatically. “It was too ridiculous to be the truth. And, anyway, I was laughing when I told you.”
Amy narrowed her eyes. “You were convincing.” She insisted. “Anyway, just don’t do it again. Or at least tell me later if it’s a joke.”
“Yeah, okay.” Peter agreed. But he felt a twang of guilt. There was another lie, and it was much more serious than a joke about ostrich-riding.
Would Amy ever trust him again if she knew?
I think I wrote too much
“Is now really the time?” He whispered, peeking quickly out of the alley. “And keep your voice down! Please.”
“I can’t believe you’d do this to me!” She continued, and though her voice was as angry as ever, at least it was somewhat quieter.
“I told you I was sorry! Isn’t that enough? What do you want me to do, a.. an apologetic breakdance??”
She paused. “That would be nice.” She admitted. She suddenly smiled, a teasing look coming over her face. “You could finally make use of those ballerina skills.” But then her face fell again, returning to an angry scowl. “Unless that was a lie too.”
He didn’t reply for a second, as he was looking around the alley, trying to figure out how to best escape it. The glaring midday sun was making him feel exposed, jumpy. Unfortunately, the alley was a dead end, but maybe they could get over that barbed wire fence… not without injury, though, and they might hear them..
“Peter!”
Peter flinched, turning around quickly. “Shhhhhh!”
Her face flushed red and she looked at the ground. “Sorry, I—” she looked up again, indignant, “I think we lost them, ok?”
“Yeah, maybe, but we still need to get out of here.”
“Can’t we just keep going down the road?”
“The station’s that way, we should probably avoid it.”
Just then, Peter heard the sound of feet hitting the pavement. Wait. That wasn’t right. Who would be running down an empty road flanked by warehouses?
Oh no.
“Amy, they’re coming,” Peter whispered.
Amy cursed. She darted towards the barbed wire fence and put her hands on it. But, after a second, her hands fell to her sides. “We don’t have time.” She turned to Peter, for once with a look of urgency on her face. “You have to do the thing.”
“I can’t—”
“You can. You’re better at being a freak than you think.”
Peter sighed at her teasing. “Okay.” He grabbed Amy and steered her towards the wall of the alley. There was nowhere to hide, he had to do it. “Remember; don’t move.” He muttered. He closed his eyes, facing Amy. He felt her grab his arms. He gritted his teeth and concentrated.
There was that familiar feeling. That horrible feeling that always made him feel like he wasn’t actually here, that he wasn’t actually real.
C’mon. C’mon… Peter begged, all too aware of the uncomfortable sensation of sweat forming on his back.
And then there they were. Two policemen, walking briskly into the alley, their walky-talkies beeping sporadically at each other.
Peter opened his eyes to stare at Amy. She stared back, her face inches from his own. Then her eyes focused on the policemen who were walking up right behind him. Time seemed to seep by as slow and lazily as honey. His entire body was rigid with tension as he waited for something to happen.
But… nothing did.
The police didn’t see them. They couldn’t see them. It worked. Peter thought with relief.
After what seemed to be an eternity and no time at all, the police turned and left the alley.
Peter and Amy faded back into visibility.
Peter expected Amy to let go of his arms, but she didn’t. A roguish smile was on her face. Once the police were out of earshot, she leaned forward.
“See, I knew you could do it.” She whispered. “Freak.”
Amy hopped away from him playfully, then added, “But don’t ever lie to me again.”
Peter scowled. His hands were trembling. He hated how doing it made him so shakey, but, hey, they hadn’t gotten caught.
“It was barely a lie. I didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to believe it.”
“Hmm. I’ll take that, but only because you just saved us.” Amy said, crossing her arms. “Why would I think you were lying? You said you rode an ostrich! That’s too cool to make up!”
Peter sighed dramatically. “It was too ridiculous to be the truth. And, anyway, I was laughing when I told you.”
Amy narrowed her eyes. “You were convincing.” She insisted. “Anyway, just don’t do it again. Or at least tell me later if it’s a joke.”
“Yeah, okay.” Peter agreed. But he felt a twang of guilt. There was another lie, and it was much more serious than a joke about ostrich-riding.
Would Amy ever trust him again if she knew?
I think I wrote too much
