The difference between the truth– and a lie.
What do you think it is?
Maybe you said the facts? The truth? Haha, cute thought, but no. The answer is… a smile! Yes, a nice, slow smile. And maybe the evidence lol. (Be careful of that.)
I bet you're probably puzzled. You see, the thing is that it's all about perception. The way you phrase things. The way you angle a situation. After the evidence is taken care of, the rest is all in the way you react in a situation. Something a little like this~~:
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In a certain decently sized high school, one morning, in a certain homeroom class, a noteworthy scandal erupts.
The homeroom starts alive with the buzz and chatter of teenage kids; the teacher's absence makes for an even more relaxed and slower morning atmosphere in the class.
Little did these kids, happily chatting in their little cliques, know what a buzz they were in for.
BANG!!
Suddenly, the door to the homeroom slams open. Striding in, in long heavy steps, is a boy who makes a straight line to the biggest group of all, singling out one particular member.
Taking a self-righteous and pissed stance, he demands answers.
"Delton Dismonds! What the fuck is going on?"
Delton, previously leaning over the group of desks, having a serious debate about a viral food on his phone, slowly leans back and turns around to face him.
Looking at the boy behind him in part surprise, part recognition.
"Hm? Oh, Simon! What's up? What's going on?"
"What d'you mean 'what's up?' That's what I WANNA KNOW. Why the fuck are you suddenly ghosting me and refusing to help anymore?" The boy, Simon, throws back, his tone getting more impatient.
Sighing, like he doesn't want to have this conversation, Delton slowly tells Simon,
"Look, I don't wanna help you with your homework anymore, okay? You're a big boy now. Do it yourself." Before turning back to his group and letting out a sigh again.
"HEY!" Simon spins back Delton's whole chair to face him.
"D, WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH YOU, HUH? ACTING ALL NICE AND SWEET ONE DAY AND THEN A FUCKING ICICLE THE NEXT?! WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU? JUST SAY IT!"
Delton, rubbing his face and closing his eyes, visibly distraught, tries to smooth things over.
"Look, I don't know what exactly you're getting mixed up here, but let's talk about this later, alright?"
Pausing to think for a moment, Simon doubles down on his stance.
"Nah, you've already blocked me on your socials. No way you actually wanna talk later. Just promise you'll agree to go back to how it was, and I'll drop this right here."
Sighing with a pained expression, Delton looks straight at Simon again.
"Look, Simon, I've already decided. The answer is NO. OKAY? But we can finish the rest of this LATER. Alright?" Frustration cutting in.
"Are you realllly sure you want to do this?"
"Really, D? Or should I let your friends in on a little secret?"
Looking half-done and half-baffled, Delton asks, unamused, "What secret?"
Laughing at Delton's cockiness, Simon turns to Delton's classmates and group of friends, playfully teasing,
"Did you guys know that 'Mr. Perfect' over here…." He pauses partially to build up hype but also to let Delton have the chance to stop him.
Seeing no attempts, he continues his reveal. "...is actually gay?"
Surprise settles over the room as everybody turns their shocked faces to look at Delton, the perfect golden boy, smart and handsome, who surprisingly turns out to be gay?
Some gasp in shock, others look upset at Simon for whatever he is trying to do, and a few look at D with some disgust on their faces. All of them, though, no doubt, are waiting on Delton's reaction.
Contrary to whatever the crowd might've been expecting, Delton seems even more taken aback than the rest of them, like he just heard pigs could fly. Eyes wide, he stumbles over his words in unadulterated confusion, shock, and horror as he questions,
"Wait, what?"
Pointing at himself with an incredulous expression, he continues his questions at a loss. "Me… gay?" Proceeding to take a few beats to process but ending up even more confused.
"With who?"
Looking at Delton's reaction, for a few seconds, Simon is shocked, and somewhat confused, but instantly recovers and rejects Delton's ignorance outright.
"Don't act dumb. You know what I'm talking about." His voice is full of pointed accusations.
Delton looks at him, genuinely confused and upset now. Simon's eyes search all over Delton's face for any crack, any clue, even the slightest. But there's nothing. He looks absolutely certain of himself.
Simon can't help but scoff at the absurdity of the situation.
"Are you serious?" he asks, still incredulous. His voice starts to tighten as frustration, hurt, and disbelief bleed through.
"You really plan to deny this until the end?" He asks, faltering, as time stretches on.
Looking at Delton's clear, confused face, something in Simon cracks as he stands there now even more subdued, and as he tears up,
"Are you really still going to deny it, even with our pictures and texts?" quickly fumbling his way through his phone.
Perception is a fickle thing, isn't it? Easily swayed.
His previous fury, long since forgotten, is now replaced with deep hurt and desperation.
The whole classroom goes silent as a few exchange eye contact, some whisper quietly, while others try to subtly scoot in closer. Eyes shift between the two, trying to decipher, as they all wait, bated breaths, for Simon to produce whatever evidence he has next.
"Huh? What—" panicked and disbelieving. Simon moves his fingers more frantically across the screen. Shorter breaths, rougher breathing as his face contorts into something desperate. Muttering denials under his breath, faster and faster as he spirals.
Stopping, he looks to Delton, something clicking in his eyes: denial, realization, horror, and something else.
In an quiet tone, he pleads between heavy breaths,
"No, you— our— no. No, no, no."
"You wouldn't. No. Why?", chest heaving, voice strained.
"Why? When? Why?" Tears stream down his face, appearing tragic.
Giving it a moment, Delton speaks cautiously and confused in a low voice.
"Simon, could–" he hesitates. "Could it be that you like me? Or maybe misunderstood something?" asking cautiously, like he doesn't want to step on any landmines.
Simon just stands there quietly, watching Delton thoroughly deny everything.
"Listen, Simon, whatever it is that you think happened is probably a misunderstanding, okay? I've listened to you and tried to understand where you were coming from, but…" Lowering his voice and speaking more gently,
"I really think you misunderstood something. I mean, I wish you could find whatever's in your phone to sort this out, but… it doesn't exist." He talks through, eyebrows tight, voice soft.
Sighing, Delton continues.
"Look, I'm not gay, alright? So let's all just forget about this misunderstanding and pretend it never happened. Okay?" a small, gentle and understanding smile tagging on his lips.
Staring at Delton, Simon stands still, tears slipping past, a pained look in his eyes.
For one whole solid minute, he stands there, just watching. Before turning and walking out.
A couple seconds go by, stretching long while everyone is silent, before a closer deskmate, asks tentatively,
"Hey, Delts, what was that all about?"
Sometimes, the truth doesn't go with what actually happened.
Turning back to face them, Delton slowly shakes his head. Aftershock evident, as he shrugs his shoulders.
"Beats me," he absently-mindedly responds, sinking into thought.
Sometimes, it goes with what is believed to have happened.
Slowly, other classmates begun bombarding him with questions, while he was internally trying to calm his racing heart and thoughts.
And when the whole world believes one thing, and you believe another—
Oh my god. Calm down. Focus. You were perfect. It was fine. … Still, I can't believe he actually cried… No! You have to focus right now. ABSOLUTELY NO CRACKS! Remember, you're innocent right now. Clueless.
Does that make you crazy? Or the world?