The Lies He Tells

By: Autumn Purvis

Tyler

The snow fell into Tyler's hair, thick and cold as it coated each strand of his jet black hair. A sheet of powdery white covered the ground, glistening and glittering with each step he took. The only thing he could focus on was the crunch of the powder beneath his feet, which seemed to get heavier with each stride he took further. The sky was approaching pitch black, but that didn't stop Tyler from continuing his numbing walk. The tips of his fingers started going numb as he felt a buzzing in his pocket. He reached into his pocket, almost unable to feel the phone as he retrieved it. I can't do this right now, Tyler thought to himself as he used his icy fingers to hit ignore, then slipped his phone back into the same pocket it was moments before. Tyler wasn't sure what he was running away from, but he knew he couldn't return. Not right now. Suddenly, his focus shifted from the snow under his feet to the conversation just 30 minutes prior. Tyler had only known Ashley for a few months, but it felt like he had known her for an eternity. Ashley always had a flush to her cheeks, and her brunette hair was always styled so effortlessly. Every room she walked into seemed to brighten. On paper, Ashley was not only perfect but perfect for Tyler. He gets pulled out of his thoughts by the buzzing once again in his pocket, now seeming even more antagonizing. Still, he retrieves it from his pocket, his hands even colder than moments before. The name seems to taunt him as it dances across his screen in big block letters. His finger hovers over the answer button before the words suddenly flicker away, and he is met with a photo of Ashley. She is smiling brightly in Tyler's direction as her hands are held in the shape of a heart. He couldn't understand why he was doing this to her. He felt a deep pit in his stomach. He couldn't keep ignoring her calls, so he reluctantly scrolled through his contacts and, with a slight hesitation, hit the call button. The phone hardly made it through two rings before he heard the panicked voice coming from the other side of the phone. “Tyler,” he heard the softness in her voice, and for a moment, it almost took away from the events of the night. The feeling only lasted for a second before a lump formed in his throat, and he quickly hung the phone up and shoved it into his pocket once more. 

Ashley

Ashley sat on her bed, staring at her blank phone screen. Her lips quivered as she slowly stood up and walked to the bathroom. She turned to look at her reflection in the mirror and was met with a pale, damp, tear-stained face. Tyler left the house in such a rush that Ashley almost didn't comprehend what was going on. Ashley and Tyler had been dating for six months. They sat together in their first period, and Tyler swears ever since he first saw her, he was hopelessly in love with her. Ashley never doubted that Tyler loved her. Tyler was the type of boy who walked to her house with flowers. He was the type of boy who would stay up and talk to her until she was able to fall asleep. He was the type of guy who truly seemed like he came straight from a movie. That's what made all of this feel so shocking and like such a blur. Tyler had broken up with Ashley before he walked out of her room in a hurry and then out the front door. The worst part was that Ashley couldn't think of why he broke up with her. Surely he was just having a bad night, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was something else. She tried calling his phone one more time, but still, no answer. 

Tyler

Tyler finally made it to his destination. He was met by a brick red door with the number 814 printed in black blocky letters. He lifted his fist to knock, but before he could, the door swung open. He was met by the teary-eyed girl with a smile and a hug. She quickly ushered him into the house and then up the stairs to her room. She insisted he sit on the bed, so he reluctantly took his shoes off and took the spot next to her. “Tyler, I was getting so worried about you.” She said in a hushed manner. “I know. I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls. I had to get some things figured out before I came back.” Tyler said while reaching his hand out to cup the bright pink cheek in front of him. Tyler may have had a smile on his face, but all he could feel was shame. The events of the night were starting to look clearer, and as each second passed, more and more he realized he had made a mistake. A mistake he wasn't sure he could fix anymore. “Tyler, are you okay?” The girl asked, moving Tyler's hand off of her cheek. Once again, he managed to smile. “Yeah, it's just been a long night is all.” He says as he scoots closer to the girl. He feels her body relax as she lets out a light sigh. At least she feels some form of relief from this. All Tyler felt was guilt. Tyler didn't cheat on Ashley. He was always faithful and never so much as looked at another girl while they were together, so why does this feel so wrong? He watched the blonde girl move a strand of her wispy hair out of her face as she scooted closer to Tyler. After what felt like a lifetime of silence, Maya spoke. “I just can't believe you finally broke up with Ashley,” she said, reaching to grasp his hand in hers. Tyler almost jumped from the bed as her fingers grazed him. “Sorry, I need to run to the bathroom real quick, okay? I will be right back.” Tyler rushed down the hall and flung the bathroom door closed behind him. He locked the door and fell to the floor as tears flooded his face, and his head started to pound. He pushed his palms to his eyes, hoping it would stop the stream of tears, but it only seemed to make it worse. He felt his phone buzzing in his pocket once again; this time, it was Ashley. He answered it quickly, lifting the phone to his damp face. “Tyler, are you okay? You left my house so quickly I didn't even get a chance to offer you a ride home.” Ashley spoke calmly into the phone. Tyler tried to speak, but all that came out was the continuity of the tears from moments prior. “I am so sorry, Ashley. please don't hate me,” Tyler managed to utter after a few moments of letting out choked sobs. There was silence on the other end of the phone. Before Tyler could say anything else, there was a knock on the bathroom door. “Tyler, is everything okay?” Maya asked from the other side of the door. Ashley started to speak, but Tyler hung up before she had the chance to. Tyler managed to compose himself before tossing the door open and greeting Maya with a smile. “Yeah, I just had to call my mom back is all. Let's go watch a movie or something,” Tyler responded while reaching for Maya's hand and closing hers intertwined with his. This is fine, Tyler thought as he walked with his hand intertwined with Maya's. This is what he wanted, isn't it?