The Truth Comes Out

"Asher? What are you doing here?" Shea narrowed his eyes, looking between Asher and Liam.

"Garrett?" Asher questioned, looking to the tall curly haired jock standing awkwardly behind Shea.

"Liam." Shea repeated. "I need to talk to you. Alone." He eyed Asher nervously.

"Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Asher, Garrett, and everyone." Liam said in an emotionless tone.

"Fine. I told you to tell Simon he was allowed to talk to me again and he hasn't so obviously you didn't hold up on your end of the deal." Shea crossed his arms in anger. Garrett and Asher stood behind their respective sides in awkward agreed non-confrontation.

"I told him he could. If he didn't it means he had the good sense not to, or he didn't want to."

"You're lying. Simon would have reached out if you told him he could."

"Bro, maybe you should-" Garrett began.

"NOT NOW, GARRETT," Shea shouted bitterly. Garrett's eyes betrayed hurt, and Asher migrated over to stand with his friend in support. He wrapped his arm comfortingly around Garrett, and Garrett looked up in surprise, but didn't object.

"You should listen to your friend," Liam glared. "Wouldn't want anyone getting hurt, now would we."

"What'd you boys talk about while we were-" Kit and Simon emerged from the bathroom together and stopped in their tracks as they saw Shea.

"Shea?" Simon's face shifted in surprise.

"Garrett?" Kit's brows furrowed.

"Hi." Garrett nodded in embarrassment.

"There's only one person who stands to get hurt here, Liam." Shea threatened. "Simon I think you should-" From across the room Asher stormed towards Shea and punched his square in the nose. The group stood in astonishment for a moment before Shea pounced on Asher attempting to punch the larger boy. Before he could, he was torn off by his shirt. Rather than punching, Liam threw Shea off of Asher onto the dirty linoleum of the mall floor.

"Liam!" Simon called, clinging to his arm. Kit ushered Asher away from the battle, attempting to soothe his anger.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Shea staggered to stand. "You're crazy, you're both crazy."

"And you're a bastard."

"If you... you think..." Shea struggled to stand, holding his hand to his gushing nose. "Liam tell Simon what you did. Tell him NOW. Or I will."

"Tell me what, Liam? I don't understand." Simon pulled Liam back as he attempted to lunge at Shea again.

"He's been lying to you." Shea gave up trying to stand, and crumpled to the ground.

"What's he talking about?" Simon looked from Shea on the ground clutching his nose back to Liam, eyes still red with anger.

"I- " Liam stammered.

"Tell him." Shea spoke bitterly.

"Go on." Asher broke the back and forth. "It's no use, Liam. This has gone on long enough. You've got to have it out."

"The money for St. Anne's didn't come from Grandma and Grandpa."

"What do you mean?" Simon's brow furrowed, "It's $15,000 a year. Where did the money come from."

"I earned it. But I did it for you, Simon. I wanted you to have a better life?" Liam pleaded.

"When?"

"What?" Liam's face paled.

"When did you earn the money."

"I worked two jobs." Liam explained.

"How?"

"I... I.." Liam stuttered.

"How Liam? Don't lie to me." Simon shouted, silencing the group.

"I don't understand?"

"How could you possibly have had time to work two jobs?" Simon tilted his head, signifying he knew the answer.

"I dropped out of college."

"Oh!" Simon gasped. "What were you thinking? You're... you're throwing your life away."

"Simon." Liam pleaded.

"How long ago?"

"Don't do this Simon. Not here. Let's go home, and we can-" Liam began.

"HOW LONG AGO?"

"Three years." Liam's words hung in the air like icicles off a snowy roof; ready to fall to the ground and shatter.

"All the football practices, all the classes, all the friends... You've been lying to me about everything for THREE YEARS? What the hell were you thinking."

"I was thinking you'd been through enough with mom and dad..." Liam whispered.

"YOU'D been through enough too! We were... I thought we were supposed to be in this together. I could've helped you... I could've... I would've worked so you could stay in college.." Simon stammered.

"I didn't want you to have to."

"THAT ISN'T UP TO YOU!" Simon shouted.

"Simon, he was just doing what he thought was best-" Kit attempted.

"You knew?" Simon's voice crackled barely above a whisper.

"He did, Asher did, even Garrett knew," Shea interrupted. "They've all been lying to you for months. You have the nerve to push me away when you surround yourself with all these lying fuckers. You let yourself be manipulated and abused and treated like shit," Shea spat.

"Yeah? And how long did you know?"

"I- I-" It was Shea's turn to stammer.

"We found out four months ago," Garrett stated.

"Asher and Kit found out a few weeks after Shea," Liam announced.

"Why didn't you tell me, Shea?" Simon crossed his arms. "If everyone in my life was manipulating me, why didn't you tell me?"

"He wanted you to talk to him," Liam spoke up when Shea had no answer. "So he threatened to tell you if I didn't let you see him again."

Simon scrunched his hands in his hair, "So that's why you changed your mind? I thought you trusted me. I thought..."

"Simon, I-" Shea stood and tried to go to Simon.

"Get out of my sight," Simon turned all emotion from his face. "I never want to see you again. We're through.. as friends, as anything."

"You're kicking me out, but letting Asher stay? That's so unfair," Shea argued.

"EXCUSE ME?" Simon turned back to him again. "Did you think this was an open forum? Did I ask for your opinion? After three years of everyone telling me what to do I'm going to do whatever the hell I want, and nobody is going to question it. Don't worry about him, you worry about yourself."

"He literally told the entire school not to talk to you." Shea began grasping at straws, like an animal clawing at the dirt to keep from being thrown in a cage. "Did he tell you that when he was turning you against me."

"You're just full of secrets aren't you?" Simon chuckled bitterly at the irony of his own life. "Asher told me what he did, but he didn't tell me that you knew. Why on God's earth you thought this was the right time to bring that up, I'll never fathom. You know... my brother told me to stay away from Asher. Kit told me to stay away from Asher. Garrett told me to stay away from Asher... Not one singular person ever told me to stay away from you. The literal only person who ever did anything to turn me against you was you. You have nobody to blame but yourself. I'm done with you. Go now."

"I told him not to say anything... I should've tried to stop him.. I should've tried harder." Garrett fiddled nervously with his hands.

"Go with him." Simon shook his head slowly. "I'm not mad at you, just go."

"I'm sorry." Garrett mouthed before taking off in the same direction as Shea.

Simon turned to Asher, eyes narrowing. "Is that why you didn't tell me either? Did you try the same?"

"No!" Asher's eyes widened. "I wouldn't- I didn't-"

"We thought it would be best coming from Liam." Kit finished for his brother.

"And when Shea came to you... there was nothing in your head that said to tell me?" Simon looked at Liam as if he was the biggest idiot in the world and his heart nearly imploded.

"I wanted to.. the moment just wasn't right."

"And this moment was? By putting it off you put yourself in the position to have it out like this," Simon raged.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't say you're sorry. I'm so sick of people telling me they're sorry and then going and doing the exact same thing they did before. I'm sick of everything. I'm sick of everyone." Simon held his tears back staring at the room full of people who had deceived him over the last few months. "I have to go.. I have to leave." Simon rushed from the mall.

"I should go with him." Liam murmured helplessly.

"I'll drive him." Asher volunteered. "I know you want to be with, but he really needs space. I can drive him back to your house if you can take Kit back home."

"O-Okay," Liam could do nothing but watch as Asher walked away. All he'd ever wanted was for Simon not to need anyone else, and he'd put Simon into the position of not needing him anymore. "How did I screw it up that badly?" Liam collapsed unto a bench.

"You're stupid," Kit raised an eyebrow. "The pretty ones always are."

"He's gonna hate me."

"I still love you." Kit shrugged.

Liam lifted up his head in confusion, but his face softened after a moment, "Thanks Kit."