Believe Me, I'm Lying

Rain was always a harbinger of tragedy for me.

Something bad didn’t occur every time it rained, no, but everything bad that happened to me in my life had happened on a day when it was pouring. A light sprinkle never bothered me. It was only when the rain seemed relentless.

It started when I was seven. A car hit my cat that had been with me since I was born because the driver couldn’t see through the torrential rainfall. But that was only the first thing.

When I was ten, I found out my grandpa had cancer. It was raining that day. Then, almost a year after, it was raining on the day he died. He was the only family I had besides my mother, father, and uncle. My little brother hadn’t been born at the time.

It had been raining the day I broke my leg in gym class when I was thirteen.

Rained was falling to the ground the day my house burned down when I was fourteen, forcing my family to move across town, away from my friends and school.

And it had been raining the day my parents died.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rain pelted against the windowpanes, almost drowning out the sound of the teacher ranting about sine, cosine and tangent. “Sohcahtoa,” she said to the class, writing the word on the board. “Sine is opposite over hypotenuse, cosine is adjacent over hypotenuse, and tangent is opposite over adjacent. Make sure you write that down, because I promise you that it will help you greatly when the chapter test comes.”

I picked up my pencil and scribbled down the foreign word, repeating it over and over again in my head. A sleepy yawn escaped my lips as Ms. Clemm began to pass out practice work sheets. Almost the whole class seemed to be asleep today— not that I could blame them. Rainy days made everyone tired.

Suddenly the door burst open and the principal, Mr. Venn, walked in looking stricken. A slight murmur rose from the class at his appearance. I held my head up a little higher, straining my ears to hear what he was saying to my geometry teacher. An expression of shock mingled with alarm suddenly crossed her face and she threw a quick glance in my direction. By now, I was curious. Apparently the class was too, because everyone had gone deathly silent.

“Harley,” Ms. Clemm started, gesturing me to the front of the room with her hand. “Come here please.”

A weight dropped into my gut as I stood slowly, under the impression that I was in some serious trouble. My thoughts raced as I frantically thought of what I could have one to get me in trouble with the principal. I wasn’t the trouble student. I never did anything wrong!

“Bring your stuff,” Mr. Venn ordered in a solemn tone.

I swallowed as I nodded, flipping the binder on my desk shut, not bothering to take out the pencil or calculator. Unzipping my backpack, I quickly shoved my binder into it, zipping it back up as I made my way to the front of the classroom. A few students smirked at me as I walked past them. My friend Zoey offered me a small smile.

When I reached the front of the classroom, Mr. Venn immediately gestured for me to follow him. After bidding my teacher adieu, I did, stepping out into the hall with him. He didn’t speak as we hastened down the halls together. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to think of what I could have possible done to get myself into trouble. Nothing came to mind… Well earlier in the day I’d stolen a lollipop from the secretary’s office while turning in the attendance form, but I didn’t think I’d be in this much trouble for it!

Shock passed my face when we walked straight past the principal’s office. I glanced up at Mr. Venn, confusion written all over my face. “Where are we going?”

“To the school entrance,” he responded simply, not turning to look at me. “Your uncle is here. You’re leaving early.”

“My uncle?” I responded, raising an eyebrow.

Mr. Venn didn’t reply, so I stayed quiet, miffed. Why would my uncle come take me out of school early? Wasn’t he busy with his job? After all, he was the principal of the town’s delinquent school. Surely he needed to be there at all times… I shrugged. At least I was leaving early.

When we reached the front entrance to the school I saw a familiar brunet pacing by the doors. I rushed up to him, capturing him in a giant bear hug. “Rob! How are you?”

“Harley,” my uncle breathed, pulling me to him tightly. “Listen, your parents got in an accident and they’re at the hospital in critical condition.”

My smile dropped, and a frown took its place. “I know you like to joke Rob, but that’s a little—”

“I’m not joking!” he told me, pushing me away from him to look at me.

My blood ran cold when I saw his expression. I couldn’t begin to describe it, but I knew at once he really wasn’t joking. His usually combed hair was disheveled, and his skin was an unhealthy pale. Tears immediately sprung to my eyes and my chest tightened. “W-what? Are they going to be okay?”

“I don’t know,” Rob responded, running a hand through his messy hair. “Do you have your stuff? We’ve got to get the hospital.”

I nodded, gripping my backpack tighter. My uncle nodded and quickly turned around, going through the school doors. I followed without a second’s hesitation, stepping out into the cold, pouring rain. Each freezing drop stung my bare skin, and I had to squint to be able to see through it. My uncle guided me to his expensive Mazda and I quickly got into the passenger’s seat, tossing my backpack into the back, and snapping my seat buckle. My uncle appeared at the driver’s side and slid in, slamming the door. He buckled quickly, started the car, and peeled out of the parking lot.

I pressed my head to the cool glass of the window, trying not to be sick as the world whizzed by me. My hands shook from nerves, and I silently prayed for my parents to be okay. They had to be okay, they still had to take care of my brother and I. They’d pull through. I kept my thoughts positive all the way to the hospital. When we arrived, my uncle pulled up all the way to the entrance, parking illegally. He cut the engine and I jumped out of the car immediately, starting for the doors, my uncle dogging me.

A nurse was waiting by the entrance, a sorrowful expression on her face. She looked at uncle and myself. “Are you two members of the Allen family?”

I nodded my head vigorously and she looked at me with pity in her eyes for a moment before looking at my uncle. “Follow me,” she ordered.

She started speed walking down the hospital hall with my uncle and myself in tow. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to burst out of my chest. Trepidation, anxiety, and worry were the only things I could feel. My tears had stopped for the moment.

We stopped outside a hospital room with a white door. There was a noisy commotion inside the room. I assumed this was the room where my parents were. When I started for the door, the nurse quickly pulled on my shoulder, forcing me to stop.

“You can’t go in yet,” she told me.

“They’re my parents!” I cried angrily, narrowing my eyes at her. “I can go in whenever I want!”

The nurse’s eyes saddened a bit and she shook her head. “She’s in critical condition. No one can go in right now.”

“She?” I repeated, my eyes going wide. “Then where’s my dad? Does that mean he’s okay?”

She dropped her gaze as soon as I asked the question. “Your father… I’m terribly sorry. We tried our best, but there wasn’t anything we could do. He—”

“No,” I said loudly, covering my ears and shaking my head. “No, I don’t want to hear that! No!”

He wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be dead. He was alive and fine this morning when I left for school! It hadn’t even been three hours! There was no way he could have passed away in that time. This had to be some sick, twisted joke everyone was playing on me.

“What happened?” I heard my uncle ask in a hoarse voice.

I tried blocking out any noise with my hands, but it didn’t work. I could still hear the sounds coming from inside of the room where my mom was, the rain lashing at the window, the beating of my frantic heart, and the nurse’s next words.

“He died in the ambulance before he reached the hospital. He suffered from too much blood loss and his neck was broken. We tried to—”

Suddenly the door to the hospital room burst open, causing the nurse to stop speaking. A young doctor with cropped hair appeared, looking tired. A crimson liquid covered the front of his jacket and the gloves on his hands. I stared at him in horror, my mouth dropping. He glanced at me for a second, and then to Rob.

“Are you part of the Allen family?” he demanded.

My uncle nodded. “I’m Fiona’s brother, Rob, and this is her daughter, Harley.” He pointed to me as he said my name.

The doctor now turned to me, his forest green eyes softening. “You’re Harley?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Come in,” he said urgently, moving to make room for me to enter. “Your mom has been asking for you since she woke up.”

I rushed into the room, bumping another doctor in my way aside. My mom was lying on the hospital bed, an air mask attached to her face. Her chestnut hair was tangled and wet. White bandages stained with red were wrapped around her head. Blood covered her almost literally head to toe. I had to resist the urge to be sick as I dropped to my knees beside the table. Her eyes were closed and she lay still.

“Mom!” I cried, gripping the edge of the bed, too afraid to touch her. “Mom!”

She didn’t answer. I clenched my fists. Why was this happening? What did we do to deserve this? Tears started spilling down my face. Suddenly my mom turned her head, opening her eyes, and smiling weakly at me.

“Mom,” I whispered in relief, my voice shaking.

She smiled at me, moving her hand towards mine. Her face twisted in pain and I quickly brought my arm up to meet hers, grasping her hand. With her other hand, she managed to pull off the breathing mask.

“Harley,” she whispered.

My heart sunk upon hearing her weak voice. I squeezed her hand, being blinded by my tears. “Mom, save your strength,” I told her pathetically, not knowing what to say. “When you’re better you can talk to me—”

“I love you honey,” she interrupted me, her voice just as shaky as mine.

“I love you too, mom,” I responded, attempting to smile at her. “When you get out of here, I’ll take you to your favorite restaurant to prove it and—”

My mom smiled weakly. “I don’t… think I’ll be able to go.” She took a shaky breath, sweat now rolling down her face. “Sorry.”

My hands were shaking so hard it looked like they were vibrating as I held my mom’s hand more firmly. “Mom, don’t say that! You’re definitely coming!”

“Your father… How is he?” she panted.

Dead. My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t tell her he was dead. Not while she was like this. Fresh tears sprung to my eyes as I shook my head and smiled at her. “He’s fine,” I lied. “He’s waiting for you to be okay too, so don’t let him down!”

“Tell him I,” she paused, taking a deep breath, “love him.”

“You tell him, Mom!” I demanded, my pitch raising a few octaves. “I won’t!”

My mom laughed weakly again, but it was so quiet I could barely hear her. I felt her grip on my hand loosen. “Elliot is too young for this,” she said with a sigh. “Make sure he knows… how much I love him too.”

“Let him know yourself, mom!”

She shook her head. I forced the lump in my throat down, wiping my eyes with my free hand so I could see her clearer. Tears were filling her eyes, and a few loose ones fell down her cheek. I took a shaky breath, unable to think coherently. What was I supposed to say?

“I love you, Harley,” she finally whispered, letting go of my hand. “I’m sorry.”

My mom let out a groan and suddenly I was being pulled away from the bed table. I fought violently against the arms that were trying to drag me away from my mom. “Mom!” I screamed, using every ounce of my strength to try to free myself. “Mom! No! Mom! Let me go!”

“Sorry,” my mom panted again. “I… love you.”

“Mom! No!” I shrieked, my vision blurring. “Mom! Don’t leave me! Mom, please! Please! Hold on!”

The doctor holding me violently yanked on my shoulders. “You need to leave!”

“No!”

“Get her out of here,” another doctor shouted, moving towards my mom.

The one holding onto me grunted as I tried to force my way out of his arms. I couldn’t see my mom anymore. Doctors were surrounding her bed. “Mom!” I called again, trying to get a response.

“Administer the drug,” someone shouted, pushing one of the doctors out of the way. “Quickly!”

With the other doctor out of the way, I could see my mother again. “Mom!” I shrieked, my voice high and scratchy.

My mom closed her eyes, turning her head away from me. Surprise by her action, I stopped struggling in the arms of my captor. The clamor of the room grew and grew, and once again I found myself being forced towards the exit. My shouts of protest now mingled with the panicked shouts of doctors. Abruptly everything went silent as a resounding beep filled the room. Finally I felt the hands on my arms being removed. However, I found I couldn’t move.

Doctors rushed around me as I stood stock-still, staring wide-eyed at my mom’s motionless body. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but the beeping sound eventually went away, followed by the cries from the doctors. A deafening silence now filled the room once more.

“Harley?”

I turned my head up to see the blonde doctor from earlier giving me a compassionate look. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “She’s gone.”

My chest heaved once, twice, and on the third time, I screamed. A long, agonizing, heart-wrenching scream. I screamed again after that, letting out my frustration, anger, and sadness. Scream after scream tore through my throat until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I shut my mouth instantly, looking up at my uncle, who was shaking his head. Tears filled my eyes once again as I stumbled towards the bed. I put a hand on my mom’s cheek. “Mom,” I whispered, touching her still warm skin. “Please, wake up. Mom…”

No response.

A sob escaped my lips and I fell to my knees, my arms splaying across her body. Loud sobs wracked my body as I cried, forgetting anyone was around me. I held on as tightly as I could to my mother’s dead body, as if squeezing her would bring her back to life.

It hurt. I couldn’t breathe. Each sob made my whole torso heave, making me one shaking, convulsing mess. But I couldn’t stop crying. It wasn’t just for my mom. I was crying for my dad as well. I had just lost the two most important people in my life within ten minutes.