The Ugly Truth

The next day, I stayed in my bed almost until it was lunchtime. I didn’t feel like starting the day and facing the fact my life wasn’t going the way I wanted it to. Sure, a nice guy who also happened to be very cute had kissed me for the first time, but I couldn’t pretend I was pleased. He seemed like a wonderful guy, but he wasn’t Riley. And that’s what bothered me most of all: the fact I was so crazed about Riley. Why couldn’t I just move on and like John? Things would be so much easier…

“Is everything alright?” my mom asked, poking her head in my room.

“Yeah… Just thought I’d sleep a little more than usual.”

“Or a lot more. Anyways, I have to ask you for a favor,” she continued, sitting down at the foot of my bed.

I already knew what it was. My mom worked at a catering company. She was the cook and made delicious dishes and treats, which made our meals at home also extra yummy. Anyways, when they were short on waiters, which didn’t happen too often, my mom sometimes asked me to fill in for someone. I didn’t mind it. Usually I just had to go to some senior citizens dinner or a fancy party and, plus, I got paid.

“Waitress?” I guessed.

“Yes, please.”

“No problem,” I replied, jumping out of bed. If I was going, I would have to start getting ready.

“Do you have a white shirt and black pants clean? If not, you can probably borrow one from one of the waitresses.”

“No, I’ve got some.”

As I got dressed, I began thinking maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad day. I would be a nearly invisible waitress in another person’s party or luncheon, and that was just what I needed: no drama for a day.

When my mom and I were completely ready, we waited outside our house for one of her coworkers to pick us up in the company van. Inside, there was another cook, three waiters and two waitresses, beside me. They all smiled as I entered the car. I might have sort of checked to see if the guys were cute. They weren’t ugly, but didn’t attract my attention, which was good. I didn’t need a distraction.

The van pulled into a luxurious driveway, after passing the grand gates that enclosed the estate. It was so breathtaking, it looked straight out of a preppy TV series or movie.

“This house is amazing!” I couldn’t help but say.

“It is, mostly the first time you come. We’ve been here a few times…” one of the waiters explained.

We had to haul out the food they had prepared earlier and entered through a back door. The house was equally amazing inside, perfectly furnished with the classiest furniture and curtains possible.

The couple that owned the house, a man and a woman of about my parent’s age, showed us where they would be having the luncheon: a wide dining room, with a long table in the center, and with two glass doors that led to a patio opened widely. Outside, there was a swimming pool and a gazebo, with a patio table and chairs.

“We will be eating here first, but then there will be more of a chill out atmosphere, which will be taking place around here,” the lady said, pointing gracefully to both the patio and the dining room.

First, we had to set the table, something which I never thought would be so hard. There were so many plates, forks and spoons, one of the waiters was always fixing my arrangements.

“Now what do we do?” I asked, since we had finished placing everything on the table.

“Well, we have to wait for their guests to arrive and then we have to serve the food.”

That was the worst part. Being under someone’s orders was so irritating.

After waiting a few grueling minutes, we heard a doorbell ring somewhere in the house, which probably meant their guest were at the door. We heard their voices getting closer and closer, until they entered the room.

At first, I didn’t see everyone in the group, just two other middle aged adults and a little girl, of about ten years. But as they all finished entering the room, I saw that they weren’t all strangers. Both Ethan and Caroline were amidst the crowd.

It took me a while to realize that the owners of the house were Ethan’s parents and the little girl was his sister. They looked so much alike, I didn’t know how I had missed it. The other family was Caroline and her parents.

I hoped that they wouldn’t see me. Maybe I could just blend into the other waiters or maybe I could hide behind the long curtains, but I didn‘t have time to even thinking about hiding. They both saw me. First, it was Caroline. She shot me a mocking look, pleased to have me serving her, almost like a slave. When Ethan recognized me, his eyes lit up in such a way, I was scared of how he would react. I was so frightened that he would call my name or come up to talk to me. It would simply be awkward for everyone there.

Luckily, he just smiled widely and continued acting as formally as before. Maybe he was embarrassed that he knew me, a simple waitress, which suited me just fine.

After serving the complete meal, we had to walk around with champagne and sweets on a tray, to serve to the people lounging around. A few more families were supposed to arrive too. I felt like I was in a movie. Who really had this type of reunions?

It was just as boring, serving food to them at a table or at a sofa or with their feet dipped in the pool. Except that was when Ethan approached me.

“I didn’t know you were a waitress,” he said, as he grabbed a truffle from my tray.

“I’m not. I’m just doing someone a favor,” I said, hoping he would stop talking to me if I was coarse.

“That’s cool of you. It isn‘t exactly a fun thing to do,” he replied, smiling.

“Well, it depends on how the people you’re serving treat you.”

“How am I doing?” he asked, smiling.

“Alright.”

It was true. He wasn’t acting half bad, for Ethan.

“We should hang out sometime.”

“Maybe,” I replied, not wanting to be rude, yet not wanting to hang out with him either.

“What do you mean maybe? Any girl would die to hang out with me.”

Well, he was acting like himself again.

“I bet. Why don’t you invite them to hang out with you instead?”

“Because they’re not as cute as you are.”

I just nodded and walked away. If I spent any more time with him, I would end up yelling or making a fool of myself in some way.

“Hey, where are you going?” he asked, following me.

“I’m kind of working.”

“What if I told you I could get you out of it?”

“What? No! I’m helping out. Of what use am I if I leave?”

“Look around. It’s not like there’s too much to do.”

He was right. The rest of the waiters were idle, looking for someone to serve.

“Still, I can’t,” I said.

“Oh, but I can,” he replied, with a mischievous look, before walking off.

What was he going to do?

After a while, he returned, bearing a big victory smile. It was amazing to what extent he wanted to spend time with me, considering how he had treated me in the past. But, for some reason, it was a bit hard thinking he was the same person. Somehow, since I had changed, it seemed he had too. Or his way of treating me, at least.

“Let’s go,” he announced.

“I don’t know…”

“I talked to the people from your company and they said you could.”

I spotted my mom smiling across the room and urging me to go with him with a simple nod.

So I left with Ethan. What was I supposed to do? It was probably better than staying in that dull house. He led me to his car, a really shiny, big model that I would have no idea what to call, since at car brands and models, I’m at a loss. All I could tell was that it was expensive and pretty awesome. Only his family could afford to have a different car every time I saw him.

“Where are we going?” I demanded.

“I thought we could just drive around for a bit. It clears my head.”

And he was acting human again, which made me soften up and give him a chance, as a friend of course, except I didn’t want to be fooled by him. If I fell for his occasional charm, I would be another one of those girls. And how could I forget how worthless he had made me feel in high school?

“Why did you do it?” I found myself asking.

“Do what?”

“Why were you so cruel in high school?”

He cleared his throat and looked firmly ahead. He took a while to answer, so long that I thought I might not have said it out loud.

“It was stupid, I know. I don’t really know why I did it.”

Well, that was a wonderfully detailed explanation. We both remained in silent for a while, until he spoke again.

“I liked being popular. You know, I moved here in ninth grade and before then, at middle school, I was the one picked on. And I just saw how popular the guys that did it were, and I guess I wanted that too. I know it doesn’t justify it, but it’s the truth.”

I didn’t know what to say. It had never crossed my mind that he could know what I had felt like when they called me names or stole my books. I think it made it even worse, because he knew how it felt and did it anyways.

“And why are you treating me nicely now? Is it because now there’s nothing too obvious about me to laugh about?”

“No. I just, I guess I want to make it up to you. I really am sorry.”

His eyes were sad, and I felt a tiny bit sorry for him. Deep down, we weren’t as different as I had always thought.

“Thanks, but, honestly, I don’t know if I forgive you. Those four years were awful.”

“I know and I’m sorry.”

He parked the car in front of a random house, and we both stayed silent, each deep in our own thoughts.

“I wish I could take it back. I didn’t really want to ruin your high school years, I just wanted people to like me so badly.”

As he said those words, I realized he had suffered too. He wanted so much to be accepted that he had been willing to harm someone, even though he didn’t really want to. It dawned on me that he was just a weak person and he had never teased me to injure me, it was for another purpose, which still didn’t make it right, but I had to show I wasn’t like him.

“It’s okay.”

“What?” he asked, surprised.

“I forgive you.”

It didn’t matter that he had done all those things in the past, because he didn’t do them intentionally. Sure, his bullying had marked my life, but it was up to me to turn the page and continue with my life. I forgave him because he was just as weak as I had been. I forgave him because he needed to hear those words more than I did. I forgave him because, it was the closure I had been seeking by being around him, and I forgave him because it set me free.