1,000 Lies Told At 40,000 Feet High

We sat on the top of the stone wall, facing the beach and kicking our legs slowly back and forwards. Our wet hair was dripping down our clothes, making damp patches on our backs and keeping us cool in the warm sun. The brightly coloured ice-creams that we each held in our hand were helping to.
“Piper, she was just being friendly,” Chace countered. I shook my head.
“Well, she didn’t ask me about my favourite ice-cream flavour. Trust me, she was flirting with you. I’m a girl, I know these things. Maybe you should go back and get her number,” I suggested, wiggling my eyebrows up and down. Chace ignored me and went back to his ice-cream.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Chace questioned changing the subject. I shrugged in response and licked my ice-cream as I watched the seagulls circle around us.
“I don’t know. I might have lunch with my dad. If not, I’ll... I’ll think of something,” I finally replied. Chace looked like he was about to say something when his brother jogged up to us, towel and mobile phone in hand.
“Mum and dad want to head off,” Josh explained, nodding his head in what I assumed was the general direction of their house.
“Oh, okay,” Chace replied nodding to his brother, “Did you want at lift home Piper?”
“No, thanks. Thank you for your offer but, I think I might hang around here for a little while, watch the sunset or something cheesy like that. I’ll get a lift home with Oliver.”
“Alright, if you’re sure. I’ll see you tomorrow on the plane. Stay safe,” Chace replied before jumping off the warm stone wall. I smiled at him and gave a small wave before Chace surprised me by quickly kissing me on the cheek and walking away with his brother.
***
The remainder of my weekend was spent on my own, my father never could make that lunch. I shook it off like it didn’t matter and made a passing comment on how I had plans anyway, but later when I was sitting in my room on my own, I made sure that my music was loud, just in case I started crying. I didn’t want anyone to think that I was unable to function without my father right by my side.
Oscar eventually called me back and apologised. I forgave him of course, it wasn’t his fault that my father had moved to Sydney, or that I still insisted on seeing him. He had been in the middle of something and couldn’t talk for very long but I promised him that I’d go with him to another party that was taking place in a fortnight. That gave me an excuse to go shopping for a new dress and for a few hours at least, it cured my boredom.
***
“Awww, that’s so lovely,” I said, melting at the sight of the text message that was displayed on my phone. I had only just walked onto the plane with Chace and taken my seat next to him –he no longer questioned how I managed to score a seat next to him on every flight- when my phone buzzed, signalling to me that I had received a new message.
“What is it?” Chace asked looking up from his iPod.
“I just got a message from Oscar,” I began to explain, “‘ I wish that I was there with you and staring into your beautiful blue eyes. I’ll see you soon, but it won’t be soon enough’. That’s so sweet of him.” Chace sat frozen, staring at me with an utterly perplexed expression adorning his face. He seemed unable to speak for a moment, and then he managed to awake from his statue like state.
“Piper, your eyes are brown.” Chace was right. I couldn’t deny that my eyes were in fact brown and not in any way blue.
“So? It’s the thought that counts. So what if he got my eye colour wrong,” I rebutted. Chace didn’t appear to be at all convinced. If anything he looked a little frustrated.
“Piper, I know you really like this guy and everything, and you think that he is just as much invested in your relationship as you are, but, he’s playing you. Why can’t you see that?”
“No, he’s not,” I replied angrily. How dare Chace just make a judgement about Oscar and I’s relationship like that. He hadn’t even talked to Oscar, let alone met him.
“What colour are his eyes?” Chace asked calmly.
“Brown,” I answered without hesitation. Chace raised his eyebrows and gave me a look that seemed to say ‘well there you go, I was right’. I looked away and pretended to focus on the safety demonstration.
“This is stupid, why are we arguing over this? I thought we agreed not to talk about Oscar. We both just end up getting annoyed at each other. And I don’t even know why,” I remarked once the demonstration had finished and the plane had begun to fill with sound.
“I’m sorry Piper. It’s just, I don’t want to see you get hurt. I really care about you,” confessed Chace. I rotated in my seat and faced Chace properly.
“Thanks Chace. I really appreciate that, and I care about you to. But if you are right, and Oscar and I isn’t going to work out, if it is a mistake, well, you need to let me make my own mistakes. Does that make any sense?” I explained. Chace nodded his head in response.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” I questioned dubiously.
“Okay,” Chace repeated.