Catfish

Rubbing his hand against the top of his head, Liam sat up in his bed, as his other hand immediately reached for his phone. It was his first reaction, as it had been since the first morning he’d spoken to her.

As he brought his phone to his eyes, his face lit up with a smile, as her name graced the screen. She had said good morning hours ago, when he had really been going to sleep, but this was his first chance to respond. He’d have to lie and say he was in class when he received it, but that lie was easier than telling her that he was really in New York.

His fingers tapped against the phone as quickly as he could. Even though he knew it was 1 PM for her and she was in class, he wanted to respond as quickly as he could.

It felt like it had only been seconds since he’d responded to her text, but his phone was still vibrating, while her name flashed over the screen again and again.

As he answered it, he brought the phone to his ear. He couldn’t wait to hear the sound of her voice, and he smiled the moment he did.

“Liam,” she said, her voice warm like an Indian summer. It echoed in his mind over and over, as he relished in the feeling he got when she spoke his name. They’d given up on hellos a long time ago, finding that they only got in the way of the things they really wanted to say.

“Penelope.”

His voice was deeper than hers, a stark contrast to her sweet voice, but she loved the husk to it, and the way it made her feel.

“Lecture got out early,” she said, her winter breath hitting the phone. “I wanted to give you a ring since I hadn’t heard from you much. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind.” He rolled over in the hotel’s bed, the sheets tucking beneath his body. He was tangled up in them, but not near as much as he was with Penny. “I can’t imagine a better way to spend my morning.”

She chuckled. “Morning? It’s 2 PM, Li. Have you gone mad?”

Shit.

It wasn’t often Liam messed up the time zones, but every time he did, she caught him. She was much more quick than he was. He was quick to cover it up though, being as well versed in the lies as he was.
His chuckle was similar to hers – a little more fake but just as lighthearted.

“Guess all this studying has just gone to my head.”

Her laugh filled his ears, making him smile.

“Poli Sci, again?” she asked, her question laced with concern. She always worried when he had “exams”, which only made him feel worse.

“Yeah.” He breathed out deeply, careful not to let his disappointment in himself reach her ears. “It shouldn’t be too bad, though. I’ll be okay.”

“I know you will. You always do well.”

He couldn’t see it, but he could tell she was smiling. Her voice always pepped up when she did, and he loved that about her. She had faith that he would do well in everything that he did. She had more faith in him than he’d ever had in anyone, but all her faith was put into a bunch of lies.

It was all getting to be too much for him.

“Pen,” he said, his voice soft. He didn’t want to hang up, but he knew he had to. His mind was starting to get the better of him. “I’ve got to get back to studying, but I promise I’ll call you as soon as I’m finished.”

“Promise?”

She always asked, even though she should have known that he would. Liam always called her back. It meant just as much to him as it did to her, and he would never miss the chance to talk to her again.

“I promise.”

“Good.” Her smile covered her voice again, and it brought one to his face. “I’ll just be busy watching Pitch Perfect and crying about how Jesse will never be mine.”

He chuckled, the sound filling her ears. “Save a few tears for me, yeah?”

“Yeah.” She laughed, before pausing for a moment. He wondered what she was thinking, but he would probably never know. The pause was so long that he began to wonder if she was still there, but then she spoke. “I love that.”

“Love what?” he asked, as he rolled over in the bed.

“That you’re the only one who understands my weird sense of humor,” she said, laughing as she spoke. “It makes me feel a little less weird.”

Hearing her say that – that he was the only one who understood her – only made him regret the lies even more. He knew he could only keep it up for a few seconds more. His mind was racing.

“Oh, don’t say that,” he said, chuckling. “You’re still pretty weird.”

She groaned, the sound not sounding nearly as rough as she’d intended. “Go study.”

“I can do that.” He paused, taking in a deep breath. “Goodbye, Pen. I’ll talk to you in a bit.”

“Bye, Li.”

He hung up the phone and let out a deep sigh, as his sheets crashed around him.

He told her lie after lie, and they continued to pile up. He didn’t want things to be that way anymore. He couldn’t let them be that way anymore.

The lies weighed so much, but the truth was still a thousand times heavier. It was only a matter of time before the lies cracked under the weight of the truth, and he had to end it then.

Penelope had to know the truth about him, and he had to know the truth about her. It was eating him up inside.

Standing up from his bed, he pulled open his laptop, while the whirring of the machine began. With his email open, he typed in the address of the one person he knew could help. His connections with MTV had gotten his Nev Schulman’s private email address long ago, when he first saw Catfish. He’d asked for it then, just in case, not sure if he’d ever really be able to meet Penny.

Now he was sure. Now he knew. He was going to meet Penelope and tell her the truth, but he was going to need help.

His fingers crashed against the keyboard, while the words of his very own SOS appeared on the screen.
Without a moment of hesitation, he pressed send, sealing the cry of help that fell more easily than he ever thought it would.

Dear Nev,