Lies and Liars. Perhaps it's a time when two accounts conflicted. Perhaps it's a lie you've told yourself since before you can remember. Write on the themes of lies and liars. Fiction or nonfiction, poetry or Prose.

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Her Lies.

My sister was a hard worker. She made her money for the both us, and never complained about having to take care of me. She'd wake me up, hand me my lunch, walk me to school on her way to work, come home, make dinner, and start over again the next day. Now, it was a bit rough, and sometimes it'd be a miracle that we got by. But she did her best for me everyday, and I did the same for her.

I remember the first day I saw her with an expensive purse. I was in midle school at the time, and I had just gotten home from volleyball practice. I was tired and hungry, but my sister had yet to come home. I expected this, as she said she'd be meeting someone that night. I didn't mind. She does so much for me, the least I could do for her is let her have a life. I made my food, did my homework, and sat on the couch to watch some TV.

My kind of night if I'm going to be honest.

It was an hour into my series when she did come home. She looked tired - and a little upset - but I didn't say anything about it. I did; however, follow her every move as she tried to keep the Gucci purse out of my sight. Now, I knew it was sometimes hard on her when it came to paying bills, but I also knew she'd sometimes get enough overtime to buy a little something extra for herself. I encouraged it!

But a Gucci purse...that was new.

"I like your purse," I had said. I didn't want to seem bitter, but I thought I had offended her by the way she jumped at my comment. But I just played it off, "Was your meeting okay?"

"Yeah! Meeting was great. Did you eat dinner? Homework done?"

She tried playing it off, but she was never a good liar in the many years that we'd been together. Her body said she was fine, but her voice and her eyes told me just how uneasy she felt under my gaze. Being the person I was - and still am - I decided it was best to leave her be.

"I had some ramen and finished my homework about an hour ago."

"Good." She relaxed, and it worried me. It made me wonder just how uneasy I made her feel. I didn't see myself with that kind of power, and I hated that she felt like that. But she smiled, "I'm proud of you. I'd do anything for you, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Thank you for taking care of me so well."

I hugged her after that and decided I would give her the TV for the night. If she wants to buy a Gucci purse because she wants it, then it's her decision. I just hoped she knew what she was doing.

------

The next item I saw her with was an accident.

From as far back as I could remember, I'd always heard my sister say how much she hated lingerie. It was gaudie, and just too expensive for her taste. So, it's safe to say that I was pretty shocked when I walked in on her wearing it. I had only meant to walk in and ask her for help with my homework, but I never expected...well, that.

"Jude!"

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd be changing! I just need help with my homework."

"Just wait for me in the kitchen."

I didn't wait to be told twice. I closed the door and ran back to the kitchen, and it wasn't until she came out to help me that I finally started questioning her need for it. Sure, changes in taste can change, but she and I had talked about how much she hated lingerie just the week before. So, you could see how confused I was at the time. But I stayed silent and kept to my own task at hand.

Her business wasn't my business, and I didn't want to invade her privacy.

Figuratively or literally...

When she came home that night, she looked nothing like she had when she left. Her hair that she'd curled for her meeting was a mess, and her makeup had smudged under her eyes. Her clothes that she'd picked out for the night were wrinkled and disheveld, and I could have sworn there was a bruise forming on her neck.

I had thought the worst.

"Are you okay? What happened to you?"

I saw the panic set in her eyes like it had before, but she kept her facade calm.

"Just a small confrontation, nothing I couldn't handle."

Small confrontation? What does 'small confrontation' mean exactly?! It could literally mean anything, and she was just going to sit there calmly, like she didn't look like she was thrown around.

"This looks like more than a small confrontation, Jess."

Her frightened look softened at my words, and the small smile that she now held made me relax; especially when she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"It's already been taken care of, Jude. Don't worry. I know you care, but I'm honestly fine."

I didn't trust her, but at the same time I did. As much as I didn't want to believe her, I accepted her words and gave her a hug. If she wasn't okay, then she would tell me. She'd tell me everything, and I'd do the same.

So I believed her.

-----

I stopped believing her when he showed up at our door.

I had a game that day, and Jess told me that a friend would be joining her in the stands. Me being me, I thought it was a mutual friend that she wanted to surprise me with. The thought alone made me happy, and I was excited to play that day with the thought of an old friend coming to watch.

You can imagine my disappointment and confusion when I answered the door to find a stanger with a teddy bear in his arms.

"You must be Jude."

I'll admit that not only was his voice attractive, but everything about him just screamed perfect. His charming smile, his amazing eyes, and his perfect hair.

Godlike.

But why did the attractive man holding a bear know my name, when I knew nothing about him?

"Ma-Jackon! You're early."

Notice: Weird speech of the day #1

"I just thought I'd surprise you and your sister. You weren't lying when you said she was pretty, you both have very good looks."

Notice: Weird speech of the day #2

Now, I won't say I'm a master of reading other people. I can read my sister, and that's usually about it, but I could read this guy fairly well. Playboy. Charmer. He was the kind of guy who could smile at a woman and she'd fall at his feet.

Not who I wanted for my sister.

"I bought you a bear on my way over here. Jess told me how much you like stuffed animals, and this guy was just too cute to pass up."

Well, maybe he wasn't that bad.

"Thanks."

"Let's get going! Shall we?"

It was at that point that I knew there was something weird about their relationship. All throughout my game, I saw how flustered my sister would get, how close he'd get to her, how they both had walked out for a bit and came back after a suspicious amount of time. Even when the game was over and Jackson took us for victory ice cream as a trio, I knew their relationship was a strange one.

I didn't want to think about it, but I knew something was up.

-----

It was a month later when I came home to the two of them talking to each other that I learned the truth. The man. That charmer...

He was my sister's sugar daddy.

He'd been paying our rent for months, sleeping with my sister, and presenting her with gifts for months. She'd been lying to me for months about losing her job, about nearly being evicted, about needing help. She never told me anything, because she wanted to give me the happy childhood she knew we couldn't afford.

So she sold her body for me.

She commited what is seen as a sin, just for my happiness. Week after week, meeting after meeting, every expensive gift she brought home, every bruise I found...All of it was a lie for me to continue living a decent life.

It had made me so angry. It had made me disgusted to know that she felt I couldn't help her, that she needed to sell herself for me. It was as if our years of sisterhood and companonship meant nothing to her, and our bond was suddenly cut off.

And I ran.

I ran until I couldn't remember that I stopped, and I didn't realize I had stopped running until I woke up in the sterile hospital room.

My unconscious decision to run made me trip down the steps at the park, completely blinded by angry tears. I hit my head on the metal railing first, and I blacked out after hitting the concrete at the bottom.

At least that's what the doctor said.

But it wasn't so bad when I came to. For the first time, I got to see how Jackson really treated my sister. For the first time, I saw how tenderly he held her, how gently he pet her hair, how quietly he calmed her. He held her so close to him with such care, that I forgot he was just her sugar daddy. Because in that moment, that one moment; he showed how much he truly cared for her.

-----

It's been a few years since then, and the three of us now live together in Jackson's home. After my accident, I learned that he was the CEO of a major company, and he had originally hired Jess to be his secretary. But after getting to know each other and our situation, he offered his "other service" for hers in return. I had only ever heard of something like this in Fifty Shades of Grey and fan fiction, and I never imagined my sister being a part of something like that. But I'm kinda glad she did.

She wouldn't be getting married in a few days if it wasn't for the stupid agreement she made.

I still find it hard to get past their previous relationship, and the things they'd do. But I'm so happy that they found each other to love for the rest of their lives.

Even if she had to lie.