Lying can help cover up the truth, and usually you use lying to not get into trouble or make things easier to the person you're lying to and yourself. But in this article I'm going to show you that telling the truth can be SO much easier then lying.
I was just entering High School as a Freshman that year, I never drank, or did anything wrong. My music and life kept me busy enough. It was just a normal day, normally-boring, as usual, and I was hanging out with two of my friends, Sabrina and Tyrone laughing and talking. Recently a new guy switched to our high school, I didn't know much about him except that his name was Dustin and he had become friends with Tyrone. Tyrone talked about him a lot, basically bragging, which didn't bother me much because I could care less about how many burritos he could fit in his mouth. Then he said this, "Dustin wants us to come to this small party/gathering at his house so we can meet his friends." I was about to say no, but Sabrina said yes so I figured it wouldn't hurt.
Our parents were the over-protective kind, so we decided not to tell them about the party, instead we just told them we were staying at the other person's house for the night and that we would be back the next morning.
When we got to the party there was only Dustin and two other people there, Dustin and Tyrone went off to talk, Sabrina was talking to one of Dustin's friends, and his other friend was playing a video game. I just sat down making up lyrics in my head to pass time, then I tried to talk to the guy playing the game, but he never even looked up.
Soon everybody started to loosen up, and they brought out alcohol, me and video gamer were the only ones who didn't drink. I was surprised Sabrina drank! She didn't only drink one, but three! Soon it was around 5am so we all went to bed; I ended up sleeping on an itchy, floral couch.
The next week we did the same thing, except it was easier this time. But just as we were about to go to bed Sabrina got a phone call. Her mom said she called Tyrone's and my parents, and she wants to know where we are. We couldn't tell them the truth, no way, not now, they wouldn't understand. So instead we lied, but this one was bigger.
We got one of Dustin's friends to drop us off at the park near our house, there we came up with the perfect lie, well it seemed perfect at the time.
The lie would go like this: We were going to go to a movie, but all the movies all started already and we didn't want to wait. So instead we went to the park to hang-out. We were alone, it was dark, there was no moon, but the stars were bright so we tried to find the constellations, but had no luck. We didn't know what direction he came from because it was dark, he grabbed Sabrina. We started yelling, but nobody was around to hear us, and he told us to shut up and if we didn't, he had a knife and he wasn't afraid to use it. He started taking off Sabrina's clothes. I felt a big rock beside me, and I positioned myself at just the right angle to hit his head. So I picked up the rock and went for it, and it hit his head, stunning him for a second, long enough for us to run away.
Sound believable? Of course. Well it was to our parents, who I said were very protective right? Well they insisted that we report this to the police. Now you're thinking, you told the truth, right? I would want to say yes, but no. As much as I wanted to at the time, I didn't want them to find out the truth.
The police interviewed us and investigated but they never found a suspect, until about 7 months later. He was the only suspect, and even though there was no evidence of him doing it, they put him in jail. I felt really bad for him, he was about forty and homeless, Tyrone figured he was lucky because now he had a roof over his head and daily meals, but I couldn't help but feel empathy for him.
Over this time me, Tyrone and Sabrina never talked anymore, ever. Years of friendship gone.
By now everyone knew, and I became known as the hero, throwing the rock and saving Sabrina, but I felt like anything but a hero. Everyone was still asking questions and we were still being interviewed, but I just wanted this to be over.
The last straw was when I went for a walk with Haley, one of my closest friends since Tyrone. The concern in her eyes was so strong, and I know she trusted me and I trusted her. I had to tell her the truth. So I spilled. She never judged me, but she told me I should go to the detective taking care this "case" and my parents to tell them the truth.
So I did it, the truth was out in the open. Everyone knew by night-time. The police came and arrested me in the middle of English, hand cuffs and all. Of course they had no intention of putting me in jail for a week, or even the night. Sabrina, Tyrone and I all had different deals, but we all were expelled from school. I had to do one thousand hours in community service, but I'm not sure about Sabrina and Tyrone, I haven't talked to them since. I actually moved after I finished my community service.
Everyone always asks me why. Why would you do something like that? Why would you make up a lie like that? Didn't you know what could happen?
All I can say is that sometimes something makes perfect sense, and then it's a complete mystery when you look at it the next day, or even the next minute, and you can't remember or explain what was so clear to you back then. Because that moment is gone. I know it sounds crazy now, but that night, making up the lie seemed like the easy way out. A harmless little lie. You've told lies before, haven't you? I ask them. Everyone's told lies. It's just that I was unable to see, right there, that the lie would gather speed and its current would carry it further and further away from me.
When I explain this, the kids here nod their heads like they understand. I'm not sure they do. I'm not sure I even do. It sounds pretty lame when I hear the words coming out of my mouth, but there's nothing else I can say about it, other than to tell the truth.
I still think about the guy who got put in jail because of me and my friends, and what he said to the police is what really makes me feel bad.
"They're just kids," he said. "They have their whole lives ahead of them. They shouldn't be defined by this lapse in judgement. They should go on and live normal lives and not be remembered for the bad things they did. They should finish school; they should love and be loved by the people around them. They deserve forgiveness. Everyone does."
He was the one who told the police not to press charges on us, after he had to be in jail for about 8 months.
This is what could happen when you tell a seemingly innocent lie, at the time it will seem like the easy way out, but a minute, day or week later, you'll be wishing you told the truth.
Tell the truth and you'll be good, Punxboi
