The truth Comes Out

Words: 1,790
I was in my office of my home working on my latest novel. When the door bell rang startled me. Heading to the door the person started to knock so I looked through the peep hole and saw to my surprise my sister standing there. I opened the door smiling my sister grabbed me into a hug. She entered my home with a bag.
“Mom and Dad are concerned about you. So they sent me to check up on you.”
“So they sent you to check up on me or was there another reason?”
“I came for another reason. You see my friend is in charge of the high school reunion and she received your response. So she asked me to talk you into coming plus I need a place to stay for three days.”
“Sis, you welcome to stay here. But why should I go to our high school reunion when everybody laughed or made fun of me during our four years of schooling?”
“John, I will not lie to you some people may act like they did in high school but others have grown up since then. I’m just a little curious what do you do for a living?”
That is the one question that I have been dreading because nobody knows that I’m a famous author with a bestseller according to three lists. Should I tell my sister or my parents first? I better tell my parents first but I’ll see what happens.
“Well Emily, I’m self employed by working over the internet. You’ll be surprised by how much money could be made over the internet. How rude of me let me show you to the spare bedroom.”
Emily followed me to the room. I noticed her looking around my home as we walked down the hallway. We walked passed my library and she stopped. I turned to see her eyes wide open. We kept walking until we reached my spare bedroom. Emily placed her bag on the bed. She then opened it and started to look for something. After a while Emily pulled out a book when I saw the title “Civil War: My Time in the Army” my very first book.
“Have you read anything by this author?” Emily asked as she handed me the book.
“Come with me I want to show you something.”
As we headed to my office I noticed a curious look on her face.
“What I’m about to show you nobody knows about. I kept this a secret for the past twenty years. This is actually how I made all of my money.”
I opened the door to the office and Emily walked in. Once again her eyes widened in shock.
“You mean you’re the author who wrote this book?”
“That novel is the first book I ever wrote. My last one made it on the bestsellers list.”
“Why did you keep this a secret?”
“I kept it a secret is because I didn’t want the people that made fun of me in high school all of a sudden try to be my friend. That’s why I use a pseudonym and never let my picture adorn the cover of my books.”
“I can see that but why not tell the family?”
I had to think about that for a minute before I answered my dear sister.
“To tell the truth I don’t know. Maybe because it was easier to keep it secret so it couldn’t leak out.”
The phone rang on my desk so I went and answered it. My agent was on the other end of the phone telling me that my high school that the graduating class wants me to talk to them at an assembly tomorrow. I reluctantly agreed to be the speaker. I looked at my sister and gave her a half smile.
“I guess I’ll go to the reunion since I’ll be at the school all day tomorrow.”
“Why are you going to there?”
“The students invited me to talk to them.”
Emily smiled as she pulled her cell phone out. I walked back to my office and right before I entered the room I heard “My brother’s coming. No I couldn’t believe either.” I smiled to myself that I can surprise people. Later that night after dinner Emily went out with two friends that still lived in the town. I must have fallen asleep at the computer because I heard the door close and then multiple voices. I got up from the desk and headed towards the living room when I overheard my sister and her friends.
“Emily, I can’t believe how well your brother is coming tomorrow. What changed his mind?”
“I was wondering that to Emily. His return was a straight forward about not coming.”
“Well Cindy he received a phone call from somebody. That’s all I know after he told me I called you Erin. He’s doing pretty well for himself just look around.”
I was happy to hear what my sister said about me. I slowly walked down the hallway to my bedroom. The next thing I knew my alarm clock was going off. I headed to the kitchen but before I made it there I noticed my sister and her friends asleep in the living room. I made some noise in the kitchen to wake them up. All three jumped and looked around until they saw me standing there.
“What time is it?” Emily asked.
“It’s nine in the morning. You guys fell asleep sometime after you arrived here.”
I headed back to my room to get ready for the school assembly. I left my house after saying good bye to my sister and her friends. As the day progressed I couldn’t believe how interested the students were into my novels. They picked out ideas that nobody ever did before. The time flew by and then it was over. I made it home and to find a note from my sister.
John,
Went shopping with my friends will be back before the reunion. You are coming with us no arguing.
Emily.
Now all I had to was lie around and watch TV until it was time to go. I looked at the clock and saw it was late so I went to get ready. As I left the bathroom the front door opened and my sister walked in. The three friends walked in but my eyes didn’t stay on the m for long. I still couldn’t believe I was going to my high school reunion but there was no way out.
“John, are you here?”
“I’ll be right there.”
I walked down the hall way and stopped when I saw one of her friends. She was breath taking.
My mind went blank.
“John let me introduce you to my friends. This is Cindy and this is Erin.”
“Hello, you three are beautiful.”
“Thank You. You look hansom in the suit.” Erin said.
“Let’s go. I have to get there to set up everything.” Cindy said.
Emily grabbed my arm and pulled me towards Cindy’s car. The three talked the whole ride there. I was mentally laughing about some of the gossip. It seems that I’m the class’s biggest success. The only person that comes close to me in success is a jock who made it to the MLB but didn’t live up to the pressure. We arrived at the school and I saw two students from earlier today waiting at the doors of the gym.
“Hello, Mr. Davies. Why are you back?” she asked.
“I’m here for my class reunion. Truthfully I would have been happy if I was home in front of my computer.”
The two students were speechless I never mentioned I attended this high school during the assembly. Cindy was close enough to hear the conversation.
“You’re the author!”
I turned towards my sister. She was laughing.
“You see why I kept it a secret.”
My sister came over and dragged Cindy away and to remind her that we still had to set up. The two students helped us empty the car before leaving. After everything was set up Cindy, Erin and Emily sat at a table in the hall waiting for class mates to arrive. While I walked the halls seeing what has changed but nothing has. By the time I made it back to the reunion most of the people were there. Erin walked over to me.
“I hate to tell you this but Cindy has been telling people about you. I believe everybody wants to see you.”
“This is the real reason I didn’t want it to be known about me being the author. People who laughed at me in high school now want to be my friend.”
As we entered I was mobbed by people I saw camera flashes everywhere. My sister and Erin dragged me away from the mob to their table. At the end of the night I had enough. I stood up which got a lot of people’s attention.
“I am sick of people who act as my friends. I was never many of your friends but now I am because you know what I became. Most of you made fun of me in high school because I didn’t follow the crowd. But now because I’m famous I’m the head of the top of your list to be friends with. I hope I don’t see most of you ever again. Good Bye.”
I started to laugh as I left. Behind me I could hear Cindy, Erin and my sister cracking up. I made it out side before my sister caught up with me.
“John, that was priceless. But how are we going to get home?”
“Should we go back in to help Cindy and Erin clean up?”
Right as I finished Cindy and Erin came out. All three of them were still laughing. Cindy pulled out her car keys and headed to the car.
“The janitor said he’ll clean up with the students who volunteered to help. To tell the truth I never laughed so hard in my life.” Cindy said. “John, I’m sorry for spreading the news about you.”
“It was a matter of time before it came out but I better call my agent when we get back for damage control.”
We drove back to my house in silence. When we got there Emily and her friends sat down in the living room to talk and I headed to my office to call my agent.
“Emily, you were right I needed to go to the reunion. Thank you, ladies for a wonderful night.”
I walked into my office dreading the call I was about to make but very happy to get some revenge on my old classmates.