Perfect Lie

Can you ever be normal?”

I asked, clearly annoyed as I looked at him.

Alex Blake. Of course, it had to be him.

The perfect boy of our class.

Top grades, teachers’ favorite, and basically every girl’s crush.

Honestly… could anyone really be that perfect?

“You could at least try being a little less perfect,” I added, rolling my eyes.

He just smiled softly… like my words didn’t affect him at all.

And that was exactly what irritated me the most.

Everyone liked him.

But not me.

I hated that fake perfection of his.

“Lily, focus on your notes,” the teacher’s voice pulled me back to reality.

I forced myself to look down at my notebook… but my attention was still on him.

I had always felt like something about him wasn’t right.

Like he was hiding something.

After school, I was about to leave… when I saw him.

Behind the school building. Alone.

That was strange.

Alex was never alone.

I stopped.

But before I could think twice, I walked toward him.

Slowly. Quietly.

And then—

I saw him.

He was on a call… but his expression wasn’t the same.

“I told you… I don’t want to do this anymore,” he said, his voice low.

My steps froze.

This… was Alex?

There was anger in his voice.

And fear.

He ended the call… and looked straight at me.

Our eyes met.

“How much did you hear?”

And in that moment… I realized—

I was completely wrong about him.

And that day…

I discovered his biggest secret.