SURGERY
A short story by Mick Macve
Part 6
After the funeral, Steven met up with Zoe in the College canteen. She told him how sorry she was. She asked him why he hadn’t told her that his father was ill. He told her the truth. He told her the truth about everything including Amnesty International and bacon sandwiches. But it was too late for the truth. Zoe was shocked to discover the lies that he had told her. She wanted nothing more to do with him. She kissed him on the lips and hugged him and said "I’m sorry, Steven, but you’re not the person I thought you were." Her long dark hair trailed across his face as she left.
She was right. He was a different person to the one he had been with her. He had lied to her. He had lied to his father. The worst thing of all, though, was that he had lied to himself. He had thought that it would be alright to tell a few lies to suit his own ends. He realised now that it wasn’t alright. It was wrong.
When he had lied to Zoe, he had killed his chance of forming a proper his relationship. When he had lied to his father, something else had died. It wasn’t a soul. It was the bond between them. He realised that he had got it all wrong on the demonstration. Mr. Harris was only killing dumb animals.
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