"I'd love to come to your Mary Kay party," Allegra Lewis, 23, said into her flip phone one sunny Saturday late in May, "but my family just showed up. They're being cool and taking me out for a day of fun." She was talking to her co-worker Andrea, who had recently started selling Mary Kay in order to get extra money for college, and she was lying. Andrea heard noise in the background, but she had no idea that the noise came from Allegra's TV, not her family. They lived in another state, and they were at home, enjoying their Saturday.

The truth was that Allegra was not a people person. She had always been the type of person who preferred activities that she could do alone, like reading and writing, rather than those that required a group. She avoided gatherings at people's houses because the conversation usually revolved around topics that were not part of her experience, and she dreaded that awkward moment when everyone stopped talking and turned to her to break the silence. She broke it alright, but usually by saying something that she thought was really stupid, like who had the #1 song on "American Top 40" that week, songs she hoped would hit the top spot, Candy Crush, or a story she was currently working on.

Allegra got off the phone with Andrea and returned to the solo activities she loved. She checked to see how many views the articles and stories on her blog had gotten, ran to her new favorite running song by Maroon 5 titled "The Man Who Never Lied", fixed herself a cup of coffee, and then finally sat down to start writing.

As she sat there staring at the two blank pages of the open composition book in front of her, she realized that there was something in her way, and it wasn't writer's block. It was guilt. She felt guilty about lying to Andrea. She and Andrea had been friends since their freshman year of high school. She also worried that she missed out on a great party--a party where the guests talked about more than just cosmetics.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she did have something to offer in social settings. Music and Candy Crush were not stupid. They were fun activities that her friends turned to when they were not busy with work or school. All she had to do was relax and open up. She had to tell Andrea the truth--the real reason why she missed the party. Once she did, she would feel better, and all would be right with the world.

Allegra sat there for a moment, anticipating how the conversation with Andrea might go. Andrea would be nice and sweet, like she always was--until she found out that Allegra had lied to her. Then there would likely be silence on the other end of the line. Allegra would say, "Hello? Hello?", not sure if her friend was still there. Then she would probably hear a dial tone, because Andrea would likely hang up on her.

If she could arrange to meet her friend for coffee, on the other hand, she and Andrea could talk. She could then explain to her friend that she had been nervous about coming to the party because she was not a people person and apologize for lying to her--that is, if Andrea did not stand her up. Andrea had always been understanding and forgiving, so hopefully she would be understanding and forgiving about this. Allegra decided that if Andrea did agree to get together she would place an order to make up for missing the party. She was nervous, but she had to know how this would go. She opened up her phone, dialed Andrea's number, and hit Send.

Works Cited

Klems, Brian A. Finish this Sentence! 2016. 28 May 2016.