WILL THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE?

Rebekah's pov:

"What did you hear" Seth asks

I snap, "he's your brother!?" I put my hands over my head walking up and down in thought.

Seth walks to me, "Rebekah,"

I furiously push his hand away, "Don't touch me!"

"Please, calm down," Jordan says and I take a deep breath

"You are the last person to tell me what to do, Jordan,"

"Rebekah, I can explain,"

I scoff, "all this time you have been playing with me-"

"It's not like that," Seth says

I look at him, "this was all just a game to you, and stupid old me fell for it," I scoff and look at the ground. "Playing with my feelings, making me fall..." I hold back.

"I wasn't playing with your feelings, Rebekah, it's just complicated and I-"

"Complicated my foot! Stay…away from me!" I interject and storm out of the forest.

"Rebekah!" Seth calls, but I don't look back.

Seth's point of view:

I try to run after her, "give her some time to process this." Blaze stops me. "There's a lot more truth she must learn," he walks to me. "Just let her go,"

But how is she going to get home?. I started to get concerned.

"Don't worry, she won't go far— I think,"

I sit down on the floor deep in my thoughts, I don't even care what I'm sitting on.

"What now?"

***

Rebekah's point of view:

I walk further down from his car, hoping and impatiently waiting alongside the road for a taxi or bus, or something!

I knew Seth was too good to be true. One guy helps you with an umbrella, and you think he's the one? stupid Rebekah. Why would I even think anything more of him?. I scoff. Trusting a white guy, as if he has nothing better to do wasting his time on me. Why didn't I think of this before? A handsome guy like him hanging out with someone like me? Why didn't I question it before? Why? Was I really that crazy about him What if he did something to me? I exhale staring at the ground. I knew that attractiveness had to be rerated somehow.

I startle hearing the footsteps behind me, I quickly wipe away my tears acting as if I'm fine. He walks and seats beside me on the right.

"I didn't mean to do this to you."

I scoff.

"Jordan and I-"

"You know what? Just stop! Okay? We don't see colour in each other?" I scoff. "Maybe you do,"

"Rebekah-" Seth says. I tried to hold back my tears, but sometimes, you just can't.

"I said leave me alone!" I look away to hide my tears

"There are no busses coming," he says

"I'll wait."

He exhales.

"Please go home."

"I can't leave you here, Rebekah," he says with compassion.

I turn to him with a serious look on my face, "your little game is over, you don't have to pretend to care about me."

" I never pretended to care about you," he says.

He just makes me even more angry. I furiously stand up.

"Sure," I walk down to the left away from him.

"Rebekah." he stands. "Please get in the car and I'll explain everything to you," he sincerely says.

I irritatedly close my eyes with my left hand on the side of my face. "There's nothing to explain," I look at him, and he walks closer to me.

"There's a lot to explain Rebekah, your parents need you," he says and I immediately look at him

"What are you talking about?"

"She's not your real mom," he claims.

"That's enough! First, you play me, now you have the audacity to say it? Because my Mom is white and I'm black, is that it?"

"What? You don't understand-"

"Oh, I understand alright. This world of colours, it's not real, and you're not,"

I spot a bus coming and stop it. Without wasting time, I rush in.

***

Seth's point of view:

I watch the bus leave as she's seated by the window side, trying not to look at me.

I just hope she will let me explain everything to her, I don't want to lose her again, I never meant to break her heart. I didn't know this is how it would all go down. I don't even know what he's talking about her Mom being white and her being black. I just don't get it. What is she saying?

I exhale effortlessly walking to my car, I get in. After closing the door that's when I spot her school bag on the chair.

I have to return it to her before she gets in class tomorrow.

***

Rebekah's point of view:

Is this what heartbreak feels like or maybe it's just disappointment? what's the difference?

"Is she my mom?" I begin to doubt, and looking back, I realize how different we look from each other. Even though she told me my dad was dark skinned and that's the reason I'm light brown, we still look nothing like each other. I close my eyes and seat back on the chair.

***

Anah Stevenson's point of view:

Rebekah is late today, it is now 6 pm. Where could she be? I hope she's safe. I grab my phone on our small, grey living room table and try calling her again, but it goes to voicemail again.

I sit down on the couch. After a minute is when I hear knocking on the door. I jump off the couch and run to open.

"Rebekah," I hug her. "Where have been? And..." I let go and look around her with concern. "Where's your bag?"

"It's complicated Mom." She gets in walking to the lounge area.

"Huh…" I close the door and follow her

" I forgot it at Micah's house," she says

"Ohh, you went to Micah after school?" I ask

"yes," she throws herself on the couch

"are you sure you are okay?" I ask her

She nods, "yeah"

"Okay then, I'll go continue cooking," I get up and turn to walk

"Mom?..."

I turn to her, " yes."

"Am I..." she falters.

I sit back down, "what is it sweetie?" I gently ask.

She sits up, "am I your daughter?"

Before she could even finish saying "daughter" my heart already started beating fast, I don't know what to say. I knew one day I'd have to tell her, but I wish it was not today, the day before her special day. I stay silent for a while.

"I have to say something"

"Rebekah,"

She listens attentively.

"Come with me, I want to show you something,"

She uncertainly nods, "okay."

We get up and I drive her to a small, abandoned farm with dry grass, and old shed and an old brick house next to it. I lead her into the farm until we reach a certain area.

"Rebekah," I say, and she looks at me, "I'm sorry I never told you this earlier, I just didn't know where to begin, I thought you were too young to deal with it. We had a great relationship, and I thought we could just remain like we were."

"I don't understand." I shake my head. "What's going on?" she worries.

"15 years ago," I turn to face the old abandoned building. " I was driving past this farm when I heard a child crying. I stopped the car and went out to see where the crying was coming from. But no matter how many times I shouted, hello, nobody answered, and there was just silence. I was about to give and turn back to my car because I was scared anything can happen to me there and nobody will ever know, when the child started crying again. I turned around again to the abandoned house. I couldn't leave her.

"Wait, what does that have to do with me?"

"I will get there, just listen."

"Okay…"

"I begun walking faster, looking around everywhere until I found the child on the side of a house, in a very cute, expensive-looking, pink dress, and some white, shiny, leather pumps. I asked her where her parents were but the child was just crying, I looked around the place and there did not seem to be anyone around. I gently carried her in my arms assuring her that everything will be fine until we got to the car. I drove off, I got home, bathed her and when I dressed her up in Emma's clothes, I fell in love with her. So I took her in as my own, got all the papers sorted, and she was officially, Rebekah Stevenson."

***

Rebekah's point of view:

"I'm not your real mom, Rebekah," she discloses.

My heart breaks. It can't be.

"Wha...what are you ,"

"I don't know what happened to your parents,"

Tears fall from my eyes, "you're not my mom?" I ask in a brittle voice.

"Rebekah…" she walks closer to comfort me but I move back, looking at her, wondering…

"I'm sorry" she says

I run out of the farm and follow down the road into the unknown.