‘Derek, are you awake?’ I heard my mum call up the stairs. I swore, and quickly began closing tabs on my computer, wishing it was a laptop so I could slam the lid shut and throw myself onto my bed and pretend to read. I briefly wondered why I thought reading in bed was inherently more innocent than looking at a computer screen, then shook my head clear – now was a time for focus.
‘Hey honey,’ she said, her head appearing around my door frame. ‘I was just wondering—’
‘Nothing,’ I said quickly. Too quickly. She frowned.
‘What?’
‘Sorry,’ I grinned nervously. ‘I cut you off. What were you going to ask?’
I’d made her suspicious now. She narrowed her eyes and pushed my door open fully, stepping into the room. ‘What are you up to?’ she said, arms unconsciously crossing.
‘Uh… nothing,’ I repeated. ‘What are you up to?’
‘Show me what’s on that computer,’ she said, nodding at my desktop.
‘I, uh, it’s just…’ I stammered, searching the universe for a viable excuse. ‘An affordable pool table for sale,’ I spat out.
‘A what?’
‘A pool table,’ I repeated, through gritted teeth. ‘For Dad’s birthday. He’s always said he wanted one and I thought—’
‘You thought you’d buy one nine months before his birthday?’ she raised an eyebrow at me. A moment of silence passed between us.
‘Yep,’ I nodded, holding my ground. ‘That’s what I was thinking.’
‘Oh, Derek,’ she said, her posture softening slightly. ‘That’s so kind of you.’
‘Oh, not really,’ I said, waving away her praise as relief swept through my body. ‘I just wanted to be on top of it, you know, get the lay of the land now before I check out the best online store to purchase sports equipment in Australia.’
‘Right, of course,’ she said. ‘Well, I’ll leave you to it then.’
‘Thanks,’ I beamed at her, perhaps too forcefully.’
‘Oh, and Derek?’
‘Yeah, Mum?’
‘It makes me feel really proud, as a mother,’ she said with a smile, ‘that I’ve raised such a terrible liar.’
The door clicked shut behind her.