Liar

He’s late again, but he has a really good excuse.

“He’s late again.”


Megan checked her phone for the tenth time. The parking lot was nearly empty now, the evening sky turning dark.


“How do we know he’s even going to show up?” Tyler asked.


“I called him a few minutes ago. He said he was on his way.”


Tyler laughed bitterly. “Yeah, and how many times has he said that before? Last month he told us that, and I found him at home sitting in his underwear eating cereal.”


“I know. He’s such a liar,” Megan said. “I say we disappear and let him see how it feels to wonder where everyone is.”


“Yeah!”


“Yeah!”


The plan sounded perfect. They would leave. Teach him a lesson for once.


“Maybe we’ll wait ten more minutes,” Megan said.


“Okay.”


Ten minutes became twenty. Twenty became forty. The parking lot lights flickered on. Cars came and went.


An hour later, they were still there.


No one spoke.


Then a distant set of headlights turned into the lot.


Tyler sat up straight. “Is that him?”


The vehicle rolled closer.


Megan squinted.


The driver lowered the window.


“Sorry I’m late. There was a car accident, and I had to stop and give CPR until the ambulance arrived.”


They all exchanged knowing looks.


“Another lie.”