Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Song belongs to Jason Michael Carroll.
Harry Lies
***
My little girl met a new friend,
just the other day,
on the playground at school
between the tires and the swings…
She met him at the park during recess. He had been sitting alone, in his baggy t-shirt and jeans with the various holes and he had on those glasses that were always taped in the middle. Everyone made fun of him; she could hear the mean remarks that other kids in her class would say to him. She saw him a lot during recess, but never asked him to play with her.
Her plan was to make a sandcastle—a big, fancy, elaborate one. A prince and princess were going to live in it and they were going to have pet unicorns. But who would be her prince? A princess had to have a prince. Maybe he could be her prince? She made her way over to him, her steps tiny and hopeful.
"Hi, there, my name is Hermione," she said quickly, the fear of rejection was clear on her face. This was a bold move for her, to be asking someone to play with her. No one ever wanted to, why would he? Her hair was bushy and ugly and she read too many books.
The boy tensed up. "I-I'm, Harry. You probably don't want to be near me…Dudley, my cousin, will hurt you or say mean things to you because you are talking to me."
"That's okay. I just need someone to help me build my sandcastle and be the prince. Would you like to be the prince?"
"Oh, um, okay," Harry said nervously, jumping off of the bench he had been sitting on. His clothes looked even baggier on him now that he was standing up, but the fear of his cousin seemed to have been erased from his mind.
Their castle was amazing, Hermione thought. Simply amazing. They had even made a place for their unicorns to sleep. Her and her new friend Harry played until the bell rang indicating recess was over. When Harry got up and tugged down his shirt, the collar fell past his shoulder causing Hermione to see something that made her heart sink to the ground.
"Harry, what's that on your shoulder?" It looked like a bruise.
Harry quickly covered the bruise up, and muttered excuses about falling down the stairs and that he was fine. Then he ran into the school, making Hermione stand there, wondering.
She was a smart girl for her age. She knew better. That was a bruise and that bruise couldn't be made by falling down any stairs.
Why would he lie?
But she came home with tear-filled eyes,
and she said to me, "Daddy, Alyssa lies…"
"Daddy, I met a friend today. He was the prince and I was the princess, and we have pet unicorns." Her eyes, which were full of tears, should have been full of happiness at this statement.
"Really? That's great honey, but why the tears?"
She shrugged her shoulder. "Because he lies. Why does he lie?"
Her dad never answered. All kids lie.
Well, I just brushed it off at first,
'cause I didn't know how much my little girl had been hurt
or the things she had seen.
I wasn't ready when I said, "You can tell me."
And she said...
They were building another sandcastle. Harry and she had both agreed that this one was going to be bigger and better, and of course, like always, he was going to be the prince and her the princess.
He was her best friend. He had never once called her a know-it-all or made fun of her teeth or hair. One time he even said that she had pretty hair and that he liked the curls. He always made her smile. They were going to be friends forever.
But, everyday he still wore the baggy shirt and jeans with the various holes. The shirt was too baggy on him and Hermione could see big bruises on his shoulder when he was digging. The shirt always fell down his shoulder, no matter how many times he tried to fix it. Occasionally, she would see some bruises on his arm or even his chest if he lifted his shirt up too high. Sometimes new bruises would appear, and on those days, Hermione just wanted to take him home with her; take him away from the hurt and the pain. He always had ugly, big bruises and she didn't like it. Someone was hurting her friend—her prince.
She was smart for her age, she knew.
She wanted someone to help him. But he always denied it. He always lied. Always said he fell off his bike, or fell down the stairs. Even when she confronted a teacher once, he lied to the teacher and he didn't talk to her for two whole days.
So, she stopped. She wasn't going to mention it anymore. She would watch out for him, though.
She didn't want him getting mad at her any more.
Because then he may not want to be her friend, and then, who would be her prince?
"Alyssa lies to the classroom,
Alyssa lies everyday at school.
Alyssa lies to the teachers,
as she tries to cover every bruise…"
"Harry," she began one day, while finishing off the castle. They were sandcastle building pros. "Why do you lie to me?"
She had to know. She didn't like him lying.
He whipped his head towards her. "What are you talking about, Hermione? I don't lie to you." He was adamant about this.
Hermione frowned, and she stopped building their sandcastle. "Yes, you do! You always have those bruises and you always tell me you fall down the stairs. Harry, I'm smart for my age, I know."
"I don't lie."
And that was that. She didn't bring it up again.
My little girl laid her head down that night to go to sleep.
As I stepped out of the room, I heard her say a prayer so soft and sweet.
"God bless my mom and my dad,
and my new friend, Alyssa.
Oh, I know she needs you bad…"
"Daddy," Hermione said, two days later, while he was tucking her in. "I've seen bad things."
Her dad's heart skipped a beat at her statement. What bad things? "What bad things, honey? Tell Daddy." He sat next to her on her bed.
"You know my new friend, Harry? Well, he lies. Why does he?" The way his daughter said this scared him.
This time, he was going to listen. All kids lie, though, right? But Hermione kept bringing this up. He pushed back a strand of her bushy hair behind her ear and asked, "What does he lie about?"
"Whenever we play princes and princesses and build sandcastles I always see bruises on his arms! I'm smart, Daddy. I know he's lying. He always tells me that he gets them from falling down the stairs. I even tried to get him help, but then he got mad at me and would not talk for me for two whole days. So I stopped. I can't lose my prince, Daddy."
He had never expected this. He thought her friend was lying about simple things, like what he ate for dinner that night to make everything seem more exciting. But he had been wrong all along. He simply didn't know what to do. What could he tell his daughter to make her feel better in this situation?
There was nothing.
"Because Alyssa lies to the classroom,
Alyssa lies everyday at school.
Alyssa lies to the teachers,
as she tries to cover every bruise…"
"Harry," Hermione asked, one day as they were walking back into the school; they had yet again made an impeccable sandcastle, in her and Harry's opinion of course.
"Yeah, Hermione?" he asked, as he pulled up his too large pants. They were falling off him yet again.
"Will you be my best friend forever? Will you be my prince forever?" Her eyes sparkled with happiness she had never had, never felt. She never had anyone like Harry. She loved Harry. He was going to be hers forever.
He stopped walking and stood in front of her. "Of course, Hermione. You are my princess and you will be my best friend forever, too! We will never leave each other!"
She was so happy that she squealed. Jumping up in down in delight, Hermione ran over to Harry, almost toppling the thin boy over, giving him the biggest hug her body could muster.
"I love you, Harry."
I had the worst night of sleep in years,
as I tried to think of a way to calm her fears.
I knew exactly what I had to do,
but when we got to school on Monday I heard the news…
He was not there. She didn't know where he was. She was worried about her prince. Could he be in trouble? Was he hurt?
The last time she had seen him, he had been quiet and reserved. She had sworn that she had seen way more bruises than he normally had. He was even shaking while making the castle, and accidentally kept ruining it.
She was smart for her age. She knew better.
She had a bad feeling about this. Harry never, ever missed school.
My little girl asked me why everybody looked so sad
the lump in my throat grew bigger,
with every question that she asked.
Until I felt the tears run down my face,
and I told her that Alyssa wouldn't be at school today…
She hadn't seen Harry for a whole week. Hadn't heard anything from him. The teachers said they knew nothing.
It was bedtime, and she was finishing off the last chapter in her book when her dad came in, his face showed clear signs of sadness.
"What's wrong, Daddy?" She placed her book down on her nightstand. What was wrong with her daddy?
"Hermione, dear, there is something I need to tell you."
And so he did and from that moment on, Hermione's life came crashing down.
'Cause she doesn't lie in the classroom
she doesn't lie anymore at school.
Alyssa lies with Jesus,
because there's nothin' anyone would do…
Hermione knew what her dad had just told her. She was smart for her age. She wasn't stupid, she knew. She understood perfectly.
She wasn't going to have her prince anymore.
Tears filled my eyes when my little girl asked me why
Alyssa lies.
"Oh, Daddy, oh, Daddy, tell me why
Alyssa lies…"
Fin.