The thing is: people lie.

People have always lied, and there's not one totally human person who hasn't told a lie before.

Maybe liars don't mean to lie all the time, maybe their lies are to protect someone or simply an "I'm fine" when they're not fine at all.

It hurts to be lied to. But sometimes, it hurts to lie.

Especially to your friends. The people you care about are who you're not supposed to lie to, and you know if they found out the truth they would be so hurt--you might not even be friends anymore. Nobody really wants to lose their friends.

The truth hurts, too. I guess sometimes you just have to pick the lesser of the two evils, right?

But lying hurts the liar. Somewhere--maybe super far down or closer to the surface--they feel guilty. And guilt isn't painless.

I wish I didn't lie, but I lie a lot. I don't know why, maybe I just want myself to be more interesting. Maybe I think if I lie, and create some fantastic story for myself--people will love me. And you know what? They do love me. I like that, it feels nice. But I know they don't really love me, they love who they think I am. I'm just really boring, and I'm not special at all. My lies have always been to make myself...special.

And I'm so good at lying! I'm great at it, even. If there ever was a true talent I had, it would be for lying. That's what writers are, right? Liars? Just writing is the socially acceptable form of lying.

But I don't want to lie anymore. Even if it hurts me, even if it hurts you.

I want to tell the truth, I don't want to tell people that I'm in love with them when I'm not. I don't want to make up stuff anymore. I just want to be me, and the people who stick around and forgive me will be the ones who I'll always keep in my heart. Because they were my friend even at my worst, although they didn't like me being at my worst.

I just think honesty is too underrated in this day and age. We Photoshop and create fake dating profiles, we role-play, we write fiction, we lose ourselves in TV and movies--we immerse ourselves in fantasy. Are all those things wrong? No, not always. But honesty is just not anything people enjoy anymore.

That's sad, but who am I to condemn other liars? I'm a liar, too.