Page 45 of Head Over Skates

I set down my coffee, stunned. “So you're saying that whole story about her hooking up with Owen… none of it was real either?”

"Nope, all fiction," Maggie confirms. "She’s made up so many boyfriends, it's not even funny. Her mom said she used to pretend she had a long-lost twin sister. And in middle school she faked running away to join the circus for a week."

My mind is reeling. "That's insane. Why would she lie about dating Owen?"

Maggie shrugs. "Who knows? Her mom said she craves drama and attention. And making up stuff about celebrities probably feels exciting for her."

I shake my head, trying to reconcile this bombshell with the Jaime I thought I knew. Looking back, there were little oddities over the years that make more sense now. Like how she conveniently had an uncle who worked at every cool restaurant she told stories about. Or how she'd disappear for a weekend and claim she was at a friend's lake house that none of us had ever heard of.

I let out an incredulous laugh. "Unreal. I can think of at least three blow-out fights she described having with Owen last year. Venting to us about some argument they supposedly had."

Maggie nods, perched on the edge of the couch. “Yeah, all an act. Remember that one girl’s night, when we were waiting to put on a movie, but then Owen called?”

“Yes! And she sat there and talked to him for like two hours right in front of us.”

“She was on the phone with nobody the entire time.”

“Woah.”

“Somebody give that girl an Oscar.”

I shake my head, memories clicking into place. “And those expensive gifts she claimed were from Owen. Designer purses, a new iPad… that charm bracelet.”

“Oh, that was a cute bracelet,” Maggie says.

“I know, right? Did she buy those herself just to lie to us?”

“Where did she even get the money? And those photos on her phone that she claimed were from dates with Owen. They must have been photoshopped! She really put in a lot of effort.”

"I know, it's wild," I say. "I mean, she had every detail planned out perfectly."

Maggie nods, looking equally dumbfounded. “When Owen supposedly cheated on her… she sobbed in my car for hours.”

How can I forget? Jaime was an emotional wreck, mascara running down her cheeks—she was inconsolable. Maggie and I spent hours comforting her, even canceling our plans that night.

I stare into the middle distance. “It was all… fake.?”

“Aaaalll fake.”

“And you’re sure about this?”

“One hundred percent. Her mom told me there’s no way Jaime was dating Owen. She lives at home. Her mom would know.”

"I feel like such an idiot for not noticing the signs," I admit.

Maggie sighs loudly. "I just can't believe we're only finding out the truth now. An entire friendship built on lies."

I meet Maggie's eyes. “Wow. I mean, pathological lying… that's an actual mental health issue.”

Maggie nods, taking a long sip of coffee. My thoughts drift back to our confrontation at Tim Hortons.

"I guess now we know why she freaked out seeing Owen," I say.

Maggie pulls a dramatic face. “Her fake world was colliding with reality.”

“Oh crap! Owen. All those terrible things I wrote about him in my blog.”

“Don’t feel so bad. Maybe he still deserves it after knocking up that chick. What did you say her name was?”

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