I don’t care for Bill. He likes the style himself as William.
“You put on airs,” I say. “But you’re nobody special.”
His fist clenches, as if he’s going to hit me. The punch will hurt, but he’ll be finished.
Instead, he pushes his mug into mine. “Cheeky little bugger.”
Then he does something weird with his face—it goes all crumply.
“Are you sad?” I ask.
“No.”
“Yes you are. I can see.”
Bill sighs, gazing out to sea. “You think telling the truth is obligatory. But you’re wrong.”
This is puzzling. “What’s more important?”
“Getting on with people.”
.
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
It’s a fine and perilous line, knowing when to be brutally honest and when to shrug and move on.
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Not a skill everyone has
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Interesting question you pose here, Neil.
Not sure there’s an easy answer.
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Only in fiction
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I loved the line about a crumpled face,
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Thanks so much, Michael
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Sounds like Bill has had a light-bulb moment. Temporary probably. A lot of emotions covered in a short piece: narrator fears him, probably dislikes him, then feels sorry for him and the reader knows he wouldn’t ever trust him.
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Bill is probably the more normal of the pair
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It’s true.
People management skills are very difficult!
But, telling & facing the truth too.
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We generally find it easier to tell the truth than to face it
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Some people pride themselves on being brutally honest, no matter who they hurt, don’t they?
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They do, and in what was a post-truth age before covid, I have a guiulty sympathy wuth truth-tellers
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It’s a fine balance, that. I must say, Two characters conveyed in so few words. I have more sympathy for Bill, I have to say, despite the fact he insists on William!
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I think I do too
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I have a friend who is trying to get us to change from Bill to William. Sorry, my friend, we’ve been calling you Bill for thirty years. That said, I loved the array of emotions portrayed.
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Thanks so much, Dale. Where there’s a Bill there’s a way.
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Haha! Indeed!
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The grease of lies has its uses but it’s as empty and artificial as what’s left after eating a McDonald’s Happy Meal. That said, having a few pints down at the pub with buddies, truth is often left at the door. Excellent storytelling, Neil, as it will generate a lot of discussion.
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Thanks for that thoughtful response
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You are most welcome, Neil.
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When the truth hurts it’s sometimes wise to push it aside.
My grandson Billy hates being called William. Says it sounds pompous!
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Thanks for reading. Keith
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Very hard hitting and very true. I love how the narrator thinks William has the attitude problem here. It gives it all that nice bite at the end.
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Thanks so much, Anne
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A hard-learned lesson for many of us. Seems to me the “cheeky little bugger” was the one who didn’t get it.
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Opinion will probably come down in the main on that view
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It is a fine line, to tell the truth or withhold it for the sake of another’s feelings. I liked where this went. Nice one!
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Thanks so much, Brenda
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Bill’s right. There’s a time and a place for hard truths, and it’s a lesson some of us have never mastered.
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Social rules can be hard to master
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As a believer of being truthful, it’s hard to imagine not being so.
Of course, one doesn’t need to be bullish or cruel. It’s a fine line … isn’t it?
Thought provoking, Neil. Be Safe 😷
Isadora 😎
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It is a fine line, and it’s not even always wrong to upset people, I think
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I agree. Some people need a lil boost in the beh__nd even if it hurts. Even the higher powers can be punishing, if you think about it.?! 😷 😎
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I think as a collective, and especially online, people are losing the art of keeping the peace. There are a number of ways to tell the truth.
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Yes, it’s all in how you tell it
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There’s not always a good enough reason for throwing an uncomfortable truth in someone’s face.
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Though we do itch to, don’t we?
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Good call, getting along with family and friends can be fraught at times.
Find a stranger to listen to your problems.
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Each of them has their foibles, don’t they?
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So very true. It’s also a cultural thing. I’ve learned to appreciate the often superficial easy friendliness in my years abroad. It’s much better than the brutally honest, blunt and stuffy behaviour I so often encounter where I live.
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After a while, living among superficial ease, you begin to crave depth
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I miss the superficial friendliness. And the concept of ‘service’ – that’s still mostly an unknown where I live. Friends can provide depth. 🙂
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he has a point. 🙂
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quite an important point
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It’s a fine line. Nobody likes a liar either. Well, outside of politics.
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A very fine line
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Ah the ever present conundrum. Brutal honesty or sugar coat the truth. Still hopefully the truth wins, diplomatically. Thought provoking piece Neil. 👌
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Thanks so much
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‘What is truth?’ said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer.
Pontius would have fitted right in these days. Along with Bill who seems to have figured everything out.
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You’re not on Bill’s side, then?
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William seems a bit isolated and lonely these days….
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And sometimes what you perceive as the truth, isn’t.
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That’s true. Though sometimes what you perceive as a supportive gesture also isn’t. There’s no completely safe place to stand
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Two truths for sure.
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Thanks so much
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Oh this is good. A true friendship here but will he learn?
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Thanks so much, Laurie. You’re the first person to see this as a friendship. I like that interpretation
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Oh good!
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The first thing that jumped into my mind was autism. Is the narrator fairly autistic? I wonder if your story might be the beginning of a close friendship, as Bill seems to guess that the narrator is a bit different from most people. Well and subtly written, Neil.
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I didn’t intentionally write it with autism in mind, but you may well be right. Thanks so much, Penny
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I really like the intimacy of this dialogue. I feel drawn in by the honesty of it.
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They’re both a bit on the honest side, aren’t they?
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