Season 1, episode 9
Miguel just wants to go to a concert, but his mom says no, even when he begs. So, Miguel and his friend come up with a plan that involves just a little lie. Miguel typically tells the truth, so lying is not easy for him. Will he be able to maintain the lie? Or will he cave under pressure?
This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “lie”, “says”, “sees”, “music”, and “concert”.
MIGUEL’S LITTLE LIE
Miguel is a boy. Miguel is twelve (12) years old. Miguel is short and chubby. Miguel is typically honest and good. Miguel lives with his mother and his sister Maggie. Miguel likes music a lot. He especially likes rock music. He likes the music of Nirvana, Green Day and Mago de Oz. Miguel listens to music in his bedroom. He imagines that he plays with the band on the guitar or the drum. Miguel dances and sings with the rock music.
One day Miguel sees that Green Day is going to have a concert in his city. Miguel is very excited. He loves Green Day. Miguel wants to go to the concert so Miguel talks to his mom.
Miguel’s mom is not excited. She thinks that Miguel is too young to go to a rock concert. Miguel’s mom says that he can’t go to the concert. Miguel begs his mom.
“Please, mom,” Miguel begs. “All my friends are going to the concert.”
“And if all your friends jump off a mountain, you will also jump off the mountain?” Miguel’s mom asks.
“But mom, it’s not fair!” Miguel says.
“Life isn’t fair, son,” Miguel’s mom responds.
Miguel is very sad. He wants to go to the concert. Miguel decides to talk to his sister Maggie. Maggie is sixteen (16) years old. She is intelligent and sophisticated. But Maggie does not want to help Miguel. She does not want to go to a rock concert. Maggie prefers classical music.
“Please, sis. Let’s go to the concert,” Miguel begs. “I will was the dishes for a month.”
“No,” Maggie responds. “Rock music is terrible. I don’t like the drum and guitar. I prefer the violin. Do you want to go to the symphony concert?”
“No,” Miguel responds. Miguel does not like classical music. He sleeps when he hears his sister’s music. He prefers rock music because he thinks it is more energetic. Miguel talks to his friend about his problem. His friend’s name is Wes. Wes has an idea.
“It’s all good, friend. You simply need to stay that you’re spending the night at my house. Your mom will think that you’re at my house, but really we’ll be at the concert!”
“But, it’s a lie,” says Miguel.
“It’s not a big lie,” says Wes, “it’s a little lie.”
Miguel thinks that Wes’s idea is a good idea. It is not a big lie, it is a little lie. So, Miguel talks to his mom and asks for permission to spend the night at Wes’s house. Miguel’s mom thinks that it’s okay. Wes is a good kid from a good family. Miguel is excited and a little nervous. Typically, Miguel is honest. Typically, Miguel tells the truth. But in this moment, he is not honest. He does not tell the truth, he tells a lie. Miguel is not going to spend the night at Wes’s house. He is going to spend the night at the Green Day concert.
Maggie sees Miguel’s face and she understands that there is a problem because Miguel appears nervous.
“Miguel,” says Maggie, “what is your problem?”
“Nothing!” Miguel shouts quickly.
Now Miguel is very nervous. Miguel does not make eye contact with Maggie. Maggie thinks that Miguel is telling a lie. She thinks that he is not being honest. But Maggie doesn’t care, so she goes to her room to listen to classical music and Miguel goes to his room to prepare for the concert.
After a short time, Miguel’s mom enters his bedroom.
“Hello, son,” his mom says. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, mom, I’m ready,” Miguel responds.
Miguel does not make eye contact with his mother. Miguel looks at his feet.
“Do you have your pijamas?” his mom asks.
“Yes, I have my pijamas,” Miguel says. He is very nervous and trembles a little.
“Do you have your toothbrush?” his mom asks.
“Y-yes, I h-have my t-toothbrush,” Miguel responds. He is nervous and stutters a little.
“Do you have your clothes for tomorrow?” his mother asks.
“Uh, um, uh, yeah, yes. I h-have my c-clothes for tomorrow,” Miguel responds. He is super nervous. He does not make eye contact. He trembles and stutters. And there is water on his face because Miguel is sweating a lot.
Miguel’s mother sees the sweat on Miguel’s face. She sees that Miguel trembles. She thinks that maybe Miguel is sick.
“Miguel, are you okay?” His mother asks.
“Y-yes, yes, yes. I’m perfectly good. I just want to go to Wes’s house,” Miguel responds.
Miguel is not honest. Miguel tells a lie to his mother. In this moment, a person knocks on the door. It’s Wes. Miguel just needs to maintain the lie for a few minutes more. Miguel opens the door and looks at his friend.
“Good-by mom, bye Maggie. I’m going with Wes,” Miguel shouts to his family.
“Yes, friend. Let’s go the to concert!” Wes says. Miguel looks at Wes in horror.
Miguel’s mom looks at Wes and Miguel. Miguel and Wes’s eys are big.
“What concert?” his mom asks.
“Uh, uh, my sister has a concert today,” Wes responds. Wes’s response is not the truth, it is a lie. His sister does not have a concert. Wes is not being honest.
“Your sister plays with the symphony?” Maggie asks.
“Uh, yeah. She plays the violin,” Miguel says. Miguel’s response is not the truth, it is another lie. Wes’s sister does not play the violin.
“Perfect! I will go to the concert with you,” Maggie says to the boys.
“Me too!” Miguel’s mom says. “I love classical music. The symphony is excellent.”
So Miguel goes to a concert. He goes to a concert of classical music with Wes, Maggie, and his mom. And he does not go to Green Day.
The end.
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