V is for Veracity

Hello!  Here we are at the end of the last full week of the A to Z Challenge.  My, how the time has flown.

I have a piece of flash fiction for you today.

Today's word: VERACITY

Enjoy!

Veracity

People said they admired Toby’s veracity.

“That boy always tells the truth.  That kind of honesty is what we need in this world,” his grandmother once said.

He came to value the act of telling the truth more than anything else.  The truth will set you free, as the saying goes.

Over time, though, he started to get in trouble.  He told his mom her meatloaf was bland, and she wouldn’t speak to him for the rest of the evening.

He told his dad that he’d done a bad job on building the shelves.  They were somewhat crooked, after all.  His dad glared at him and responded. “Okay, then.  Let’s see you do better.”

Tommy didn’t do better.

He still wanted to be honest, but he also didn’t want to get in trouble.  Maybe it would help if he worked on his delivery.  Perhaps the addition of constructive criticism would soften the blow.

With that in mind, Tommy told his first girlfriend Gwendolyn that she wasn’t a good kisser, but he was sure she’d get better with practice.

The resulting slap-reddened cheek taught him a crucial lesson.

The truth might be valuable, but some things are best left unsaid.