fandomhigh | Ethics [Tuesday, September 9, 2nd period]

"Today we discuss lying," Anakin said as he closed the classroom door precisely on time. "Everyone lies. 'Of course that doesn't make your butt look big.' 'You like her, I like her.' 'I'm totally okay with you moving on.' 'Everything's fine, why do you ask?' It's how the world goes around because no one wants to be trapped in a conversation where someone whines at you for hours on end about how awful their life is."

He looked around the room. "Trust me. Everyone's life is terrible. They're just not telling you about it. Be grateful."

He reached onto his desk for a piece of paper. "Today we're conducting an exercise to see how well you pass this particular social ritual, then we'll discuss whether you think it is necessary. We're playing two truths and a lie. I'll tell you three things about myself and you have to decide which one is the falsehood. Then you'll all tell three things and we'll see how well you can either read each other or keep things hidden."

He gave them a small smile. "I'm very good at this." He schooled his face to absolute neutrality, put his mental blocks up to bar any psychics in the room from gaining an advantage, then recited: "During a war at home I was known as 'The Hero Without Fear.' I've been married twice. I've never been beaten in one-on-one lightsaber combat." His eyes challenged them to call him out. "Who's next?"

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Ella lied by omission almost every day of her life. She was good at this game. "I've been to a giants' wedding," she began. "My best subject in school is music. My full first name is Eleanor."

Lee wondered if she was like him and would so lie about her first name too. The first one was weird but he'd been here a long time to really think it too weird.

"The second's one the lie," he guessed.

"You have it," Ella acknowledged readily. "I'm better at almost anything else except sewing. Though they did make me learn to sing at my last school."

"I got lucky," he admitted. "And almost chose that last one. I've done some lying about my own first name so I wondered if you had to."

"I don't lie, I just don't use it if I don't have to," Ella said. "I was named for my mother. Lovely name for her, all wrong for me." She considered him. "What's wrong with Lee?"

"Nothing's wrong with Lee," he said. "But Lee's short for something. And that's what I lie about."

"Stanley?" Ella guessed. "Leonardo?"

This was going to bother her, now.

"Not even close," he laughed. "My girlfriend said it on the radio once because she was pissed at me."

"If I ever get mad at you" -- unlikely, given she'd talked to Lee perhaps three times, but never mind that now -- "I'll have to find that broadcast," she informed him. "Llewelyn?"

She had to try once more before giving up.

"That's pretty bad," he said, wincing, "but that's not it, no."

She shook her head, indicating she was giving up. "I'll spare you further guesses."

"I'll tell you one day," he promised. "Just not today."

Agnes looked her up and down. "You don't seem like an 'Eleanor' to me," she finally decided.

"I'm so not," Ella said. "My father's the only person who uses it."

"At least you get to shorten it," Agnes replied. "There's nothing much I can do with 'Agnes'. So, then... you're not much of a musician?"

"Aggie," Ella suggested, then made a face. Really, Aggie was worse. "I think Agnes suits you better."

She shook her head at the question. "I took singing class at my last school, but I never much cared for it."

"If you call me Aggie, I think I'll have to hurt you," Agnes replied with a grin. "Lessons suck all the fun out of singing," she added, with the full certainty of someone who knows from experience.

Ella nodded. "All the 'lift your diaphragm, Ella, and open your mouth more.' It was dreadful. On the bright side, I did at least learn to carry a tune, though I still wouldn't sing for fun."

"It helps if you can already carry a tune ahead of time," Agnes replied in sympathy. Of course, saying Agnes could carry a tune was like saying plate spinners (http://picasaweb.google.com/fgrios/China2008#5220829633135590338) can carry dinnerware.

"The giants' wedding?"

"It was spectacular," Ella said with a smile. "Worth running away to see. But, no, not the lie."

"Not a music fan?" She guessed, eyebrows up in a question.

"I like listening to it much more than I like trying to sing," Ella explained.

Ethics [Tuesday, September 9, 2nd period]

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