The Betrayal

Tom and Lisa walked home from school, their backpacks heavy with books. Tom had a list of groceries to buy for their mother, who had given him some money in the morning. Lisa, his younger sister, had a different idea.

"Tom, can we buy some ice cream? Please, please, please!" she begged, pointing at the frozen treats in the store window.

"Lisa, we don't have enough money for that. We have to buy the things on the list. Mom will be mad if we don't," Tom said, trying to be responsible.

"But I really want some ice cream. It's so hot today. And you love ice cream too, don't you?" Lisa said, batting her eyelashes.

Tom sighed. He did love ice cream, but he also wanted to do the right thing. He looked at the list and the money in his hand. Maybe he could buy a cheaper brand of milk, or skip the eggs. Maybe they could have ice cream just this once.

"OK, fine. But only one scoop each. And you have to promise not to tell Mom. Deal?" Tom said, giving in to his sister's pleading.

"Deal! You're the best brother ever!" Lisa said, hugging him.

They bought their ice cream and ate it quickly, enjoying the cold sweetness. Then they went to buy the groceries, but as Tom had feared, they didn't have enough money for everything. He had to leave some items behind, hoping Mom wouldn't notice.

They carried the bags home, hoping to get there before Mom. But as soon as they opened the door, they saw her sitting on the couch, looking angry.

"Where have you been? And what is this?" she said, holding up the receipt from the store.

Tom felt his heart sink. He looked at Lisa, who had a guilty expression on her face.

"Mom, I'm sorry. We bought some ice cream on the way home. It was Lisa's idea. She said she would handle it. She said she wouldn't tell you. She lied to me," Tom said, trying to explain.

Lisa's face changed from guilty to furious. She glared at Tom and said, "That's not true! Tom wanted to buy ice cream. He forced me to eat it. He said he would handle it. He said he would lie to you. He betrayed me."

Tom couldn't believe what he was hearing. His sister was lying to their mother, and blaming him for everything. He felt a surge of anger and hurt.

"Lisa, how could you? That's not what happened. You're lying. You're the one who betrayed me," Tom said, raising his voice.

"Enough! Both of you, go to your rooms. Now!" Mom said, cutting them off.

Tom and Lisa ran to their rooms, slamming their doors. Tom felt tears sting his eyes. He had learned a hard lesson that day. He shouldn't trust anyone, even his beloved sister!