I think maybe this is really dumb to post here, like, I don't know if this even counts as a confession cuz it's not even MY secret really, it's more like... something I feel really bad about. I just feel so ashamed every time I have to say it out loud, which isn't often, obviously. My grandpa is like 70, maybe 71? And he was in the army or something back in the day, like Vietnam era. And he always talks about how important it is to have "fellow service members" around. He says it really serious, like it's a huge thing. And lately, like the last few years, he's just been really sad about it because all his friends are like... dying. Sorry, that sounds super blunt but it's true. He went to three funerals in one month last year and he just looked so small and empty after each one. He just wants to talk about old war stories or whatever. I don't know what they even talk about, probably just complain about their knees. And this is where the really embarrassing part comes in. I'm 16, almost 17. And I kinda, sorta, maybe... pretend to be a veteran too. Not like, a full-on veteran. More like, I make up stories about how I met other vets online or at some random event, and how they told me stuff my grandpa would like to hear. Like, "Oh, I was talking to this guy, he was in the Marines, and he said the M16 was a real piece of junk back then too." Or "This lady I met, she was a medic, said they used to call the chow hall food 'mystery meat' on Tuesdays." I just make it all up on the spot. I get these little odd jobs, like walking dogs or delivering flyers for local businesses, so sometimes I can say I met someone at a park or a coffee shop, you know? It's easy to make up a person when you're just like, gig-working and not really tied to one place or people. No one checks. The worst part is that he lights up. Like REALLY lights up. His face gets all wrinkly and happy, and he leans forward and asks for more details, and I have to just keep making it up. It's so much pressure. Sometimes I even google stuff about the war, like random facts or slang, just so I can sound more believable. It's so messed up. I know it's probably really bad to lie to him, and it's definitely not what he means by "fellow service members" and probably an insult to actual veterans, but I just can't stand seeing him so down. He just wants to connect with people who understand what he went through. And I'm just this random teenager who works odd jobs for cash. It’s kinda funny though, in a dark way, that I’m like, a fake war correspondent for my own grandpa. Haha. But yeah, I hate myself for it. I really do.