Started With a Lie

Chapter Sixteen

Started With a Lie – Chapter Sixteen

For the next couple of days my phone continuously rang and vibrated with calls and texts from Lee. I ignored every one and deleted all his messages. Every time I would get tempted to answer, I would always chant, He’s not worth it. You’re going to get your heart broken for no reason.

          School resumed today. I’m not really too happy about that. 

          I slam my car door shut as I slip my bag onto my shoulder. The sky is a cloudy gray and there is fast winds whipping by. It looks like it’s going to rain today. Perfect.

          Candy is waiting for me at homeroom where I take a seat with a frown on my face. It’s going to take a large miracle to get me in a good mood. As soon as I get home, I’m just going to watch horror movies so I can just shit my pants and forget about life.

          “Hey!” Candy says. “Cheer up, girl. Who needs Lee? He’s just an ignorant bastard. It’s better you got him out of your life now then later, right?”

          I nod but I’m still frowning. And just to make my mood even better, Karen walks in with that evil presence of hers. I pray she won’t talk to me because I’m really not in a good mood. I will flip shit on her.

          But something’s wrong with Karen.

          Instead of smiling happily because of her perfect life, she walks in with her shoulders hunched over and her mouth in a tight line. Her hair’s not shiny as it usually is and even the clothes she’s wearing are weird: jeans, sweater, and boots.

          It’s strange because first, she never wears jeans or sweaters. And second, she’s the daughter of one of the most famous fashion designers in New York. Karen would never do anything to shame her mother.

          When she passes by me, I ask, “What’s wrong with you today?”

          “Fuck off, Ivory,” is the answer I get before she resumes to take her seat three seats behind me. Even when she’s angry she’s not this down—almost zombie-like.

          I know I shouldn’t be concerned…but I am. Yeah, she’s treated me nothing like crap and backstabbed and all that, but she was my best friend of a long time. You can’t just let something like that fade without any feelings. We both know that.

          Before I can do anything, Mr. Hopkins walks in with is briefcase and silences the class. He takes attendance before we all go to our first class.

          I have AP Chemistry. I think I’m late because most people are already seated but there’s no teacher there, yet. Sadly, my usual seat is taken and I’m forced to sit in the back where all the rowdy, loud gossipers and jocks sit.

          I drop my bag onto the ground and flip through the last pages of Mary’s Pain for AP Literature so I don’t fail the test on it. It’s kind of hard trying to read when everyone’s basically screaming even though we’re all in one room.

          “Did you hear?” a girl with a squeaky voice asks another girl next to her.

          “Hear what?” the other girl replies.

          “Karen and Peter are taking a break! Like relationship-wise.”

          The book falls out of my hands and topples to the floor. I stay frozen for a couple of seconds before I blindly reach for it under the table. My mind is wandering elsewhere. Karen and Peter are having relationship problems? What? This can’t be happening. Last time I saw them, they were happy as people madly in love. There’s no way.