Liar, Liar (Book 2 in the Hide and Secret Series)

(5) Jill's POV

I stormed home from school today, ready to totally and utterly scream at my mother. I would chew her up and spit her out and stomp on her soul just like she'd been doing to me for what felt like ever. And when I was finished with her, I'd track down that bitch Cheryl and do the same to her.

When I opened the door to my house, ready with a fire in my stomach, the fire was quickly put out. Nobody was home. Not even the cleaning lady. I wasn't sure where my mother was, but she was most likely at work.

It looked like the issue with my mother would have to wait.

I went into the kitchen and decided to make myself a snack. It would be as unhealthy as I wanted. Carbs... They would probably taste really good.

I grabbed a nearly full jar of peanut butter along with some chocolate syrup and a spoon. I opened the peanut butter jar, grabbed a spoonful of peanut butter with the spoon, and drizzled chocolate syrup on top of it. Then, I proceeded to stick the spoon in my mouth.

I was right. Carbs... along with junk food, sweets, and calories... did taste really good. All of the summer, my mother had me on strict bikini body watch. Now that she was out of the house, it felt super good to just indulge in what I had been forbidden to eat.

There was a knock on the front door then. I grabbed a napkin and put the spoon on it before walking to the door to open it.

Taylor was there on the front porch, smiling at me. "Hi, Taylor!" I greeted her, opening the door wider. I was happy to see somebody, anyone really. It was too lonely here, and my mother probably wouldn't get home until late evening. "Come in!"

"Thanks," Taylor smiled back as she stepped in the door. We walked into the kitchen and each sat on a chair. "So... What have you been up to?"

"Not much," I answered. "I've been alone." I gestured to the empty kitchen around me.

Taylor nodded understandingly. She knew about my issues with my mom. and she had listened to me document them many times over. Taylor was lucky to have a normal family. Despite the fact that they weren't as well off financially as we were, they still genuinely loved each other and cared for each other. Money really couldn't buy happiness.

"So," I started to say. "What's the deal with you and this Calum kid?" I was admittedly curious. And a bit jealous. I was happy that Taylor was finding a friend... Maybe even love? She deserved it after all of the crap she'd had to suffer through. But at the same time, I was yearning for someone like that for me. I had grown to accept the fact that Theo was much better for Serena than for me. But if not Theo, then who was my so-called Prince Charming?

Taylor smiled. "He's just a friend," she told me. "He offered me a ride to school, and at first I thought he was very weird because he didn't know me and I didn't know him and he was offering me a ride like some crazy kidnapper might do. But then, he said that he'd heard about me on the news... And he asked me how I was holding up."

I waited for more to the story. There had to be more. When Taylor stopped speaking, I raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Taylor nodded. "Nobody had ever asked me how I was doing after the whole Kai thing... Aside from, y'know, my parents and you guys. But everybody else had just wanted the dirt on the whole thing. Here comes this guy who doesn't want to know what happened to me so he can get information. He wants to know what happened because he actually cares about me."

It made sense now.

"As more than a friend?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively. The way Taylor described this guy, it sounded like he had a crush on her.

Taylor blushed. Deep down, despite gaining more confidence, she was still the  slightly reserved kissing virgin I had come to know. "Nothing like that," she protested. "Besides, I'm not into him like that. We're just friends in my mind. So whether or not he's into me doesn't really matter."