Liar Liar GirlxGirl

Chapter 16

I'm back. I'm almost done with AIT (9 days & a wake-up!) & my roommate was kind enough to let me borrow her laptop.

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When the bell rang on Friday at the end of the day, I let out a sigh of relief. The week had been filled with the same crap. The rumors escalated from Aysha and I kissing to us having sex.

I had to report straight home after school. My mother and I were to meet with Melinda and her mother this afternoon.

I hopped off the bus and walked into my house. I threw my book bag down and headed into the kitchen. I grabbed a tub of ice cream and a spoon before hopping up on the counter. I needed some good old fashioned stress relief by ice cream. Leah walked in the kitchen as well. "You shouldn't be sitting on the counter like that," she said.

"I'll add it to my list of things to worry about," I mumbled from my ice cream.

"And why are you eating ice cream straight from the tub? Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins."

"Being annoying should be a deadly sin."

Leah huffed angrily. I kept eating my ice cream. She had been having a rough couple of days. Gates was a small town. The rumors spread from my school to her middle school. People were bothering her about it.

Before Leah could continue after her huffing, my mother walked in the front door. "Riley, get off the counter and don't eat ice cream from the tub. Gluttony is one of the..."she started.

"Seven deadly sins. Yes, I am aware," I said, hopping off the counter.

Leah smirked at that and I just glared. I was not in the mood today. My mother just sighed. "Both of you, go upstairs and do your homework. We have to meet with the Wincocks. Patty Wincock invited us to dinner so we could talk."

"What a lovely dinner conversation that will be," I said, now annoyed.

"Riley Minister!"

"Sorry."

I walked upstairs to do my homework and finish recopying the notes that had been destroyed. They were Sarah's, since no one would let me close enough to ask during school. I was officially like the plague. No one but Aysha, Jen, Sarah, or Melinda (when she was tormenting me) would come withing 15 feet of me.

After about a hour and a half, my mother came knocking at my door. I sighed and put down the Anatomy textbook I was studying. I actually had to study for that class. "Yes?" I called.

My mother opened the door. "It's four thirty. Dinner's at six. Start getting ready."

"Okay."

She turned to walk away but suddenly stopped. "Oh Riley," she started. "Look...tasteful."

"Yes, mother."

She closed my door and walked away. Tasteful meant skirts and I hated skirts. I groaned as I shut my textbook and got up. I picked out a black skirt and white blouse. I shuddered at the thought of having to wear it. I already had to wear a skirt on Sundays, this was so not fair.

I fixed my hair and put on a tiny amount of make-up. I then put on my outfit for the night and went downstairs.

My mother smiled at the sight of me. I did what she wanted without complaining, for once. My sister was in a dress like my mother.

"Well," my mother said. "Are we ready?"

"Let's just get this over with," I said.

"I'm ready," Leah said.

"Good. Let's go," my mother said.

We walked outside and walked down to the Wincock's. My mother rang the doorbell. I checked my phone quickly. We were early. 10 minutes early.

Mrs. Wincock answered the door. She smiled. "Hello Rebecca," she said warmly. "I'm glad y'all could make it. I just would like to sort this out. Please come in, we're still setting the table."

"Thank you," my mother said. "I made a casserole."

Mrs. Wincock smiled as a thank you and gestured for us to come inside. We walked in and dinner started. The reason for our visit was avoided during dinner. I was glad. I was having a tough time eating as it was.

After dinner, Melinda, Mrs. Wincock, my mother, Leah, & I sat in their living room. Melinda and her mother on one couch and my family on another.

"So, about what's been going on," Mrs. Wincock said.

"Oh yes, Melinda making my life hell," I said angrily.

My mother looked at me in horror. "Riley Minister!"

"Well, it's true," I replied.

My mother turned to Mrs. Wincock. "I'm sorry about Riley. She's been having a rough week at school. However, she did mention to me that Melinda started a rumor saying Riley and the Polands girl are engaging in...deviant behavior."

Mrs. Wincock shot Melinda a look. "Melinda, did you start a rumor about Riley?"

"No," Melinda lied, terribly if I may add.

"Don't lie to me."

"Maybe. But it's true!" she protested.

"Liar," I grumbled.

"Melinda, you're grounded for starting the rumor. This is a situation that should have stayed private. I told you that once you told me what you saw," Mrs. Wincock said.

It was quiet for a minute before Mrs. Wincock turned to my mother. "However, after you called me Rebecca, I asked Melinda about it and that's when she told me what she saw. I then called a friend from mall security who owed me a favor and asked him if he could send me the security tape of that area. I sat down with Melinda and watched it," she explained. "It turns out Melinda was telling the truth. If you fast forward in about 15 minutes, you'll see it."

She handed a tape with the mall seal on it to my mother. I felt like I was going to puke. Shit, I thought. I was screwed.

My mother took the tape from Mrs. Wincock and looked at me. "Would you like to see it now or would you like to watch it at your home?" Mrs. Wincock asked.

"We'll take it home. Thank you for everything," my mother said, still staring hard at me. "We must get going."

"I understand and I'm just glad we could sort it out."

"So am I. Have a good night."

"You too."

With that, we left. The walk home, although less than 5 minutes, felt like an hour. It was painfully quiet. Once we got in the house, my mother walked into the living room and sent Leah upstairs.

"Now Riley," she said. "If I put in this tape, am I going to see anything that I shouldn't?"

I didn't say a word. I just stood there. If I opened my mouth, I was going to puke. Or cry. Or both.

"Riley Minister!" my mother scolded, trying to get me to respond.

I still didn't say anything. I stood there in silence, focusing on the TV that wasn't turned on yet. My mother sighed and turned the TV on. She slid the tape in and fast forwarded until you saw me hop up on the rail. Then, as clear as day, you saw it and she paused with a horrified gasp.

On the paused screen, clear as ever, was the frozen image of Aysha and I kissing.