The Ugly Truth

Chapter 1

July 7th, 2015. 10.58am. 365 days since Mia was reported missing.

Lucy wasn't sure why she'd just sent that text message. Come over. I need to show you something.  She stared at her phone in disbelief, not knowing how her fingers had managed to text Nathan as if out it was of their own free will. She reread the message in despair. I need to show you something. How much vaguer could a text get? Would Nathan even reply? They hadn't spoken in nearly eight months, and for good reason. The 20-hour police interviews, the lack of closure, Nathan's breakdown, their secret... it had all been too much. She wouldn't be surprised if he never talked to her again. Texting him had been a massive mistake, and on the anniversary of Mia's disappearance...

Mia. Lucy threw her phone onto her bed and closed her eyes. Her head throbbed. I need you now, more than ever. Throughout the entire Mia-going-missing ordeal, Lucy had quickly figured out that she'd have to be the 'strong' one. The one who didn't cry during the countless magazine and news interviews. The one who continued reassuring her parents and friends that she was fine whenever somebody slipped up and mentioned Mia in conversation. The one who didn't have enough time to come to terms with what had happened. It was hard being 'the strong one' as well as the 'best friend', the one who knew Mia inside out and should have known if she was in some sort of trouble.

That's what the police had asked Lucy countless times – "How could you not know if Mia had any enemies or was in any trouble? Aren't you best friends?" At times like those, she'd wanted to break down and wail uncontrollably. She'd wanted to throw objects against the wall and tear at her hair in grief. She wanted to curl up into a ball and sob into a pillow. But she had to be the 'strong one', so all that she would do was breathe, grit her teeth, tuck her short curls behind her ear and repeat "I honestly don't know. Everyone loved her."

And everyone did love her...right? Mia wasn't perfect, but that's what made her so lovable. She'd been quite nerdy in high school – she was part of the debating and creative writing clubs, wrote satirical articles for the school newspaper and seemed to be the only person genuinely enjoying her rigorous coursework. All her hard work had paid off, and she received a scholarship to her top-choice college, a small liberal arts institution in Boston.

Lucy and Mia hadn't always been close – they'd started off as fierce competitors in every class, but grew closer upon realising they'd be going to college together. It was a friendship that had blossomed out of necessity, but that bloomed into a fierce dependence on each other that bordered on sisterhood. Lucy had always admired Mia's tenaciousness and her ability to befriend literally anybody. She had a way of charming people, with a flirtatious smile, an annoyingly nerdy sense of humour and an openness to new experiences, bordering on recklessness– how could anyone want to...harm her?

That was the spiel that everyone knew, and that Lucy had recited to onlookers for the past year.

Mia, the hardworking, friendly, funny, gorgeous girl.

Mia, the girl who had worked at a soup kitchen on her 19th birthday, because it had felt like the right thing to do.

Mia, who had never said no to a party invitation.

Lucy smiled wryly to herself. How shocked people would be to find out that Mia wasn't always the sweet, nerdy girl that everyone loved.

Most people only ever had half the picture. Lucy had the whole damn photo album.

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