The Ugly Truth

Chapter 4

The Ugly Truth #1: Introduction

If you're reading this, I'm probably dead.

Probably.

I can't be 100% sure – I mean, if I could predict the future, I'd probably be famous by now, right? Knowing me, I'd start a reality TV show or something. But I can't predict the future, so I can't say with 100% certainty that I'm dead right now.

But I should be. And I probably am.

I, Mia Gabrielle Porter, am probably dead. Sorry.

To those who like me, I'm sorry that you've had to find out this way. To those who are breathing a sigh of relief and/or fist pumping at the news, f*ck you. Just kidding. I totally get where you're coming from – I'm annoying as hell! To those who are reading this because they're curious, this is certainly the book for you. Over eight thrilling chapters, you'll find out exactly why I'm probably dead.

As you've noticed, this book is titled The Ugly Truth. If you're curious, it's likely that you're wondering why this is the case. 

Let me start off by saying that I was always into writing fiction. When I was younger, I found the world of make-believe enticing. I was seduced by our brain's ability to construct new characters and breathe life into them at a moment's notice. I was enamoured by how we could conjure up the most breath-takingly beautiful characters and choose implant them with sickeningly evil hearts if we so desired.

I always used to think that the world of make-believe was way more interesting than the real world. I believed that only the characters we created could truly instil fear into one's heart.

Boy, was I wrong.

Moving to college meant that I was living on my own for the very first time.

It was...amazing. I grew closer to Lucy, who for a million reasons is the most important person in my life. I met hundreds of new, wonderful people, each with their own quirky and fun personalities. To make things better, they seemed to like me too! I felt so popular, so beautiful, so...loved.

And then, something happened. Something...terrible. It made me realise that the real world could be just as scary as the ones that I could imagine in my head. What made it even worse was that it was...real. I couldn't escape it – and neither can you.

When we were kids, we grew up thinking that the real world is kinda beautiful but also kinda boring. What I realised was that it's really quite the opposite – that's why I've named this book The Ugly Truth.

Cliché? Yes. True? Also yes.

Now onto the nitty gritty of the story.

How did this all begin? When did the real world start to scare me more than the world of make-believe?

Weirdly enough, this all began before I realised that it was beginning.

It was my first night living away from home. My very first college party. The night that Lucy and I became friends.

I remember standing in the corner of the cramped, humid room, sipping beer that tasted like piss when something strange caught my eye. I started to...notice. I leaned forward, looked around, and...saw.

What did I notice, you may be wondering? What did I see?

I encountered my very first Ugly Truth.

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Lucy's room – 7th July 2015

"I...I can't believe this." It was Lucy who broke the stunned silence that had fallen over her room in the past couple of minutes. Nathan didn't reply. Instead, his eyes hungrily scoured the page that he was been reading for what had to be the fifth time. She paced away from the bed, trying not to faint.

What the hell, Mia?

"She's...dead?" Nathan's voice shook as he finally spoke, his eyes still not leaving the page. "This has to be some sort of sick joke, right? She's just playing with us." He finally let go of the stack of paper and looked back at Lucy.

She didn't respond. Instead, she continued pacing away from and towards her bed. Her thoughts raced.

She's dead?

Lucy couldn't imagine anyone that hated Mia enough to kill her. It just didn't make sense. There had been a couple of weird moments with certain people, but nothing that screamed "homicide" to Lucy.

Something else was bothering Lucy. Mia had mentioned that she had witnessed her very first 'Ugly Truth' at their very first college party – the night Mia and Lucy had become friends.

The problem was, Lucy had absolutely no recollection of anything weird happening that night. In fact, it was probably the best night of her life, for many reasons. Max, the hottest guy in her dorm had been flirting with her the entire night.

She remembered that the beer had been disgusting, but that she had been content staring into Max's eyes and making small talk with him for over an hour. In fact, the only person who had been acting weirdly that night was Mia...

What happened to her that night? Unless-

"How did you find this?" Nathan's brow furrowed in confusion. "Did she give this to you?"

Lucy looked down, avoiding eye contact, and started toying with a loose thread on her t-shirt sleeve.

Should I tell him?

A tense silence hung over the room. It was suffocating.

He won't believe me.

"Lucy," Nathan started, his voice dangerously low. "What's wrong?"

Shit.

Lucy's mind raced as she tried to come up with a response.

"If there's something you're hiding, I want you to know you can tru-" A high-pitched ringing sound permeated the tense room, startling them.

Nathan swore under his breath as he realised what it was. He sprung up from Lucy's bed, reached into his jeans and pulled out his ringing phone. He tapped away at the screen quickly before deftly returning it to his pocket.

"I've gotta go. I need to pick up Jake from tennis, and I'm already late."

Lucy tried her best to not show how relieved she was.

I've just dodged a bullet.

"I'll see you out." Lucy finally spoke, but still couldn't look Nathan in the eye. Without another word, she walked out of her bedroom, with Nathan following closely.

After what felt like a lifetime, they reached the front door, which Lucy opened. She stood aside, and Nathan walked out past her, onto the front porch. He looked at her expectantly, but she didn't say anything.

"Well, see you soon," he started, "I'll text you tonight." Lucy still couldn't muster up the courage to speak, so she nodded feebly and slowly shut the door.

Lucy leaned against the door and shut her eyes.

Thank gosh he's gone.

She couldn't tell him the truth about how she'd found those envelopes. He wasn't ready for that yet. She wasn't ready to tell him yet, to be honest.

It was a hard pill to swallow, but an even harder one to regurgitate.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope your 2017 is filled with joy and good books <3

I'm BACK! Thank you to everyone for being so patient while I was trying to overcome a serious case of writer's block! I appreciate your continued supportive messages and comments :) I'll be starting my chapter dedications in the next chapter, so look out for those!

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