Bad Liar

Chapter Four

~Alice~

I stood by my locker trying to juggle books and folders, it had been a morning of nothing going right, I woke up late which resulted in a screaming match with mum, my last pair of tights ripped forcing me into jeans which were against the uniform policy. I'd been here three weeks and I was already breaking the rules, I hated it, I never have been a rule breaker I kept my head down went under the radar and quietly got on with my life, just the way I like it.
"For god sake." I cried out, exasperated as I dropped everything to the floor the force causing the plastic wallets from my now splayed open folders to rip and sent the contents flying everywhere.

"You okay Alice?" I looked up from my crouched position to see Bex, her dark brown shoulder grazing hair tied loosely in a ponytail.
"Just been one of them mornings." I sighed collapsing to the floor siting down, Bex started gathering my stuff back into its folders before shoving it in my locker with more success than me.
"You want to talk about it?" She shuffled next to me on the floor our backs pressed against the lockers.
"It's nothing, everything's just gone wrong today." I turned and looked at Bex, smiling softly.
"We all have days like that it's normal, just don't let it get on top of you." Bex stood up and dusted herself off before reaching her hand out to me which I greatly accepted. I locked our hands together and hoisted my body up, Bex eyes seemed to widen with horror as she stumbled over her words, stuttering like a backfiring engine.

"Alice, is that, is that blood?" I gazed down to my sleeve, bright crimson smeared the crisp white fabric covering my wrist, yanking down the sleeve of my jumper I defiantly crossed my arms across my chest.
"No." I snapped.
"Alice, what's going on?" Bex questioned cautiously.
"I said it was nothing okay, I got a paper cut earlier I must have brushed blood on my sleeve by accident." I rushed, too quickly.
"But you said it wasn't blood." Bex raised her eyebrow at me, her eyes scanning me suspiciously. Crap.
"I-, I-" Heels clicking on the floor caused both our heads to snap round to see Mrs Smith walking round the corner, her prim skirt suit in perfect grey and stone face making me feel incredibly uncomfortable all at once.

"Alison, Rebecca." She walked over to us her eyes scanning us both with a deep, harsh suspicion.
"It's Alice. How many times." I snapped.
"Excuse me?" Her gaze narrowed and her lips drew into a tight line.
"My name is Alice not Alison." I sighed timidly.
"Rebecca go to you lesson." Bex picked up her bag and scurried off down the corridor like a traumatised mouse.
"You have been here three weeks Alison I suggest you still act as if you are creating your first impression." I nervously shoved my hands into my back pockets trying to keep myself calm.
"Sorry miss."
"You can write your apology in detention tonight, and you can also explain why you are wearing jeans despite knowing they break the dress code." I bit my bottom lip tightly to keep me from protesting that putting me in detention would prohibit me from buying the tights I need in order to stop breaking the dress code.
"I will be phoning your parents and telling them to expect you home an hour later than usual. Now go to your lesson." She didn't leave until she had seen me walk down the corridor and round the corner to my Maths lesson.

- -
Stupid Mrs Smith, stupid detention. I dragged my cold, wet body through the square the Old Vic in sight finally, dad couldn't pick me up after detention because it was too late, I didn't have any money for the bus so I had to walk from the school to home and as if on que it began raining the second I stepped out of school.
I pushed the doors open and flounced inside dripping water everywhere, people turned and looked at me taking in my bedraggled appearance, wet hair sticking to my face make up smeared here-there-and-every where, I had to take my jumper off as I left school to be able to get my stupid jacket on so by now my shirt was brilliantly see through showing off the bright blue bra I had on underneath.

"Alice, get upstairs and change your getting water everywhere." Mum shouted across the bar anyone who wasn't looking at me before was now.
"And who's fault is it I'm getting water everywhere mum?" I snapped dropping my soaked bag on the floor hearing a squelch as I did.
"Well it isn't mine." She snapped back.
"I had to walk home because you wouldn't let dad come pick me up." I folded my arms across my chest and stared at her.
"You were the one that ended up in detention young lady that ain't our fault." I opened my mouth to answer back just as dad burst through the doorway at the back of the bar.
"Alice get upstairs now, don't speak to your mother like that your embarrassing yourself." Dad said firmly his voice remaining calm.
"No dad the only person I embarrass is you." I grabbed my bag of the floor and pushed past the silent customers to get upstairs, I slammed my bedroom door shut and let out a angered scream before flopping onto my bed. Realising I was now getting water all over my bed I jumped up and began peeling my clothes off chucking them to the floor as I reached for clean underwear and warm pyjamas.

After letting the hot water of the shower relax my muscles and warm up my skin I put my rain covered clothes in the wash and curled up in bed, Nance and Johnny were downstairs helping behind the bar along with everyone else leaving me in the silence, leaving me alone.
My phone pinged from underneath the covers somewhere and once I retrieved it I saw I had a text from Bex;
Bex Fowler - If you ever need to talk, I'm here. X

Me - Thanks, there's nothing to talk about though. X

I put my phone in do not disturb mode, not in the mood to be bombarded by Bex trying to get me to tell her what she already knew. Of course she knew what she saw, Bex isn't stupid and I'm fairly sure I dug myself into a deeper hole with my once again horrendous lying.
This burning anger began swirling in the pit of my stomach, how could I have been so stupid? I was convinced mum and dad knew something and now Bex was bound to either tell them herself or tell her dad who'd straight away tell them.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I began hitting my head with hands in a vain attempt to shut up the noise that had began stirring. Without any hesitation I reached to side grabbing the white envelope and pulled out my "emergency" blade, turns out in the last three weeks there have been plenty emergencies.
I pressed it to my arm, press drown, drag, release, repeat. I repeated this over and over until a knock at my door caused my to dropped the blade in amongst my mass of bedding, not having time to clean up the blood flooding my arm I pulled the hoodie sleeve back down and scrambled to open my door.
"What?" I snapped harshly as I flung it open to see dad stood there a stern look on his face.
"You need to apologise to your mother." I rolled my eyes at him.
"Alice I'm serious." I let out a sigh and closed my eyes trying to ignore the sticky blood that I knew was sleeping through the black material of my sleeve.
"Okay but in the morning, I'm tired." Dad nodded willingly.
"Well I'll leave you to sleep then, night baby. Love you."
"Love you too." I turned and went to close the door but only to be stopped by dads right foot.
"No goodnight hug? We both know you can't sleep proper without one." Dad smirked at me thinking this was all a joke, he was right I can't sleep without a hug from them both before bed but this was different how could I hug him tonight?

Unfortunately I wasn't given much choice dad pulled my into him and I had no choice but to wrap my arms around him, I tried to keep my left arm off his back but instinctively both arms gripped tightly around him. I could feel the blood soaking through my hoodie onto the back of his waistcoat and I was sure he could feel it too.
"Night baby." He pulled away and the kissed the top of my head, turning his back he walked out my room my eyes not leaving his back until the door was shut searching for any sign of what I knew what smeared across his back, there was nothing.
The door clicked shut and I stood there stunned and confused, but upmost I felt happy.
I felt proud.

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Double upload for all you brilliant people, didn't want to just leave you with the filler.
I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am writing it :)

Love you xoxo