She's A Good Liar

Chapter 7

*Chapter 7*

            The classroom was dark, which was odd for the middle of the day. Alice had been late, and had arrived to an empty class, but she took her seat anyways, thinking nothing of it. She looked around the dark room, suddenly noticing its unfamiliarity. She had never seen this room before. Was she in the wrong classroom? That couldn’t possibly be it…She’s been going to the same classroom for months, she wouldn’t forget where it was.

            But the walls were different than what she remembered. They were dark blue, instead of the light gray that she was used to. The contents of the wall were different, too. The posters she remembered were inspirational posters, telling kids that, “I don’t want an EXCUSE, I want IMPROVEMENTS!” or “You won’t get anything done unless you try!” or some quote from some deceased poet. These walls were completely bare, save for a chalkboard in the front of the room.

            The door to the classroom swung open and a women she didn’t recognize at first walked in the room. Her brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She was wearing a brown tweed dress suit and had horn rimmed glasses falling down the bridge of her nose. She was carrying a meter stick and she slapped it across her palm every few seconds. Her heels clicked against the tile floors, causing a vibration throughout the room.

            “You’ve been a bad little girl, Alice!” The lady slapped the stick on Alice’s desk, making her jump. Alice recognized her now, as the librarian at school. That was the same dress suit she always wore, or one out of hundreds that she owned. “How many times have I told you not to lie,” she said the last word with so much disgust, it almost seemed painful to say.

            “Uhm…I’m sorry…I didn’t want to hurt anyone…I just wanted to be able to dance,” Alice said, crossing her hands on her desk, trying to look apologetic.

            “Oh? Well how do you think your mother feels about this? She’s devastated, Alice. Her own daughter lied to her. She’s heartbroken. She hates you now. How about that? You made your own mother hate you.”

            Suddenly, a light appeared in the corner of the room, revealing her sobbing mother. She had a tissue to her cheek, wiping away the tears pouring down her face. “You liar!” she kept repeating. “You liar!” she screamed again. Then the light disappeared, taking her mother with her.

            “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would be this bad. I’m sorry,” she said to the corner of the room, where her mother recently was.

            “Well it’s too late now,” said a voice, not the same raspy dry voice filled with hatred. Alice looked up into the eyes of Grace. “I feel so bad for Aunty Kristy. She has done so much for you, and you treat her like this? Disgusting.”

            “What do you mean, Grace? You told me to lie,” Alice defended.

Grace shook her head at her, “I would never come up with a lie like that. Especially one that could hurt so many people. You’re pathetic.” Grace turned away, walked straight through the chalkboard and disappeared.

Alice let out a breath, confusion playing across her face. What is going on?

Suddenly, two men pushing a gurney came rushing through the door. There was a figure laying on the gurney covered by a white sheet. A lifeless arm hung from the bed. Alice reached up and pulled down the sheet, revealing her grandmother’s white face. Alice let out a small gasp as her grandmother looked at her, whispered “Wnuczka…” then her eyes closed and her mouth went slack. The two men rushed off, pushing the gurney again, disappearing through the wall.