Liar Liar Life on Fire

Chapter 1- Down them Rabit Hole

"That's a lie," she muttered to her reflection, "I'm a liar," she said to herself. Marlee Nyphson had been a liar since words had slipped from her tongue. As a typical child, she told stories that were hardly ever true, and could hardly ever be true. She told teachers about how she slipped from a tree overlooking a raging river and she had the cuts and bruises to prove it. Once she even made her own cast, wearing it for four whole months, just so every kid in her class could sign it. But that was nothing too out of the ordinary. Every kid wanted a cast to be signed and told crazy stories about things that didn't happen.

It wasn't until she reached fifth grade that something seemed to be wrong. 

"Yeah my grandparents died in a car crash just last week," young Marlee said with tears streaming down her face in the middle of an exam. Her grandparents were probably sipping mimosas on a cruise somewhere at this time, but that didn't matter to Marlee. All that mattered was that she might fail this test so she had to get out of it.

Her teacher stared in awe, "Oh dear..." She paused and considered the solutions, "Er-uh, why don't you go talk to Miss Darla sweetie? I hear she's got candy."

Marlee's tears cleared slightly, "B-but what about my test?" She asked, even though she had no intention of finishing that test. 

"Oh don't worry about it, sweetie. I know things are hard enough as is."

That woman, bless her heart, fell for the lies of an eleven-year-old. And, for a child that young, her act was very convincing. The smile that spread across the red, tear-stained faced, for that little girl as she left the classroom was one of true satisfaction. It was certainly the start of an awfully bad habit. 

Middle school was something of an experimental period, like most kids. Everyone tries out different hairstyles, clothes, sports, interests, etcetera. Marlee tried different stories. She went through at least ten friends in the 6th grade alone. Every person was a blank canvas to her, someone to try a different backstory, a different personality, a different life on. 

Of course, she didn't go all in at first. She always tested the waters to see what she could make people believe.

"Yeah this little scar right here," Marlee said as she sat at a table full of people she hardly knew and pointed at a line of faded red pen under her thumb, "Is where they had to remove my sixth finger." Her fib was met with a surplus of OOOs and AAAAs as they drooled over her increasingly interesting life. 

"These...." She pointed at a clear knockoff of name brand shoes, "Are the newest addition to Tom Lancey's collection of Lancelands!" People always clamored over these lies, wondering and where she had gotten them, and if they could get a pair.

Marlee always basked in the attention, and by high school, she was a legend. 

Throughout this time she had one close friend. Lily was quiet, easily manipulated, but importantly, she was willing to support any outlandish story Marlee fabricated with eye-witness accounts of her own.

The two practically got away with murder. Teachers trusted Lily, so forged signatures and copies homework became the norm, and the students admired Marlee, so free lunch and insane parties became the norm. 

High School started all the same, with the two of them at the top of the food chain, but every hero meets their villain. Garett was Marlee's match. He came two months into freshman year, and he didn't make up lies for fun, his lies were lethal. 

By the end of the year, Marlee had been branded with slut, a low cheap blow that worked all the same. At first, she tried to own it, make the word her own, but it made people hate her even more. By the end of the year, she was the lowest of the low. She didn't even bother with lunch because the ones that persisted with their mockery cut her deep.

And Lily, that dog, fled to the villain the second she felt a power shift. Marlee was alone, worse a liar than ever.

The next three years were painful, but a steady incline. She got new friends who didn't even know her, but that was hardly new news. Despite this upward trend, Marlee was excited to leave and go to college.

For the months leading up to college, she practiced her new personality in the mirror, walked differently, talked differently, and even laughed different, before she felt ready.

College would be her bitch.