L I A R - it 2017

o n e

     Only one month had passed since the disappearance of Betty Ripsom. The Ripsoms' remaining child, Macy, sat in the last class of the school year, waiting for the bell that would signal the start of summer break.

When the bell rang, Macy wasted no time gathering her things and heading toward the girls' bathroom. Weaving her way through the crowded hallway, she did her best to avoid eye contact with the Bowers gang as she passed them. The boys were surprisingly quiet, having all silently agreed to give her a pass since her sister's death, just like they had for Bill Denbrough.

Pushing open the bathroom door, Macy sighed and reminded herself that she had promised to meet Beverly there after class. Both girls knew Macy was trying to buy time before facing her mother, who still waited outside the school every day, hoping for any sign of Betty.

Walking into the bathroom, Macy immediately heard Greta Bowie's voice talking down to Beverly, who was sitting in one of the stalls. "You're trash!" Greta laughed before turning towards the door. Her attention quickly shifted when she noticed who had just walked in.

"Oh, look, our favorite only child just showed up, Beaverly," Greta exclaimed once she noticed Macy. A loud splash echoed through the bathroom as Greta's friends dumped wet trash into Beverly's stall.

"Can't you just cut us a break? You bitch!" Macy snapped, her knuckles turning white as she clenched the straps of her backpack. "You're not any better, hanging out with that slut." Greta shot back before shoving Macy against the wall and storming out of the bathroom, her friends following close behind.

"Have a good summer, freaks. Oh, and my dad sends his condolences, Mace," Greta adds before the bathroom door closes, leaving Beverly and Macy alone. A damp Beverly walks out of the stall and dumps her wet backpack into the empty trash can.

"I should've hit her or something," Macy says, earning a sympathetic smile and a soft chuckle from her best friend. "We were too outnumbered for it to be a fair fight. We'll get them next time, Mace." Beverly jokes, looping her arm around Macy as they head for the door.

"Is your mom still waiting outside?" Beverly asks as they walk down the almost empty halls of the middle school.

"Take a guess." Macy sighed, glancing toward the door. "It's not like she's making sure I get home safe. She's just delusional and thinks Betty's been hiding out in Mrs. Reid's English class this entire time," She muttered, rolling her eyes at the thought.

"I mean, at least she's getting out of the house? " Beverly said, though it came out sounding more like a question than anything.

Macy thought about the past month, remembering how the only place her mother ever went was the school. "Yeah, but as soon as she steps back inside, she's right back to staring at her ceiling." Macy said quietly, recalling how her mother had done every day since Betty disappeared.

"Just know that I'm counting on you to rescue me from my house this summer. Besides these little trips to school, my mom hasn't left her room. And I can't imagine what the summer is going to be like." Macy begged, not knowing how much of it she would be able to take. "You can count on me, Mace," Beverly promised just as they parted ways.

Macy pushed open the front doors and squinted as the sunlight hit her eyes. The sight that greeted her was no surprise, her grieving mother standing beside a cluster of police cars. With her head down, Macy walked down the steps, doing her best to ignore the stares that followed her.

But she stopped in her tracks when she passed the boys who were known as the Losers Club.

"She's not dead, she's m-m-missing." Bill corrected, making Macy snap her head towards the four boys. They froze, dumbfounded and mortified that she had heard them. Macy glanced back at her mom, who was still paying her no attention, then began walking towards the group.

"Hey, Macy, how are you? " Stanley blurted out awkwardly, scrambling to cover the fact that they had just been talking about her dead sister.

"I've been better, Stanley, but thanks," Macy replied, her voice steady but tired as her eyes moved from one embarrassed face to another. The silence that followed felt awkward, stretching between them until Macy shifted on her feet and finally opened her mouth to speak

"So, what do you guys plan on doing this summer?" Macy asked, trying to ease the tension as she noticed Bill's eyes widen slightly.

"Arcade, quarry, the barr-" Richie started, but Bill quickly cut him off. "The b-arrens! We plan on going there. You're wel-come to come with us to look tomorrow," Bill said, his tone hopeful. He knew Macy might be able to help in his search for answers. The two shared an unspoken understanding of what the other was going through, which made it easy for Macy to accept the offer.

"Wicked. Hopefully, I won't be on house arrest this summer, but I think I'll be able to go. See you guys around," Macy said, returning the small wave from the boys before turning away and heading towards her mother's car.

"Mom, come on," Macy mumbled to her mother, who was still staring blankly at the school.

Macy walked to her mother's car and slid into the passenger seat. She turned her head toward the back window, watching her mother speak with Officer Bowers. Mrs. Ripsom wiped her tears before slowly making her way to the car, turning her head every few steps as if searching for any sign of Betty. Macy quickly faced forward and began chipping at the blue nail polish on her fingers as her mother got in.

The ride was silent, the kind of silence that made Macy's stomach twist. She stared out the window, trying to focus on anything else. The quiet broke only when her mother turned on their block.

"Macy, you don't need to be talking to all those boys. A girl who hangs around with only boys is just asking for trouble. That's the last thing we need right now." Mrs. Ripsom said, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Letting out a sigh, Macy tried her best to defend herself. "Mom, it's nothing like that. Bill Denbrough just knows what I'm going through, and it would be nice to talk about it. Besides, I barely ever talk to them," she said as her mother stopped the car in front of their house.

"What happened to the Denbrough boy was a horrible and uncontrollable accident. What happened to your sister could've been prevented," Mrs. Ripsom exclaimed, turning off the car before slamming the door and walking towards the house.

Macy sat in the car, watching her mother disappear into the house.

It was no surprise that the Ripsom house hadn't been the same since the empty casket had been lowered into the ground. Her parents no longer said Betty's name, only referring to her as "my daughter" or "your sister."

There was no longer any doubt in Macy's mind that her mother blamed her for Betty's death. She didn't need to hear the words to know. It was clear in every look.

Stepping inside, Macy paused in the doorway and glanced at the pile of dirty dishes stacked in the sink. Her mother hadn't gone near it in weeks. Ever since it had talked back, washing the dishes had become her father's job.

Macy made sure never to tell them she knew about that.

She sighed softly as she walked past the dreaded sink, her thoughts drifting back to what Bill had said to her. Her mind was now set on meeting up with the boys throughout the summer. To find out what really happened to Betty.

Even if that meant lying to anyone she needed to, just to get out of that house.