Our Little Lie (Complete)

TWENTY

After I heard the bad news, I was a wreck. Tyler took me home early and told everyone I got sick. He's such a good friend, I'll never deserve him.

It doesn't hit me until I get home that I never did what D told me to do. But it doesn't matter anyway because they can't threaten me anymore. It's as bad as it can get.

•••

The next day comes like a rude awakening from the peaceful dream I lived away from school. I get ready slowly. So slow that my mom has to come upstairs and check to make sure I'm awake.

I'm going to tackle today like Stephen in football, I'm going to hurdle every obstacle like Damien in track, and most of all I'm going to love purely and completely like Tyler and Mirren, I think as I drive my car to school.
I pull myself through the hall of the high school to my locker.

"Hey Lyssa!" A bright and girly voice says. I turn to see Madison Stone. A cheerleader who's also in GT and all AP classes.

"Hey, Mads!" I say excitedly despite my actual mood.

"Okay so I'm throwing my annual Halloween party at my house again this year and I just wanted to invite you right now since I never see you during the day. And also I heard the whole dance team is dressing up as football players and cheer as basketball."

"Oh yeah I know," I smile,"And I'd love to go! Thanks for the invite!"

"No problem! See you then!"

I half sleep through my classes. That is, until I see Lena. She makes eye contact with me then immediately looks away in disgust. And it hurts more than I thought it would. Seeing your best friend since second grade look at you with so much hate kind of clenches at your heart.

I walk towards her in the cafeteria. I place a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah!" She says with same look on her face as earlier,"Yeah I'm just great, Lys."

"Good! Well I wanted to tell you something really important and so maybe after school?"

"Maybe," she says flatly,"Oh! And I found a case for Jill."

"Oh really? What?" I ask.

"Yours," she hands me a sheet of paper and walks away.

You have been accused.

GT is holding a trial for our unit and you have been chosen by Jill to be the accused for cheating on Damien with Stephen.

Thanks for your participation
-GT

•••

"Excited for the trial?" Stephen asks me.

"Oh yeah thanks for that," I snarl.

"Sorry Lyssa," he suddenly sounds sensitive,"I just felt guilty."

"Well I hope you feel more guilty for twisting the story to your advantage."

"I don't, I told it as it was. And plus, through the trial you can say your side."

"You made a big mistake, you know that?"

"Did I? I think you did by waiting so long to confess and in the meantime cheating again."

"What? Oh the beach? That was like a one week thing and it was one stupid kiss."

"Lyssa, I'm not stupid! I connected the dots, it was that Tyler guy. All we have to do is get proof of your little thing with him and I win."

The realization hits me hard. "So that's what this is about. You got jealous."

"No, I felt used. You went through so much trouble to be with me and then you went and did what you did to Damien to me and I felt so incredibly stupid."

"You may have spoken first, but I have a witness, and you are just as guilty as me if not more."

"Well, I too have a witness from that night," he laughs. "You think you are the only one getting the texts?"

In that moment I feel more stupid than ever. Of course he was getting the texts. He sabotaged Lena when he got something from her bag at the Bikini Battles. And, he would've told a long time ago if he wasn't getting the threats. I'm hopeless. He has the same witness. He'll manipulate them, he always does.

"Lyssa, I never loved you. And definitely never enough to let you break my heart. D told me to keep you satisfied and full of secrets so you wouldn't tell. They needed you to keep pranking and sabotaging their enemies. But finally I was done being used by both of you. So I did what I felt was right and told the truth."

"Stephen, you and I both know it wasn't the truth that you told Lena! Only twisted lies to make my case look worse and yours look better! Stop acting like you're doing good things when all you're doing is pouring more gasoline on this wooden house we built so long ago knowing that one day it was going to burn. And now it is going to burn with us in it and no one to help us out."

"That's where you're wrong," he says,"No one will help you out. I will have plenty of hands to pull me out." He laughs at my red face and clenched fists. "Speaking of those people who won't help, here comes Damien."

Sure enough I see him gliding down the hall to the door that leads outside where Stephen and I stand. He pushes open the doors. "Please, feel free to kiss each other," he snarls,"I won't get in your way anymore."

Stephen laughs and walks away. "Good luck!" He yells as he walks down the cement steps.

"The space ship?" I ask him. But beneath the words I'm begging for mercy.

"Not this time," he replies and walks away.