The Hidden Truth of Lacey Jones

chapter one

They say you never realise what you have until it's gone. It's never something you consider until it's too late, until that one thing you can't live without is gone. That's when you realise just how brutally honest that saying is, that's when you feel the full weight of it. The gut-wrenching feeling that it has, how it pulls and pulls at your heart strings until there's no more threads left to pull at. How you just don't feel the tears that dry on your face, how you don't realise your hands have turned cold because you can't feel the weather taking it's toll on your body. It takes away the part of your soul that made you warm, made those around you warm by association. It leaves you cold, empty, broken. 

That's how it felt when her body was discovered. 

...

The heat the sun gave off was unforgiving during this time of year. Christmas just gone was a record-breaker for the hottest Christmas since 1992, and it wasn't showing signs of cooling down anytime soon. Sweat was already beading on my forehead and creating a wet patch at the small of my back. The flies were relentless during these months, and in the few seconds it took me to get from the front door to my car, I'd thrown my arms around like a swatter more times than I could count. Getting in my car was like stepping into a sauna that someone had turned up dangerously high. The leather seats threatened to burn my skin as I settled in. Reversing the car out, I headed down town towards the place that I once believed to be soul-crushing. With broken air conditioners and inoperable fans, younger kids that didn't seem to know what deodorant was and teachers that refused to allow sick days as an excuse for homework extensions, school could be a nightmare at the best of times. A few days ago, I would have said life couldn't get worse. Now I've come to realise I was incredibly naïve. 

Our final year of school had finally come around, and it was on the first day that we found out. It was only first period when I watched the principal walk into the room. He unintentionally drew the attention of the entire class to the two police officers that stood just outside. The principal made his way to the teacher, whispering in her ear. Taking it all in, I had watched her face fall as a moment of shock flickered across her face. Her eyes had skimmed across the room, landing to the empty seat beside me. I continued to watch patiently, noticing how her eyes became glassy until she decided she couldn't look at anyone in that moment. Her eyes flew away from Lacey's seat and she stood still, staring at the floor. Seconds later, she gave one simple nod. The principal grabbed Will's attention, telling him he needed to follow. Then, his eyes had found mine and he began to make his way towards me. Before he could say anything, I gathered my things and got to my feet. I knew in that moment Lacey wasn't okay.

"Follow me, Mackenzie," he said, his tone not authoritative, simply dull. I quickly glanced at Will in question but he wouldn't meet my eyes. We walked in silence, out the door to where the officers stood.

"What's going on?" I asked, speaking up when no one else had the courage to.

"Not here, Miss Mearns. We can talk in my office," the principal answered. I had fallen back into an impatient silence as the officers and principal walked ahead of us, quietly talking among themselves.

"Something has happened to Lacey, hasn't it?" Will muttered quietly. I looked up at him. Concern had filled his eyes. William was Lacey's boyfriend. They'd known each other since pre-school and they'd always had feelings for each other, although they always tried to deny it. Who knew all it took was an alcohol-fuelled party for them to give up and finally admit it.

"It looks like it." I whispered.

"Has she been answering any of your calls or texts?" My jaw slackened slightly. I felt somewhat sick. Shaking my head, I looked down at my feet as we walked.

"Not since yesterday morning," I admitted. It wasn't like Lacey to ignore messages. She felt guilty if she didn't respond the second she saw it. 

"That was when I last heard from her too." Lacey sometimes ignored me in the rare arguments we had, but I have never known her to ignore messages from Will, even if they were furious with each other.

"Maybe she's just at home sick," I offered up but Will let out a small scoff. He clearly didn't agree. We fell back into that awful, foreboding silence until we'd made it to the principle's office. He sat us down in chairs across from him, handing each of us a cup of water. Was that normal? I didn't know principles did that for their students.

"I'm sure by now you've both realised that Lacey isn't here." Bile rose in my mouth as an uneasy feeling began to build up in my stomach.

"What's going on?" Will asked, seeking the answer I so desperately wanted to know myself. Where was Lacey?

"Officers," the principle called, catching their attention. I suppose he decided they could take it from here.

"When was the last time you heard from Miss Jones?" one of them asked, directing his question first to me.

"Yesterday morning," I answered and Will echoed my response.

"What was Lacey like towards the two of you?"

"What do you mean?" Will asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. I could see how scared he looked. The fear in his eyes. Where was Lacey?

"Was she ever unhappy? Ever suicidal?" the other cop chimed in. This time, my eyebrows furrowed together much like Will. 

"What? No, I rarely see her unhappy." One cop looked at me. I guess he decided it was my turn to speak up.

"She's always a happy person. She's constantly smiling," I added. Dread was filling me with each second that went by. It seeped through my veins, covering every inch of my body. Why were they asking these questions? You know why the small voice in my head answered. The bile rose further yet again and I swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump forming in my throat. Something had clearly happened, or rather, she had done something terrible.

"Did she take something?" I wondered, speaking my thoughts with no filter. I snuck a quick glance at them. It was no secret that people weren't innocent in this town. Lacey isn't one to ever do such a thing, but if the police were involved, maybe someone managed to convince her.

"Was she ever a drug user?"

"No. She wouldn't do something like that," Will cut in before I could defend Lacey. I could easily see that Will was becoming agitated. All these questions, the accusations I'd handed them without thinking, he was getting angry. Of course, he wouldn't believe Lacey would do something like that. She knows how against it he is and agrees with him.

"Alcohol?"

"No more than the average teenager," he answered coldly. I could see he was beginning to tremble with agitation and fear, and I was starting to think about what could happen if he snapped. I've never seen Will like this, as hurt and stressed as he was right now. I could see it in his eyes.

"So her behaviour hasn't been any different to normal? You didn't catch anything strange or anything that may have seemed a bit off about Lacey?"

"For Christ's sake, no!" he jumped in. Will was getting too worked up.

"Will," the principal pointed a warning finger at a distressed Will, his tone stern and sharp. Will sighed and rolled his eyes - something he would never do if Lacey was beside him.

"Just tell us what is going on. Where is she?" he demanded, staring at the cops.

"Her body was discovered this morning at Skeleton Beach."