You're Awfully Honest for a Liar [Stopped]

Chapter Eight - How Should I Call You?

Re-written

Jace's POV

I couldn't really hear what was being said behind the closed doors of the Principal's office but without warning there was shouting, yelling and screams to be heard.

My heart skipped a beat at the thought something had happened to Meridian, which was absurd. I shouldn't feel that way. Meridian was just ... 

I burst through the door with wide eyes as Meridian took a lamp and threw it at my head. Luckily I ducked on time and I heard it break against the wall behind me. Panicked, I looked at the Principal who had her head in her hands, simply watching Meridian trash her office.

Meridian's face was full of anger which surprised me. She barely showed any emotion, yet now she was even angrier then my dad was when I accidentally burned his favorite carpet. Let me tell you, that's really pissed off.

Her eyes were blazing with bloodlust, as if she was going to murder someone. She locked her eyes with mine for a few seconds before stalking out of the door and into the corridor.

I stared in the direction she had left then turned to the Principal, eyebrows shot up. "What-"

"Not my place to tell you. Ask Meridian." She answered before shooing me away. I ran towards the corridors area and knocked hard on the door of Meridian and Alba's room.

The door opened and I half expected to see Meridian, but instead it was Alba who wore a worried expression.

"Jace, I don't think you should come in." She warned as I peeked into their room. To say that it was messy was an understatement. Everywhere lay clothes and I swear I saw a desk on it's side in the middle of the room.

With narrowed eyes I replied. "I think I should." She studied me for a minute before sighing and letting me in.

On a bed, laid the body of a sleeping girl. She had very messy brown hair and tears stroking down her cheeks. It made my heart clench when I saw Meridian.

For the first time she looked fragile. No, not the first time. Sometimes, when she shuts that big mouth of hers, I see sadness and lonilyness in them. But now she just looked tired and sad.

"Have a seat." Alba mentioned towards her bed and I did as said.

"What happened?"

Alba's eyes were filled with worry and depression when she looked up into mine. "She came in, pissed off, started to trash the room then suddenly cried like a little child. I tried to console her but she fell asleep before I could say anything."

"Did she say anything?" I quizzed.

Alba shook her head. "No, but I have a good guess who could make her this messed up."

"Who?" I whispered, careful not to wake up Meridian.

Alba took a deep breath. "Her mother."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't understand anything with Alba's reply and she saw it. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she explained.

"Okay, Meridian is probably going to kill me with a bazooka if she finds out that I told you her story, but I find that you need to know. You might not have noticed, but Meridian has been showing more and more emotion since you arrived here."

For some stupid reason that made me very happy.

"Go on," I pressed.

Taking another deep breath Alba started to tell Meridian's story. "Meridian's family never invited her into the family. Her mother used to be the perfect child any parent would want. She had it all. Beaty, wealth, brains, even a perfect boyfriend to match. She got amazing grades, everyone loved her. Until she got pregnant at sixteen." Alba stopped to take another breath.

"Her boyfriend knocked her up. It's that simple. Then when she told her parents they banned her from their house, so dissapointed in her. With no house or money she ran to her boyfriend, only to find him cheating on her. Meridian's mom didn't know what to do. She was homeless, moneyless, boyfriendless, pregnant and everyone looked down upon her. So she fled to New York, lived in a whore house and did what she could to get money." Another breath.

"She gave birth to Meridian on the twenty-second of March in the whore house. Even though her being pregnant caused her so much grief and anger, she still loved her baby. She did the best she could and made money only, not in a good way." Alba had a small internal fight with herself before telling me. "She was a drug-dealer."

I gasped slightly at this and my eyes widened then shot to sleeping Meridian. I never expected Meridian's mom to be a drug-dealer or for them to live in a whore house.

"At first it was all good. The money she earned she saved and could finally buy her own cheap apartment. But then she started to use the drugs and soon she became addicted. By the time Meridian was seven she used Meridian to smockle drugs and deal them to others.

Of course that was smart, who would check a seven-year old for drugs? No one and her mom knew it. But the drugs didn't make her a better person. In fact she became violent and agressive and took out all her anger and grief for the past seven years out on Meridian," Alba looked so sad it would break anyone's heart.

I didn't need a picture drawn either to know what she was going to say. "She abused her, Jace. Meridian's mom beat her up every single fucking day!" Alba looked so upset.

She took several shallowed breaths before continuing. "One day, Meridian was hiding in some park from her mother coming back from school. A woman had found her and asked her where her parents were. Fifteen-year old Meridian told her first lie and said that she didn't have any parents. The woman offered her a free scholarship at a high school in London.

Gladly she accepted it. She ran home, thinking her mother would be proud of her for the first time in her life. Boy was she wrong. Her mother beat her up so hard she went into a coma. Child custody took her away from her mother and since there was no one else she was put up for adoption. The woman who offered her a scholarship was the first one to adopt her. And so Meridian came to this school."

Overwhelmed by the information we both stared at Meridian who had a small frown on her fore-head. "Meridian shut down all her emotions and never talked to anyone except me as we were room mates."

"So you think her mother is here now?"

Alba nodded. "I'm not sure, but when I hacked into the phone conversation of the Principal I heard them talk about a woman breaking into the school, looking for her 'abducted' daughter."

There was a small silence then there was humorless laugh, coming from neither Alba or me.

We looked to the side and saw Meridian wide awake and looking at us. However her eyes were hard and cold. "Happy now? You know my history for being so cold. I bet you have so much pity for me, huh!" She yelled and stormed out of the room.

Without thinking I followed her into the empty corridor. I caught up with her and grabbed her by the waist then turned her around to face me. "Meridian, I have no pity for you." I said and she looked at me surprised.

"You don't?"

I laughed. "No, I don't. I admire you. I admire your strength. Not many kids could survive what you have survived. I admire you Meridian."

With narrowed eyes she looked at me. "You're awfully honest for a liar."

I arched an eyebrow. "You think I'm a liar?"

She grinned at me, which made me gasp a little. I barely ever got genuine smiles from Meridian and when I did it made me so happy. "A very good one indeed."

We continued to stare into each others eyes and only after a few minutes I cursed myself. Shit! Shit, shit, shit!

This was not good! Heart beat accelerating? Blushing? Smiling like a fool? I had to remember why I was here. I had to remember that I couldn't fall for Meridian! But with knowing what Meridian had been through, I doubted I could ever look at her and not think about what has happened to her.

"Meridian?" A shaky, new voice said.

At this Meridian stiffened and fear over took her. Something I had never seen. Slowly she turned around and when her eyes met with the woman behind us they hardened. Just like her facial expression.

"Hello Joanne, or should I say mom?"