Liars in A Row (Book 1, 2 & 3)

s i x : to the chapel

It was easy for Julia to convince mother. A lot of the times she had granted her wishes no questions asked. Although, Narcissa only stuck to materialistic wishes, knowing full well that she couldn't make up for the lost time.

"I don't understand. I'm paying that woman for this. She just needs to throw the goddamn ball. That's all!" Her father snapped, a vein on his throat sticking out when he coughed. Julia, ever so slowly, pushed a glass of water towards him. He noticed but didn't take it.

"Okay. Keep me updated." He glared at his phone as he dumped it on the table before taking the glass of water.

"Excellent," her mother beamed from beside him. "Thank you, Sally." Setting her phone down, she added, "She wants you to visit her after the assembly. Said something about your head girl duties. Then you can return home."

"Now, isn't that lovely?" Nicholas interrupted immediately, his mood drastically lifting. "Jula bear," Ugh, for fuck's sake. "How about you throw the first ball in today's polo match? What do you say?"

"Nicholas, she's tired," Cissy informed, rather disapproving, her eyes still on her phone.

"Well, Skrein can drive her back afterward." The enthusiasm in her father's voice wasn't hard to miss.

"Ni-"

"I'll do it," Julia cut in, pushing her empty plate aside to prevent an upcoming feud. "Father Laird asked me for the choir today. I'll go get ready. Marsden will drive me if you don't go to the church today."

"Darling, you go ahead," Cissy smiled, letting Julia plant a kiss on her cheek.

"I'll see you at the Chesterton's then, sweetheart," Nicholas said, scrolling through his cell phone screen before he started talking, "Skrein, change of plans..."

Julia didn't hear the rest. It was all the same. She had been her parents' last resort for many other occasions before. It wasn't anything she wasn't used to. Besides, her father wouldn't have wanted her to skip the first day of Upper sixth if it wasn't urgent. Making up her mind, she went for shower. Thirty minutes later, she stood with the choir at the church of St. Bede, clad in her college uniform; a chiffon white shirt that was supposed to be cotton, the regular navy blue and white checkered tie, a short skirt in the same pattern that hadn't been upgraded after year nine and the 'Pristine Academy' blazer.

If her father had been here, he would've pushed her into a sacred act of confession to Father Laird. Now that he wasn't here, she was obviously going to skip it.

What was she supposed to say? A list of sins she committed over the summer? She had stolen her father's Gitanes, smoked them throughout the Summer, occasionally snorted cocaine and downed a couple of ecstasy before social experiments as well (that didn't go well though). She also made out with three boys from Beverly Hills High, two of which had been gay. Oh, and also, she chatted up a cute lifeguard who lost his job just for that.

No, thank you. Marcia Brady wouldn't approve. Besides, if it hadn't been for her father, she would have never surrendered to an act of hypocrisy by attending mass and singing with the choir from her baby-phase in the first place.

At least, there was Noah Clarke, waiting for her outside the ancient building, leaning against his white Boxster, lush in his college uniform: a crisp pale yellow shirt, a maroon tie, khaki pants and the navy blue 'Pristine Academy' blazer. He smiled, looking like an eleven year old and watched her climb down the limestone steps in front of the church.

"What are you doing here?" She forced a frown on her face, once facing him.

"Picking you up." He held the door to his car open, let her climb inside and then clambered into it himself. "We'll probably raid McDonalds at the lunchtime. Don't make that face. I know you love their French fries."