Started With a Lie

Chapter One

            Radio pop songs boom from the speakers of my car as I drive to Brownwood High. People already have crowded the parking lot. I find a place to park. Brownwood, New York is a small town where everyone knows everyone since birth. One scandal here and you get judged for life.

            “Ivory! How was your summer?” someone says as I get out of my car.

            I would know that chirpy voice anywhere.

            “Hey, Candy!” I say as I slam my car door shut. Candace—or Candy is the only person that knows what happened last year and still continues to be my friend. “My summer was great! Brent went to college so I finally have the house to myself on the weekends.”

            Brent is my nineteen-year-old brother. He can be nice when he wants and he can be nasty when he wants. Unfortunately, I’ve seen both sides. He went to some college in Florida—wonders how he even got in with his grades. He’d have loud, stupid parties every weekend when Mom went to galleries in other states.

            But now I’m finally free.

            “You mean your cute brother?” Candy pouts. “I’m going to miss him.” She holds some big, thick textbooks close to her chest. Candy is one of the smartest people I know—despite her deceiving name. 

            “Ew.” I scrunch up my face is disgust. She also has always had a crush on Brent—if that’s humanely possible. “What do you see in my brother?” I swing my backpack strap over my shoulder and walk side by side with her.

            “He’s everything I dream of,” she sighs.      

            I put my hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. Let’s not get too overrated. I don’t want to throw up my breakfast.” The bell suddenly rings. I grab Candy. “Hurry! We can’t be late on the first day!” We run to homeroom, take our seats, and start gossiping about the latest couples that hooked up in the summer.

            “Well, well,” a sly voice says. “Look who we have here.”

            I don’t need to see who it is to recognize that voice. It’s the voice of my ex-best friend. Karen. I scold myself to not look up—to ignore her. To stay uninvolved with her like the guidance counselor told me to.

            But I look up anyway.

            There, she stands, all perfect and pretty in her bright floral sundress. It hugs her every curve. I take notice that she has cut her blonde hair. It’s now up to her chin. Most people can’t pull off the short hair look—but she’s not most people. Her haircut makes her face look even more round and innocent looking.

            But I know it’s all just a mask.

            “Hi, Karen,” I greet her, offering a small smile. Another thing my guidance counselor said to do. Offer an occasional smile or to say “hi.”

            “Hello, Ivory.” She smiles—acting like the two-faced person she is. But I know better than to trust her looks. “How was your summer?” I’m just about to answer when she cuts me off. “Mine was great. Peter—you know Peter, the good-looking guy that I’m dating? —Well, we went on the most romantic dates!”

            I grip the edge of my seat. She knows I know who Peter is. Heck, Peter and I basically have known each other our whole lives. She also knows that he’s my weak spot. I had liked Peter. And apparently, she had too.