Mum frowned as I crossed the car park with Murray and entered the cafe. Murray and I sat at one of the tables by the door and waiting until mum was free to come over. She glared at me as leaned forward and towards the table and whispered, "What are you doing out of school?"
"Kya is feeling the wrath of her lies." Murray answered for me.
"Fallon and I have fallen out." I sulked.
Mum gave Murray a disapproving look, "Bunking off isn't the right thing to do."
"Sorry," We both mumbled.
"Wait here, I'll get you an ice-cream float." Mum returned to the counter and made our drinks. The cafe was quiet. I guess mid week wasn't a busy time.
"Are you going to tell her? It'll sound better coming from you." Murray prompted.
"Tell her what?"
"The compulsive lying."
"I wasn't lying. I really did cut my hand."
Murray grabbed me roughly by the wrist, pulling my hand up to my face, "Does it look cut to you?"
When he let go, my hand dropped to the table. I didn't want to tell mum. I was worried what it meant and telling her would make it real. That I was crazy. "Please, leave it. I'll sort myself out."
"Boy, getting dumped really messed you up."
I nodded. Mum placed the drinks in front of us. She'd caught the tail end of what Murray had said, "Are you still heartbroken over that boy."
I stirred my drink with the straw. Was that what this was. My minds coping method to deal with the pain of Jace. Instead of feeling it I was visualising it as injuries. First, my stomach had been ripped open, now my palm had been cut and the only similar thing was that I actually hadn't been hurt at all. My skin wasn't broken. It was perfectly intact.
Mum brushed my hair from my face and behind my ear, causing me to look up. "There's someone better for you. Someone you haven't met yet." Her words felt like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night, like a candle in the dark. She filled me with warmth and hope. It was the safety and security I had craved from Nate but hadn't been fulfilled. It was my mum. I could feel my walls crumbling in an undignified way that Fallon would have cursed me for. I could feel myself unravelling and hot tears burning down my face. I tried to hide my face behind my hands. My mum pulled her chair next to mine and pulled me into her arms. I could smell the grease from the morning breakfasts on her clothes but underneath I could smell the soothing scent of lavender and neroli which was my mum. "There, there" she soothed.
I tried to speak. To apologise for making a spectacle of myself. But the sound came out as garbled nonsense. Mum kissed my head and as if she had understood she said, "It's okay. You and him had something real. Maybe he wasn't smart enough to know how lucky he was but you did. And you will get that again. You will experience it with someone that recognises it and gives it back to you. This I promise."
She hugged me and rubbed my back. When I finally sat up ready to breathe, Murray handed me some napkins to blot my tear stained face.
"Take her home," Mum said to Murray, "I've got to work but," She turned back to me, "I'll let the school know you are unwell." Mum winked, "And, I'll cook your favourite tonight."
"Really?" Shepards pie wasn't quick to make.
Mum nodded, "Yeah, it's quiet here so I'll make prep it between orders so I only have to stick it in the oven when I get home. And, I think we need to plan some mother and daughter time. How about some retail therapy?"
I grinned. "Sounds good to me."
Mum pinched my chin, "There's my beautiful girls smile."
I sighed. My looked sad and hugged me, "I'll be home as soon as I can get out."
----
Mum had helped me feel rejuvenated. Like my battery was dead and she'd added some energy to it. I thought about what Fallon had said. Not the negative stuff, but the stuff about work placement. I tried to figure out what it is that I want to do with my life. The idea that I was making a choice that would put me on the path of my future sounded monumentous.
I wanted to make money, so I could live a comfortable life. I also wanted to do something I enjoyed. I spend so much time thinking about what other people want, doing what they tell me I need to do, being who they want me to be that I rarely think about me. The last few months I had obsessed about boys. Some crazy idea that I need to have a guy in my life to be complete. Maybe that's why without Jace, I felt so lost. I had made myself, all about him.
Had Nate tried to mould me into someone he wanted. As angry as I was at him for betraying me I didn't feel like he had controlled me. He had always been there for me. And, maybe the reason I was so mad at him was because he gave me the power in the relationship or made me feel like I had power over him. Then in the end, his own free will he did something that I didn't like. Something that makes no sense to me.
Yet, here I am trying to think about my future and my mind has somehow rotated back to boys. I was a lost cause. I picked up my mobile phone and typed into the search engine 'career choices' but before I could read anything I noticed I had a number of notifications.
I opened my app and there were tons of messages, even from people I barely knew. I was getting tagged in stuff. I took a look. There was a picture of me and the image had been altered to make my nose look extended. The caption said 'Pinno-Kya'. I knew it was a play on the name Pinocchio and to make fun of me and the lies I told. There was another animated meme picture of an elephant's body with my face. People were laughing and saying how pathetic I was for lying.
I checked another app. Someone had put a toy fluffy bun in a pan of boiling water and put, "Watch out for Kya." There were people commenting on how much they hate liars and I should die. Someone said I had claimed I was raped by Jace. I hit reply, "I never said that."
Someone replied with a meme of the two talking doors from the film Labyrinth saying "Oh, what a lie!"
I hit reply, "It's the truth."
Someone then posted a picture of Pinnocio.
Another person replied to me saying. "Just kill yourself!"
Someone replied with a laughing emoji and typed, "Would you believe her if she did?"
And another replied, "Not until maggots have eaten her eyes."
I quickly turned off my mobile. I didn't want to read anymore. I took a deep breath. How many people had Jace told. Why couldn't anyone see that he lied first. He lied that he wasn't with Mariah but he is. He hurt me. He made me lie. Yet, nobody cared about what he did. They just all were laying it on me.
I'd just have to ignore them. Get through the last few months of school and then move away. Go to college far away and start over. I tried to think of where I would like to go. Maybe somewhere abroad. Except, I've never done well at foreign languages so I'd have to choose an English speaking country like America, Canada or Australia. Although, I could stay within in the United Kingdom and go to Ireland, Wales or Scotland. The flight would probably be cheaper. The more I thought about it, the more I wished I could just go now. If only I had wings.
When mum came home, she came straight to my room to give me a hug.
"How are you feeling?"
"Not great." I didn't want to worry her about the messages as then she'd want to know about all the lies. I was embarrassed. I hadn't handled my breakup well.
"Kya, it's okay to hurt. It's part of the healing process. Some people come into our lives, stay a short while but leave lasting impressions on our hearts. It might feel hard now, but it will get easier. Just hang in there."
"I don't think I even like him." I thought about how Jace had hurt me and how Nate had betrayed me, "I'm done with guys."
"Good," said mum. She pulled me close for a hug, "You are all mine."
"Yeah," I snuggled into her.
____
I didn't want to go to school the next day. Mum and dad had already left for work so there was nobody chasing me out the door. I dragged my heels trying to stall the inevitable.
"Kya, you're going to be late." Murray pointed out.
I groaned, "I don't want to go."
Aero sniffed my fingers and let me pat his head. I crouched next to him, nuzzling my head into his neck. He was usually full of energy but recently it was like he sensed I needed his affection and he kept trying to be close to me and lying at my feet.
"You can bunk off again. Mum won't keep covering for you and I'll tell her about your lies."
"Don't blackmail me."
"'I'm offering you a lift to school."
I sighed and lifted my school bag and followed him out the house. Murray drove in silence. As we pulled up into the school car park he said, "Did you see the posts online?"
"Yeah," I sulked. "It's stupid."
Murray sighed, "This is what you get for lying."
I grinded my teeth, I didn't need Murray to be on my case too. "You can fuck off too!" I snapped. I got out the car and gave the door a hard slam.
I knew that would piss him off. He got out, "Oi!" He yelled but I stormed off before I heard anymore.
I walked into my homeroom and was greeted by the chant, "Kya, Kya, pants on fire." Followed by laughter. I ignored them and took a seat at the front of the classroom. I made sure I didn't look in the direction of where my friends sat.
I was in survival mood. I had to get through today. Registration was a blur and as I walked down the corridors to my lessons, people purposely bumped into me. I saw them watch me and whisper. A group of younger students held their fists over their noses, I knew to make a point about my lying. I tried to pretend I didn't notice. To be numb. Inside I was struggling to hold it together. I had no friends. No distractions. I couldn't hear the teacher in class, the words on the page were hard to read because my mind was all over the place.
Hate Liars
Such a bitch
Wish she was dead
Words I had read online ran through my bed. Some I felt I deserved. Others that were just cruel.
She's not even that pretty.
No idea what Jace ever saw in her.
I wouldn't even pump and dump.
During breaks, I wandered the corridors, making sure I wasn't anywhere for long enough for anyone to approach me. By the time I got home, I was busting for the loo as I had feared going incase I saw Kya. As I relieved myself, I burst into tears. My stomach ached from holding it for so long and I was exhausted from trying not to give them satisfaction of making me cry.
I was surprised Fallon and Arizona hadn't joined in. They seemed as willing to have nothing to do with me as I was with them. Except, I missed them. I wanted to go back. To undo what I did. To make it right. But it was too late. It had become too big.
I was home alone. My parents still working and Murray was at swim practice. Aero lay his head in my lap as I sat on the sofa. He whined. Like he could sense my sadness. "Sorry," I apologised for bringing him down. I felt guilty.
____
The next day was just as hard. If not worse. Jace approached me, "Sorry."
"Sorry," I spat back. "You've turned everyone against me. Why couldn't you have kept your mouth shut."
"Why should I lie?"
"You did lie!" My hand swiped across his face. "You lied about Mariah!"
I then heard a voice that sent a chill down my spine, "Now princess Kya is man beating because her brother won't fall for her lies."
I knew before I turned around that I would be greeted by a mobile screen. My eyes filled with tears. I had enough of the taunts. I wasn't strong enough to get through this. I ran home.
I was relieved to be alone in the house alone. Aero followed me up to my room. I cried into my pillow and he lay on the floor next to my bed waiting for me to get out but there was so much. I didn't think I could every stop.
I checked my phone. Did anyone care? Did anyone notice I was gone?
I wish I hadn't. The notifications was creeping up at a rapid post to say people were liking a video I was tagged in. I knew what video it was. As soon as I saw it, I untagged myself. Only a few hours later, I was tagged again. The video got edited. Someone posted a clip of just the end where I cried with the tag, "The girl that cried wolf". I untagged myself and reported it. It got posted again with the comment, "The girl that cried rape."
People were private messaging me about my behaviour towards Jace.
OMG Jace was apologising to you. He shouldn't be the one apologising it's you! Bitch! And you slap his face. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Do you think it is okay for girls to hit boys! You're the reason women can't get equality. You are everything wrong with women!
Lol Lol Lol I can't get over your ugly crying face. Didn't think you could get uglier but man, that's a face not even a mother could love.
I did feel sorry for you but now you can just die for all I care.
Starts to get messages on social media calling her a liar
Death threats
Photos modified to make her look ugly etc
Have her not want anything to do with Nate as she directs the anger at him.
Then she will hit a low and want to kill herself and thats when she realised she can rapidly heal. She doesn't think anyone will believe her.
"Kya," I hurried up to where I was sitting and stood in front of the table. "You've got to let me explain."
I was relieved that he was here to seek forgiveness. "What?"
"Tom was worried about you and told people about the hospital. Word got back to Murray and you parents and they called the hospital. They told them we had left and then your mum rang my mum to ask if I had made it home and then she found us."
"Why is Fallon so mad. Did you tell her nothing happened."
"She believed me until Jace told her about seeing us together."
"Fallon, there's nothing going on between us."
"