Started With A Lie – Chapter Two

“This Lee Richards dude is so loaded!” Candy exclaims as she flips through a magazine. I don’t pay attention to what she’s saying. I continue to search through my closet for something decent to wear for tonight.

            Peter’s party is in one hour.

            I have showered, dried my hair, and am currently in my strawberry pajamas searching for something to wear. “Come help me!” I turn around to face her. I notice piles and piles of clothes on my bedroom floor. I didn’t realize I’ve been doing that.

            “Come here first,” Candy says, waving her hand over. “Come check out this Lee Richards dude.” I frown at her. “I promise I’ll help you afterwards.”

            “Fine,” I say. I walk over and plop down on my bed next to her. Some kind of popular magazine is open on a page with a rich looking man on it. In the picture, he’s wearing a fine tailored suit and he’s holding his tie—like he’s trying to loosen it. His hair is disheveled on purpose. But it doesn’t matter.

            He’s gorgeous.

            “Can you believe it?” Candy asks. “He’s only twenty and yet he owns his own business and everything. He’s a billionaire. Any girl would be lucky to be dating him.”

            “Twenty?” I ask. “That’s impossible. He can’t just build a business so quickly. He has to at least finish college first. It doesn’t make sense.”

            “Oh, he didn’t make his company. I heard his father died last year and he’s an only child so he had to take over so the company wouldn’t fail.”

            “Poor guy,” I say, getting off the bed. I pick up the all the clothes scattered on the floor.

            “Poor guy?” Candy says. “He turned into the youngest billionaire!”

            “I would rather have my father than money,” I tell her. She shuts up knowing my father is a sensitive topic. An awkward silence passes by. I try to lighten the mood. “Come help me pick something to wear now.”

            Candy hops off my bed. She picks up a green dress from the floor. “You should wear this.” She throws it at me. “It’ll match your eyes.”

            “Thanks,” I grin. I take the dress from her and strip. We’ve been friends for a long time, so it’s not weird to change in front of each other. I zip up the dress and turn to her. “What do you think?”

            She looks up from her magazine. “Totally hot.” Candy winks. “What about me?” She stands up. “How do I look?”

            “Fabulous,” I say. She’s in a hot pink dress and red heels. Her curly brown hair is left the way it is. I walk over to the mirror. I haven’t worn this since my aunt’s wedding. I apply make-up and straighten my dirty-blonde hair.

            An hour passes full of make-up and hair straightening.

            “Where are you guys going?” Mom asks when Candy and I are grabbing our coats. She’s getting a coffee mug—the reason why she’s out of her studio. Mom didn’t come out because she heard me leaving. She wouldn’t realize even if her house were on fire.

            I turn to her. I was hoping she wouldn’t come out. Now, I have to ask permission to go to the party—which she’ll probably say no to. “A party?” I say it like a question.

            “A party?” she asks. “What kind of party?”

            “You know,” I wave my hand around, “just a casual party.” Candy nods from next to me.

            Mom eyes us suspiciously. “A party? On a school night? On the first day of school?” She sets her mug down. “I don’t think so, sweetie.”

            “But, mom!” I complain. “We’re already dressed and ready and I’ll be back soon! I promise!” I grab Mom’s elbow and shake it. “Please, mom! Pleeease!”

            She sips her coffee with her other hand. “No.”    

            “Mom!” I whine. I stomp my foot like a little toddler. “Please! I’ll do anything, Mom! I’ll do chores and everything! Please! Please!”

            She thinks about it for a second. Mom looks over to Candy. “Are you going?” Candy nods. Mom turns back to me. “Will there be alcohol?”

            She’s on the verge of letting me go. I know it. “No,” I lie. “No alcohol. And even if there is—I won’t drink it.” Now that’s the truth.

            Seconds pass.

            “Fine,” Mom sighs. “But if anything happens, you are grounded for the rest of eternity. Okay?”

            I nod ferociously. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” I tackle her and she has to grip the island counter from falling over. I kiss her cheek. “I love you so much, Mom!” I slide my coat on and grab my car keys.

            “Be back soon, you hear?” Mom yells as I’m opening the front door. “If you’re one minute past curfew, you are scrubbing this house spotless tomorrow!”

            “Okay!” I yell back. “Love you, bye!”

            I see her smile before I close the door.

            Candy and I walk to my car. The cold air nips at my bare legs. It feels like my legs are freezing—but it’s worth it since I look nice. We turn the heat on full blast when we get inside my Honda.

            “Can’t believe your Mom let you go,” Candy says as she rubs her hands together to keep warm. She grins. “We almost got caught for a second.”

            “I know,” I respond, turning the car around a corner. I’ve nailed the directions to Peter’s house in my brain. I’ve gone so many times to his house in the past that it’s like the back of my hand to me.

            I park the car near a tree. Peter’s house is at the end of a dead end street so there’s plenty of room for cars to park. And they already have. There’s about fifty cars already parked out. I get out of my car with Candy and we inch closer to the house.

            I can feel the ground vibrating from the loud music. Cheers and yells are thrown around in the air. Every room in his house is lit up. People are on the porch, talking and drinking out of red cups. Some are on the lawn.

            “It’s so crowded!” Candy yells over the music at me.

            “I know!” I agree as we push through sweaty bodies. I feel like gagging as I smell some people who obviously forgot to put on some deodorant. The sofas and all furniture are pushed up against the walls where some people sit on them. I tap Candy and point to the kitchen.

            After slipping between billions of people, we escape to the kitchen where there are only a few people lingering around. At least there’s room to breathe. The familiar face from lunch walks over to us.

            I think Betsy is her name.

            “Hey guys!” Betsy says. “You made it!”

            I nod while Candy exclaims, “Yep! It’s so loud and crowded!”

            “That’s why it’s fun though,” Betsy says. “Are you guys having fun?”

            Candy nods in excitement. “It’s great! Peter’s house is so big! And where are his parents? Shouldn’t they be around?”

            “Yeah, they’re on business like usual. Peter told all the servants and maids to take a day off so he could throw this party and get away with it.”

            Candy’s jaw drops. “Really?”

            “Genius, isn’t it?” says Betsy. She’s just about to yap some more when someone calls her name. “I got to go. Have fun! Let’s chat later!”

            “Okay,” I say. She disappears into the sweaty sea of bodies. I feel bad for her. “So, now what do we do?” I ask Candy.

            She’s perched on top of the island counter in the kitchen. “Let’s go dance!”

            I shake my head. “No way.”

            She pouts. “Please?” I shake my head. “Pretty place?” I still shake my head. “Fine. I’ll go dance alone.”

            “I’ll be over by the couches,” I tell her, smiling gratefully.

            She glares at me before disappearing into the same place Betsy had gone to. I stalk away from the kitchen and squeeze my way through slimy bodies to get to an open seat on the couch. I breathe a sigh of relief of being able to sit down.

            I look around.

            Girls are wearing some dresses and skirts while guys were casual clothes. At least I dressed appropriately, I think as I run my eyes over random people. I can’t see Candy at all from where I’m sitting.

            The music suddenly stops and feedback from a microphone echoes throughout the living room. Everybody groans at the screech.

            Someone taps the microphone. I look up. It’s Peter. “Hey everyone! Hope you’re having a good time! Thanks for coming out to my annual party! Enjoy you guys!” he says. “Alright, now I’m going to let the DJ bring it back up.”

            Everybody shouts and cheers and screams Peter’s name. He takes a dramatic theatrical bow and jumps off the DJ stand. The music pumps back up over the speakers. Peter looks over the crowd—maybe checking to see if anyone has broken anything yet.

            His gaze lands on me.

            I don’t realize I’m staring back until he’s walking over to me. I dart my eyes in panic and sweat fills my palms. What do I do? What do I do?

            “Hi,” he says as he plops down on the seat next to me.

            “Hi,” I squeak like a mouse.

            “I didn’t know you’d be coming,” he says, grinning. A grin that makes my insides turn. The same grin I’d used to fall for every time … and I still do.

            “Well,” I say, “everyone was invited.”

            “Oh, yeah, I didn’t mean I was going to un-invite you,” he rambles. “I just meant, you know—forget it.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Are you enjoying the party?”

            I nod. “It’s great.”

            Suddenly, a pair of hands wraps around Peter’s neck from behind and someone hugs him. She starts kissing up his neck.

            It’s Karen, of course.

            I cough a little to let her know I’m sitting right there.

            “Oh, hi, Ivory,” she says as if she just noticed I was there. “Didn’t see you there.” Karen moves from behind Peter and sits on his lap. “Hi babe.”

            Peter looks uncomfortable. “H-Hey, Karen.”

            She starts kissing up his neck again. Bile urges itself up my mouth. Peter doesn’t respond to Karen. He just sits there. His eyes are darting everywhere but me and his cheeks are tinted red.

            He looks really awkward and uncomfortable.

            “Karen,” I say. “Maybe you should get off of him. I’m trying to have a conversation here. Or at least get a room.”

            She looks—glares—at me. “Maybe you should back off.”

            “Excuse me?” I say. “I haven’t done anything. I’m pretty sure nobody wants to see you kissing up to Peter.”

            She sighs in a bored way and then gets up. Karen hovers over me. She almost stumbles over and I realize she’s partly drunk. “Listen here, Ivory,” she says, dangling her index finger in the air. “Back off from my boyfriend.”     

            I glare at her. “First of all, I’m not even touching your boyfriend. You’re the one slobbering over him,” I state.

            Karen looks irritated. Suddenly she walks away. I’m confused for a moment. Why would she randomly just walk away? Karen never walks away without a fight.

            “Attention everyone.” The music stops and everybody turns to Karen who has stopped the music and holds the microphone in her hand. Now I get it. She walks back over to me. “This bitch here thinks I should back off from my own boyfriend. Isn’t she crazy?”

            Everyone shouts in agreement. I glare at Karen.

            “Not when you’re basically just licking him while he’s just sitting there,” I mutter but my voice is caught on the microphone.

            Everybody goes, “Oooooh.”

            I feel more confident.

            “Well you’re just jealous,” Karen yells. “I mean I know you liked Peter, but those days are over, honey. He is not interested. He’s with me.” Peter looks cherry red in the corner.

            I feel a small blush coming on as well.

            I push it back. I grab the microphone. “Why would I be jealous?” I laugh as high and mighty as I can. I don’t even know what I’m doing. I’m not even trying to speak. The words are just coming out. “I have the most perfect boyfriend. Even better than Peter.”

            Karen sneers and takes the microphone back. “Who?” She’s crossing her arms in disbelief.

            … Okay, I didn’t think this far into the plan. My mind goes blank and I try to dig up any name. Any fake name. Any real name. Just anyone. The room is quiet for a while and when a voice echoes off the walls, I don’t realize it’s me.

            “I’m dating Lee Richardson,” I tell her, crossing my arms to hide my trembling fingers. My fingers always shake when I lie.

            "You mean Lee Richardson, the world's youngest billionaire and heir to Richardson Corporation and its long line of businesses?" She scoffs. "Sure you are."

            "That's the one," I beam, trying to make myself sound firm and authentic.

            It takes a moment for my mind to render what I’ve just done. WHAT HAVE I JUST DONE? I mentally scold and yell at myself. This is even worse than humiliation. They’re obviously not going to believe me. I curse at myself for being such an idiot.

            How could I say I’m dating someone rich and hot as Lee Richards?

            It doesn’t even sound believable to my own ears.

            I feel like slamming my head against a wall again and again. I have got to be the world’s largest idiot.

            Karen’s eyes are wide for a second—as is everyone else’s—but she quickly covers it up with a dull expression. She brings the microphone closer to her lips.

            “Prove it.”

 Bam! Told you I'd upload within this week! 

Its midnight here, and I'm cramped against my bed finishing this chapter. I started at like eleven. I also was having a cram session since I'm falling behind on projects, teehee. Its worth it though. I like writing this wayyy better. 

ohmergawd. What will happen? What will Ivory do? 

Find out next time in .... Started Wtih a Lie!! 

^^^ Always wanted to do that.

ANYWAYS -- VOTE, COMMENT, COTE, VOMMENT, READ, FAN, WHATEVER ELSE THERE IS. 

Thank you again. <3 xoxo 

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