Wicked Lies

by Michelle Areaux

  "Hello ladies," he stated gruffly. I couldn't understand why someone as attractive as Ms. Calister would pursue someone like Principal Halloway. Firstly, he's married; and secondly, he's a rude, obnoxious, chubby man. He makes no effort to hide his disdain for certain employees and students, which results in his consistently negative, yearly surveys. How he managed to get such an attractive "friend" and keep his high status baffled me.

  Lucy and I smiled as we approached him, still watching Ms. Calister as she walked away. He kept his gaze on her far too long as she sashayed through the hall as if she were walking a catwalk. Gross, I thought to myself, shuddering as images of the two crept into my mind.

  Lucy ignored the obviously inappropriate exchange between our school leaders and wasted no time rushing up to him with our forms. "Mr. Halloway, Sadie and I have applied to the school’s journalism department. We want to be on the school's newspaper and morning news team and these applications need your signature." She shoved the papers in front of him, offering him her sweetest smile. She was pushy, but kind. Hopefully, the combination would work on someone as grumpy as him.

  He took a moment to glance at the forms, then reached into his light blue dress shirt pocket, and retrieved a thin pen with which he quickly signed both forms.

  Mr. Holloway exhaled and handed them both back to Lucy. "It's nice to see kids being proactive. I know our school's newspaper and news team would love to have you both. You'll make a fine addition to the team."

  We nodded our heads in agreement and smiled, hoping he'd hurry so we could leave.

  He tucked his pen back into his dress shirt pocket. "Well ladies, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend." Mr. Holloway said goodbye and left.

  "Thank you for your time," we said in unison, tucking our signed applications into our backpacks.

  "Wow, you really are pushy," I said, taking her hand and leading her out of the office and toward the school's exit. I was ready to leave school and see someone else.

  Lucy shoved me and laughed. "I am not pushy; I'm just straightforward and informative. Plus, if I hadn’t had researched these schools, printed the forms, and practically forced you to fill them out, we wouldn’t have this opportunity. I don’t know about you, but I could really use this class on my college application.

  "We're going to be seniors next year. It's time you start thinking about what you want to do when you grow up. I mean, I don’t think messenger to the dead is a high-paying job."

  I rolled my eyes, countered, "Oh, shut-up," and laughed.

  "Why aren’t you more excited about this?" Lucy asked.

  Lucy sighed, stopped walking, and turned to face me. Her face grew serious as she spoke to me quietly. "Sadie, I understand your life has been hectic, but this is an opportunity for you to do something that will make an impression on our school and our future college. I know you wanted to spend our last summer as high school students hanging out, but I promise we can still have fun‒we can shop and gossip the rest of the summer, after you get back. Let’s promise each other that we'll find our topics and have our articles completed before the end of summer."

  I shifted my backpack on my shoulder. "Okay, I guess I can handle that. I mean, Noah will be working, and you'll be busy, too. What else do I have to do?"

  "That’s the spirit!" Lucy said a little too enthusiastically. She pulled me close for an awkward hug. Her energy was making me tired, but I loved her anyway.

  Outside of the school, the warm, summer sun felt good on my face. I couldn’t wait to spend my days outdoors, in the beautiful summer air and not cooped up inside a dingy, old school.

  The only problem was, I had to tell someone else I wouldn’t be around for the summer. My heart jumped when I saw Noah waiting by my car. Anytime I felt upset or frustrated, just seeing his sweet face always made me smile.

  Noah looked up, his eyes met mine, and he gave me a questioning look. His shaggy, brown hair was a mess, just the way I liked it. His jeans fit loosely around his hips and his fitted, black t-shirt clung to his abs. I hated the way he looked at me as I stood on the steps of the school; it was as if he could see the anxiety on my face from across the parking lot. Gaining my courage, I slowly descended the stairs, slowing even further as I approached him. As much as I wanted to run to him and jump into his arms, I hated that I'd have to tell him I'd have to spend my summer researching an article I wasn’t thrilled about writing. The last paper I wrote had almost gotten me killed‒literally. I wasn’t sure how he'd take the news I was going to actively pursue another newsworthy topic.

  "Hey, Sadie, what’s going on?" he asked, reaching for my arms and pulling me in close for a hug. "You didn’t call me last night, you've avoided me all day, and now you look as if someone's died." The hurt in his voice stung deeper than any pain imaginable. He was right: I wasn’t being fair.

  "Sadie had another dead girl visit her today," Lucy stated very matter-of-factly. I knew she was trying to divert Noah’s attention from what was really bothering me.

  Noah shook his head and squeezed my shoulders. "Nah, that’s not it. My girl would never be this upset over some dead girl asking her to deliver a message. You two are hiding something from me. Just tell me: what’s wrong?"

  Lucy and I exchanged nervous glances. The world around us seemed perfect‒the sun was shining in the midst of a beautiful, cloudless sky, birds were chirping in the tall oak trees in the schoolyard, and students walked together, talking and laughing, their voices filling the air with the sound of happiness. Everything was perfect‒everything except for the storm brewing inside me.

  Noah slowly withdrew his arm from around my shoulders and I felt as if my world had suddenly collapsed. Whatever rock had been holding me up seemed to crumble when we stopped touching, and my heart dropped deep into the pit of my stomach.

  "Okay, now you guys are really scaring me." Noah turned and looked deep into my eyes, searching for an answer. "Sadie, are you breaking up with me?" he asked with such a pained expression, I felt as if I'd just killed his puppy.

  "No!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around his neck. I couldn’t believe my moody behavior had led him to believe I'd ever want to lose him.

  Lucy was watching the scene as it suddenly turned dramatic and grew nervous. I could tell she was out of her comfort zone. "This is my cue to leave. Sadie, I'll call you later." She rushed away from us in a near sprint before Noah had the chance to interrogate her. Lucy couldn’t lie to save her life, so whenever she was faced with a lie or flight situation, Lucy always chose flight.

  I inhaled Noah’s sweet scent, taking in the aroma of his musky aftershave and soap. I craved that smell. It always seemed to calm me.

  I pushed Noah away from me, breaking our grasp, took a step up onto one of the steps leading to our school, and stood in front of him, eye-to-eye. I'm so sorry that you thought I'd ever break up with you." I began, trying to ease his worries with a smile. I hesitated before continuing because I knew he'd be upset once I'd revealed my secret. I took a deep breath and bit my lip before continuing. "Noah, I've been hiding something from you, but I promise, it’s not what you think."

  I sighed, not wanting to ruin the moment. I'd waited all day for this moment, and now I was about to ruin everything. I decided to take my time, inhaling his sweet aroma, allowing his large arms to hold me tightly, so I felt safe and at home.

  Noah had become the person I turned to when I was upset or scared. He was the reason I was able to trust people again. He taught me to share the truth about whom and what I really am with others. He made me believe I could love and that I could be loved. How could I tell him I was leaving him? How could I ever leave him?

  I lifted my head so that our eyes met and blew out the breath I hadn’t even known I'd been holding. "Noah," I inhaled and took a deep breath in, "there's something I need to tell you."

  Chapter Three

  I didn’t think anything would hurt more than when I had to leave Amber and Lea behind in California. Boy was I wrong.
Telling Noah, I'd be leaving him this summer for four weeks hurt more than anything I've ever had to do. After tears, questions, and promising to talk every day, Noah finally calmed down long enough for me to explain my parents’ plans to go away on vacation and send me down south to stay with my Aunt Morgan in Kentucky.

  The day I told Noah I was leaving, he totally freaked out; I'm talking end of the world, crazy, teenage girl, freaking out. Once I'd managed to calm him down, we decided to spend as much time together as possible. I promised to FaceTime him every night, call every free moment I had, and get home as soon as I possibly could.

  He followed me home after our conversation on the school stairs, and we spent the rest of the evening studying for finals and watching television. Neither one of us focused on our school work or the cheesy comedy playing in the background. My parents, who had brought home Chinese food, watched us closely, noting the sadness exuding from the both of us.

  Once Noah had left, I tried to escape to my room before facing my parents' wrath, but unfortunately, they were quick to start up a conversation I didn’t want to have.

  "Sadie," my dad called just as my foot touched the first stair.

  I cursed silently to myself as I turned, praying he hadn’t heard me. "Yes," I replied, keeping my head down.

  "Please come here and talk to us." His voice sounded more concerned than angry. As I walked into the living room, he offered a small smile before talking. "We understand you're upset, but what we're doing is for your own good." My dad motioned for me to sit between him and my mom on the leather couch. I obeyed, releasing a heavy sigh and sitting with my arms crossed in silent protest to show how upset I was. "This isn’t really a conversation, is it?" I asked, turning to face my dad. My voice had an edge to it, sharp enough to cut the air. "You've already made up your minds and regardless of what I say, you're still

  going to send me to stay with Aunt Morgan."

  "Sadie, we don’t want you to look at this like a punishment or think it's because we don’t trust you," my mom said, placing her hand on my knee for comfort.

  "That's exactly what this is," I shouted. "You all don’t trust me to stay here. I'm almost a senior in high school. I know I lied to you all, but I promise I won’t do anything to put myself or anyone else I care about into danger again." My eyes pleaded with them to hear me, to really hear what I was saying, because I was telling the truth for the first time in a long time.

  My mom inhaled a deep breath as she smoothed a loose strand of hair that had escaped her perfect bun. "We do trust you," she said, "and we believe you've learned a lesson from your mistake, but we think you could learn some new things staying with Morgan in Kentucky. You might even find something different to write about that will make you stand out from other peers for the news article. Plus, it's time you got to know your Aunt Morgan a little better. You two have more in common than you think," my mom stated, glancing at my father. I was curious as to why they were trading suspicious glances, but I placed that in the back of my mind for now. I'd worry about that later. For now, I just had to admit defeat and realize I was going to Kentucky in two weeks, whether I liked it or not.

  "It's getting late, and you have school tomorrow," my mom announced, standing up and yawning. Following her lead, my dad and I also stood and began to make our way to the stairs. "Sadie, we love you very much. Please understand this will be a good thing." My mom cupped my face in her hands and kissed me on the forehead. She was trying to compose herself, struggling not to cry.

  Dad patted her on the shoulder, in an attempt to comfort her on our way up the stairs.

  I followed my parents to the second floor and said goodnight as they disappeared into their room. I continued walking along the hallway until I reached my bedroom door. It was hard not to think back to the first time I stepped into the room. Back then it was just a door, a barrier in my way to finding a new room in my new house to begin my new life. Never had I imagined the mystery and adventure stepping through that door would offer. It seemed more like a million years ago than just a few short months.

  I turned the brass doorknob and stepped into my room. Everything looked the same. My violet walls were covered with my mom’s paintings, and my books were piled almost to the ceiling in the corner. A frame hung proudly next to my desk, displaying the newspaper article about my findings in Elizabeth’s journal. I even had a few letters I'd received from descendants from Elizabeth’s family, thanking me for clearing their family’s name. As I walked further into my space, I kicked off my boots and fell into my bed, and I watched the stars shine through my bedroom window until my eyes closed.

  The next morning, I awoke to birds chirping, the sun shining, and the smell of waffles, but I wanted to do nothing more than roll over and bury myself inside my comfy covers. When I finally rolled out of bed, I groaned protest, threw on a pair of black Nike running shorts, and a purple tank top. Maybe I'd feel better after a run, I thought to myself as I laced up my shoes.

  After spending the next hour running, pounding all of my anger out on the poor city streets, I made my way back home where I collapsed into a kitchen chair. Mom placed a plate of fresh waffles in front of me as I tried to catch my breath. Grateful, I smiled at my mom for saving me some breakfast, especially after my little temper tantrum last night. I picked up the fork she gave me and began eating. My dad, who had been busy reading the newspaper, folded the paper and set it aside. Both of their eyes seemed transfixed on me.

  After finally finishing my junior year and thankfully acing all of my finals, I spent the time remaining before my trip with Noah. We made it our mission to see each other every single day and not to mention my impending departure. We spent our afternoons on Noah’s boat, swimming when he wasn’t busy working. Noah had landed a cushy job cleaning boats and yachts stationed at the marina. Thankfully, the job meant lots of free time for us to swim and have picnic lunches aboard his small boat. Our evenings were spent holding hands and walking around Salem, going to the movies, having dinner, eating ice cream on the nights when the heat was unbearable, and just talking. Part of me dreaded leaving what I considered to be the perfect summer vacation, but I knew if I tried to bail on Lucy, she'd be scarier than any dead girl I've ever encountered.

  When he realized I'd soon be leaving for the summer, Noah planned a secret date. He picked me up at my house and refused to tell me where he was taking me. I carefully watched each and every turn he took, trying to figure out where our mysterious destination might be. As we drove through town, I couldn’t help but think back to how much the three of us had gone through to save the history of the town I now called home. After watching the Salem library burn, being chased by a madman, and clearing the name of Elizabeth, a once persecuted witch, I was ready to just relax and enjoy what the town had to offer. Unfortunately, as I've learned so many times before, nothing ever goes to plan.

  Noah noticed I was staring, and he shook his head, his brown curls falling over his eyes, his lips curved into his trademark, goofy smile. Every time his mouth shaped into that smile, my heart began to flutter deep inside my chest.

  "You just can’t keep your eyes off of me." He laughed as he spoke, his hazel eyes gleaming with mischief.

  His smile quickly changed to one of his infamous devilish grins, and my heart skipped a beat again. It was crazy how even after a year of dating, he still had that effect on me. After a very exciting‒and at times, dangerous‒first year in Salem, I knew Noah and I were ready to face the world together. Seriously, any couple that can handle dead girls, angry relatives, and high school drama can handle anything.

  I offered him a haughty laugh back, smiled, squeezed his hand, and leaned in close to him. "Well, aren't you just so irresistible?" I teased, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. I was only half-joking about the irresistible part.

  "You know," Noah added, changing the mood of our conversation back to something more serious, "we could run away. We could just jump on my boat and sail away and then we wouldn’t have to be
apart this summer." His lips curved into a sly smile as he watched me consider his request.

  Leave it to Noah to joke about me leaving. As much as I wanted to smack him for being so crazy, I also wanted to reach out and hug him for being so sweet. This, more than anything, would be the thing I'd miss the most.

  "As wonderful as that sounds, I think we might go hungry just sailing around on your boat all summer. Plus, knowing my parents, they'd send the coast guard after us when I didn’t return home for curfew." I laughed as I spoke, but we both knew I was right. It was fun to think about what it would be like for me and Noah to leave all our worries and cares behind and just spend the summer together.

  "Yeah, I guess you're right." He sulked, pulling me closer. "I guess I'll just have to enjoy the time we have left. You never know‒maybe your mom won’t make you leave. Or maybe you'll get to come back home early." He was really reaching if he thought any of those things were possible, which only made the idea of leaving that much harder.

  Noah reached for my hand and ran his finger along the ring he'd given me. He smiled as he pulled my hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on my hand, then one on my ring. I smiled watching him, knowing I'd remember the moment forever. "You wear that ring every day," he said.

  "Of course, I do," I replied, squeezing his hand. "It was a gift from you. It means so much to me. Every time I see it, I think of you," I added, emphasizing how much the ring really symbolized our relationship. Not wanting to end my evening with Noah on a sad note, I leaned in and gave him a soft kiss. I lingered a little too long as I took in his sweet smell, a mixture of vanilla and spices. He wrapped his arms around me tighter, and I leaned in as close as I could get. Being with Noah was thrilling, like always having butterflies fluttering in your stomach.

  We spent the rest of the evening together. When I went to bed that night, I didn’t worry about leaving for the summer, or angry ghosts. For the first time in a long time, I allowed my dreams to control my thoughts.