Listen Lucky

30. Liars

Kicks - Lauren Aquilina

***

Will and I stayed and talked for a while, it was like a weight had been lifted between us. He didn't dwell on what had happened, instead he wanted to know about Lucía and the rest of her family.

"She was my complete opposite in many ways, it's quite funny really. I was the shy blonde and she was the outgoing, sassy brunette. You didn't know me back then, I was a completely different person, so quiet and nervous. Lucía brought me out of my shell I guess, she taught me its ok to stick up for myself.

I guess I took that too far after she was killed. I just felt like the whole of my existence was pointless and I went off the rails, stealing, getting into fights. I was just so angry all the time. After a lot of therapy I learnt to control my anger. Not having to live in the same house where Lucía and I had our first sleepover helped a lot as well," I was sat on the bench, with my legs drawn up to my chest. I felt calm, calmer than I would have ever expected to feel talking about her.

"What about Javier? You must have been pretty close with him?" He asked after a beat.

"Javy was older and mysterious and handsome, he was just everything a young girl dreams about. He used to call me Cariño so obviously I had a huge crush on him. And then one day, out of nowhere he kissed me and you know, for a first kiss, it was pretty amazing, but he died shortly after that so I guess I'll never know if things would have worked out," I shrugged.

"It's one of the things I dream about, the reason I don't sleep. Every time I try I see Javy dying over and over again. And Maya. I think that was the worst," I took a deep breath and decided to stop thinking about their deaths.

Will didn't say anything, he just sat silently listening. Honestly, I didn't need him to say anything, his presence was comfort in itself.

It was almost dark by the time he dropped me home, we had talked for so long. As soon as I got in I began apologising to Willow for ditching her at school, Will was her ride home.

"Oh no, it's fine. Dex picked me up, I think Will texted him to. Where did you guys go?" she asked, looking slightly dubious.

I didn't want to tell her that Will now knew everything, the deal with my parents was to start over, which meant not telling anyone. Telling people was how we would get discovered, for obvious reasons we wanted to remain pretty much anonymous. There was never any proof that my attacker was stalking me and moving to Montana made it even less likely, but we still had to be cautious.

"I got in a fight with Sutton and then Marc and I just had to leave. We went for some food and talked," I lied.

"Yeah, I heard she ran away like a scared little puppy. Nice job sis," she grinned at me before heading towards the stairs. Hopefully people would talk more about the argument than the rumour that started it.

***

I was completely right, people would not stop going on about Sutton versus Malia. Everywhere I went in the school people would cheer for me because I had finally taken on Sutton the dictator who had been darkening the hallways since freshman year.

I tried to ignore them, to just lay low, but it was kind of hard when Emma kept waving graciously to the crowds.

"Would you stop that?!" I batted her hand down.

"You're a hero Malia! Why can't you just bask in the glory for a little while?"

"Do you ever shut up?" Pan chuckled. His mouth said one thing, but the way he smiled at her told me that he thought every word that left her lips was silver or gold or anything else that's precious in the world.