I’d told my grandmother we’d have to tell her the truth and lie to her. Well, the truth was my family didn’t kill hers. But they did die because of me.
TWENTY
“The future for me is already a thing of the past.”
~ Bob Dylan
IVY – AGE TEN
“Why doesn’t anyone believe me?” I yelled from in front of the house. “I do have a friend! He lives here!”
“Does not!” Rory yelled back at me.
“Does too!”
“DOES NOT!” she screamed, pushing me into the fence.
“DOES TOO!” I pushed her back and started to run. “I’ll show you!”
Climbing over the fence, I looked back over at them, but none of them were coming. “Come on!”
“No, we’re going home.” Rory crossed her arms.
“Yea! We don’t want to be seen hanging out with you.” Megan, one of her friends, along with Rachel, laughed at me, crossing their arms too.
Smiling, I put my hands on my hips. “Fine, but you have to tell everybody you were wrong.”
“We aren’t wrong. Look, it’s all dusty!” She pointed out the house behind me. “No one lives there—”
“I bet you’re wrong.”
Rory paused, thinking about it. “Bet what? Your earrings?”
My hands went up to cover my ears. “No! My mom just gave me these!”
“See, knows she’s lying.” She laughed with everyone.
“I am not!” I yelled again, stomping my foot. “Fine! I bet my earrings, but when you lose you have to say sorry in front of everyone.”
“Fine!” she yelled, climbing over the fence with the rest of them.
Smiling, I ran to the corner of the house where the window was, trying to pull it open.
“If anyone is here, why don’t you just knock?” Rachel whispered.
“’Cause she’s lying,” Rory said again, and I wanted to yell, but I pulled harder. It still wouldn’t budge.
“What are you all doing?”
They screamed, but I just turned around. There was an old man holding on to a cane with one hand, his black and brown dark dog barking at us, making them jump.
“She said a boy lives down here.” Rory pointed down at the window. “She told us to come see.”
The old man frowned. “Sorry, ladies, there isn’t any boy—”
“YES, THERE IS!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Why didn’t anyone believe me? “He’s been here—”
“Sweetheart, I think you’re a little confused. I’d know if someone was living in my own house. I just sold it yesterday and had the whole place cleaned the day before that.”