Page 12 of The Lies We Steal

“It’s dead.” She says, catching me staring at it, she wiggles her finger, before pointing at the ones on the wall, “All of them are dead. So you don’t have to worry about anything crawling around on you at night.”

The way she says it makes me think she’s had to say those words before or she’s used to defending her hobby. She likes bugs and I steal things, who am I judge?

“They don’t bother me,” I say, scanning the room, laughing a bit. “I mean the spiders are a little creepy, but it’s kinda cool. I’ve never met anyone who’s collected them before.”

A little weight falls off her shoulders, a pretty smile breaking across her face as she reaches her recently cleaned hand towards me,“I’m Lyra. It’s called entomology. The study of bugs, but I’m mostly a lepidopterist nowadays, just butterflies and moths, minus a few beetles.”

Ah, just first names. What a good start.

“Briar. Kinda jealous I don’t have a cool hobby. Is there a reason for it? Or have you always just liked bugs?” I return the handshake with a smile.

“I have a thing for dead stuff. It’s a long story, so Briar Lowell, right? I heard you talking to Lizzy.” She starts walking towards her side of the room as she keeps talking, “Princess of the oil industry. Four-year state soccer champion, graduated fourth in our class and she pushed her best friend in a pool at senior prom by accident, because she accidentally wore the same color as her.” The wordsaccidentallyare used in finger quotations.

“So, she’s the queen bee around these parts then?” I toss my stuff on the bed, sitting on the springy mattress. I was trying to not be judgmental, but Lizzy gave me the vibes of the kind of girl you were friends with only because you didn’t want her as an enemy.

“That’s the thing about Ponderosa Springs.” She follows my movements on her own bed, kicking her boots off.“Other places have one Regina George. Here, there is never just one. Every piece of the hierarchy has their own mean girl, the jocks, have Lizzy. Nerds have Emily Jackville, future aerospace engineer. Art nuts have Yasmine Poverly, daughter of not one but two art tycoons, and is said to have swirls like Picasso. Or whatever that means.”

“This place is just every teenagers dream huh?” I joke sarcastically.

She snorts, “Basically.”

“So, how do you know all of this? Are you local?”

Twirling the ring on her finger and staring at the ceiling, she answers, “Yeah. Ponderosa Springs born and raised. I’m not from a crazy wealthy family, so for me that means I’m a ghost. I’m not really bullied but no one talks to me either. I don’t benefit anyone so I’m not included. I just kinda float around this place, watching everyone else.” She turns her head to look at me, “Anything you need to know about this place and the people who live here, I probably already know about it.”

I nod,“I know what that’s like. Being invisible, it’s easier that way when you know the alternative. Back home, I didn’t have many friends either.”

“Welcome to the loner society, Briar Lowell. I’m the president, but there is an opening for a VP.”

I laugh, leaning up and sitting with my legs crossed. Loner Society party of two. I liked the sound of that. Having a friend, being a part of something. I bend down, grabbing the flier Lizzy had given me.

My fingers graze the thick paper, reading the words over and over again.

When I was in middle school, I got invited to a sleepover birthday party. Nothing big, just a few girls from my English class. I’d never been over to anyone’s house before and I was stupid to get excited.

Long story short, my fun ended after mani-pedis when my dad got busted trying to rob a bank. It was all over town within a matter of seconds and I’d quickly gone from Briar, quiet girl in English. To Briar Lowell, trailer park trash whose daddy stole to get by.

I was told to leave the party that night.

And I never talked about it again.

But things are different here. No one recognizes my last name. No one knows who I am. I can be whoever I want. There is no limit. I no longer have to be a criminal prodigy with a stained reputation.

I no longer have to be the outsider. To conceal myself so I can steal things because everything here is already paid for. All because I was worried about the lights being shut off or not having food on the table.

I wanted a life I didn’t just have to survive.

One I could enjoy.

And I knew just how to start.

Briar

This idea made a lot more sense inside of my head than it did right now. It had seemed like a great plan all evening, getting ready, driving here, even the first twenty minutes seemed promising.

“I can’t believe I let you drag me here,” Lyra laughs, hiding her face behind her red solo cup that’s still at the same amount from the time we arrived and I poured it for her.

We were clustered in a corner outside people watching.

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