Free Bite Me! by Melissa Francis

the last person seen with Noah and since it looks like Noah had been in a fight before he died…” He trailed off to let us draw our own conclusions.
    â€œThat’s not what happened,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. I mean, it was kinda what happened, but not exactly. And I knew Ryan had nothing to do with Noah’s death. “There was no way Ryan beat Noah up andjust left him there. He’s not that guy.”
    â€œOh? Well, by all means, clear this up for us, AJ. All we want is a firsthand account of the situation.”
    â€œNoah and I did go off into the woods together and we did make out for a little bit. But then I stopped things because it was getting out of hand and I wasn’t ready.”
    â€œAnd he was okay with you stopping?”
    â€œNo. He tried to force me to touch him and when he stuck his tongue down my throat again, I bit it.”
    â€œAnd is that when Ryan found you?”
    â€œYes, but not just Ryan. Bridget Craig and Malia Gervase were with him.”
    â€œWhat happened then?” he asked, steadily making notes on the pad.
    â€œI told Noah off, and we left.”
    â€œAll of you?”
    This wasn’t fair. I had to tell the truth, even though my gut told me Ryan hadn’t done anything. If anyone was to blame, it was me. I couldn’t lie to a police officer, could I? No. Never. I couldn’t.
    Not even for Ryan.
    â€œYes, we all left together.”
    Never mind, I guess I could. Great. Looks like I just purchased a one-way ticket on the handbasket to hell.
    Cody cocked a copper eyebrow. “You and the girls, right?”
    â€œNo, all of us. Ryan, too.”
    â€œHm,” Cody said, scribbling another note. I leaned over to try to see what he was writing, but he closed the notebook before I could get a good look.
    â€œHm, what?” I asked.
    â€œNothing for you to worry about, AJ. Thank you for your time. We’ll be back in touch if we have any more questions.”
    Cody placed his hat back on his head and tipped it toward Mom. “Thank ya kindly, Dr. Fraser.”
    â€œYou’re welcome, Cody. Give my best to your momma.”
    Mom closed the door, then turned back toward me with her arms folded across her chest. “What’s gotten into you?” she accused. “First you booze it up at a party and now you’re lying to a police officer. This is just not like you, AJ.”
    â€œWhat?” I said, trying not to stammer. “What do you mean?”
    â€œI saw that look on your face just before you answered that last question. You lied to him.”
    I sighed. “Mom, do you think Ryan beat Noah up?”
    â€œNo. But—”
    â€œBut nothing. He didn’t. I know it, and you know it.”
    â€œYou lied to keep him out of trouble. That is never a smart thing to do. You need to call Cody right now and tell him the truth.”
    â€œI already told you, we all left together.”
    â€œAriel Jane, this will come back to bite you in the ass, and you know it.”
    â€œWell, it’s something I’ll have to live with, then. Ryan couldn’t do that to Noah. He couldn’t do that to anyone.”
    â€œAJ, you’re not a liar. You’ve never been a liar. Why do this?”
    My heart felt like a wrung-out washcloth. She was right. The truth had always been important to me, even though I live a lie every day. Now that I think about it, honesty is important because I live this lie. It’s not easy being one thing and pretending to be something else.
    Lying didn’t feel right. But I could live with it, because Ryan getting into trouble over something I know he didn’t do would’ve felt much, much worse.
    â€œRyan wasn’t there. We all left together.”
    With those four words I completed my transformation from Dudette Do-Right to Little Miss Deviant.
    Â 
    Guilt clung to me like Saran Wrap as I drove home. The more I tried to shake my brain