Alright, so here's my first Lying Game story! So glad to finally get it out - its been waiting until I was done with midterms! And now I am, so I hope you like it! Please take a minute to share some feedback when you're done! Enjoy!

Grieving Sutton

When someone dies, it's always difficult. Especially when the person is your twin sister, family member, or you've been in love with her for years. But when the only people who know about the death are people who've been cornered in a lying game, nothing good ever comes from it. When your dead sister set you up with her life but then calls you a liar, a manipulator, a thief, nothing good ever comes from it. The same happens when your ex-girlfriend is jealous of her sister, wanting revenge, planning a way to steal you back: nothing good can happen. And when you've been in love with her for such a long time and suddenly find out she's gone, your whole world collapses.

And nothing seems right again.

Because no matter how much you want to hate her for teasing you with a wealthy, happy life and then pulling it from you, you can't hate her. Or no matter the desire to loathe her for dating you and when you break up she gets extremely possessive, you can't. It's just not possible. And if she dated you as a quick get-away, like you're nothing more than a one-week stand, you'd want to destroy her. But when the reality kicks in and you realize that she's gone for real, for good, things start to disintegrate.

And suddenly, you don't feel the need to hate her, but you do feel the overwhelming need to pity her. Pity her for her bad choices in life, for what she could have done better. Suddenly its as if everything she was wasn't so malicious as you'd thought after all, that possibly she really did care a little bit for some of the people around her. Its possible that she did realize that she'd taken for granted her whole luxurious life all this time, that she was better off than she'd ever thought, that she had all she wanted and more.

Somehow though, it never seemed to be enough when she was alive.

"I can't believe this is happening. You know, it's funny. Just standing here, you can feel her everywhere. Just so alive. I can't even believe that she could be gone," I state monotonously, as I attempt once again to fully comprehend what we'd just learned. It is a lot to take in, even after what I've been through.

Walking blindly, I stop in the middle of the room and slowly turn around, taking in every inch of her life. The rows of pictures on her wall of her with friends and family, smiling or joking, but always cheerful. The bed that she's slept so many years in, the tremendous closet that she's gathered from everywhere you could think of. It's all here. Her trophies from tennis, collecting dust in the closet because she couldn't bear to throw them out but not displayed because it seemed too self-indulgent to show them off (not that she cared).

Ethan sighs as he also looks around, "You know, as bad as things ended, we did have some good times together. She was unpredictable. You just hold your breath and go along for the ride."

Not what I expected him to say. It makes me sad to realize that he really did love her at one point, just like I know he loves me. It must be worse for him though, to realize that she's gone for sure, especially because he's known her for so much longer than I ever have or will. A lump forms in my throat. Sadness, that's what it is.

Thayer sighs. I can tell he's thinking about the old days, when he was truly in love with Sutton and could see the future ahead of them; how he'd marry her and they'd live like kings. And I feel bad for him although he's proven to be more of an annoying boy than I'd ever thought he could be.

"You know, I think I've been in love with Sutton Mercer since the second grade. I remember when she came over with Mads for a play-date and I actually got tongue tied. Over a seven-year-old. Even then, she had this crazy confidence. We were just drawn to it." He laughs lightly like he can't believe it.

I don't think any of us really believe it anyway.

History always plays an enormous impact on the future. My history, our history, has been short but in those brief moments, there were times that I really felt we'd connected as real sisters do.

The first time I ever saw Sutton, I couldn't believe my eyes. There she was; an exact copy of me, standing right before me! It was exhilarating to know that I really wasn't along in this cruel world; that I had some real family, family that I thought wouldn't throw me out like all the foster families always did. She was like a light in the darkness. Truly, it was the best feeling that I've ever had; the bond that automatically formed between us when I first saw her.

Small instances throughout the past few months have really added up to make something real. Sutton has a heart whether she admits it or not, and I could see small pieces of it at times. And shockingly, I miss that. I miss her. Especially now that I know I'll never be able to see her again.

"I'll never forget the first time I heard her voice," I smile, "God, it was like this electric charge; my sister! My sister! My twin. I feel bad that I- I still don't know her as well as you guys do. But if I had, I'm sure that we'd have been inseparable," I grin as I cling to the wisp of a hope.

Once again somber, I carefully set down the picture I held of Sutton, Mads and Char all smiling gayly into the camera. Regretfully, I say, "Thank you for sharing your friends and your family with me. It really changed my life."

My voice betrays me, catching on a note that I don't want it to catch on, showing vulnerability that I didn't want anyone to see.

Despite the many times Sutton's betrayed me, confused me, mislead me, I really believe that we had a connection between us, that we could have been best friends had she not died.

I walk over and scoot onto the bed next to Ethan, winding my fingers between his beautiful hair sadly. He just takes my hand as I look over to Thayer, who cries silently, tears streaming down his face as he feels loss for his dead love.

And then -

"Well, isn't this cozy," An extremely familiar voice chills us as we jump up on red alert, shocked by what we find. "I'm sorry, have I come at a bad time?" She smirks sarcastically.

We stare at her uncomprehendingly until she smiles almost eerily at us, our eyes wide in astonishment.

Sutton.

She's alive? But how can this be?

All the signs were there! She didn't show up for the party or answer her phone; A note was shipped as a present, warning me that the worst imaginable could happen had I not acted Sutton's part, indicating that she was dead; The abandoned car in the lake, like someone dragged her body away to bury! All of them led to the same conclusion!

So Thayer lied to us that she's dead? Or did he truly believe that?

In my heart, I can feel doubt being planted as my thoughts race to sort things out.

And then it crumbles. She's back to torture me all over again.

She still has my secrets, my weaknesses on her side. She knows how to hurt me and will stop at nothing to get her life back. She's Sutton; she's bound to reveal me to the family before I can reveal myself, getting me sent back to Vegas and imprisoned for life. No, how could it go this way? I've been teased time and time again over the course of my life, but never has the time when the unimaginable been torn away from me been so heart breaking.

"What do you want?" I snap, my voice stronger than I'd ever thought it could be.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," She smirks. "Only my life back, as I'd said before, but its not like you would give it up all that easy, now would you?"

Ethan interrupts her, "Don't threaten her!-"

"If you've noticed, love, I haven't yet. Not yet."

"But if you do..." Ethan warns her, eyes narrowed possessively.

And I'm suddenly thrilled. Electric shocks run through my body as I realize that someone is actually standing up for me against the bad guy for the first time in my life.

"Ethan," I whisper, grabbing his hand and pulling him back into reality.

In the background, I can hear the garage door opening. Laurel and our parents must be home finally. I vaguely wonder where they were until my attention is captured again by the situation at hand.

Thayer shakes his head, and speaking up, he says, "Sutton, we thought you were dead! At least give us an explanation before you throw us all out onto the side of the road as if we're nothing to you. That much you owe us."

"Or you owe Emma that to say the least," Ethan adds, still shaking with rage.

My voice raises as I accuse her, "You're a bitch, tricking us like that!"

"Now, now," She soothes, inspecting her finger nails as if we were talking about the social statuses at school. "Don't get too worked up about things. And you know what? I don't owe you anything. I don't owe anyone anything! So butt out," She snaps, strolling gracefully over to the door and yanking it open and then shut, closing us off from her and the rest of the house.

"She's alive," Thayer chokes out, startled and yet still stuck in the past.

Suddenly, Ethan gasps, "Damn it! They're home!"

It take me a moment to comprehend that, but when I do, my face turns startlingly pale, the blood draining as realization seeps into me.

"She's going to tell them," I moan.

Sinking down onto the bed, my lip begins to tremble as I realize yet again what it means, what I've been losing sleep over for the past few months, what I've stressed over until I couldn't stress over anymore. It means that I'll be sent back to Vegas just like I'd guessed all along. The family will hate me; I'll never have another family treat me like one of their own again. I'll be sent to jail, tortured with memories of such a rich life, one that the people wielding it don't even stop to enjoy, to realize all that they have is ten times more than people like me do. I'll be ruined for life; jail, theft and treason on my record for the rest of my existence. And she won't even care one bit.

That's the worst part about it.

My sister doesn't care the least about me. It stings painfully, thinking about it.

Dazed, I look up at Ethan and Thayer with glassy, teary eyes, holding back the tears that threaten to burst out.

"Come on," Ethan kindly helps me to my feet, his hands on the small of my back, guiding my shaky legs as I stand.

Taking his hand, I let him open the door and take charge of finding my family as I walk behind him unthinkingly, almost like a machine; without a brain at all.

The boys tense up on either side of me, just as I do, when we hear voices drifting through the rooms. I peek around the corner, wanting to see what happens no matter the outcome.

The good thing about this scenario is that if she tells them, it hurts her as well. And she wouldn't tell them if it kills her reputation, would she? I sure hope not.

"Hey Mom. Dad. Laurel," Sutton greets them nonchalantly, leaning on the counter as Laurel and Kristen set their purses down on the counter hesitantly, suddenly smiling suspiciously as the eldest daughter pretends to look innocent but fools no one.

Ted, Kristen and Laurel stare at her strangely, their faces startled and confused.

"Where were you? I thought you'd be home," Sutton says, filling the empty air with words.

That was a risky statement of her. I guess she heard the garage open at the same time I did.

"The club?" Laurel says, her eyes confused and her grin hesitant as she wonders why Sutton didn't know that. "We told you before you left, remember?"

Yes, I do now. Wish I did before though.

"Oh yeah," Sutton pretends to remember, waving her hand in dismissal as she moves onto another topic. "So these past weeks were something, huh?"

As I watch, I can see Laurel and Ted attempting to slip out of the room and succeeding as Sutton looks after them longingly and Kristen ignores the obvious.

Bet she's wishing she never brought this subject up now. She's lost her chance to reveal me in front of all of them.

"Yes," Kristen speaks up, putting one hand on her hip as she faces her daughter in direct confrontation."You're mood swings are something, aren't they? For years, you've been so demanding, so rude, and suddenly you're this perfect angel! Sweetie, it makes me so happy. Don't forget to be the best you can be, okay?"

Kristen grabs her hand, looking at her fondly, proud of her daughter for something that I did.

"Don't touch me," Sutton snaps suddenly, as if returning to herself after briefly paying no attention. She turns sharply on her heel but then decides against it and leans against the counter slyly, as if bargaining with herself.

"So as I know, I'm adopted, right?"

Kristen gives her a look, obviously wondering just where she's taking this, "Yes."

I bury my face in Ethan's chest, not able to look as Sutton wrecks my life, wrecks my dreams, wrecks all the hopes I've ever dared to have.

"Did you ever ask Dad about that lady from high school? What was her name... Annie?" Sutton sneers.

Not bothering to reply, but standing still and observing her daughter, Kristen sets her hand on her hip, suspicion etched into her body language.

"Well," Sutton continues, "I've heard some rumors. From Char and Mads' moms mostly. Supposedly the reason that she fled town was that she did it with both Ted and Alec. She was pregnant and had to leave or else her reputation would be ruined."

By this point, Kristen's pale white and shaking her head, looking as though she's trying not to believe what her daughter tells her but cannot help but trust her, listening to something that she never wanted to hear.

"And hey - you know what? Isn't that bizarre that Char's aunt's real name is Annie? The one that goes as Rebecca now? Wouldn't that be something," Sutton muses smugly. "And apparently she had to give her twin daughters up for adoption."

Kristen's hands shake as she warily asks Sutton a question. She pronounces every syllable with care, clearly punctuating her sentence with distrust and doubt, "What on earth are you implying?"

Reviews please? Should I continue or leave it as is? Thanks! (: