“Oh come on. It’ll be fun; you and me against the world.” She groaned. “Pleeease.” She thought about it for a moment.
“Fine, but you owe me.”
“Deal.” The bell rang as we approached our class. We scurried inside just before Mrs. Hill closed the door.
***
As Brooke and I approached the crowd I could smell the firewood burning. I could see the bright lights of the flame and the smoke being carried away by the gentle breeze. Everybody was drinking out of a red plastic cup and having a good time. I could hear the buzzing of the music, but I couldn’t tell what song it was. I wore pink flip flops and I could feel sand between my toes with every step I took. I had on white cut off shorts and a baby pink tank top. Brooke had on black capris and a black sleeveless camisole with a white skull printed on the front. Her feet were dressed with black combat boots.
I noticed Claire whispering something in one of her friends’ ear. She was looking at Brooke and me, so I knew she was talking about us. Josh was standing beside her sipping a Coors Light.
“Are you sure you wanna do this Hanna? We could still turn around and do something else, just the two of us?”
I took her hand and gently pulled her to follow me. “We won’t stay long.” As we got closer the music got clear; it was Katy Perry, California Gurls.
I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw pretty boy standing there with a drink in his hand.
“Hey! Hanna right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m Mark Edwards. Nice to meet you,” he said with a smile. He had cute dimples and perfect teeth.
Claire strutted towards us in her white one-piece short jump suit. Her hair whirled in the wind. Her two friends, Jessica and Katie, were with her. “I didn’t know you were invited freak?”
“It’s a free country,” she shot back.
“Lucky for you.” She looked at me. “You should really find somebody else to hang out with new girl. People judge you by the company you keep.”
“I’m okay, thanks.” Brooke and I exchanged a smile.
“Suit yourself.” She turned on her heels and headed back to be with Josh; Jessica and Katie followed.
“Here…have a drink,” Mark said as he handed me the drink that was in his hand.
“Don’t drink that Hanna, it could be spiked,” blurted Brooke.
“Always a pleasure Brooke,” he said sarcastically. She squinted her eyes at him.
I smelled inside the cup. “What is it?”
“Just beer.”
“Oh…no thanks…I don’t drink,” I said as I handed the cup back to him.
“Alright, that’s cool.”
“Sorry Mark, I guess you’re not gonna be able to get her drunk tonight.”
“Whatever.”
“Ooh, good comeback.” She rolled her eyes. I sensed some hostility between the two of them. I pulled her aside.
“Hey, what’s up with you two? Did you guys date or something?”
“Are you kidding? No! I’m just getting a bad vibe from him, that’s all.” She brushed some hair away from her face. “I’ll be cool.”
“Good, because he seems nice to me,” I whispered.
All of a sudden, a girls’ voice screamed “Who wants to play True Truth or Lie?”
“Wanna play?” I asked squeezing Brooke’s forearms.
“I guess.”
“Ooh, this is gonna be fun!”
Everybody took a seat on the sand around the bonfire. Mark snuck a seat beside me to my left and Brooke sat to my right. A girl with straight blonde hair and bangs started the game. “Okay! Ask away!”
Some guy named Shane Richards decided to ask her a question. “Have you ever had plastic surgery, and if so, what did you have done?”
She looked right at him and said “yes I have.” She squeezed both of her breasts with her hands. “I had my boobs done.”
“She’s lying!” yelled a girl with a small face and shoulder length brown hair.
“They look real to me!” gushed a broad shouldered guy with a shaved head.
“What do you think?” I asked Brooke in a low voice.
“Who cares?”
“I think you’re telling the truth!” I shouted. “They look a little too perfect.” Everybody began to whisper to one another. She gave me a long hard stare. It grew quiet.
“She’s right! I got ‘em done six months ago! C36 thanks to Dr. Night!”
Mark nudged my arm. “Nice.” I smiled as I was pleased with myself.
“So, is it my turn to be asked a question?”
“Go for it,” said Mark.
I stood up and brushed some sand off my legs. “Go ahead! Ask me something!”
Claire shot her hand in the air. I’ll ask you a question!” I bit my lip. I was afraid of what she was going to ask me. Everybody waited in anticipation.
“Have you ever been in jail?” I thought about that for a moment. Hessner was like a jail. I was denied freedom and hidden from the rest of the world. I always had to obey the rules and eat whatever food I was given. I felt like I was being punished for the things I had done. It wasn’t actual jail but it sure felt like it. I wasn’t really sure how to answer that question.
“Well?” asked Claire.
My heart hammered in my chest and I had a lump in my throat. “Ummm…no…I’ve never been in jail.”
Claire’s lips twisted into a devilish smile. “She’s totally lying!”
“No, I’m not…honest,” I said shaking my head from left to right.
“You’re not very good at this game new girl!” Claire shot back.
“She’s a bad ass!” A girl wearing plaid canvas shorts and a white t-shirt blurted. I looked down at Brooke and she giggled.
“Hey, you wanted to come.” I took a deep breath.
Mark stood up and grabbed my hand. “I think she’s telling the truth!”
“Of course you do,” I heard Brooke mumble to herself.
“Well…which is it new girl?” Claire taunted.
“I’ve never been in jail okay!”
“Okay…easy. It’s just a game,” said Claire. My eyes shifted to Josh. He winked at me and I smiled.
I sat down and crossed my arms over my chest. I looked at Mark and offered him a smile. He smiled back.
The game went on for a little while. I started to get into it so much that I hadn’t noticed Brooke and Mark were gone. I scanned the dark beach, but I couldn’t see them. I got up and wandered around the beach. The music began to fade and I wondered if I would ever find them. I was about to turn around when I noticed two people arguing by a couple of palm trees. I crept towards them and realized it was Brooke and Mark. Brooke stood firm and wagged a finger in Mark’s face. He grabbed her arm and his nostrils were flared. I tiptoed away and sprinted back to the bonfire before they saw me.
About five minutes later Brooke returned and sat down next to me.
“Where’d you go?” I asked.
“Oh…I had to find a place to pee,” she said laughing it off.
A few minutes later, Mark came back too. “Hey, did you miss me?”
“Where’ve you been? You just disappeared.”
“I went to get another drink.” I looked down at his hands and they were empty.
“Where is it?”
“I started shooting the shit with a buddy of mine and finished it.”
“Oh.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah….I guess.” Why did they lie to me?
The next day at school, Mark caught up to me in the hall and asked me for my number. I figured he was cute and single, so I gave it to him.
After school, I went outside to wait for my mother and ran into Brooke. She was sitting on the steps biting her nails, like she was nervous about something. As soon as she saw me she stood up. “Hey Hanna!”
“Hey!”
She ran her hands through her long black hair. She then looked around and came close to me so our sh
oulders touched. “This is going to sound totally random, but I need you to meet me tonight at the bleachers behind the school,” she said in a hushed tone.
“Oookaay...why?”
“I need to tell you something.”
“Well, why don’t I just meet you at your house?”
“My mom’s going out of town for the night, and I have to drive her to the airport. I’ll swing by the bleachers after I drop her off.”
“Or you can just drive to my house if you want.”
“I’d feel more comfortable if we were alone.”
“Oh, okay. What time?”
“About eight o’clock?”
“Okay, I’ll be there,” I replied as my mother’s Corolla pulled up.
***
I went into the living room, where my mother was watching television.
“Uh oh,” said my mother.
“What?”
“You always have that look on your face when you’re about to ask me for something. So...what is it?”
“Can I please borrow the car?”
“Where are you going?”
“I have to meet Brooke.”
“I don’t know. You know what happened the last time I let you borrow the car.”
“Mom. That was a long time ago. I wasn’t myself, but I’m better now.” She looked at me reluctantly. “Pleeeease,” I begged with my hands folded like I was praying.
“This isn’t about a boy, right?”
“No! I swear!” My mom was still freaked out about the Simon thing.
“Fine. You have two hours.” I gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek.
“Thanks, Mom!”
“Just don’t make me regret my decision!” she bellowed as I grabbed the car keys off the hall table and left.
***
Minutes later, I pulled into a space in the school parking lot and cut the engine. The sun had gone down, but the outside lights radiated over the lot. I could see the bleachers from where I was positioned. I pulled the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. Once outside, I locked the door remotely with a beep. The school looked so different at night. There were no teachers. No students. No cars zooming by on the road. Just me.
The night was still, and leaves crunched under my shoes as I walked across the field. I climbed a few bleachers and sat down. I looked at my Motorola, and the time was 8:07 PM. I sent Brooke a text: I’m here. I then pressed the Facebook icon and started reading status updates while I waited for her to respond; only, she didn’t. Soon, it was 8:25 PM. I sent her another text: where are you? I have to b home by 10. Nothing. Finally, I sent her one more text: Where are you? I’m coming to your house.
I jumped down the bleachers and marched to my car. Suddenly, I heard a scrunching noise behind me. I stopped walking and turned around, but nobody was there. I took heel-and-toe steps to the car as my heart pounded in my chest. When I reached my car, I fumbled in my pocket for the keys. Once the door was open, I jumped in and immediately locked it. I used the browser on my phone and searched her last name and found her address. I turned on the car, and the engine came to life. I put on my seatbelt and looked at my phone one more time before driving off.
Within ten minutes I arrived at Brooke’s house. I pulled up to the curb in front of her house and put the car into park. It was dark, so I couldn’t see her house that well. Her car wasn’t in the driveway and all the lights in the house were off. I assumed she got held up with her mother at the airport or something, so I called her cell, but it went to voicemail. I decided to wait for her to come back. It was 8:45 PM. I turned off the ignition and decided to read Facebook status updates while I wait.
I was jolted awake by a crash of thunder. I grabbed my phone and checked the time. It was 9:52 PM. Crap! I fell asleep! I had eight minutes to get home. I called my mother to let her know what happened and that I was on my way home. I put the car in drive and put on my seatbelt. I glanced at Brooke’s house and noticed that her car still wasn’t in the driveway. I checked my phone but there weren’t any text messages. What happened to Brooke?
***
The next morning while my mother drove me to school, I tried calling Brooke’s phone, but she didn’t answer; instead, it went straight to her voicemail. When we reached the school, I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door.
“Bye, honey. I’ll see you after school.”
“Bye, Mom,” I said, stepping out of the car. “By the way, thanks for trusting me with the car last night.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome.”
I smiled back and closed the door.
On my way into school, I saw Claire standing by the parking spaces reserved for popular seniors. She was leaning on her white punch buggy, and she was with Jessica and Katie. My plan was to avoid eye contact and keep walking, but she called out for me; she didn’t say my name, but I knew she was talking to me as she yelled, “New girl.” I stopped short and looked at her.
“Get over here, new girl!” she yelled again.
All of them were staring at me, so I bit my bottom lip and slowly walked toward them.
“So, new girl, how do you know my boyfriend Josh?”
“Well, I don’t really know him. I–”
“But you added him as a friend on Facebook.”
“Yeah, I was just adding random people, and we chat sometimes in geometry class.” Her eyes became hard. “Look, if it’s such a big deal, I’ll unfriend him.”
“No need. It’s not like I should be threatened or anything.” She tossed her long streaked hair over her shoulder and gave me a fake smile. All of a sudden, I saw Josh walking towards us. My cheeks felt like they were on fire.
“Hey, babe,” he said as he kissed Claire on the lips.
“Hi, handsome,” she squealed as she wrapped her bony arms around his neck.
“Hey, Hanna. How’s it going?”
“Good, thanks,” I said.
“Did you have fun at the bonfire last night?”
“Yeah, I did, thanks.”
“Hey jailbird!” a petite girl with long blonde hair blurted as she walked by. She was with a group of stuck up looking females. I recognized her from the bonfire last night. “Is it true that you served time?” I felt like I was being put on trial. I looked around fearful that everybody was staring at me. My heart hammered in my chest. Is this what the whole school thinks of me? I thought. That I’m a convicted felon? I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak.
“Why don’t you mind your own business?” Claire shot. “Maybe you should spend a little more time waxing your upper lip and a little less time getting into my friends’ business.” Friend?
She considered me a friend?
“Whatever. Let’s go girls.”
“Toodles,” Claire said in a snarky tone as she wiggled her fingers to dismiss them. As they strutted away Claire and I exchanged a smile. I couldn’t believe she had my back like that. Maybe her reputation preceded her.
I then pulled out my smartphone and sent a text to Brooke: Hey, what happened to you last night? I looked up from my Motorola and caught all of them staring at me.
“Who are you texting, new girl?” Claire probed, raising her left eyebrow. Look who’s getting into my business now, I thought.
“Oh. Brooke. We were supposed to meet up last night, but she never showed up.”
“Brooke Tillier? That freak?” Claire blurted.
“Give it a rest,” said Josh.
“Be careful; she might sleep with your dad,” Katie said, and all three girls cackled.
“She totally hooked up with a teacher that used to work here. He lost his job because of her,” said Claire with a smug look on her face. Even though I knew what she was talking about, I acted surprised.
“No way!”
“Way! She’s been weird ever since. We used to be friends, but that was a long time ago. Things change.”
“I think she’s nice. We’ve become really close,” I offered.
“Okay, I’m offici
ally bored with this conversation,” Claire said, then immediately changed the subject. “O…M…G…I have that essay due on Friday on the American Revolution for History class, and I haven’t even started! If I don’t finish it, I’m totally gonna fail!”
“I can help you with that. I did an assignment on that at my old school,” I said. I didn’t want to be on Claire’s shit list, so I figured it was better to be her friend than her enemy. Besides, the closer I got to her, the closer I got to Josh.
“Are you serious?” Claire asked, surprised.
“Yeah, it’s no biggie.”
“That’s totally awesome! Hey, you should come to Angela Blaine’s party! Her parties always rock!”
“Are you sure she won’t mind if I come?”
“Of course not, silly; you’ll be with us.”
“Great. I’ll be there.” Ohmigod. What did I just get myself into?
I really wanted to talk to Brooke about what Claire had said to me that morning. I tried to defend her against Claire, but my nerves got the better of me. Besides, Claire seemed okay to me. It felt like I was stabbing Brooke in the back, but really I just wanted to get close to Josh. Brooke was my friend, and I didn’t want things to be weird between us, especially after she confided in me about what had happened between her and Claire. Only, I couldn’t reach her, and she wasn’t in English first period.
Sitting through second period class was torture, with Mr. Harding rambling on about obtuse triangles. I kept looking at my phone, waiting for Brooke to send me a text message. At least I had the satisfaction of looking at the back of Josh’s head. If I leaned forward a little bit, I could smell the scent of his cologne.
Geography class wasn’t any better; I couldn’t care less about the latitude and longitude of a map. Suddenly, my phone vibrated to notify me I had a new text message. It was Brooke. Finally, I thought.
She texted: Sorry about last night. Meet me at my house after school. My address is 534 Partridge Avenue. I already had her address, but I guess she wouldn’t know that.
I texted her back: what happened?
She wrote back: will explain later.
I wrote back: k, b there after school.
I needed a way to get to her house, so I decided to ask Claire for a ride. I’d overheard her talking to Katie and Jessica about their cheerleading practice in the gym after school, so that was where I planned to be.
Masquerade of Lies Page 3