I jumped back and sifted through the hangers, pretending I hadn’t seen anything. Besides, I didn’t want Claire to think I was snooping.
“How’s it going in there?” she asked.
“Fine.”
My voice trembled, but I don’t think she noticed. I tried my hardest to forget what I’d just seen, but I couldn’t. Even though my heart was racing, I acted normal because I didn’t want Claire to suspect anything. I picked up a black Versace halter neck cut-out dress and put it against my body.
“You would kill in that dress, new girl,” came Claire’s voice from right behind me.
“Aah!” I jumped, and the dress tumbled to the floor.
“What’s your problem?”
“Nothing! Just a little jumpy, I guess.”
“Well, maybe you should lay off those lattes, new girl.”
“Yeah. I-I know, right? Anyway, can I borrow this dress?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Sure.”
I took off my clothes and slid on the dress. I was debating whether or not to wear her dress to the party because I’d never worn anything that expensive before, but when I tried it on, there was no going back. I stood in front of her long mirror, looking at myself.
“You look hot, new girl. Somebody’s gonna get laid tonight!” she shrilled as she strutted towards me and leaned against the closet door frame.
“I don’t think so...actually, I’ve never done that before.”
“Shut up! You’re a virgin?” she blurted, straightening up her back.
“Yup. I’m not ready to give up my v-card.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“The right guy. My cookie is precious, and I don’t wanna give it to just anybody.”
“Your ‘cookie’?”
“Just sayin’.”
“Nice.”
“Was Josh your first?”
“Are you kidding?” she said with a sneer.
We both burst out laughing. She then entered her closet, stood next to me, and began playing with my hair as she peered at me with a strange look in her eye.
“What?” I asked.
“I know,” she said in a low voice.
“Know what?”
“I know you were in a mental institution.”
My pulse started racing. I swallowed hard and turned around so she couldn’t see my face.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Are you really gonna act like you don’t know what I’m talking about?” she said.
I turned around to face her and clenched my fists. “How did you find out?”
“Let’s just say I did a little digging.” She crossed her arms over her chest and flashed a devious smile. “I knew there was something different about you.”
My heart hammered in my chest. “I-I have to go home,” I stammered.
I couldn’t catch my breath. As I gripped my throat and started taking off the dress, she walked over and put her hand on my shoulder.
“It’s okay,” she said. I froze. “What I don’t understand is why you felt you had to hide that from me. I thought we were friends?”
I looked at her with fury in my eyes. “That was private! You had no right!”
I finally got the dress off and threw it on her bed. As I reached for my clothes and began to get dressed, Claire just stood there watching me. My watery eyes met hers.
“You have no idea what I’ve been through, and I’d appreciate it if you kept this to yourself,” I said.
An awkward silence lingered between us for a moment.
“Of course…God…but I want you to know you can be real with me,” Claire said. I nodded my head and wiped the tears off my face. She gave me a closed-mouth smile in response. “Good. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s find you some shoes.” She went into her closet and came back with a pair of silver Gucci heels and a couple of jeans and tops, then tossed the clothes on the bed. “Here, try these on,” she said, dangling the shoes from her fingers.
“What are the clothes for?”
“I was just thinking…if you’re gonna hang with us, you can’t wear your clothes. You need a make-over.”
I looked down at what I was wearing. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”
She put her hands on my shoulders and said, “Trust me.”
I put on a fake smile and took the shoes from her hand, then sauntered over to her bed. After I sat down and slid them on my feet, I stood up and walked back and forth to break them in. After a little while, they didn’t feel that bad. Marisa would die if she saw me right now.
“What do you think?”
“I think you’re gonna drive all the boys wild,” Claire said with a smile.
I looked at the time on my Motorola. “Shoot! I gotta get home for dinner! Can I get a ride home?”
“Where’s my gas money, beeotch?”
“What?”
“I’m just kidding! Ohmigod, you should see your face!”
I smirked as I tucked some hair behind my ear. After I grabbed the clothes off her bed, we left.
***
When I got home, a savory smell hit me in the face. My mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetie. Did you have fun at Claire’s house?”
“Yeah, I guess. She has a beautiful house. What’s for dinner tonight?”
“Meat lasagna.”
“Mmm…can’t wait!” I noticed the table was set for three people. “Mom, are we expecting company? Is Dad coming over for dinner?” I asked, excited.
“No.”
“Then who?”
“You remember the manager at Starbucks?”
“Are you serious?”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Whatever. It’s your life.”
The truth was, all I wanted was for her to be happy. Obviously, I’d like my parents to be together, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen, so I had to accept that. When my parents were dating, they hooked up one night and my mother got pregnant with me. Shortly afterward, my father proposed to my mother and they got married. Did they marry for love, or because they thought it was the right thing to do? Did they settle? Sometimes I blamed myself for all that had happened.
All of a sudden, the doorbell rang.
“He’s here! How do I look?” my mom squeaked. She was so excited; it was like watching a high school girl going on her first date.
“You look beautiful, Mom.”
Her hair was pinned up, and she was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a white fitted shirt, and a blue scarf. She opened the door, and there he was. He had on dark blue jeans and a black golf shirt. His wavy hair was gelled back.
“Hello,” he said.
“Hi, Hank. This is my daughter, Hanna.”
“Hello. I remember seeing you with your mom at Starbucks. It’s nice to officially meet you.”
“You, too,” I said. I guess.
Shortly after Hank arrived, we sat down at the table for dinner. My mom scooped a piece of lasagna on each of our plates, and I could see the steam rising from it. My mom also prepared a bowl of Caesar salad, and there was a small platter of dinner rolls. Next to the bread was a butter dish.
“So Hank, were you ever married?” I asked while reaching for a dinner roll.
“Uh…yeah, I was.”
“What happened? Did you guys get divorced like my parents?”
“Hanna!” my mother called out, her eyes bulging out of her head.
“What?” I answered.
“It’s okay,” Hank said. “My wife died five years ago from cancer.”
I finished chewing my food before I spoke. “Oh...sorry,” I said in a soft voice.
“That’s okay. I’ve made peace with it.” He picked up his glass and took a sip of his water. “To tell you the truth…I wasn’t sure I’d ever fall in love again…until I met your mom.”
He looked at my mother, and they smiled at each other. I s
aw my mother’s cheeks turn a light shade of pink.
“Do you have any children?” I asked as the television buzzed in the background.
“I have two children, a daughter and a son.”
“How old are they?"
“My daughter is nineteen, and my son is twenty-three.”
“Nice.” I was kind of delighted to hear he had a daughter, as I’d always wanted a sister.
“What are their names?” I asked before putting a forkful of Caesar salad in my mouth.
“Carol and Steve. My daughter lives with me, but she works full-time at a call center. My son is away at college.”
I nodded my head.
“Okay, Hanna…are you done with all the questions?” my mother asked sarcastically.
I smirked and looked down at my plate, then looked up at Hank. “Yeah, I’m done. Just treat my mom right…don’t cheat on her like my dad.”
My mother shot me a mortified look. “Hanna, I don’t think Hank wants to hear about that,” she said while scooping some Caesar salad on her plate.
An awkward silence followed.
***
After dinner, my mom pulled a chocolate cake out of the fridge for dessert. As she started cutting it to pass pieces of it around, she asked me, “So Hanna, what are your plans for tonight?”
“Well…there’s this party–”
“Absolutely not. No party.”
“Why?”
”You know why not.” She shot me a look. “Besides, with everything that’s going on right now, I think you should just lay low for a little while.”
“But I’m innocent!”
“Look, I know you probably think I’m being a little overprotective, but it’s because I love you. I just don’t want a repeat of last year.”
“Mom!” I protested, shooting her an angry look with my
eyes wide open.
“What happened last year?” asked Hank.
“Nothing!” I hissed. “Mom! Josh is gonna be there!” She wrinkled her brow.
“I’m sorry, Hanna, but the answer is no.”
“Thanks for nothing, Mom.”
I pushed my plate of half-eaten cake away and pondered for a second with my arms crossed over my chest. I then began thinking of a way to get out of the house to go to the party. I got up from the table, went into the kitchen, and got a sandwich bag from the pantry and the pill crusher from the drawer. I then went to the bathroom and got a bottle of sleeping pills out of the medicine cabinet; my mother started taking them after my dad left to help her sleep. I took four sleeping pills out of the bottle and crushed them into powder, then put the crushed sleeping pills in the sandwich bag and stuffed it in my pocket. As I went back into the kitchen, I saw my mom and Hank cuddling on the couch in the living room; it was so weird seeing my mom with somebody who wasn’t my dad.
“You guys want some coffee to go with your cake?”
“Thanks, honey. That would be great,” my mom said.
I made a pot of coffee and got two coffee cups out of the cupboard. I measured the sleeping pill powder evenly and put some into each cup, then poured coffee on top of it. I got a spoon from the drawer and stirred each cup to make sure the powder was completely dissolved. I kept looking to make sure they didn’t see me, but they were too much into each other to notice.
I brought them their coffee and sat in the living room with them to ensure they drank it. I felt a little bad for drugging them with sleeping pills, but there was no way I was gonna miss this party; besides, sleeping pills are harmless.
When I got to my room, I closed the door behind me and leaned on it. Hanna Clark from Deerwood never would have done this. I wasn’t sure whether to be excited about seeing Josh at the party or frightened of who I’d become.
CHAPTER EIGHT—LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!
I couldn’t see my reflection in the mirror, as it was steamy from my shower. I used my hand to wipe the steam away, then stood there for a moment in my robe, staring at my face. I simpered, as I was happy with myself. I opened up the top drawer and grabbed my blow dryer. Once my hair was bone straight, I sat down at my vintage vanity table to do my make-up. I looked at the time on my Motorola: it was quarter to ten. I put on Claire’s extravagant dress and shoes and looked at myself in the full-length mirror. I turned slowly from side to side, admiring the way I looked.
I then sauntered over to my bed and picked up my Motorola to send Claire a text:
I’m ready now. Come and get me.
She texted back a few seconds later:
k just picked up Katie and Jessica. On my way.
I crept into the living room to check on my mom and Hank; they were sleeping like babies. About fifteen minutes later, my phone started buzzing. It was Claire texting to let me know she was outside. I quietly opened the front door and closed it behind me, then strutted over to Claire’s car. Jessica was sitting in the front seat, and Katie was sitting in the back.
“Hey, girls!” I cried out, feeling fabulous.
“Wow! You look hot, Hanna!” yelled Katie as she poked her head out of the backseat window.
“She looks all right,” said Jessica, playing on her smartphone. She did a double-take at my dress. “Hey Claire, she has the same dress as you.”
“That is my dress,” Claire sassed.
“So what, you guys BFFs now?”
“Since when do I have to explain myself to you?” Claire snapped.
Jessica lowered her head like she knew she’d forgotten her place.
I got in the car, and Claire hit the gas. When we got to Angela Blaine’s house, people were sitting outside smoking and drinking. The music was booming, and all kinds of couples were on the lawn making out. Some people sat in the back of their pick-up trucks smoking weed. The parties I went to in Deerwood were nothing like this one. I was used to a small group of friends hanging out with a few beers and chips. Sometimes we had a bonfire and played truth or dare, but it never got out of hand. The most daring thing anybody in our group ever did was take off a layer of clothing, but nobody ever revealed private parts; I guess you could say we weren’t a wild bunch.
Cars were everywhere, some parked illegally. A lot of them were on the lawn, and most of them lined the streets. Claire found a spot on the street to park, next to a large oak tree. She turned off the ignition, and the engine hummed to sleep. We then all got out of the car and smoothed out our dresses. Claire was wearing a gorgeous pink Chanel dress that fell just below the knees and a pair of chic leather Louis Vuitton heels. Her hair was in an updo, while diamond studs sparkled her earlobes. Katie had on a dark grey ruched seam Donna Karan dress and a pair of Jimmy Choo glitter platform pumps. Jessica flaunted a stunning black Versace mini dress and fuchsia Louboutin stilettos.
“Showing off those sexy legs of yours, Jessica?” Katie teased.
“Ooooh, risqué,” Claire taunted.
“You look gorgeous, Jessica,” I said.
She looked at me in disgust. “I know,” she sneered.
“Come on, girls, let’s go,” said Claire.
As we walked across the grass, my eyes widened. Before us was a massive cream stucco house with oval-shaped dormer windows. Leading up to double entry doors was a curvy cobblestone walkway. The front door was open, and people were constantly going in and out. A girl with sandy brown hair with thick curls that fell over her shoulder stood by the door with a martini glass in her hand.
“Hi, Angela!” Claire shrilled.
“Hey, girl! Glad you could make it!”
“Uh, hello? Have I ever missed one of your parties?”
“True,” Angela agreed. “Hanna, right?” she asked, referring to me.
“Yeah.”
“Well, come in bitches! Enjoy the party!” she said before walking away.
As we walked through the crowd, somebody pinched my ass, then an athletic looking guy with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes approached us and walked right up to Claire.
“Hey, you,” he said.
An awkward silence lingered between them.
“Are you here with Josh?” he asked.
“Duh. He is my boyfriend.”
Three kegs were in the living room, and a bunch of guys were doing keg stands while chugging beer through a hose.
“Oh, there’s Josh!” Claire wailed. “Sorry, gotta go,” she sneered before walking away.
“Who was that?” I asked Katie.
“Chad McCowen.”
“Oh.”
I looked over and saw Josh standing across the room with a couple guys. He was wearing a grey and black plaid shirt and dark blue jeans. Ohmigod, he looked so hot! I couldn’t take my eyes off him, and I knew Claire noticed; I could feel her stare burning the side of my face. I immediately looked away.
Josh walked over to us and said, “Hi, ladies.”
“Hi, baby!” Claire said, then grabbed him and stuck her tongue down his throat. It felt as if she were marking her territory.
“I need a drink,” said Jessica.
“Wait for me,” said Katie, and the two of them vanished into the crowd.
I was standing there alone while Claire and Josh lip locked. I started to feel like the third wheel, so I decided to mingle. It was so hot in there! My straight hair started frizzing up from the heat. Rihanna’s Don’t Stop the Music was vibrating through the speakers, and everybody was dancing and having a good time. The air was thick with cigarette smoke. I stood there for a moment, looking at everybody. I couldn’t help wondering if Brooke’s killer were there, the person who tried to frame me.
Suddenly, some guy started grinding up behind me. I was startled at first, but then I just went with it. He put his hands on my waist as I grabbed my hair and pushed it up because my back was covered in sweat. I decided to turn around to see who I was dancing with. He had brown eyes, and his hair was styled like Justin Bieber’s. He was wearing a white wifebeater and a pair of black jeans with a chain hanging from the pocket. He was kinda cute. I put my arms around his neck, and his hands eventually went from my hips to my butt.
“Hey!” he yelled over the music.
“Hi!”
“What’s your name?”
“Hanna!”
“You’re very beautiful, Hanna!”
Masquerade of Lies Page 7