“Thank you!”
“You got a boyfriend?”
“No!”
“Want a drink?”
“Sure!”
I was dying of thirst, so I followed him to the kegs. He poured me a drink and handed it to me.
“Thanks! So what’s your name?”
“Zack. I haven’t seen you at one of these parties before.”
“Yeah, my mom and I just moved here.”
“Who are you here with?”
“I’m here with my friends, Claire, Jessica, and Katie.”
“Oh, the awesome threesome,” he said with a smile. He had a nice smile.
“So you know them?”
“Everybody knows them. So, are you a senior?”
“Yeah!”
“Nice! I’m a senior, too.”
“Cool!”
“Hey, it’s hard to talk over the music. You wanna go someplace more quiet?”
“Sure, but first I really have to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
I pushed my way through the crowd to find the bathroom. I felt somebody grab my arm. I turned around and it was Mark. “I’m ready for that dance now.”
“Sure, but I have to empty my bladder first. I’ll be right back.”
“Alright. I’ll be here waiting,” he said in a coy way.
When I finally reached the bathroom on the main floor, there was a long line up. I didn’t think I could hold it much longer, so I made my way upstairs, where I found another bathroom. I went inside and locked the door behind me. When I was done emptying my bladder, I flushed the toilet and washed my hands. I leaned against the wall and took a moment for myself. I stepped closer to the mirror and observed my sweaty face and runny eyeliner. My lip gloss was almost gone, and my hair wasn’t as straight as it was when I left the house.
My Motorola starting buzzing; it was a text from Katie, saying they needed help with Claire. Apparently, she was wasted. She ended up falling into the pool and taking off her shirt, giving everybody a strip show. I texted her back and told her I was in the bathroom upstairs and would be right there. All of a sudden, I heard a knock on the door. I guess somebody else figured out there was another bathroom upstairs.
“Just a minute!”
I quickly reapplied my lip gloss and puckered my lips, then slipped my lip gloss back in my purse before opening the door.
“Hey, baby.”
“Zack? What are you doing here? Ohmigod, did you follow me up here?”
With the door open, I could hear the undertone of chatter amidst the music. He came in and closed the door, locking it behind him. He then walked towards me with intent.
“You’re really beautiful, Hanna,” he said in a placid tone.
My stomach tightened, and my palms became sweaty. He traced his finger around my face, which sent chills up my back. His eyes became dark. Fear clenched around my chest like a tight fist. I attempted to run, but he grabbed my leg and pulled it, causing me to lose my balance and fall. I lay flat on my stomach with my arms stretched out and my palms face down. My hair was disheveled. He turned me over and crawled on top of me. Tears streamed down my face. I screamed, but the music was so loud, nobody could hear me. My heart was pounding so fast, I thought it was going to burst. It felt like all the air was sucked out of the room. I tried to push him off me, but I wasn’t strong enough. My legs became weak.
“Wait!”
“Ssh, it’s okay,” he whispered in my ear.
He forcefully grabbed both my wrists and hiked them over my head. As he kissed my neck, his tongue felt cold against my skin. The smell of his cologne stained my nose, and his breath reeked of booze.
“Let go of me! Please! Somebody, help me!”
“Come on, Hanna. You know you want this.”
“Screw you!” I screamed, then spit in his face.
He hiked up my dress and ran his hand up and down my inner thighs. Just as he began to unzip his pants, there was a knock at the door.
“Hanna! Are you in there?” It was Mark.
“Yes, I am! Please, help me!” I yelled.
Zack quickly jumped off me and said, “Hey, you know I was just fooling around, right?”
I ran to the door and unlocked it. Mark pushed it open, and I sprinted towards him, threw myself into his embrace, and put my head on his chest. I didn’t want to let him go.
He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked at me. “Are you okay?”
“I am now.”
Mark gazed at Zack and grimaced.
“Come on...we were just having a little fun.”
“He tried to rape me!” I blurted.
Mark grabbed Zack by his shirt and punched him in the face, making his nose bleed.
“What the heck, bro?!”
“I’m not your bro! Come on, let’s get out of here.” He put his arm around my waist, and I flinched. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.”
I fixed my dress and ran my hands through my hair. I looked at my phone: it was almost one o’clock in the morning. I didn’t know how much time I had to get home before those sleeping pills wore off. We proceeded down the stairs, then pushed our way through the crowd and headed outside to the pool. When we got there, Claire was splashing in the water, wearing only her bra and underwear. Her hair looked like a wet mop, and the bottoms of her eyes were stained with black mascara. Katie stood by the side of the pool, unsure of what to do. Josh clenched his fists, and the muscles in his face tightened.
“Where’s Jessica?” I asked Katie.
“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.
“I thought she was with you?”
“She was, but then she met some guy and took off. Then I came outside and found Claire hammered in the pool. That’s when I texted you.”
“Fantastic,” I mumbled to myself. Mark stood beside me.
Katie’s eyes shifted towards him. “Having fun with Mark?” she asked in a low voice. I smirked. “Okay, you two go help Josh with Claire, and I’ll look for Jessica.”
I agreed and watched as she disappeared into the house, then we walked over to meet Josh by the pool.
“Claire, let’s get out of here!” he shrieked.
“Oh, hi, new girl! Get in!” she squealed, ignoring him. “Hi Mark.” He smiled and waved.
“Hey bro,” Mark said to Josh.
“What’s up?”
Claire tried pulling me in the pool, but Mark wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me back. Josh stared at us for a moment. Then he brought his attention back to Claire.
“You’re drunk! Like usual!” he yelled.
“Duh! It’s a party!”
“Get out of there! You’re embarrassing yourself!”
“The only one who’s embarrassing themself is you!”
Josh jumped in the pool fully clothed, took Claire by the arm, and led her out of the water. As she stumbled around the pool with Josh holding her up, goosebumps popped up all over her body. He sat her down at the edge of the pool and knelt down next to her. I saw Claire’s smock and shoes strewn under a lounge chair beside a folded towel, so I scooped them up and dashed over to her.
“Here you go,” I muttered.
“Thanks, new girl,” she said in a drunken manner as she yanked it from my hand. I forced a smile.
Josh wrapped the towel around her, and they sat down on the wet concrete. He helped Claire put on her dress and shoes, then they carefully stood up and shuffled towards the house. The music was still pounding strong. Katie came back clutching her phone; she was alone. The sound of splashing water echoed across the patio.
“Where’s Jessica?”
“I don’t know,” she said as she brushed some hair away from her face. “I looked everywhere and asked around, but nobody’s seen her. I sent her, like, a zillion texts, but nothing. She probably left with that guy.” She smirked and rolled her eyes.
“Jes-sica’s get-ting lu-cky,” Claire sing-son
ged, snorting as she laughed. She couldn’t stand up straight.
Josh was trying to hold her up, but he was struggling, so Mark decided to help him. “Let’s get out of here,” he bellowed.
As we headed inside the house, the smell of weed invaded my nose. We combed through the crowd and finally reached the front door, running into Angela on the way out. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were droopy. Her legs appeared wobbly.
“W-where are you guys g-going? Leaving already?” she stammered.
“Nice party, Angela!” yelled Katie. “If you see Jessica, please tell her we had to take Claire home.”
“Mmmhmm. Sure.” She leaned in the doorway. “Bye, guys!”
Empty beer bottles and plastic cups were scattered across the perfectly trimmed grass as we made our way to Claire’s car. Once it was in view, Josh unlocked it with the keyless entry remote. Beep. Mark helped Josh put Claire in the back seat. Then he turned to me.
“You still owe me a dance.”
“Rain check?” He smiled, then gently touched my face before he leaned in and kissed me on the lips.
“Sure.” Josh stood there staring. Awkward. Mark walked back to the house party as we all got into the car. Katie sat in the front, which was usually reserved for Jessica. I climbed in the back beside Claire. Josh then jumped in the driver’s seat, making a crumpling sound. The car growled to life, and he hit the gas.
When we got to Katie’s house, we dropped her off and watched her go inside. I then moved to the front with Josh while Claire remained passed out in the back. He started the car once more, and off we went.
“So, did you have a good time?” he asked.
“It was okay. Are Angela’s parties always like that?”
“Yeah, her parties can get pretty intense.”
Tell me about it. “Does Claire always get this drunk?”
“Yeah, she likes her alcohol,” he said with a smirk.
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Yeah, sometimes, but I’ve learned to deal with it. I know she can be impossible sometimes, but she can be a nice person when she wants to be. When my parents split up, she was there for me, you know?”
“I understand,” I muttered.
Josh steered into Claire’s circular driveway and shifted the car into park, then cut the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition. We both got out of the car, and he pulled the front seat forward. He lifted Claire out of the car, placed her arm around his shoulders, and walked her to the front door. I followed closely behind them.
“Look under the mat,” he instructed me. I knelt down and lifted up the mat to find a silver key.
“Okay. Now I need you to open the door.”
I did. Once inside, we headed straight upstairs to Claire’s room. Josh put her on the bed and rolled her on her side.
“Claire? Is that you?” a woman’s voice called from down the hall.
The sound of slippers scraping against the hardwood floors grew closer. Suddenly, a young looking woman wearing a white terry cloth robe appeared in the doorway. She had shoulder length honey blonde hair and deep-set, striking blue eyes. Her skin was smooth.
“Young man. If you insist on bringing my daughter home at this godawful hour, can you at least keep it down?”
“Sorry, Mrs. Miller,” Josh replied.
It seemed like Claire’s mother couldn’t be bothered with her. She looked at me, then Josh again before disappearing down the dark hallway. I bit my lip.
Claire began to mumble something, and she was slurring her words. Josh and I looked at each other, then he leaned towards her.
“Ssh…sleep if off, babe,” he whispered.
Claire touched Josh’s face. “Please don’t be mad at me…please don’t be mad at me.” She kept saying that over and over.
Josh grinned and gently moved her hand away from his face. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“Because I kissed Chad McCowen, and I liked it.”
I widened my eyes as my mouth dropped. Claire kissed Chad McCowen! That was why she blushed when she saw him. That was probably what Katie and Jessica were hiding!
Josh slowly shook his head from side to side and squeezed his eyebrows together, his lips making a straight line. He then stormed out of the room, ran down the stairs, and bolted outside. I was right behind him.
“Josh, wait!” I yelled after him once we were outside.
He stopped and turned around. “Did you know about her and Chad?”
“Of course not! I mean, I had a feeling she was hiding something, but I didn’t know what. I swear!”
I wasn’t sure if I felt bad for Josh or was glad about the possibility he might break up with Claire.
“Come on, I’ll give you a ride home,” he said.
An awkward silence filled in the car. Josh didn’t make any eye contact with me while he drove, and he gripped the steering wheel tight.
“Make a left at the next street,” I said, pointing. “I’m sorry Claire did this to you, Josh, and I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”
He didn’t respond, nor did he take his eyes off the road. When we reached my house, he sat quietly for a moment.
I clutched the door handle, then said, “Well, goodnight.”
As I was getting out of the car, he grabbed my wrist and said, “Wait.” The lines on his forehead disappeared, and his posture became soft and inviting. “This isn’t your fault. I was angry, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay,” I muttered.
He slowly let go of my wrist, and I got out of the car and closed the door. He waited until I got inside the house before driving off. Once inside, I tiptoed to the living room and found my mom and Hank still sleeping on the couch. Score. I looked at the time on the microwave: 2:30AM.
As I crept towards the stairs with Claire’s Gucci heels in my hand, I suddenly saw an image traced in the blinds...somebody was lurking outside my house.
CHAPTER NINE—WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS
I didn’t sleep very well last night. I went to bed gripping my covers in fear, and I woke up that morning feeling anxious about somebody sneaking around outside of my house in the middle of the night.
As I pushed the covers off me and slid out of bed, the sweet smell of waffles and maple syrup comforted me. I sprinted towards the kitchen, where I found my mom and Hank making breakfast together, the way my mom and dad used to.
“Good morning, honey!”
“Good morning, Mom. Hank.”
My mother walked over to me and rubbed my back. “I’m sorry you had to miss the party, Hanna, but it was for your own good.”
“That’s okay, Mom.”
“Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
“Yeah, I’m fine…just a little tired,” I said. “So what did you guys do last night?”
“Not much. Slept like a baby.”
I turned away and smiled, then popped a waffle in my mouth and ran to my room. My phone started buzzing; it was a hysterical text from Claire. She needed to talk to me, so she was picking me up in an hour to go for coffee.
I was putting on my lip gloss when I heard Claire honking her horn outside. I grabbed my purse and ran towards the front door.
“Bye, Mom!” I yelled as I stormed outside, closing the door behind me.
When I got into Claire’s car, she handed me a Starbucks vanilla latte and reversed out of my driveway. She was wearing her Gucci sunglasses, and she appeared to be hungover. She accelerated and began ranting on about her and Josh.
I’ll take the vanilla latte, but hold the drama, please.
“Thanks for coming out with me. I couldn’t get a hold of Jessica, and Katie was busy doing something for her mom.”
“No problem. Thanks for the coffee,” I joked.
“Josh broke up with me because he found out I kissed Chad.”
“Wait, you haven’t heard from Jessica yet?”
“Focus, Hanna! We’re talking about me now!�
�
“Right. Sorry. Chad. That guy from last night?”
“Yes!”
She shot me a look and wiped the grime away from her face with her hand. The roof of her car was down, and the wind whirled around her streaked hair.
“You kissed him?” I had to act surprised. If Claire found out I already knew and didn’t warn her, she’d decimate me.
“It was just a kiss! It didn’t mean anything. I love Josh!” she shrieked.
“How did he find out?”
“He wouldn’t tell me. He just said he knew and it doesn’t matter how he found out.”
“Oh.” I looked away and took a sip of my latte.
“When I find the person responsible for this, they’ll wish they were dead.” She wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips. “Guys don’t break up with me; I break up with them.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s Saturday. I’m sure there’ll be newer gossip by Monday,” I tried to console her.
“I have the biggest headache right now. I don’t even remember how I got home last night.”
She rested her elbow on the car door and leaned her head against her hand. She continued to drive with the other hand, occasionally glancing at her mirrors.
“Oh…well, Josh and I drove you home,” I said.
Her eyes narrowed at me suspiciously. “Oh,” she said as she pushed her foot on the gas. “What did you two do after you dropped me off?”
“Nothing! He drove me home; that’s it.”
“And he didn’t say anything to you about Chad or breaking up with me?”
“No, nothing.”
My heart throbbed in my chest. Inside I was shaking, but I couldn’t let her see me sweat.
“Okay,” she said as she took a swig of her coffee.
***
When we got to school Monday morning, everybody was whispering and staring at Claire; boy, news travels fast in this school.
As Chad passed us in the hall, Claire grabbed his arm and muttered, “We need to talk!”
After Claire stormed off, I spied Stephanie on her laptop in the quad. I walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.
“Hey, Stephanie.”
“Hi, Hanna. Hey, I heard Claire and Josh broke up because she kissed Chad. Bummer,” she said, grinning.
I sat down next to her. “Yeah, you look really shook up,” I said facetiously.
Masquerade of Lies Page 8