Removing the Mask (16 page)

I shake my head.

“Well, then why the
hell
do you feel guilty?  You got it back for her! You shouldn’t feel guilty; you should feel good about yourself!”

I drop my head down and shake
it; he doesn’t get it.

“If I hadn’t been selfish and picked some random students out of the school this wouldn’t have happened!”

“Baby, that may be true but you’re making Ida so happy by taking her to this frigging charity. You’re choice has make your cousin and you best mates really happy, isn’t it worth that? Sure, Ida was upset today but I bet she was happy that you got it back for her, right?” He’s never called me Baby before.

“Stop being so sweet; you’re creeping me out.” I say jokingly though he doesn’t seem to find it funny. “Fine! You’ve proved me wrong, I’m not saying you’re right though.” I say stubbornly as his arms go around my waist and my arms go up around his neck.

“Stubborn cow.” He says into my ear, but laughs when I slap his shoulder.

We pull back, but not much because his arms are still around my waist.

“I know I didn’t win…” He trails off and I have to work hard to not let my smile take over my face.

“Kiss me.”

And he does.  

JJ and Amanda don’t show their faces for a few days, and when they do it’s just to sit with us for lunch; I suspect it’s to see if I’ve gone against my word and spilled the beans about what happened, but the only other person than knows beside me is Jason and as far as I know, he hasn’t told anyone.

Jasmine, Josh, Ida and Jimmy keep asking questions and they all seem to aim them at me, like they all suspect that I’m the one with the answers; I am, but I’m not going to give them up yet. I want to see if JJ comes out and admits to it, if she does then I know I still want to be friends with her, if she keeps up the silence then I’m not going to consider her a friend of mine. I don’t want to lose two of my friends, but I’m not about to pretend either.

“You look miles away.”

I look at Jasmine and smile. “On a beach in Cyprus.” I agree before tuning my attention to Ida as she steps out the bathroom.

The dark jeans go nicely with the white, bat-winged top; the sleeves showing her delicate arms without leaving them bare. The long, purple stone necklace is a stark contrast to the white.

“That looks great! The boots are perfect!” Jasmin gushes as Ida spins.

“You look superb.” I say giving her a smile when she looks to me questionably. “I thought it’d be harder to find you something to wear-” I gesture to her outfit. “- guess I was wrong.”

“Thank you. What about you? What are you going to wear?” Ida asks coming forward before climbing onto the bed beside me.

“I haven’t decided yet; I’ll decide later.” I say dismissively as I stretch across the bed like a cat, before relaxing like foam returning to its original shape.

“No! Let’s have a look now!” Jasmine springs from her seat on my sofa before going to the wardrobe where clothes are staring out at us through the gaping doors.

“No! Don’t worry! I’ll decide later; I usually wait for the last minute anyway!”

Ida shifts onto her stomach and crosses her ankles in the air behind her. “Aren’t you nervous? I’m terrified but excited at the same time.” She smiles at me and I see the awe for what’s going to happen next Saturday in her eyes.

“I am nervous, but choosing what I’m going to wear only makes it worse. So, since we’re sorted with your clothes, can we head over the road now?” I direct my question to Ida but turn my attention to Jasmine.

I don’t want to sound like I’m tapping my foot; but I am, I want to see him.

She sighs with disappointment but nods before going to her bag and shoving the other tops she bought with her into it; one less now Ida’s commandeered it.

“Let me just get changed; then we can go over.” Ida rolls to the edge of the bed before curling her way to her feet. She’s just dashed into the bathroom when her voice comes echoing out; her voice bouncing off the tiles covering the walls.

“What’s going on with you and Jason? Are you guys going out?”

“No! We’re friends with benefits!”

Jasmin’s head snaps in my direction, her mouth agape right before Ida appears in the doorway to the bathroom half dressed; her expression a similar on the Jasmin’s.

“I’m joking! Jeez!” I laugh at the obvious relief on their faces. “We’re going out, I think…” I shrug; whatever it is we’re doing, I don’t want it to end.

Jasmine points an accusing finger at me. “Has he kissed you?” When I answer with a grin, she and Ida let out squeals before racing to the bed demanding details.

When I’ve finished going through it, Jasmine lets out a groan and flops back on the bed; she miss judges and falls with a squawk and lands with a thump. When we’ve all stopped laughing, she gives me a jealous look. “I want that! Everything you’re describing! I want it!” She pouts as she rests her head against the comforter thrown across the bottom of my bed.

“I’ve always thought you liked my cousin.”

Ida nods in agreement before going back to the bathroom to finish getting changed. “Yeah, I thought that too!” The last few words echo from the bathroom.

“I don’t know; I do and then I don’t and then I do again…”

Snorting, I grab my hoodie from the back of my desk chair. “Indecisive, much?” I taunt her before having to dodge the shoe she flings my way; it hits the open door of the wardrobe.

“Ready!” Ida appears again; she’s changed back into   her leggings and jumper. “Let’s go!”

Once Ida’s grabbed her stuff, we head down the stairs and after hollering a good-bye to Bessie, we head out the front door. 

I text Jason before we cross the road, letting him know we’re on our way over and when we reach the driveway, I spot him leaning against the doorway. Butterflies start summersaulting around my stomach as I get closer.

He steps back into the hall to allow us to pass. “We’re in Josh’s room.” He directs it to Jasmine who waves a hand over the top of her head as she jogs up the stairs.

“You’re
always
in Josh’s room!” She calls out just as she disappears out of sight, Ida isn’t far behind her.

I step closer to Jason because his voice sounds off in some way; he’s still looking at the top of the stairs but his hands find my waist, letting me know he’s just as aware of me as I am of him.

“You okay?” When I place my hands on his shoulders he snaps out of his trance.

“Yeah.”

I don’t know whether he means it or not but I don’t question him on it. I lean up to kiss him and he eagerly returns is.

I pull away and tug him towards the stairs. “Come on. They’ll come looking if we don’t go.”

***

“McKenzie?”

I turn my head in the direction of Mum’s voice and find her shuffling into the kitchen in her pyjamas. “What’re you doing up so late?” She asks as her eyes travel to the clock.

“I was talking…to a friend and then I started writing; I came down to get a drink when I found this soaking in icy water.” I say gesturing down to the baking tray covered with stray remains of our dinner; the food’s dried hard and even though it’s obviously been soaking it doesn’t seem to want to come off. The dishwasher is still droning on so that’s out of the question.

“A friend huh?” Her tone says that she knows differently, but my mother has been known to bluff so I just hum as I take a sip of my drink. I don’t want to be getting into an argument tonight, especially not about Jason. 

“Bessie says that the boys you’ve been around so much are nice and that I don’t have to worry about you.” She pours herself a glass of wine before retrieving another glass and doing the same. I wonder what she’s doing until she places it next to me. I’m elbow deep in freezing cold washing up water and she giving me wine?

“Which one? The boy you’re dating? Who is it?” She leans against the kitchen top like she expects an answer. 

I watch her take a sip of the deep red liquid before taking a kitchen towel and drying my arms off. I don’t touch the glass that sits staring at me.

“Jason; he has the shorter hair and is ever so slightly taller.” I give her a look, asking her if she happy before turning to leave.

“Ken…I think it’s time we had a talk, don’t you?” She sighs and stares at me with sad eyes.

“Depends on whether or not you’re going to listen to me this time.” I say bluntly, when she’s done this before I’ve always walked out at this point; it’s the wine that’s got me listening because she’s never pulled this card before.

“I want this to change, Kenzie. I don’t want to remember your childhood like this.” She doesn’t look at me, she looks to the floor like she’s thinking about the future but looking back to now from there. She doesn’t want regrets when she’s older; nobody does, but if she would regret this last part of my life, does she realise that she’s not on? That I’m not the bad guy here?

I pick the half full glass up and take small sip, savouring the woodsy flavour on my tongue before swallowing it.

JJ. JJ is a younger version of Mum; the situation’s different because Mum wanted to be famous and JJ wanted those five minutes of stardom for her sister but it’s the same because they would do anything for it. JJ would steal a necklace and Mum would get that satisfaction through me. I gave JJ a second chance by giving her the option to admit to what she did, Mum deserves the same treatment.

“Fine, let’s talk.”

We both know this isn’t going to be an easy conversation. 

When I finish telling Eloise about the last week, she leans back in her chair with a satisfied smile. “I think you’ve come full circle, don’t you?”

“I don’t know; I guess so. All I know is that my world is back on its feet again.” I lean back as I place my feet on the chair across from mine.

Eloise stares at me for so long; I think she’s gone into a trance until she opens her mouth to speak. “You’ve been here for what? A month?”

I nod; it’s around about that.

“When you came, you were a gum-chewing, hip cocking, acid spraying teenager. Now I see a gum-chewing, hip cocking, acid spraying teenager who’s relaxed and happy opposed to the untrusting, glare wielding girl she was when she got here.”

Grinning at her description of me, I take one of the raspberries out of the bowl on the table and place it in my mouth; the taste explodes on my tongue and I relish it.

“I hope this charity isn’t going to change that.” There’s a hint of sadness in her voice.

I know what’s she thinking and it’s crossed my mind on several occasions, but why worry myself sick about it?

“I can’t say I haven’t thought about that because I have, but for some reason- whether it’s out of hope or just a feeling I have in my gut, I think that she’s going to become a mum again.” I smile at the thought of coming downstairs and finding her blasting her music and dancing around the kitchen like she used to.

“Guess we’ll see them.” She looks at me
with something close to pride before jerking her head towards the kitchen. “Get back to work, Slacker.”

The sentimental moment over.