Removing the Mask (4 page)
Authors: Aimee Whitmee
“McKenzie, can you leave so I can talk to your parents?”
“Are you actually asking me? Do I have a choice? Because if I do, then no because whatever you’re about to say is about me so I am entitled to hear it.” I purse my lips and raise my eyebrows in challenge and watch the
displeasure flicker across Mr Jones’s face.
“Mc-”
“Why am I complaining?” I ask as I pick my bag up off the floor. “I’ll be outside.” I say rushing out the room before they realise what I have in mind.
I shut the door behind me before jogging until I get to the front entrance, which isn’t far from the head’s office. My hand clasps the smooth, cold handle when I hear the voice.
“You’re going to get expelled you know?”
“If I do, it’s only because you framed me.”
“Oh yeah? Can you prove that?”
Turning, I face Gina in all her polished glory. “I think I’ve seen this in a movie before-” she takes on a slightly amused look as she looks at me. “- but the whole thing was shit.” I say in complete honesty.
Her face hardens and I shrug, turning to leave until Katy comes through the door leading to the main office.
“Oh goodie, it’s the vandal.”
My teeth grind together and I take a deep breathe. Katy being the student I’ve got into the most fights with.
“Consider
ing the amount of tables I’ve drawn on, that’s nothing new. Don’t let it get to you
sweetie
we all have our moments.”
Her frown only makes me smirk.
“Did you just call me…
dumb?”
“In more than a few words yes, why? What you going to do about it?”
“You’re such a bitch McKenzie.”
Shrugging, I push the door open. “You’ve called me worse.”
“Oh Georgia don’t be so dramatic!”
“It’s true Archie! I have tried everything!”
I roll my eyes,
here we go again.
Having heard enough, I stand up and get changed out
of my uniform. I run a brush through my hair before pulling my beanie on and the hood of my hoodie up over it.
I don’t want to hear about my options only being boarding schools or the disappointment in both my parent’s voices as they talk about me. I’d actually done it this time, I’d gotten myself expelled. I don’t want to sit in this room listening to them argue in the study directly below my room.
So I’m not going to.
My door opens silently but the floor boards creak as I step out my room.
“McKenzie, don’t even think about it or-”
I slam the door, blocking out his voice.
“For flip’s sake! Why can’t anything ever be easy?” Dragging my hands across my face, I take a deep breath, feeling even more so like a caged animal. Sighing, I ease my door open again. My ears strain to hear what they’re talking about but all I can hear is their voices, not the words they’re speaking.
“No!” Mum’s voice sales through the air and I dash toward the stairs and stop on the first step.
Please. Please. Please.
I pray that mum’s protest covers up the squeaky floorboards and when dad starts talking I know they don’t know I’m picking the lock on the imaginary cage.
The carpet covering the stairs softens the sound of my footsteps and getting down the stairs and into the living room is too easy. Making a beeline for the kitchen, I take my iPod out my pocket before plugging my earphones into my ears. I catch the end of
Heatwave
by Wiley and Ms D before it changes.
The cold air bites at my skin but it’s better than being prisoner in a room I wasn’t meant to leave, let alone the house. Splashing through the puddles left on the pavement, my thoughts go to where it all started. Before my computer was filled with documents filled with words, chapters, redrafts and more redrafts. We were in the living room, Dad, Roger and I. Mum was out with Trisha because it was Sunday, but she was having dinner out so we had to fend for ourselves; which meant we ordered Chinese and dad went and picked it up.
“What’s the matter McKenzie? You can’t be bored!” Dad’s sarcasm doesn’t stray my focus from the ceiling or more specifically the smudge on the ceiling.
On my back, I lay on the rug staring at the smudge wondering how it got there or who put it up there.
“I’m not bored. Just trying to figure out how that smudge got on the ceiling.”
Roger scoffs, “We were playing football remember? You kicked it up to the ceiling, it bounced off and broke the lamp on the side board.”
My lips twitch as I remember the day it happened. Blinking, I scoff. “You were the one to kick it up to the ceiling! I threw it to you and said ‘we should take this outside!’ After you broke the lamp, you agreed!”
Dad chuckles while shaking his head, his gaze never strays from the telly’s screen.
Sitting up, I pluck a prawn ball out the carton on the coffee table before stuffing it into my mouth whole and chewing the battered goodness.
“Leave off Kenz. Go write a book or something!” Roger gestures towards the door, as If I’m just going to do as he says. What am I a dog? Should I bark and wiggle my backside?
Dad erupts into loud laugher so hard I think he’s going to hurt himself.
“What’s the matter with you?”
Smiling he shakes his head. “It’s just the thought of you writing a book, it’s almost comical!” Roge
r starts laughing away with dad. Looking between them; I try hard to not let on how offended they are making me feel.
“You don’t think I could do it?”
His focus shifts to the telly and he deliberately doesn’t answer my question.
Standing up I shrug casually, “Whatever.”
I walk out the room and up the stairs to my room where I boot up my computer and start brainstorming for ideas about the book I’m about to start writing.
I miss those nights. Roger, dad and I. We used to spend the evening watching whatever there was on the telly
together.
Roger and I used to bicker all the way through but I secretly loved our banter. Then he went off to college and now I’m mum and dad’s main aim of attention.
Lucky me.
The toe of my boot sends an empty can rattling across the pavement bringing me back from my thoughts. I lift my head in time to catch myself on the lamp post before I walk straight into it.
The black paints chipped under my hands and I wonder why they painted it in the first place.
Something draws me to take an earphone out
. When I do, I know why because I can now hear the laughter coming from the park to my left.
My feet had brought me here, I wish they hadn’t.
Tilting my head, I see Daniel, Greg and Nathanial; three players of my now old school’s football team.
Slipping my cold hands into my pockets, I walk towards them straightening my shoulders as I do.
“What’re you three cackling about like evil little old ladies?” My attitude comes in full swing and I feel myself rising for my second fight today.
“Feeling a little absent today are we Kenzie?” Nathanial smirks.
Shaking my head, I tuck my hair behind my ear.
“Can you blame me? I just got kicked out of school.”
Greg’s grin fades into a look of concern. “You alright?”
I scoff before smirking at him. “You don’t know me very well do you?”
He frowns and Nathanial helps him. “She’s the girl that put the paint in Gina’s hair, dipstick. She also put the pin in Chuck Ups chair. In other word, little throws her.”
I can see Greg thinking about what to say and I jump in before he can.
“What’s with the football kit?” I gesture down to their football gear.
“We’re playing some school from…somewhere. I don’t remember the town but we are so going beat them!”
I roll my eyes at Daniel’s enthusiasm; he’s the one that never shuts up in class if I remember correctly.
“I’ll watch; anything to not go home.” I wince at what’s waiting for me when I get home; a whole plate of a long conversation with a side of yelling.
The cold starts replacing the heat that’d engulfed my body while walking, leaving my teeth chattering at the chill.
“Is Jack team captain today?” I stutter through my lively teeth, feeling like a fool.
“No, he got caught in Mr Jones’s office, spray paint in hand.” Daniel smirks while the other two stare in amusement to my teeth chattering state. “I’m in charge today.”
“Oh no, that can’t be good.” I say jokingly while wrapping my arms around my body.
“Whatever. Would you like my jacket?” Ignoring Daniel’s sarcasm, I nod.
“Please.”
He laughs before gesturing for me to follow him. Greg and Nathanial start throwing insults at each other and I just roll my eyes ignoring the two of them.
He leads me over to a pile of bags behind one of the football goals and picks up a Superdry jacket with an orange lining. I’m cold, do you really think I’m going to care what colour the inside is?
He tosses it to me and I make quick work of sliding my arms in and zipping it up. Someone behind me puts the hood up over my own and I turn to find Greg.
“Thank you.” I smile a real smile, making him grin.
He wiggles his eyebrows at me and I chuckle. Pushing his shoulder as I go past, I walk to the swings to sit down. I don’t see much point walking all the way over to my bench when I’m closer here.
“Oi! Kenz I want my jacket back later!” I wave in Daniel’s direction, not looking up from the stone on the ground.
I swing back and forth gently and put my earphone back in to watch them warm up.
The team they’re going to play is on one side of the park, with them on the other, an invisible divide between them.
Looking down, I scan through my songs before deciding on Hurts like Heaven by Coldplay. I look up when I see movement out the corner of my eyes and watch one of
their
players walk over to a football resting against the roundabout. I can only see the back of his head and his spiky gelled brown hair.
He scoops up the ball before turning around and looking at me, a smile slowly taking up his features.
Hello hot stuff.
I look at the ball before turning to where they’re team is warming up.
How the hell…
Pulling out an earphone I look back at him.
“Who the hell kicked
that
?” I shake my head in disbelief and he slowly holds up a hand with a great big fat smirk on his face.
“Me. Hence the fact
I’m
getting the ball.” He props the ball up on his fingers as he holds it up.
I rol
l my eyes. “Smartarse.” I say under my breath but by the way he smiles, I think he heard me.
“You go to that school?” He nods towards where Daniel, Nathanial, Greg and the rest of the team are warming up.
“No, got kicked this morning.” I shrug.
“Wow, really?” His eyes shift behind me before returning to me. “Games starting, I better go.”
I gesture towards the makeshift football pitch.
“By all means, I’ll enjoy watching your butt get beat.”
“We’ll see!” He grins while jogging backwards before turning and legging it over to his team.
I tug my hood down as I shut the back door.
They both sit at the kitchen table staring at me.
Here we go.
“Where the hell have you been?
”
I don’t need to look up to know dad’s
face has gone bright red. Staying
quiet, I toe off my
boots.
“I’m getting in
the shower.”
It’s worth a shot, for all I know they could say “okay honey, glad your home safe.”
“No you’re not!
I told you not to leave the house but you still sneak out!”
I sigh and fill a glass with water from the sink.
“I couldn’t just sit and listen to you two arguing through the floor, I needed to get out and think about everything and I can’t do that with your voice drifting through the floorboards.” I chug the water before putting the glass in the sink.
Sitting on the bed warm after my shower, I turn my phone over in my hands. When I finally click her
contact, I only hear her voicemail.
“The number you are calling is unavailable, please leave a message after the tone or try again later.”
