Removing the Mask (6 page)

Sighing, I bring up my chapter on my computer before carrying on from my last sentence.

Holding up my palm, I watch a ball of fire hover above it. I mould it petal by petal and watch a rose slowly start to form. I concentrated and watch the colour shift to blue like a gas ring. Adding a stem and a leaf, the rose becomes bigger and fuller.

My concentration shatters like a mirror when I hear a clicking noise, turning, I feel my heart stop beating in my chest as I look at the guy with a camera.

Pausing, I lean towards my laptop to allow it to do another installation before turning my attention back to my computer to carry on writing.

***

At six in the morning, I’m in the kitchen guzzling coffee until I start twitching, that’s when I know I’ve reached my limit. 

Bessie walks in, bright as a button with Hooch at her heels.

“Good morning!”

“Hmm.”

She raises her eyebrows at my grunt before busying about making herself a cup of coffee.

“You look ready to go.” She comments looking at me over the rim of her cup.

Resting my head down on my arms, I nod. “Uh huh.”

I can’t believe it, but the caffeine is wearing off like I’m breathing it out. 

“Well then let’s go!” She smiles with excitement and I cover my face with my hands.

She drives a Range Rover and when I sink into the front seat, I can see myself falling asleep and spending the dreadful three hour drive slumbering like a baby and most likely snoring like dad.

“How did you sleep?”

I lazily open an eye and look at her; she is way too chipper for six in the morning.

“Horizontal.” My sarcasm makes the corners of her mouth turn up.

“Okay, how many hours did you sleep?” She stops at a junction and appraises my attire.

I shrug having no idea what she’s getting at.

“
None.”

“That explains it.”
 

“Explains what?”  My eye goes on strike and I rest my head back on the head rest.

“That your t-shirt is inside out.”

I gesture around my face before l
etting my arm drop into my lap. “Face bothered.”

I think she says something else but I’m already sinking into the land of dreams.

Pain shoots up my left shoulder making me yelp.
“Was that necessary?” I rub where my shoulder came into contact with the door.

“Did you want me to hit the pheasant?” She raises her eyebrows to match mine and glances at me.

“
No comment.” My mumble is lost in the engine of the motor bike that speeds past.

It’s the beginning of September and summer is slowly leaving us. We have the blue sky but a chill hangs in the air. 

The hedgerows blur as we go past, I try recognising where we are, but I’ve never been here. 

“What’s the time? How long till we’re at your house?” I haven’t even stepped into the place, I’m not sure if I can call it home yet.

“Half nine and no more than twenty minutes.” She reaches over to turns the radio up and Michael Bublé starts singing about how he has it easy.  

“What do you actually have on your farm?” I glance back at the dog lying on the back seat to find it watching me,
I wonder if all her animals are this weird.

She sighs, making me wonder why.

“Well I have a teacup pig and a ginger cat. I’ve got ten Babydoll sheep as well as sixty cows. I have thirty-five chickens…and some other things you’ll find out when we get home. You can help with the chickens and when we move the sheep. Oh and I think I can get you a job!”

Staring at her I wonder if she’s joking because she knows I’ve written a book and that I have no problems with
pocket money.

“You’re joking right?”
  

“No, you obviously have too much free time.”

Sighing, I look out the window.
Maybe if I leave it alone and not poke it, it’ll just stay there and not come into our conversation or my future anytime soon.

We turn onto a dirt road and before I can ask, a farm house comes into view.
Flipping Haribo jelly bears.  

I’ve never been intimidated by a house but there is a first for everything.
I’ve only seen houses like this on TV.

She stops the car, and I step out and just stare.

“You going to stand there and gawk or are you going to come inside?” 

I tear my eyes from the house and look at her.

“I was just going to stand here a
nd stare like a daft person.” I say with sarcastic tone.

She rolls her eyes before walking into the house
, waving over her shoulder.

“Come in when you’ve gawked e
nough.”

Looking around, I take in my home for the next two or so years. I’m completely surrounded by fields, apart from the dirt road and of course the house, garage and whatever it is behind that.

The car is parked near what I guess to be a very large garage, it’s separated from the house to what I’d estimate the size of a bus. This is just the front of the house?

With my satchel slung over my shoulder, I heave my laptop bag up over the top before picking up my overnight bag from the floor of the front seat.

Slamming the door, I shuffle towards the yawning front door. I pause in the front hall, and look around. There’s a hallway to my left, the stairs directly in front of me and to my right is a huge doorway leading to, from what I can see, a living room. Between the living room and the stairs is another hallway and my best guess is it leads to the kitchen.

I put my bags down on the glossy dark wood of the stairs before taking the hallway that I think is to the kitchen. I must be right from the laughter that drifts towards me. Pausing out of sight, I listen.

“Alright I’ll see you later Bessie,” says a man’s voice.

“Thanks David, see you later.”

There’s the scuffle of work boots against the floor before the closing of a back door.

I count to five before walking through.

“Who was that?”
I walk to the backdoor and look out at the huge sweeping garden. At the end is a gate and going down the garden is a path that leads behind a green house before disappearing out of sight.

“One of the work men that helps on the farm, were you eavesdropping?”

My backs turned but I feel her eyes on my back

“No, I heard the laughter, it was loud enough. Might I ask what you were laughing at?” Turning, I slip my hands into the pockets of my jeans and take in the towering fridge, marble tops, dishwasher, various small appliances, all matching.

“With Jimmy back home and you moving in, David was making a joke about me having my hands full.” Twitching my eye brows I smile, wondering where Jimmy is.

“Are you coming or what?”

My eyes jump from the floor and I look around the empty kitchen before following Bessie’s raised voice.

Going through the doorway next to the one I come through, I end up in the living room. Bessie’s standing in front of a door to my left.

“I’m handing you and Jimmy the full responsibility of looking after these.” Even before she’s finished speaking, she’s walking out the room.

Biting the bullet, I swing the door open. My eyes widen and my mind stops, my only thought being
holy crap they’re cute.

“At what point did I ask for this?” The hard wood of the chair digs into my back, so I lean forward to avoid the discomfort.

“When you moved into my house.” She shifts and crosses her ankles as she leans against the kitchen counter. Her head’s cocked to the side; she’s waiting for me to challenge her. Am I really that predictable?

“Can we just think about this for a second?” I hold my hand up in a slowdown gesture. She nods and I begin ticking then off my fingers.

“I’m starting my GCSEs, I have to catch up with the work because I’m a few weeks late, I’m writing the sequel to my book and you’re telling me you want me to look after
four
puppies?”

“No, I’m asking you to look after two puppies. Is that really so bad? Anyway, if you want to live in this house,
my
house, you’ll do this without complaining.” She takes a sip of her coffee; the slurp is the only sound in the kitchen.

She’s blackmailing me?
Really?

“Come with me, I need to show you something then, I’m going over to talk to Robert.” 

With my mouth shut, I slip my coat on before following her out the backdoor. We follow the path down the garden before going through a gate. I hear then before I see them.
Gosh no!

“No way! Hell no! I’m putting my size four and a half boot down! You have got no chance! I don’t care if me doing this
is the cure to your cancer! I’M NOT DOING
THAT
!” I say defiantly, pointing to the chicken coop.   

She waits for me to stop before place her hands on her hips. “Finished?” Something in her gaze makes me cross my arms and look down at the floor.

“Do I need to remind you? Because I swear less than four minutes ago I told you, my house, my rules.”

I open and close my mouth, having no idea what to say. I feel as if walls are closing in on me, I look up to the sky to see if it helps.

“Do you think I’d ask you if I didn’t think you could do it? I know you can, and at least I’ll know you’re staying out of trouble if you’re busy.” Her words aren’t comforting. “You have a choice McKenzie, I’m not making you do anything. Stay here and do this, make my load lighter or I’ll drive you home tomorrow and you can sort out a boarding school with Georgia and Archie.”

I wave my arm gesturing for her to lead the way, she turns and I follow, my boots leaving trenches with every step.  

***

I leave my boots outside the back door, telling myself to not forget to clean them later. Then again, they might just be a lost cause.

I strip down to my t-shirt and jeans before turning the kitchen upside down for a drink. I’m about to pull the ring on the can of coke I’ve found in the fridge when Green Day starts playing from the kitchen table. I’ve always liked Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

I flick my finger across the screen with a smile when I see who it is.

“Where are you?” I can’t help the whiney tone to my voice; I thought he’d be here when I arrived.

“Hello to you to.”

“Hi! Where are you?” 

“I’m at school, Ken!” I hear the laughter in his voice and boy’s laughter in the background. My face heats up at the thought of them laughing at me.
Now I’m getting embarrassed?

“Oh yeah…Am I on speaker?”

“No, why?”     

I let out a relived sigh. “No reason. Shouldn’t you be in class?”

“It starts in a few minutes.” The noise in the background becomes louder; I have to hold the phone away from my ear when I hear someone scream.

“Yikes.”

“Yeah, well, this is going to be your class soon. It b- hey!” His voice breaks off into shout before a guy’s voice comes through the phone.

“Hi! I’m Bradley!” I make out Jimmy shouting in the background and a lot of laughing from what I assume is his friends.

“Hello.”

Bradley curses before the phone blasts out static. “Jesus! Can’t a guy have a conversation?” I laugh and find myself grinning. His friends sound like fun.

“So Kenzie, when do we get to meet you? All we’ve heard all day is you, what makes you so special?”

“My charming personality.” His chuckle is cut off short when the call disconnects. I wait a few minutes to see if
somebody
is going to call back but after five, give up. Class has most likely started.

I yearn for a shower but know there’s a very unpleasant job waiting for me. After all, puppies can’t look after themselves.

I don’t know what’s made me feel more ill, the pungent smell of the disinfectant or the smell of the gifts left, spread, smeared and dropped all over the room. After cleaning their room and laying down the pads I’ve found, I have scrubbed and towel dried every single puppy.
Jimmy owes me.

After taking a shower and changing into jeans and black hoodie. I find myself on Google Maps, looking up Jimmy’s…and my school. The walk only takes half an hour to get there. I take a picture of the directions with my phone, knowing if I don’t, I’m going to forget them and find myself lost. I look at the shops nearby and am pleased to see a fish and chip shop nearby as well as a bakery. It’s further away, but still, it’s more than what I had back home. The school’s right on the edge of the town, so I can always go into town to the shops after school.

Satisfied with my research, I close my laptop and hunt through my overnight bag for the other pair of shoes I’ve brought. Shoving my feet into them with no regard for the tatty blue laces, I wonder where Bessie is. Should I tell her I’m leaving? Should I ask? Leave a note?

I pick my phone off the coffee table in front of me and dial her number.

“Hello?”

“Hi, it’s me. Do you mind if I take a walk into town?”

The phones silent for so long I have to check to make sure the phone hasn’t silently disconnected.

“Okay, but please be careful.”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Do you know what time Jimmy has lunch?”

“I’ll always worry about you. I think he eats at half twelve, Why?”

“I’m going to try to meet up with him. See you later.”

“Bye.”

The whole walk there I’m praying it doesn’t rain. I don’t think my converses will do a very good job at keeping my feet dry.

The walk takes a little longer than I thought it would. I find myself standing across the street from the fish and chip shop, watching the thirty or so students milling around outside, waiting to get inside to order.

I’m about to text Jimmy to see where he is when I see the back of his head, then his face as he appears from inside. He walks towards a group leaning against the window of the DIY store next door and hands out the boxes in his arms before they start walking down the street, in the opposite direction of me.

Should I shout? All his friends are there though. Wait till he gets home? But I want to see him now.

My eyes jump up from the tar of the road. Too late, he’s gone.

***

I beat myself up for the rest of the afternoon. Should I have run after them? Do I really want to start the whole friend thing again? Is wanting to a bad thing? Is it worth it? Do I want to risk it?

Placing my elbows on the kitchen counter, I slide my hands into my hair and clench my fist so hard my scalp hurts.
What am I going to do?
I glance at the clock, five minutes has passed since the last time I checked.

My Chemical Romance’s
Teenagers
blasts through my mobile’s minuscule speakers making me groan. I let it ring and vibrate nosily on the kitchen counter but sigh deeply when she rings back.

“Hi mother.”

“Why didn’t you pick up?”
Hello to you too!

“I was in the other room. How has your day been?”

“It was fine. Now listen.”
I’m all ears.
“There’s a charity coming up and they wanted you involved so I said yes.”

“You what?” My voice comes out louder than I intend it to but I don’t apologise for nearly deafening her. Please tell me she’s kidding me.

“I think you’re going to enjoy this one.” Mum’s pacifying tone does nothing to calm my increasingly bad mood.

“Why did you do that? I told you I wasn’t going to do another!” I can’t believe this; she’s totally ignored what I’ve told her.
Why does she keep doing this?  

“It’s a fundraiser for multiple charities! It’s such good publicity and I thought you’d want to do it!” She says trying to defend herself but I’m not hearing any of it.

“That’s my point! You thought! You didn’t come and ask me!”

“It’s for-”

I press the end call button before dumping it onto the counter. Georgia Prince strikes again. What is it with her? Does she have selective hearing?

I’m going to get an earful later for hanging up on her. But it’s not like I’m acting out of line, I said I didn’t want to do anymore or this charade
, yet she continues to get me involved in it. I’d love to know the reason she does these things but of course, I’m here and dad’s back…home.

My phone vibrates with a notification; not what I’m expecting. The more I read of the email, the more I want to get one of my horrible high heeled shoes, and smash the living electronics out of my phone. 

My mother doesn’t call me back and apologise. My mother doesn’t leave me a voice mail. She doesn’t even send me a text. No, she goes and sends me an
email.
An email which only holds information on the charity, not so much of a word is actually addressed to me.

I absorb the information before chucking the phone on the side. I don’t like it when she’s right. But she is this time. I would have done it if she’d asked me; it sounds fun, but it’s going to get very messy if I don’t do this right.

I have to pick a school; I’m seriously considering choosing mine, because there’s a chance Jimmy could be involved as well. Before I let myself get excited about that, I need to actually
tell
him first then ask him if he would like to be a part of it.

I find myself in the puppy room giving them all the attention they deserve before settling down on the floor and reading the battered old paperback that I’ve read so many times I could probably recite it by memory. But the author is such a good writer I feel like I’m reading it for the first time. 

My head snaps up when I hear the door open noisily, the keys rattle against the wood before the door slams closed. I hesitate for a second before springing to my feet and dashing into the living room. Jimmy’s taking his blazer off when I walk in and grins when he sees me.

“Hey cuz’,” he greets me with a bear hug before leading me into the kitchen. “I take it mum’s already told you about the new members of the family.” His eyebrows rise and I take it from the look on his face it’s a common joke around here.

“Yeah, I thought I was coming here to go to school, but no, I’m here to look after puppies and chickens.” I run my hand through my hair, combing it back from my face.

“Don’t worry about it, it’ll become routine before you know it.”

“Is that supposed to be reassuring?”

He rolls his eyes before turning to rummage through the fridge.  When he reappears, he’s got two bright, red cans in his hands. He gives me one before leading the way back into the living room. “You’re complaining now, but wait till you have homework every night; you’ll feel a lot worse.” He collapses onto the sofa and I follow suit with the armchair next to it.

“Again, is that supposed to be reassuring? Your words bring me no comfort!”

“I’m not a shrink! I’m not here to give you comforting words!” He smiles before placing his empty can on the coffee table. He starts rummaging through what I assume is his school bag before taking out books, pieces of paper and a pen.

“Colour me shocked! Jimmy McKay! Are you doing homework?” I laugh and watch him shrug.

“I’ve got enough homework for three people, so yeah, I’m starting it now.”

Amused, I sit back and watch him crack on. But it’s not long before I’m bored of watching him squiggle across the endless pieces of paper. I’m about to retrieve my book when the back door slams.

“Jimmy? McKenzie?” Bessie’s voice is haggard, making me wonder what she’s been up to.

“Yeah?” Jimmy and I answer at the same time making Bessie chuckle as she comes into the room.

“First of all, we’re ordering Chinese for dinner, so let me know what you guys would like.” She turns to me. “Second of all, your dad just called. He won’t be driving you stuff up tonight; he’s going to bring it up tomorrow, which means no school, because you don’t have any gear.”

“I don’t have a problem with that!” I settle back into the cushions and watch both Bessie and Jimmy roll their eyes.

“Right then! The menu’s in the kitchen if you want it. I’m going to go get changed.”

Jimmy stands up and stretches. “Mum, me and Ken can go get it if you want. I know you’re tired.”