Removing the Mask (11 page)

“What are we going to do?” I ask, turning my head to look at him off the side of the bed. 

Jimmy sighs from his spot, stretched out across the floor of my bedroom. “Honestly? Forgetting about the charity for a sec’, I think you should tell them just because they’re your friends. You’re constantly telling your mum that you don’t want it anymore; yet, I’ve never seen you do anything towards ditching it. So…tell them, get it out in the open. You’ll feel better about it after and I think you’ll find that they want to help you choose.” He makes it sound so simple.

“You sound like a shrink. How would I tell them?” I rub my eyes, tired from having not slept well last night.

Jimmy’s quite for too long. I lean over the side of the bed to find him getting to his feet.

“Where’re you going?”  

“I’ve got an idea. You’re going to have to trust me; in the meantime get some sleep you’re going to need it.” He dashes out the room.

“Jimmy! No! Don’t! You’re…Gah!”   

I wander into the kitchen after d
oing just what Jimmy told me to, I fell asleep.

While my eyes aren’t as heavy, my body still feels sluggish and lazy.

“You look like you’re full of beans.” Bessie chuckles and she comes up behind me. Her hair’s pulled up and she’s dressed nicely. A glance at the clock tells me it’s five; I’ve been asleep an hour.

“Where’s Jimmy? He disappeared out of my bedroom before I fell asleep and wouldn’t tell me what he was going to do.” I pour myself a glass of milk before putting the milk back in the fridge door.

“You didn’t hear them? Josh and Jason are here, they’re in his room.”

I look down at my teddy bear pyjama trousers and tank top. I’m so glad they didn’t hear
me.

“I need to change.” I put the glass in the sink before rushing into the laundry room. I slip into black jeans before swapping my tank top for a slightly wrinkled red camisole and lumber jack shirt. At least now they can’t take the micky out of my pyjamas.

I walk back into the kitchen while piling my hair up into a messy ponytail high on my head.

Bessie stands at the counter putting icing sugar on a cake I didn’t notice was there before.

“What’s with the cake?” I walk up behind her and noticing the bowl of cream, nick some off the rim with my finger before she can stop me.

“Keep your mitts off my cream! I’ve invited Josh and Jason’s parents over for Chinese take away; they helped me out a l
ot last month and I want to repay them.” She slides the bowl away from me with a flick of her wrist, but because she’s looking at me as she does it, the bowl skids off the side and smashes on the floor.

“Oh shit!” Bessie curses and goes to grab the kitchen towel but I beat her to it.

“I’ll clear it up. You’re making it up to them with Chinese take away? Isn’t that a bit…” I use thick wades of the kitchen towel to guide the glass and cream into one big pile before scooping it all into the carrier bag she hands me.

“Yes, I know. I asked what I could do to make it up to them and they asked for Chinese because they haven’t had it in a while. What was I going to say?
That’s not good enough?
” 

I chuck the carrier bag into the bin before getting down on the floor searching for any glass.

“You have a point. Maybe you should take them out as well, buy them a meal in a nice restaurant or something.”

Bessie makes a noise in the back of her throat.

“Ken, what’re doing?” I see Jimmy’s sneakers out the corner of my eyes.

“What? This isn’t normal?” I get up off the floor. “I got all the glass.” I say to Bessie before turning to Jimmy, who’s reaching to get cans of drink out of the fridge.

“What’d you do?” I cross my arms, my gaze keeping him from walking out they room.

“What?” He asks innocently. “I didn’t do anything.” He hands me two of the cans of Coke out if his hands.

“Are you kidding? You ran out my room like your arse was on fire; please excuse my French.”

“Fine, I’ve planned something for this Friday, I’ll explain it to you later.” He gestures to the door. “Are you coming or what?”

“Sure.” I say sighing as I follow him up the stairs. 

He sends me a questioning look, “what’s the matter with you?”

“I’m tired.”

“Still? Jeez, you need to snap out of it.”

I follow him down the hallway, a frown forming. “Why?”

“Because, we’re about to have some fun and you need to be awake to do so, short stack.” He says taking a dig at the fact that he’s taller than me.

“Isn’t it time for your nap lil’ Jim? Or better yet, your bed time?” I say gloating about the fact that I’m four months older than him. I slip in behind Jimmy and place the cans on the chest of draws before going to sit on the bed, against the head board.

“You’re the one taking the naps.” He tosses one of the cans to Jason, Josh and then me; I don’t make a move to catch it and it hits me in the arm.

“Ouch.”  

“Come on,
Kenzie
cheer up.” The taunting look in his eyes has me reaching for the can of drink. He watches me start to shake it and it dawns on him. “Don’t you dare.”

“You know I hate being called Kenzie.”

My wrist continues to jerk back and forth and the look in his eyes change. “Ken, you pull that ring and I swear to God I’ll kill ya’.”

I get up off the bed looking as if I’m giving up as I hold out the can. “Fine-” he goes to grab it but I pull it out of his reach, pull the ring and toss it on the bed. “-you’re on!”

He lunges for the can.

Laughing, I dash out the room and run down the stairs. I don’t make it far before I can hear him pounding after me, calling me every name in the book. I run through the living room and into the puppies’ room closing the door behind me, leaning back so all my weight’s on the door handle. Seconds later he’s trying to pull it open.

“Josh! Give me a hand!”

“Oh crap!” I mutter knowing I’m not going to be any match for both of their weight.     

The door gives way. I scream and find myself laughing when Josh grabs me, lifting me off my feet before carrying me to the kitchen; I try to break free but I’m not as strong as him.

Jimmy’s in the kitchen thoroughly shaking a can. When he sees me fighting against Josh, the biggest smile stretches across his face. We both know that if he’d been the one to grab me, I’d have kicked him by now, but I’m not about to go and kick Josh because growing up with an older brother, you tend to get good at it. 

Bessie stares open-mouthed at the scene before her, a spoon still raised in her hand. “What is going on? Jimmy you open that can in my kitchen and I swear to God!” Her eyes narrow at Jimmy.

“Alright, alright!” He starts backing up to the French doors.

“Oh? So not only do I have to get drenched in Coke, I have to freeze to death doing it?
Fantastic.
” I finish sarcastically. I fight against Josh’s hold and manoeuvre my elbow to jab him in the stomach. With his arms wrapped around my stomach, my elbow can’t reach properly and it’s a pathetic attempt.

He laughs right in my ear and I crane my head to look at him. “What did I do to you? This is between Jimmy and I.”

“It’s going be funny.” He grins, making me roll my eyes. 

“Jimmy, what did she do?” She turns her back to us and continues to do whatever it is she’s doing; from where I’m being held and the angle she’s standing, I can’t see what that is exactly.   

Jimmy tells her in excruciating detail. Bessie sends me a look before turning her back. “Take her outside and get her good. When you’ve done that I want you
all
to clean the room.”

When I walk back in
side with Jimmy and Josh behind me, absolutely wetting themselves laughing, Bessie only has to take one look before joining in.

“Well done, boys!”

“I’m going to jump in the shower.” I say calmly. I head towards the door and Josh manages to shop laughing to say “don’t slip.” This sends them into a new round of laughter.

I run up the stairs and straight into Jason. “Sorry!” He takes one look at me and is instantly fighting a smile.

Pointing a finger at him, I warn. “Not a word.”

He holds his hands up in surrender before buttoning his lips, though the corners of his mouth are still turned up in a smirk.

Turning, I run up the stairs; when I look down over the banister, he’s disappeared out of sight.

The alarm clock going off alerts me that’s it’s six in the morning and I’m yet to go to bed. I started writing around eight o’clock and found myself unable to stop till three in the morning, but when I found myself in bed, all I did was stare at the ceiling thinking about what Jimmy’s planned, still clueless to what it is. My mind raced unable to shut down, so I found myself back in front of the laptop.

Which is why my tired, over worked brain takes a moment to process that I need to turn off my alarm to stop its incisive ringing.

Getting up, I go to flick the little switch that silences the awful, sometimes life saving device but stop when I get a better idea. With a skip in my step, I bounce down the stairs, tossing the clock between my hands. I spin it in my hands as I think of the ones I’ve broken in my time. I arrive at Jimmy’s bedroom door; It open silently, though the stealth approach is out the window since I’m holding a ringing alarm in my hand.

I watch amused as Jimmy reaches out towards his own alarm to turn it off, he keeps pressing the button until he looks up and sees what I’m holding in my hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” His voice is scratchy with sleep as he sits up against the headboard; signalling that he’s up.

I flick the switch and we both sigh with the relief. “What’ve you planned for tonight?” I walk in and sit at the foot of his bed.

“Oh God! Seriously? That’s what this’s about?” His leg comes up and he kicks me off the bed.

I land with my feet still on the bed, while the rest of me is sprawled across the floor, but instead of moving, I settle where I am. “Yes! I didn’t sleep at all last night! Please?” I watch my feet as I wiggle my toes, imagining what it would be like to walk across the ceiling.

He’s quite for a moment. “No.”

My phone chimes a tune with church organs.

“What the hell’s that?” Jimmy kicks the covers off himself and on top of me.

Crawling out from under them, I pull out my phone before collapsing on my back in the middle of the floor.

“Text from my mother; this is going to be good.” I say dryly. Swiping my thumb across the screen, the text comes into view and a string of words come out my mouth that causes Jimmy to choke and attractively spew out the water he’s drinking.

Bessie walks in in time to see his hansom display and stares down at the water covering the floor. “Ken, you’re a bad influence on my son.” Bessie says jokingly but the smile drops off her face when she sees mine. “What’s wrong, Ken?”

Sighing, I get up off the floor and head for the door. “Mum’s paying us a visit tomorrow.” As I head down the stairs, I can hear Bessie asking Jimmy what happened but I don’t hear his reply, not that I need to.

“McKenzie!” I can hear her coming down the stairs as I walk into the living room and collapse onto the sofa.

“What’s so bad about that? I know you’re not on the best of terms but…what’s with the face?” She rushes into the living room and when she spots me slouched on the sofa, moves to sit down beside me.

“She’s coming to check on me.” My eyes stay locked on the floor as I twirl a lock of my hair around my finger.

“Did she say this?” She rubs my leg and I find myself oddly relaxed as I cover my face with my hands.

“No, but I know her. I’d bet my last penny that she’s jealous that I’m enjoying it here so much and she’s going to be getting on my case about, a: my writing and b: the charity and whom I’m going to choose. I don’t want her to come because I
know
that it’s not going to be a good day if she’s here.”

Her face is a mask of sadness. “I know I don’t like my sister very much-”

I scoff.

“-okay, at all, but it saddens me to know how bad the relationship is between you two. You’re mother and daughter; you shouldn’t have all this resentment, jealously and just straight up dislike. It’s awful!” She looks generally distraught about it.

Not knowing how to reply to that, I just shrug and purse my lips.

Bessie points her finger at me and pulls me into her determined gaze. “After this charity, we’re clearing it up between you two; I can’t stand to have this like it is for much longer.” She gets up and stalks into the kitchen.      

I hear footsteps on the stairs, and turn my head to watch Jimmy walk into the room. He eyes me for moment. “You alright? I really don’t want to have to cancel tonight.” He smiles but it’s not as big as it usually is; it’s cautious.

“I’m fine.” I say, but we both know I’m not.

***

Ida literally skips up to me when we get to school. Her hair’s up in the bun I taught her, leaving her pretty, slightly round face bare for everyone to see. As she nears me, she trips and has to steady herself with my arm to keep from falling.

“Oh God! Oh! I mean gosh!” Her face flushes as she peeks at Jimmy. Getting a hold of my arm, she starts tugging me away the guys to a bench that’s away from the bustling crowds of the students.

“I need to tell you something!” She dumps her bag on the floor before sitting down and pulling me down next to her. “I’ve been busting to tell someone, but I’ve had no one to talk to about it until you, and I really need to talk about it!” Her eyes plead with me, so I wave my hand and lean back to listen.

“I have a crush on someone!” It comes out in one breath, and draws out my first real smile of the day.  

“Who?” I lean forward in interest. “It’s not my cuz’ right?” 

She bites her lip, staring at me. I start to worry but she sighs, “No, but it’s one of his friends.”

A pit forms in my stomach and I find myself hoping it’s not Josh,
wait, what?

“It’s Bradley.”

Letting out a sigh of relief; for a reason I’m not entirely sure I want to think about, I put my hair back into a ponytail before asking why.

“He talks to me in English, when we’re doing course work; it’s distracting, but, I like talking to him,
a lot.
” A grin lights up her face and I find myself matching hers.

“Oh my God.-”

She frowns at me.

“-Sorry! Gosh. Does he like you?”

Someone tugs on my ponytail, Ida’s eyes go wide and she only now notices the person behind me.

“Who likes who?” Jason asks, coming to stand beside me.

Ida flushes and goes to speak but I jump in ahead of her.

“That’s on a need to know basis, and mate, you
really
don’t need to know.”  

He gestures for me to move over, and squeezes onto the bench beside me. “So I can’t help you set her up with whoever it is she likes?” He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, looking across to where the others are standing, before looking at me over his shoulder.

Clearing my throat, I look at Ida; she shakes her head, her eyes threatening to jump out her head and roll across the floor.

“Now that depends,-” when Ida punches me in the arm I turn away, ignoring her. “-can you keep it a secret?”

“Yes.” He looks me dead in the eyes, making butterflies summersault in my belly as I sense something else going on.

“Okay, I’ll tell you later because the bell is about to go.” As if hearing me, the bell decides to ring.

“Talk to you later.” He gets up and walks away, heading for his tutor.

“Are we seriously going to ask for his help?” She worries her lip as she picks up her stuff.

“Don’t know yet, I’ll think about it.” I watch his back as he walks away before picking up my bag. “You won’t worry too much if I do, will you?”

“No, if you trust him, then I will. By the way, I’m looking forward to tonight.” She grins and me, her eyes twinkling before spinning and full out legging it to her tutor.

“Ida!”

She waves over her head, glancing over her shoulder before disappearing into a building.

“Ken!”

I don’t need to look to know Jimmy’s waiting for me. Sighing, I start jogging in his direction.
Am I the only one who doesn’t know?

***

As soon as the bell goes for end of day, I try to make a run for the bakery, only to get stopped by Jimmy.

“You’re not working today.”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I glare up at him through my eyelashes; sick of being the only one who doesn’t know what’s happening tonight. All day the others have been dropping hints; I’ve only gotten more irritated and tired as the day has gone on. “Well, then, what am I doing?”

“Everyone’s coming over tonight. Eloise is expecting you to work tomorrow.” He starts walking and I have no other choice but to walk with him.

“You’ve been secretive all week and all that’s happening is that the guys are coming over? Oh my God! Jimmy I could kill you!” I cry as I grit my teeth, turning away from him.

“Jeez, calm down. I’m not finished. They’re all sleeping over. Me and the guys are going to be sleeping at Josh’s, you and girls are going to be sleeping at ours. The others are all coming over later, but at midnight me and the guys have to head over to Josh’s.” He watches me as he walks beside me. “Why’re you so grumpy?”

“First, it’s the guys and
I.
Second of all, I’m tired.” I pull my pony tail out, but regret it when the wind whips it around my face.

“Is it your mum?”

Out the corner of my eye, I can see him looking at me. “I just told you what it is.”

“If you can’t tell me what’s bothering you now, how
on earth do you expect to be able to tell them your secret tonight.”  He pulls the hood of his coat up when the wind blows it back.

“Fine! I’ll spill my guts when we get home, alright? The wind’s annoying me.”

When we do finely walk through the front door, a small part of me is hoping that he’s going to let it go, but this is Jimmy. Even at fifteen, he’s got a heart made out of gold.

“Come on then, out with it.” He dumps his stuff on the floor, watching me.

“Let’s go upstairs.” I don’t wait to see if he’s coming and jog up the two flights of stairs.

In my room, there’s a double mattress on the floor, made up with sheets, pillows and a duvet. Bessie must have made it up for tonight.

After taking my homework out my bag, I chuck it in my wardrobe before staring at my clothes, trying to decide what to wear.

“Narnia isn’t on the other side of that wardrobe.”

“Wish it was. I’d do anything to be able to jump into a book.” I grab a pair of ripped, grey jeans and toss them onto the bed.

“What’s wrong with you today? Why are you so upset about your mum coming?” I hear the material of the sofa give as he sits down.   

Looking through my various tops, I try thinking of a way to explain it to him. My fingers skim over the different materials, finally deciding on a union jack crop top and plain black shirt. I grab the jeans and walk into the bathroom to get changed, leaving the door ajar so that I can still talk to Jimmy.

His comment gives me an idea. “This place is my Narnia.”

“Want to elaborate on that?” I can hear the smile in his voice.

I step out the bathroom and chuck my uniform in the laundry basket by the door.

“This place is my Narnia; I stepped through the wardrobe and ended up here.” I sit down besides Jimmy; he offers me the pack of gum he’s holding, a strip is poking out and I snatch it before shoving it into my mouth and chewing slowly. I lay back so I’m slumped on the sofa besides him. “When I was back home, everything revolved around school and my writing and
M Z Pristine.
Here, it’s…normal. I write when I feel inspired rather than searching for something to do. I love writing, but being here has made me realise that back home, I was writing, but I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I used to. I enjoy it more now.”

“Okay, I get that, but what does this have to do with you being grumpy?”

“Because Mum’s going to come tomorrow and I’m going to be shoved back into the real world rather than the Narnia I have created.” I get to my feet and grab my makeup bag before sitting down on the floor to do my makeup.

“That’s what you think? That’s why you’re grumpy?” He says incredulity. “That’s not going to happen! Jeez, Ken…”  He shakes his head. “I’m going to go get changed cause they’re going to be here soon. Seriously though, me and mum aren’t going to let your mum come and turn you back into a minion.” He chuckles as he walks to the door.

“Promise?”

He doesn’t stop as he walks out the door. “Yeah! You ain’t got nothin’ to worry bout’!”

I laugh as I finish my makeup and am still smiling when I’m putting my stuff away. I’m straightening my room when I hear a scream coming from out front. I peek outside to see Dustin, Amanda, JJ, Josh and Jason coming up to the front door; the girls have overnight bags while the guys are empty handed, probably having dropped their stiff off at Josh and Jason’s.     

Wondering how they got here so fast, I look at the clock and see two hours has past. Walking towards the door, I can’t help but feel dread towards what I’m going to do tonight. It’s what I want, but what if
I choke?