Masquerade of Lies (3 page)

“Dare,” she said.

“Kiss me on the cheek.” As she leaned in to me I angled my cheek towards her lips. Only, she didn’t kiss me on the cheek. She gently placed her hand on my chin and brought my lips to hers. She didn’t use her tongue; it was just a quick, tight-lipped kiss. It was unexpected, but kind of nice. I’m not into girls, but in that moment, I felt closer to Brooke. It was like we were sisters or best friends. Suddenly I felt guilty of the thought I might be replacing Marisa as my best friend. Then I decided there was no reason I couldn’t have more than one best friend.

I gazed at Brooke stunned. “What was that?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I wanted to spice it up a little.” She ran her hands through her hair and smiled. “I didn’t offend you, did I?”

“No, that’s cool.”

“You’re alright Hanna. I’m really glad you moved here. You’re the first real friend that I’ve had in a long time.”

“Awwww…I’m glad I moved here too.” We smiled at each other and hugged. Suddenly, her phone chimed. She reached for her phone and began reading a text message. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Shit, I gotta go!” She sprang off the bed towards the door.

“Who is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s my mom. I’ll see you at school tomorrow k?”

“Okay.” With that, she was gone.

CHAPTER THREE—TRUE TRUTH OR LIE

The next day at school everybody was talking about the bonfire party taking place at Willowdale Beach that night. I was standing by my locker collecting my books when I spied Brooke walking towards me.

“Hey!”

“Hey Hanna! Ready for English with the evil spawn of satan?” I knew she was talking about Claire. I chuckled.

“By the way, why’d you take off so fast last night? As soon as you got that text you bolted.” I slammed my locker shut and we walked to class.

“Oh…it was my mom…she needed me for something.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Oh yeah…everything’s cool.” She tucked a lock of her long black hair behind her ear.

“Oh! Are you going to the bonfire tonight?” I asked squeezing Brooke’s upper arm.

“Are you?”

“Well…I was thinking about it. We should both go.”

“I don’t know Hanna. I don’t wanna party with these people. Besides, it’s just an excuse to get drunk and act like an idiot, or worse, get knocked up.”

“Oh come on. It’ll be fun; you and me against the world.” She groaned. “Pleeease.” She thought about it for a moment.

“Fine,
but you owe me.”

“Deal.” The bell rang as we approached our class. We scurried inside just before Mrs. Hill closed the door.

***

As Brooke and I approached the crowd I could smell the firewood burning. I could see the bright lights of the flame and the smoke being carried away by the gentle breeze. Everybody was drinking out of a red plastic cup and having a good time. I could hear the buzzing of the music, but I couldn’t tell what song it was. I wore pink flip flops and I could feel sand between my toes with every step I took. I had on white cut off shorts and a baby pink tank top. Brooke had on black capris and a black sleeveless camisole with a white skull printed on the front. Her feet were dressed with black combat boots.

I noticed Claire whispering something in one of her friends’ ear. She was looking at Brooke and me, so I knew she was talking about us. Josh was standing beside her sipping a
Coors Light.

“Are you sure you wanna do this Hanna? We could still turn around and do something else, just the two of us?”

I took her hand and gently pulled her to follow me. “We won’t stay long.” As we got closer the music got clear; it was Katy Perry,
California Gurls.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw pretty boy standing there with a drink in his hand.

“Hey! Hanna right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Mark Edwards. Nice to meet you,” he said with a smile. He had cute dimples and perfect teeth.

Claire strutted towards us in her white one-piece short jump suit. Her hair whirled in the wind. Her two friends, Jessica and Katie, were with her. “I didn’t know
you
were invited freak?”

“It’s a free country,” she shot back.

“Lucky for you.” She looked at me. “You should really find somebody else to hang out with new girl. People judge you by the company you keep.”

“I’m okay, thanks.” Brooke and I exchanged a smile.

“Suit yourself.” She turned on her heels and headed back to be with Josh; Jessica and Katie followed.

“Here…have a drink,” Mark said as he handed me the drink that was in his hand.

“Don’t drink that Hanna, it could be spiked,” blurted Brooke.

“Always a pleasure Brooke,” he said sarcastically. She squinted her eyes at him.

I smelled inside the cup. “What is it?”

“Just beer.”

“Oh…no thanks…I don’t drink,” I said as I handed the cup back to him.

“Alright, that’s cool.”

“Sorry Mark, I guess you’re not gonna be able to get her drunk tonight.”

“Whatever.”

“Ooh, good comeback.” She rolled her eyes. I sensed some hostility between the two of them. I pulled her aside.

“Hey, what’s up with you two? Did you guys date or something?”

“Are you kidding? No! I’m just getting a bad vibe from him, that’s all.” She brushed some hair away from her face. “I’ll be cool.”

“Good, because he seems nice to me,” I whispered.

All of a sudden, a girls’ voice screamed “Who wants to play True Truth or Lie?”

“Wanna play?” I asked squeezing Brooke’s forearms.

“I guess.”

“Ooh, this is gonna be fun!”

Everybody took a seat on the sand around the bonfire. Mark snuck a seat beside me to my left and Brooke sat to my right. A girl with straight blonde hair and bangs started the game. “Okay! Ask away!”

Some guy named Shane Richards decided to ask her a question. “Have you ever had plastic surgery, and if so, what did you have done?”

She looked right at him and said “yes I have.” She squeezed both of her breasts with her hands. “I had my boobs done.”

“She’s lying!” yelled a girl with a small face and shoulder length brown hair.

“They look real to me!” gushed a broad shouldered guy with a shaved head.

“What do
you
think?” I asked Brooke in a low voice.

“Who cares?”

“I think you’re telling the truth!” I shouted. “They look a little too perfect.” Everybody began to whisper to one another. She gave me a long hard stare. It grew quiet.

“She’s right! I got ‘em done six months ago!
C36
thanks to Dr. Night!”

Mark nudged my arm. “Nice.” I smiled as I was pleased with myself.

“So, is it my turn to be asked a question?”

“Go for it,” said Mark.

I stood up and brushed some sand off my legs. “Go ahead! Ask me something!”

Claire shot her hand in the air. I’ll ask you a question!” I bit my lip. I was afraid of what she was going to ask me. Everybody waited in anticipation.

“Have you ever been in jail?” I thought about that for a moment. Hessner was like a jail. I was denied freedom and hidden from the rest of the world. I always had to obey the rules and eat whatever food I was given. I felt like I was being punished for the things I had done. It wasn’t actual jail but it sure felt like it. I wasn’t really sure how to answer that question.

“Well?” asked Claire.

My heart hammered in my chest and I had a lump in my throat. “Ummm…no…I’ve never been in jail.”

Claire’s lips twisted into a devilish smile. “She’s totally lying!”

“No, I’m not…honest,” I said shaking my head from left to right.

“You’re not very good at this game new girl!” Claire shot back.

“She’s a bad ass!” A girl wearing plaid canvas shorts and a white t-shirt blurted. I looked down at Brooke and she giggled.

“Hey,
you
wanted to come.” I took a deep breath.

Mark stood up and grabbed my hand. “I think she’s telling the truth!”

“Of course you do,” I heard Brooke mumble to herself.

“Well…which is it new girl?” Claire taunted.

“I’ve never been in jail okay!”

“Okay…easy. It’s just a game,” said Claire. My eyes shifted to Josh. He winked at me and I smiled.

I sat down and crossed my arms over my chest. I looked at Mark and offered him a smile. He smiled back.

The game went on for a little while. I started to get into it so much that I hadn’t noticed Brooke and Mark were gone. I scanned the dark beach, but I couldn’t see them. I got up and wandered around the beach. The music began to fade and I wondered if I would ever find them. I was about to turn around when I noticed two people arguing by a couple of palm trees. I crept towards them and realized it was Brooke and Mark. Brooke stood firm and wagged a finger in Mark’s face. He grabbed her arm and his nostrils were flared. I tiptoed away and sprinted back to the bonfire before they saw me.

About five minutes later Brooke returned and sat down next to me.

“Where’d you go?” I asked.

“Oh…I had to find a place to pee,” she said laughing it off.

A few minutes later, Mark came back too. “Hey, did you miss me?”

“Where’ve you been? You just disappeared.”

“I went to get another drink.” I looked down at his hands and they were empty.

“Where is it?”

“I started shooting the shit with a buddy of mine and finished it.”

“Oh.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah….I guess.”
Why did they lie to me?

The next day at school, Mark caught up to me in the hall and asked me for my number. I figured he was cute and single, so I gave it to him.

After school, I went outside to wait for my mother and ran into Brooke. She was sitting on the steps biting her nails, like she was nervous about something. As soon as she saw me she stood up. “Hey Hanna!”

“Hey!”

She ran her hands through her long black hair. She then looked around and came close to me so our shoulders touched. “This is going to sound totally random, but I need you to meet me tonight at the bleachers behind the school,” she said in a hushed tone.

“Oookaay...why?”

“I need to tell you something.”

“Well, why don’t I just meet you at your house?”

“My mom’s going out of town for the night, and I have to drive her to the airport. I’ll swing by the bleachers after I drop her off.”

“Or you can just drive to my house if you want.”

“I’d feel more comfortable if we were alone.”

“Oh, okay. What time?”

“About eight o’clock?”

“Okay, I’ll be there,” I replied as my mother’s Corolla pulled up.

***

I went into the living room, where my mother was watching television.

“Uh oh,” said my mother.

“What?”

“You always have that look on your face when you’re about to ask me for something. So...what is it?”

“Can I please borrow the car?”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to meet Brooke.”

“I don’t know. You know what happened the last time I let you borrow the car.”

“Mom. That was a long time ago. I wasn’t myself, but I’m better now.”  She looked at me reluctantly. “Pleeeease,” I begged with my hands folded like I was praying.

“This isn’t about a boy, right?”

“No! I swear!” My mom was still freaked out about the Simon thing.

“Fine. You have two hours.” I gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek.

“Thanks, Mom!”

“Just don’t make me regret my decision!” she bellowed as I grabbed the car keys off the hall table and left.

***

Minutes later, I pulled into a space in the school parking lot and cut the engine. The sun had gone down, but the outside lights radiated over the lot. I could see the bleachers from where I was positioned. I pulled the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. Once outside, I locked the door remotely with a beep. The school looked so different at night. There were no teachers. No students. No cars zooming by on the road. Just me.

The night was still, and leaves crunched under my shoes as I walked across the field. I climbed a few bleachers and sat down. I looked at my Motorola, and the time was
8:07 PM
. I sent Brooke a text:
I’m here.
I then pressed the Facebook icon and started reading status updates while I waited for her to respond; only, she didn’t. Soon, it was 8:25 PM. I sent her another text: 
where are you?
I have to b home by 10.
Nothing. Finally, I sent her one more text: 
Where are you? I’m coming to your house.

I jumped down the bleachers and marched to my car. Suddenly, I heard a scrunching noise behind me. I stopped walking and turned around, but nobody was there. I took heel-and-toe steps to the car as my heart pounded in my chest. When I reached my car, I fumbled in my pocket for the keys. Once the door was open, I jumped in and immediately locked it. I used the browser on my phone and searched her last name and found her address. I turned on the car, and the engine came to life. I put on my seatbelt and looked at my phone one more time before driving off.

Within ten minutes I arrived at Brooke’s house. I pulled up to the curb in front of her house and put the car into
park.
It was dark, so I couldn’t see her house that well. Her car wasn’t in the driveway and all the lights in the house were off. I assumed she got held up with her mother at the airport or something, so I called her cell, but it went to voicemail. I decided to wait for her to come back. It was 8:45 PM. I turned off the ignition and decided to read Facebook status updates while I wait.

I was jolted awake by a crash of thunder. I grabbed my phone and checked the time. It was 9:52 PM.
Crap! I fell asleep!
I had eight minutes to get home. I called my mother to let her know what happened and that I was on my way home. I put the car in
drive
and put on my seatbelt. I glanced at Brooke’s house and noticed that her car still wasn’t in the driveway. I checked my phone but there weren’t any text messages. What happened to Brooke?