Masquerade of Lies (7 page)

CHAPTER SEVEN—WHO IS THAT GIRL?

After school, I went to the library to meet Stephanie. On my way there, I texted my mom to let her know so she wouldn’t send out a search party to look for me. When I got to the library, Stephanie was sitting on the bench talking on her Samsung.

“Hey!” she trilled, waving her hand. “I’ll talk to you later,” she mumbled before ending the call.

She stood up, and we padded into the library. An older woman was sitting at the front desk, wearing a pair of metal framed glasses that hung on her nose. She had on a blue cardigan sweater, and her hair was in a bun. She smiled at us as we passed her. We glided around a small group of people sitting on black leather couches. A cluster of independent study cubicles was in the far corner, and a row of workstations was next to them. I spotted a small, unoccupied round table, so we grabbed it. After we sat down, Stephanie fetched a notepad and pen from her pleather handbag.

“So, why don’t you tell me what happened?” she started.

I told her Brooke and I had planned to meet at the bleachers that night, but she never showed up. Then I told her everything that happened at her house the day I found her.

“Wow, that’s crazy,” she said as she scribbled on her notepad. “So, do the police have any leads?”

I didn’t want to say anything about the detective questioning Claire. That would be throwing her under the bus, and I wasn’t prepared to do that.

“I don’t know.”

“Okay. Anything else you want to add?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Well, I think I got everything I need,” she said as she started packing up her stuff forty-five minutes later. “Thanks a lot, Hanna.” 

“You’re welcome,” I said.

Stephanie stood up and placed her handbag across her wrist. “Bye,” she said as she wiggled her fingers.

I grabbed my bag and left the library. On my way out of the school, I ran into Josh. He smelt like Dial body wash, and he had a hefty gym bag over his shoulder.

“Hey, Hanna. What are
you
doing here so late?”

“I had to meet somebody in the library. What about you?”

“Oh, I had football practice,” he said with an awkward smile. “Want a ride home?”

“Sure.” I had butterflies in my stomach.

We strolled through the student parking lot and stopped at a dark blue Ford Mustang with two white stripes down the middle. He opened my door for me.
Who says chivalry is dead?
He then walked around to the driver’s side and got in. He cranked the ignition, the engine growled, then he veered onto the street.

“So, who is Hanna Clark? Tell me about yourself,” he said.

“What do you wanna know?” My heart fluttered in my chest and my palms were sweaty.

“Anything you wanna tell me,” he said with a smile.

I recited directions to my house as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel, then offered, “Well, my mom and I moved here from Deerwood.”

“What about your dad?”

“My parents got divorced. My dad still lives in Deerwood.”

“That sucks. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.

“I know what that’s like,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “My parents aren’t together anymore either.”

“Sorry,” I said, lowering my eyes.

“That’s okay. I mean, it was hard at first, but now I understand why they split up,” he said. I stared out the window at some children playing in the park. “My parents used to fight, like, all the time.” I tucked some hair behind my ear. “Eventually, they just had enough. So, are you close with your dad?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

“No, not really. I haven’t seen him or talked to him since we moved.”

“Bummer.”

“Yeah, but my mom and I are pretty close.”

“That’s cool,” he said, shooting me a glance as he rolled up at a stop sign. “I live with my dad, but my mom and I talk once in a while.” I offered a smile. “So, why did you and your mom move here? Why didn’t you just stay in Deerwood?”

I bit my lip. “It’s complicated,” I said.

“So…I heard you’re dating Mark Edwards.”

“What! Who said that?”

“Everybody is saying that.”

“Well, we’re just talking right now. He seems nice.” He didn’t say anything. He just nodded his head.
Could he be jealous?
“Oh, there’s my house on the right.” He pulled over to the side of road. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Anytime,” he said as he placed his hand on my knee.

My skin began to tingle.
Is he flirting with me? Isn’t he still with Claire?

“I gotta go,” I said as I got out of the car.

“Bye,” he said.

I closed the door and smiled at him before he drove away.

***

It was Friday, and Angela Blaine’s party was that night, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go. It felt so wrong going to a party so soon after Brooke’s death.

After third period, I ran into Katie and Jessica in the hallway. “Hey Hanna, wanna hang with us?” asked Katie.

“Where’s Claire?” I probed.

“She’s with Josh, doing God knows what,” said Katie. “Or maybe she’s with–”

“Sssh!” Jessica hissed. They both looked at me and smiled suspiciously.
What were they hiding?

“Or maybe she’s with who?” I questioned.

“Never mind. Let’s get out of here.”

I really didn’t feel like eating cafeteria food, so I decided to go with them. We ended up going to Katie’s place, which was about two blocks away. She lived in an adobe mansion, which was beautifully landscaped with flower beds that consisted of rudbeckia hirta flowers and peonies. The entryway was elegant, with a picturesque staircase, soaring ceilings, and marble flooring. The walls were dotted with family pictures and wall decor frames.

“Nice place,” I said.

Everything was neatly organized; I wouldn’t be surprised if the food in her kitchen was sorted alphabetically.

“Thanks. My mother has a little bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder, in case you haven’t noticed,” she said sarcastically as she darted into the kitchen.

I took a seat on her dark brown plush leather couch; it felt cold against my legs, which made me jolt. Jessica sat across from me. She admired herself in a heart-shaped compact mirror while putting on another layer of ice pink lip gloss. I was so hungry, I swear my stomach was eating itself.

“So, where did you move from?” Jessica asked in a bored voice.

“Deerwood.”

“Why did you move?”

I dreaded that question. I didn’t want anybody in Willowdale to know what I’d done or where I was. That I was wearing a mask to conceal my secrets.

“Um...we just needed a change of scenery.”

She looked at me with narrow eyes. “Uh huh,” she said.

Katie came back holding a veggie platter decorated with baby carrots, celery sticks, sliced cucumber and broccoli.

“Lunch time!” she declared.

Is she for real? Is that all we’re having?
I thought.

Just then, cafeteria food sounded really good to me. It was obvious why these girls were so skinny.

“No sandwiches or anything?” I asked hungrily.

“No way! Too many calories!” Katie shrilled as she placed the platter on the table.

She plopped herself down on the couch next to me. Jessica’s purse started blaring Ariana Grande’s song
Problem.
She took her iPhone out of her purple Prada purse and smiled when she saw who it was.

“Hi, bee-otch!” she said, excited. Her words trailed off as she left the room.

“So Hanna, how are things going with Mark Edwards? Everybody is talking about you two.” Katie beamed.

“Yeah I heard.” We both laughed.

“So, I guess he’ll be your date for the homecoming dance?”

“
Mayyybe
. I bet Claire is looking forward to being crowned homecoming queen.”

“Duh…she wins every year. She doesn’t usually have competition, but we don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

She moved closer to me. “Well, apparently Brooke was running for homecoming queen, too,” she said in a low voice.

“What?”

“I know, right? It must have been some kind of sick joke.” She inspected her nails as her long straight blonde hair fell over her shoulder. “I mean, who would vote for
her?
Anyway, it doesn’t matter now…
obvi.
”

Jessica returned with her phone in her hand and stood beside the couch. “That was Claire. She’s gonna meet us at school.”

“Cool,” said Katie.

“Totally,” said Jessica. “Hey, you guys wanna smoke a joint?”

“Sure, light it up, but not in here,” cautioned Katie. “My parents will smell it and totally freak out.”

We walked around the couch to the French doors that lead to the patio. Katie unlocked one of the doors and slid it open. Her backyard was an oasis with tropical landscaping. Layered shrubs and voluminous leaves of philodendrons added dramatic effect. A soothing sound emanated from the gushing fountain in the curvy pool, and the sun glimmered over it in inviting fashion. A hot tub was next to the pool, and towering palm trees lined a black river rock path. The deck was finished with a cream coloured gazebo and high end patio furniture. We took a seat on the couch with a small coffee table in the middle of it.

Jessica pulled a joint and lighter from her purse. “Do you smoke, Hanna?”

“No, thank you.”

“Figures.”

“Suit yourself,” added Katie.

Jessica lit the joint, and the two of them passed it back and forth to one another for about ten minutes. The smell of marijuana permeated the air.

“I got the munchies,” Jessica said with a giggle.

“I know, right?” Katie agreed as smoke slowly seeped through her lips.

“There’s too many calories in chips.”

“I
knowww
. What are we going to eat?” whined Katie.

“Carrot sticks?” There was a pause before the two of them looked at each other and bursted into laughter. I wasn’t sure what was so funny. When they were done, Jessica took a bottle of perfume out of her purse and sprayed herself to conceal the smell of the pot. Katie did the same thing.

“Shit, we better put some Visine in our eyes before we go to class,” said Jessica.

“Good idea,” said Katie.

***

When we got back to school an hour later, we met Claire at her locker.

“Hey, girls. Did I miss anything?” Claire asked.

“Not really,” Jessica said in a tired voice.

“Hanna, thanks for lending me your essay on the American Revolution. You saved my butt,” Claire said as I caught Jessica rolling her eyes.

“No problem.”

“After school, we’ll go to my house and you can borrow something of mine to wear to the party tonight,” Claire said.

“Really?” I said.

“Sure. Toodles.”

Her lengthy locks flung in the air as she turned on her heels. Katie and Jessica trailed behind her. As I started walking, I saw Josh in the hallway. He was wearing his football jersey...damn, he looked cute.

“Hanna, what’s up? Hey, have you seen Claire? I didn’t see her during lunch.”

“You just missed her. She went to class. I thought you two were together, doing God knows what?”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.”

“Oh, o-okay. So, I’ll see you at the party tonight right?”

Suddenly, my phone buzzed; it was my mother texting me to make sure I was alive.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I said as I texted my mom back.

“Cool. See ya.”

“Bye.”

Claire was supposed to be with Josh. Was that why Katie and Jessica asked me to hang out with them? Did Claire tell them to distract me? What was she hiding?

***

Everybody was gossiping about Angela Blaine’s party that night. Apparently, her parents were going to be gone for the weekend. I slammed my locker shut and was on my way to meet Claire when I ran into Mark.

“Hey gorgeous.”

“Hey.” I tucked some hair behind my ear.

“Are you going to Angela’s party tonight?”

“Yeah, I’m going with my friend Claire.”

“Cool. Save me a dance okay?”

“Okay.” His lips curved into a smile, then he walked away.

Claire steered into her circular driveway, put the car into
park
, and turned off the engine. She stepped out of the car, adjusted her skirt, and closed the door. I got out of the car and couldn’t help staring at the luxurious mansion that towered in front of me. A colossal fountain blooming with flowers and gushing out water stood in the middle of the driveway. The stone and stucco house was surrounded with a green manicured lawn and trimmed hedges.