Under This Mask

Chpt. 1 Ease Our Pain with Irresponsibility

This is brutal. This is horrible. This is driving me crazy. Could seventh period possibly go by any slower? This is pure insanity! I couldn't possibly imagine Mrs. McCarthy's voice droning any slower. I'm not really paying attention to her yapping on about a book I've already finished.

5 minutes left. I'll just pass a note to my friend, Bionca, to see if time will go by any faster:

You like my new kicks?

She chuckled and wrote back,

Oh, I am shaking with jealousy. =)

I read the note, then looked at the clock again. 2 minutes. Wow, either me or Bionca are really slow writers. I just smiled back at her then slipped the note into my pocket. Maybe if I pretended to listen to Mrs. McCarthy a bit, the time might go by faster.....

RING!!!

Finally!! I sprang out of my seat and nearly ran to my locker (I was yelled at by a janitor or 2), spinning my combination very fast, without messing up. I threw my locker open, stuffed my books into my messenger bag, and ran to the bus. I took a seat somewhere in the middle so I wouldn't have to put up with those jerks that were throwing birth control pills at me or by those weird kids in the front that picked their noses.

My name is Harrison Frost, but everyone calls me "X" because of my ridiculous name and because it's short for my middle name, Xavier. Sometimes I'm called "Agent X" because of my sneaky personality. I'm 17 years old, just finishing up my Junior year at Theodore Roosevelt High School. I've got long and spiky dull brown hair, but I'm almost always wearing a slouchy beanie. My eyes are an awesome shade of green. It's almost like lime green. I usually wear graphic shirts, baggy cargo shorts with the chains and whatnot, and skater shoes. I also wear a shark tooth around my neck. The tooth came from the shark that tried killing me when I was around 14 on a vacation in Maui. I've got a scar on my leg and arm, but I mysteriously survived its brutal bite.

"Hey, X!"

"What's up, Robby?"

"I had to RUN all the way from wood shop to my locker because I accidentally broke Abby's nail with the buzz saw!"

"Dude, you are SO messed up in the noggin!"

"Did you really just say 'noggin'?"

Just then, Robby's girlfriend, Avalyn, came up from behind and hugged him.

"Hello there, my dearest Robby!", she said in a sarcastic tone of voice.

"Hey babe! What's new?"

"I just saw Abby O'Malley running into the girl's bathroom with blood spewing out of her finger. I wonder what happened to the brat..."

Me and Robby were then in tears laughing at Avalyn's unknowing of what happened. Robby sat one seat in front of my with his arm around Avalyn's waist.

Robby Hayes is probably the coolest guy I've ever met. He has shaggy blonde hair and mischievous gray eyes. He is kind of a nerd, super smart and whatnot, but he also is a beast on the skateboard. Me and him almost always go out to go skating (of course, after his homework was finished).

Avalyn Squire was also my friend. We used to date in our freshman year, but then we decided we're just friends. She has short brown hair with bolts of bleach blond sticking out everywhere. She has fierce hazel eyes and an attitude that could strangle a pro wrestler. She also has a great sense of humor, much like her boyfriend. They've liked eachother ever since the 7th grade and only started going out after we broke up. Avy (as we like to call her) is also a bit of a skater as well, but she prefers playing music. She's in a band with a few other girls and they've been doing pretty good, as far as gigs go.

"So, X, what's the plan for tonight?", asked Robby, anxiously.

"Still the same. You and, if she wants to join, Avy meet me behind the Phoenix Building at 12:30 a.m. and bring the Bag", I quietly replied.

"Alrighty then! Hey, Avy, do you wanna come with me and X to 'make our marks'?"

"Sure! I've been craving this kind of action for a while now", Avy said with antiscipation. "Is it alright if I bring Bionca too?".

"X, is that alright?", Robby asked.

"Sure thing."

The bus stopped at Hibiscus Avenue; my street. I quickly got off the bus and ran home. Not to my surprise at all, my 14-year-old brother, Mark, was very poorly playing the guitar. My 10-year-old sister, Victoria, was scribbling away in her notebook. I threw my bag at Mark's general direction, which, of course, made him go on a tantrum.

"Hey, knock it off, Harry! I'm trying to be a world class rockstar and your bulbous purse keeps getting in the way of that!", he barked.

"Ok, a few things. One, you are to call me X. The only person who can call me Harrison or whatever is Mom. Second, don't act like you don't have the same BACKPACK as me! Third, I'm putting you in charge tonight. I'm going out for some late night partying with Robby and Avy, and I trust you enough to keep poor little Vikki in shape!", I explained.

"HEY! I am NOT little! I'm freaking double digits here, X!!!", Victoria yelled.

"Language, little missy!", I joked.

Just then, my phone was buzzing like crazy. I waited for it to stop at the third buzz, but it kept going. Phone call. I quickly answered the phone to make sure it wasn't Mom.

"Hello?"

"Chill out, X! It's just Robby! Listen, there's going to be a flash party on the top of the Finlen tonight at around 7:30 and ends around 11:30. I figured we could go to that, maybe grab a burger, then do our dirty deed. Sound like a plan?"

"Sounds like a marvelous plan, mister!"

"Ya know, you should probably grab a girl to go with before we go tonight", Robby joked.

"Eh, I'll find someone there."

"Cool cool. Bionca can't make it, by the way. But meet me at my place around 6, then we'll head out."

"Ok, bye"

Sweet! Tonight's gonna be awesome!

"Change of plans, my dearest Marky!", I said

"Hey! It's Blaze now! That's my rockstar name!", Mark explained.

"I'm sure it is. Anyway, You're gonna be in charge from 6 til the morning. I'm gonna spend the night at Robby's. Can you handle, Cadet?"

"Sure thing, bro! YA HEAR THAT, VIKKI?! I'M IN CHARGE OF YOU TONIGHT!!!"

I think I heard Vikki scream and run upstairs for her life.

At around 5:45, I kissed Vikki and "kissed" Mark good bye, then I was speeding down Hibiscus Avenue on my board towards Robby's house. I liked Robby's street, Ocala Drive, because it was smooth and flat. I sped down Ocala Drive until I got to my destination. Avy was practically already in the car by the time I got there. By 6:13, we were on the road.

Tonight is gonna be a blast.