Behind the Mask

Roxanne Ellis here. I woke up to the sound of my alarm. I didn't want to get out of bed. I never did. But I rolled out of bed. Wincing, my stomach is burning, and my back aches. I went into the bathroom. I brushed my caramel hair and I lifted my shirt and looked at my fresh bruises. My hazel eyes dull...yet again. They were always dull. Always have been. At least since it all started. Most people don't know that I had an older brother. He died when I was 13, in a car accident. He was driving and a lady fell asleep at the wheel. She hit him head on and she lived but my brother died. My parents mourned the loss. Still mourning actually, four years later. I miss him. But they are depressed. Absolutely depressed. My little brother is a freshman. He was only three. He remembers Blake but not much. Joshua knows. He's the only one, that I can trust to talk to. Everyone at school sees the All-star basketball captain. Best point guard, best free throws, and the greatest leadership. They see the bruises. I get ready still thinking about it, Everyone suspects it's from basketball. Seeing as how it's a contact sport. But they are wrong. So wrong. No one knows. Not even my best friend. It's up to me, no one will ever know. I wipe my face of the sadness and put on my stone face. No one will ever see what's behind the mask. I go roll Josh out of bed. He doesn't have any bruises. I make him leave. I don't want him to go through what I do. He tries to protect me but I don't let him. It only gets worse. I just get it over with. I know it comes. Every night. We used to own a farm. 60 acres. But now we have 10 acres and we don't have a farm. Just land, and my horse and chickens. They let it fall to pieces. I run out and feed Jigsaw. And tell Josh we are leaving. I grab my bag, and my sports bag and we climb in my truck. I wince again. "How bad is it this time?" Josh asks firmly. I shake my head. "Roxanne." He says. I sigh. And I show him my stomach. And my back. His eyes widen. "One of these days, I'm not gonna listen to you. An you're gonna get a break." He said. "No." I said eyes on the road. "I will not let you. You will always run, and wait for the signal, understand?" He sighed in defeat. We got to school and he gave me a hug. Stupid boy, he's at least a foot taller than me. He kisses my forehead. "I'm so much stronger than you. And I could handle it." He said. "But you're also younger than me and I'm not letting my baby brother take the heat. Blake would've done the same thing." He sighed again, and kissed my forehead. "I love you, sis." "I love you too. We both have practice today?" "Yeah." I nodded. His football buddies called his name. "I'll see you later, Roxy." I nodded and walked into school. I walked to my locker, and got my books. I turned around and started walking to my class pulling out a few papers. Trying to stuff them in my binder and I collided with someone. My book went flying along with my papers and my bag. I was flat on the floor. "Watch where you're going next time, huh?" I said wincing. I looked up and there stood Travis Eads. I internally groaned. Not today, of all days to get knocked down. His blonde hair in its normal quiff, and his blue green eyes staring at me. He extended his hand and I ignored it, getting up. Hissing through my teeth. My stomach and back groaning in protest of so much movement. I hoped he didn't hear. "I'm sorry, Roxy. Didn't see you there." He said bending down and handing me my stuff. "Well, maybe if you could see past your ego, you might have." I said and stalked off. He ran to catch up with me. Sometimes being 5'4" sucks because your legs aren't long enough to ditch people. "Well, aren't we a bottle of sunshine?" He said. I rolled my eyes. "What do you want Eads?" He grabbed my arm. "Are you okay? I heard that hiss of pain back there. And I'm checking to make sure I didn't break you." "Sore, from basketball practice. Muscles didn't like it. Are we done?" I asked. He looked unsure. I actually saw, concern? He let go of my arm and nodded. "You coming to the game, Friday?" He asked. "No, I'm not coming to watch my brother's game when he comes to mine all the time. Of course I am!" I said. He chuckled. "Joshua told me you were a hot pepper." I groaned. "Damn that kid." I said. "What?" Travis asked. I shook my head. And kept walking. He caught up with me again. Josh has been trying to hook me up, he's tired of seeing me so broken, he says. He says that if I could love someone then I could be put back together again. But he's gonna send the Captain of the football team after me? This guy is a pain in my ass. Has been since sixth grade. He's a player, and he's broken every girl's heart that he's come across. He dated the head cheerleader but decided that was too cliche. I thought that break up was funny. But now he's after me and he doesn't even know me, or like me for that matter. "Are you even listening to me?" He asked. I shook my head out of my thoughts. "Sorry?" He chuckled. "He told me you space out a lot too." I narrowed my eyes at this. "What else has my brother been telling you about me?" I asked. "That's for me and him to know and you to find out, maybe. On one condition." He said. I stopped and looked him in the eyes. "What?" I asked. "If you go on a date with me Saturday." He said. I frowned. Did I really wanna know that bad? Or could it wait? I could just torture my brother into telling me. "I will think about it." I said softly. Remembering the last time I went on a date. My parents scared him away. And he hasn't talked to me since. My parents won't notice if I'm gone. They never do. He grinned. "It's not a yes, you know." I warned. "But it's not a no either. Now is it?" He teased. I rolled my eyes and walked into class just as the bell rang.