Unmasked

Chapter Two

I woke up in a cold sweat, still reeling from the nightmare I just had. When I bolted out of my bed, I realized that I was still home alone. It's like I could feel that my mother wasn't here. I reached over to get my phone and checked to make sure... And, of course there was a message from her just waiting.

Had to take off to Dubai. Won't be home for about a week. Maybe more. Will let you know.

How could she sound so cruel, even over a text message? I threw my phone back on the bedside table without responding, and I sat up to look at the clock. It was already 6:00. I groaned and decided that I might as well get up, because I don't think I was going back to sleep anytime soon. The nightmare was still fresh in my mind... And, it happened almost every night so I knew the story backwards, forwards, and side-to-side.

It was always the same... My father's final moments, etched into my brain. But, this time, instead of looking at me with love in that hospital bed, he would turn to me and say, "Why is this happening to me? Why not you?" And, I could never answer him. I always stood there, motionless. And, he would continue to belittle me with words like: disappointment, disgrace, useless, empty. My mother would join in after a while, and then after being ganged up on by both of them, when I was screaming to tell them to stop, would I finally wake up.

I shook it off, wanting to erase it completely from my mind. I didn't want to even think about it. I grabbed my phone and took it into the bathroom with me. I put it on the counter and and then I reached over to start the shower. Today was a new day, and I needed the hot water of the shower to remind me of that. Once I stepped into the shower, I sighed at the steaming water when it hit my back. I didn't want to go to school today. It could be "senioritis" finally kicking in... But, in all honesty, I just wanted to be as far away from this place as I could. College was around the corner for me, and I wanted to use that as an excuse to get the hell away from this town, from my mom, from the memories haunting me here.

I needed better. I deserved better, didn't I?

Wes deserves better.

I suddenly widened my eyes at the thought of him. I had forgotten about him last night at dinner with the Lindon's. While we were eating and laughing, I had completely forgotten about what I witnessed just moments before... The fact that his father hit him. Maybe I'm overreacting and maybe his father didn't hit him often, but the way that Wes reacted, that it was normal... That's what scared me. That's what made me think there was more to the story.

But, it isn't any of my business. I shouldn't even be thinking about him or his family. I shouldn't get involved. But, was it a crime to just want to be the kid's friend? Or at least just let him know that someone was happy he existed?

I nodded to myself. That's what I would do. I might not be best friends with Wes, but I at least wanted to make an effort to let him know someone cared about him in this world. Sometimes that's all someone needs, right? I quickly hopped out of the shower, and looked at myself in the mirror once I draped the towel nearby around my body.

I looked tired. Completely and utterly tired.

I rubbed my eyes, hoping that the dark circles would go away, but when I looked back at myself, they were still there, tormenting me, reminding me of my nightmare. I turned away from the mirror and I went back into my room and dressed myself in some skinny jeans and loose white halter top. I paired it with some plaid Toms and went back to the bathroom after grabbing my make-up bag. I didn't care about foundation or face products at the moment, because in all reality, I would sweat it off by the end of the day. So, I just grabbed my mascara tube, and I swiftly applied a few coats. I penciled in my brows a bit, after tweezing a few out-of-place hairs, and then I moisturized my face and lips. After that, I put a little color on my lips, but it was only a nude, so it really didn't do much.