Beneath His Mask

Introduction

"Reagan! Dear lord, look at you! You've grown so much! Are you only 17?" I suddenly hear my aunt's voice booming from behind me. Whirling around, I am greeting with my favorite human being on this planet.

    "Aunt Vicky?" I squeak, immediately holding out my arms to embrace her in a hug. A pleasant flowery scent fills my nostrils as I nuzzle my head into her shoulder. Sheesh, I missed this woman so much.

    "How have you been, darling? Come, come; we'll talk in the car," She squeaks, taking my luggage from my hands and leading me away from my train. I study her short brown hair that has been taken over with beachy waves, as she confidently walks. She is the type of woman I need in my life right now.

    As we approach her BMW convertible, I pack my things in the trunk and slide into the passenger's seat as we chat away and catch up. The last time I came to visit about 5 years ago, my aunt had a Cadillac instead.

    "I've missed you so much, Aunt Vicky, you don't even know," I say, taking a slug of water from my bottle. "I've been waiting for a summer getaway. Believe me."

    "Aw, honey, you are welcome any time. You know that." She says, taking my hands in hers. "You just need to convince that mother of yours to let you breathe every once in a while." I look into her green eyes, quite similar to mine. Aunt Vicky is my only aunt... but that doesn't change the fact that she's my favorite.

    Speaking of mothers, mine is probably at home worrying her head off about me. I texted her an hour ago, but she will still be a basket-case anyways.

    I search through my purse, looking for my phone. I feel it beep a few times.

    As the cold, smooth glass of my white phone lights up beneath my fingers, I see two names on the screen. The first one being my mother. The second one... my ex-best-friend Sadie.

    I stare at the screen for so long that it shuts off beneath my gaze and I am left staring at my light-skin, black-haired reflection. The face I see isn't my usual bright and airy one... it's darkened.

    "Rea, honey, is everything alright?" My aunt asks me in a soft tone. She takes a left at a stop sign, and as she does so, her smooth hands brush against the steering wheel. It is only now I realize she is 48. Not that 48 is even old, but she looks great for her age.

    I am related to Aunt Vicky through my mom, who is 40. Mother's gone through so much stress between my dad leaving and paying for my only brother's college funds that she looks 50 years old.

    Mom- that's right. "Yea, I'm good," I say, clearly being taunted by my own thoughts. I pick up my phone and send a reassuring text to my mother.

    "Honey, I know a troubled voice when I hear one. What is it? Friends, boys, or all of the above?" she says, wiggling her eyebrows at me. I let out a strangled chuckle. How can I laugh over being lied to?

    "Both," I mumble, throwing my head back and rubbing my eyes. Shortly after, I remember I applied mascara this morning and check in the mirror to make sure it didn't leave residue on my face. Ugh. Girl problems.

    "Tell your wise Aunt Vicky," she says to me, "I have had my fair share of drama. Poor Uncle Bob had to put up with me in high school, you know."

    I look at my aunt and can practically see her running through memory lane in her head.

    "My boyfriend cheated on me with my old-best-friend Sadie," I say, debating whether or not to open the message she sent to my phone. "The two closest people to me in the world betrayed me. I needed to get away. Plus, I mean, dealing with this stuff is kind of your specialty."

    "A summer in Bayville will only help your problems, believe me sweetie. What do you say we chill in the bay for a little bit when we get back. I'll whip us up some strawberry daiquiris," Aunt Vicky says to me, sharing a warm smile. "And who knows, maybe you'll get to have a little summer romance down here."

    I scoff. "Not likely," I reply, taking another sip of my water.

I turn my gaze to the window, where the train station is swallowed in the distance and we head towards the bay. I observe the houses- row after row- which are big and fancy. I see yachts, college kids, fancy landscaping and endless amounts of balconies overlooking the beautiful scene.

The color of the sky- bright blue with hints of pink, leaves imprints in my eyelids when I close them. My Aunt Vicky rolls down the windows, and the warm, salty air swarms the car, swallowing me whole as my black hair whips around in the wind.

It is only now that I feel immediate peace, and I know that leaving for the summer is what needed to be done.