Masqued

2. Sexy Back

Chapter 2

If I didn't have to go to school, I totally wouldn't.  I mean, I had good enough grades that I could have graduated early and started college already.  But no.  My grandma wanted me to get the whole high school experience.  She thought I had tons of friends.  I guess it was because I didn't want to tell her I didn't.  No doubt if I told her that people made fun of me, she would go to school and yell at every single person.  If that happened, I actually think I would laugh. 

Well, on the Friday before the weekend that I actually had off from any clubs or parties I had to play, I got up and headed for my bathroom and take a shower to get ready for another dreaded day at school. 

I headed for our huge kitchen where Maria, our maid and cook, was making breakfast.  I could see my grandma on the balcony reading the Times and drinking her morning cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Maria," I said, smiling at her, as I took a seat at the breakfast bar. 

"Good morning, Dani," she said, smiling at me. 

Maria was a petite woman with dark blond hair and blue eyes.  She'd worked for my grandmother almost as long as I've been with her, which was basically all of my life.  I think she actually came to work for us when I was about a year old. 

"Are you ready for school?" she asked, setting my breakfast of bacon, eggs, and a piece of toast on a plate in front of me. 

I shook my head.  "I'll answer the same as I do every morning," I said, taking a bite of my toast.  "No."

"And why do you always were those glasses when you don't have to?" she asked.  "You have perfect vision."

I smirked.  "Because they keep my secret identity a secret," I replied. 

She smiled and went to grab the pans from the stove and put them in the sink to start washing them.  I heard the glass door of the balcony open at the same time and looked over my shoulder to see my grandma walking in.  She smiled as she walked toward me, put her hand on my head, and kissed my forehead.

"Good morning, sweetie," she said.  "How'd you sleep?"

I nodded.  "Pretty good," I said.  "I'm just glad it's the weekend."

"Are you going out with any of your friends like you do every weekend?"  she asked.

I shook my head.  "No, I don't think so this time," I said.

When I had clubs or parties to play, I told my grandma that I was going out with friends and wouldn't be home until late.  The good thing was that every time I got home, both she and Maria were asleep so they didn't know that I never got home until five or six in the morning.  Though when they woke me up at eight-thirty the next morning, I was really feeling the lack of sleep.  

About twenty minutes later, I was riding in the elevator down to the lobby of our apartment building.  Paul was there with a smile to greet me as I walked toward the door.

"Good morning, Miss Danielle," he said, opening the door for me. 

I smiled at him and his usual greeting.  "Good morning, Paul," I said as I walked out of the building.

"Have a good day at school," he called as I started down the sidewalk and I waved at him over my shoulder.

Since my school was only eight blocks from my apartment building, I always walked.  Well, if it was raining, that's the only time I called for a car service to come and pick me up.  That was really fun, arriving in a town car to school only to have everyone making fun of you for trying to fit in with it.