Masqueraded Identities

Chapter Fifteen

It was lunch time, and I had finally gotten enough nerve to tell Tay about my experience last night. I was so scared to have to talk to him again, and I was almost to the point of having a panic attack because of play rehearsals.

Tay looked absolutely shocked.

“He knows how to have sex?” she finally asked after my painful memoir was done.

Despite how annoyed I should have been at this, it made me burst into laughter. Tay looked at me, obviously confused over my hysteria. I was still laughing when I suddenly heard a gruff voice behind me say, “What's so funny?”

I turned and saw Mark, and my laughter instantly vanished. Oh god.

“Tay was just being silly,” I said in a high-pitched voice. When I was nervous, I became incredibly squeaky.

He smiled slightly, and pecked me on the cheek. Yuck, he hadn't shaved yet.

He pulled out a chair, and said, “You excited for rehearsals?”

“Of course!” I replied. I really did enjoy play practice. Acting was just so fun, regardless of whether your bipolar boyfriend was there or not.

Mark smiled once again. “That's good. How's the lines coming?”

“No better than yesterday, unfortunately,” I replied through tight lips. What would he say about that?

But he ignored it, and said, “Same here. We're screwed.”

We laughed about that for a bit, then lunch was over, and it was time for third period.

I was back in my room after rehearsal, just sitting on my bed, trying to finish reading this dumb novel for English. Rehearsal had gone well, and within a few minutes, it felt as if yesterday had never happened with Mark. He was back to his charming, beautiful self.

Suddenly there was a small knock on the door, barely audible. I yelled, “Come in.”

I may not have said that if I had known Ryan Hutchins would be walking in. I was about to say something, then I saw the look on his face. Something was up.

“Hey,” I said cautiously, putting my book down.

“Can I ask you something?” he replied quietly.

“Uh, sure?”

“What do you see in Mark?”

I narrowed my eyes. “This, again? Really, Ryan?”

“I don't mean it rudely! I just want to know.”

I bit my lip. “He's nice and funny. He's unique, different. Why?”

He shook his head, then turned around to walk out. Right as he was about to shut the door, he said, “Oh, nice pony underwear.”

My eyes went wide, and I looked to the right of my room to see my pony underwear just chilling out in the open.

He chuckled and closed the door.

The next week went by totally uneventfully, and before I knew it, it was already Monday again. Have I mentioned I hated Mondays?

I was sitting groggily at the table, glaring at the world. It was a ritual, really. Before I even had time to wake up, I was already greeted by the conceited face of Ryan Hutchins.

He had apparently sneaked up behind me, because in the moment, I suddenly heard a whinny in my ear, like a horse. Seeing as it was very early in the morning, and I had yet to completely wake up, this alarmed me very much.

I squealed, and Ryan started laughing.

“You're such a freak, Rory,” he said with a smile.

I flicked him off, and he faked being hurt.

“Oh, gosh! That's just so mean!” he exclaimed, making his already big eyes go even bigger.

“Serves you right,” I muttered.

“Aw, come on. Don't get your horsey undies in a bunch,” he cooed with a wink. I ripped off a piece of bagel and threw it right in his perfectly curled hair. He stuck his tongue out at me and walked away.

Tay looked at me, obviously confused.

“Oh, he came into our room the other night and saw my pony underwear,” I said, trying to hide my oncoming blush by shoving food into my mouth.

She burst into laughter that went on for at least two minutes. I just sat there and glared.

Finally she was able to calm down, then said, “Why do you have pony underwear?”

“They were uh, in my stocking last year as a joke, and I never really got rid of them...”

This made Tay laugh even harder, and me glare even more. Eventually, I just had to join in her folly because her face turned so red I thought she would explain. That was funny looking.

Eventually we calmed down and I said, “Stop supporting his childish antics!”

Tay raised a disbelieving eyebrow at me. “Oh, please. You know they're funny. I would almost say you enjoy them.”

“What makes you say that?”

“It's like every time he talks to you or teases you, you get this little, like, happy blush on your face and your eyes just light up,” she said through a mouthful of food.

“Nuh-uh!” I exclaimed. There was no way that could be true. Hell would have to freeze over and the devil ice skate to work before that could happen.

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say. Ignorance is bliss, after all.”

I glared and sat there sulking.

No, there was no way I enjoyed talking to Ryan Hutchins

No way at all.