Masqued

12. Slight Work

Chapter 12

You could say that on the next Monday at school when Sam and I told our friends that we were finally together that Tally and Ashley were excited, but that would have been a total understatement.  Actually, we didn’t even get to tell them.  Sam had been at my locker with me as I got my books out for Lit and he leaned down to give me a kiss right as the four of them walked up to us.  You could probably hear Tally’s and Ashleigh’s squeals from across the school.

Everyone else was surprised that we were now dating, but we couldn’t care less.  Yeah, there were still some people who were wondering why someone like Sam would be going out with someone like me, but we didn’t listen to what they had to say about it at all.

And before I knew it, three weeks had gone by and we only had two more weeks of school left before graduation.  My birthday was the day after graduation and Tally and Ashleigh were trying to plan what we could do for it. 

“You should totally rent out a club like Sam did for his birthday!” Ashleigh said as she, Tally, and I lounged on my bed as the boys sat on the floor, leaning back against it, playing my Xbox and a game that Dimitri had brought. 

“You haven’t been out with us to a club at all!” Tally said.  “We miss you on the weekends because you’re always working.”

I smiled.  “I can’t help it,” I said.  “I need the money.”

Ashleigh snorted and pointedly looked around my room.  “Whatever, granddaughter of a million dollar heiress!” she said.

I laughed.  When I’d first let them come over and hang out, they were blown away by mine and my grandmother’s apartment.  And my grandma for that matter.  It didn’t really help when they’d come over one night when she had to go to a charity auction and she was wearing one of her evening gowns with about three quarters of a million dollars worth of diamonds on. 

“Oh, my God!” Tally exclaimed.  “And we should totally see if DJ Masque can play!  That would be so awesome!”

Sam and I looked at each other at the same time…which caused the character he was on his game to be shot and killed by Dimitri’s. 

“I don’t know if she would be able to,” Sam said, looking at me.

“And how would you know?” Tally asked. 

“Have you talked to her lately?  You do still have her number in your phone,” Ashleigh said.  She nudged me with her elbow.  “I’d be a little worried if I were you.”

“I’m not worried,” I said, trying to hide my smile. 

I looked back at Sam, who had basically totally abandoned the game that he, Dimitri and Aaron were playing.  I knew just what he was thinking, too.

We’d talked a few times about me telling the four of them that I was really DJ Masque.  I knew I could trust them with my secret.  I just didn’t know how I could tell them.

Before I could say anything, Tally reached over the side of the bed where Sam had his phone beside him on the floor and picked it up. 

“Well, we’ll see if she’s free,” she said.

“No!” I said quickly, trying to grab the phone from her.  “It’s okay.  I’m probably not going to do that much for my birthday.  I’ve got to slight work situation…”

That wasn’t true, but I did have a gig two nights before my birthday.  The school was throwing a graduation party for all of the seniors and they’d hired me to play.  David actually got me the job, even though I now wouldn’t be able to enjoy my last party as a senior with my friends. 

“You have to work on your birthday?” Tally asked.  “That sucks!”

I smiled.  “Well, not on my birthday, but the night before graduation.”

She shrugged.  “Well, I’m still going to call her,” she said, pressing the number for my DJ Masque phone.

“You’re not supposed to call her!” I said, eyes wide as she put the phone to her ear.  I tried to reach over and get it before my phone started ringing, but I was too late.

One of my songs started playing from my phone, which was right next to my computer.  All of our heads turned toward it and I swear I saw everyone’s eyes widen in confusion.  Sighing, I stood up and picked up my phone, answering.

“Hi,” I said, looking at her. 

Both Tally’s and Ashleigh’s jaw dropped and Dimitri’s and Aaron’s eyes widened even more.  Sam was just sitting there with a grin on his face as he looked at me.

“You wanted to tell them sometime,” he said, laughing.  “Why not now?”

Tally dropped the phone onto the bed and looked down at it.

“What…?”

I sighed, ending the call.  “Well, I guess I’ve got something to tell you guys,” I said, setting down my phone. 

Slowly, I bent down to grab my bag from under my desk…and pulled out my mask.  They all gasped as I held it up. 

“You’re DJ Masque?” Ashleigh yelled.

I winced.  “Yeah, I am,” I said. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Aaron asked, looking at the mask to me and then back to the mask.  “I mean, it’s completely…”

“Completely awesome!” Tally exclaimed.  “I mean, we’ve been friends for a month and you’ve been able to keep this from us!  I have no clue how you could have because I would have been telling everyone!”

I laughed and walked back toward them to sit on the side of the bed, my mask still in my hand.  “Well, only three people know.  David, Cami, and Sam.”

Ashleigh gasped and threw a pillow at Sam’s head.  “You knew?” she asked.

He laughed, catching it.  “I’ve known since my birthday,” he said.  “It’s not my fault she dropped her mask.”

This time, it was my turn to throw the pillow at his head.  Sam just laughed. 

“So that’s what you were doing in the owner’s office!” Aaron said, but then grinned.  “Or it could have been what we were thinking…”

Sam reached over and smacked the back of his head.  “We were talking.  I’ve told you that,” he said.

“So we’re the only ones who know besides David and Cami?” Tally asked. 

“Yeah, you really trust those two with this kind of information?” Dimitri said, and both Tally and Ashleigh stuck their tongues out at him.

I nodded.  “I’m trusting all of you with this,” I said.  “Well, I’ve been thinking I should just come out and say who I really am.”

Sam raised an eyebrow at me.  “You have?  How come you haven’t said anything to me about that?”

“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging.  “I just want to get it out in the open.  I’m tired of hiding.”

“Then you should do it!” Tally said.  Her eyes widened.  “You know what you should do?  Tell everyone at the senior party the night before graduation!  You’re playing, right?”

I grinned, nodding.  “Yeah, I am,” I said. “And that’s actually a pretty good idea.”

“Just think of the looks on everyone’s faces!” Ashleigh said, laughing.  “Oh, that’d be so funny!”

I smiled at her, seriously thinking about it.  I didn’t know if it would have been a good idea, but I wanted my face instead of a mask to be out there sooner rather than later.