Behind The Mask

Chapter 4

Sarah ran into the house, got into the first room she found, slammed the door shut, and hadn't come out since last night. She only allowed Alex in, who only said "you need to explain this, Crystal" before he followed his girlfriend.

Which leaves me here - in this house where I grew up in, feeling like I'm suffocating. Mom's excuse is "I thought you told her" and "you should have" and "I trusted that you would do the right thing".

But I was going to. I'd planned on it. I was going to explain as best as I could, and hope she'd understand. Now, she'd found out in the worst possible way and I didn't know what I could do to convince her.

And, yet, as I thought about all of my excuses, another thought was clear in my mind. I should have told her a long time ago. Perhaps when she'd first mentioned how much she liked 'that blond guy in that new RomCom that had released last weekend'. Even if it would have been weird to say 'yeah, he's my brother'.

But that had been so long ago. It was about a year after we'd left Los Angeles and Damien had gotten his first acting role after years of working in the background. My dad ran a production house in LA but he wanted to get a fresh start, no nepotism involved. I hadn't expected my stupid older brother to become such a big star, though I was very happy for him. I had just about moved on from what had happened and I was very happy forgetting my life in LA. Talking about my brother, it seemed to me, would have meant bringing it up.

Now though, I could think of so many ways I could have solved that little problem. It was an issue of technicalities. Something so minor. He was my freaking brother. I should have told my best friend about it.

"She hasn't come out?"

I'm sitting at the breakfast table in the kitchen. Damien hasn't changed much in the house. He wouldn't have had the time. So, every corner I turn, I'm reminded of something from the past.

"Nope," I say, shoving down an image flashing in my mind - a different me, sitting at this granite tabletop with a girl who had promised to be by my side, through thick and thin.

Damien places a plate of Nutella-covered pancakes before me. Under different circumstances, I'd have gobbled it down in an instant.

"Does she like pancakes?" he asks.

"Who doesn't?"

"Will it be enough bait to get her out?"

I give him a look. "If it's made by you, definitely."

Damien grins. "And I'm always happy to make my fans happy."

I shook my head. "That's not right, Damien. I can't just bribe her into this. She's my best friend and it's not about you being her favorite actor or whatever. I didn't tell her about it is the problem."

"You had your reasons, Crys."

"But that doesn't make my lie okay."

"I'd still like to hear them." A jolt hits me as I hear the words. Sarah's standing at the entrance to the kitchen, Alex a step behind her.

"You're-" The glare she shoots me makes me shut up.

"I'm only hear because I'm starving." Her words are stern and she's not meeting my eye. I've never seen her this way. "But I'm glad you know why I'm upset." She turns to Damien. "I won't refuse breakfast made by you either."

Damien shoots her a grin. "Gotcha! Take a seat."

Sarah sits down beside me. For a moment, there's silence. Then, gradually, she looks up, finally - finally - looking into my eye. "Why didn't you tell me?"