Masqueraded Identities

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Maybe I should have been angry. Upset. Sad. Maybe I should have felt betrayed. Or... something. But instead, I felt relief. Nothing but relief. I finally had the excuse to end this. Finally the proof that Mark was not a good match at all, as if the other things hadn't been enough of a hint.

“I'm waiting for an answer,” I said impatiently, crossing my arms across my chest.

He removed himself from the girl, a tiny petite girl with a lip ring and greasy brown hair. Gross. She was a pothead hipster, that much you could tell. Not that there was anything wrong with being a hipster, but just the fact she was one of the ones that didn't take care of themselves because all they did was smoke pot.

He tried to grab his shirt, and I held up my hand.

“Don't even try. We're through. And don't open your mouth to explain. You have given me reason after reason to end it. This does it. You had it coming.”

I ripped his necklace off my neck, threw it at him, and stormed out. Ryan's footsteps followed me out.

“You okay?” he asked when we made it back outside.

I nodded, and laughed. “I feel fantastic. Good riddance!”

He laughed. “Phew, because that was the best entrance and line and everything else ever! The look on his face was amazing.”

I thought of his dumbfounded, scared look. For once it had been me in power, making him scared. This time, I was in control, not him and his random anger issues that liked to make ugly appearances around me.

I giggled. “Finally.”

“What else did he do to you, if you don't mind me asking?”

I shrugged. “Just stupid, rude, disrespectful things. Do you actually live with him?”

“Unfortunately. We were friends for quite some time, and we had requested we live together again before we had a complete fallout last summer. Now I'm stuck with him until we get new roomies next year.”

“He mentioned you guys had been friends.”

Ryan halted a little bit in our walk to wherever we were going. We weren't sure, but we both knew we didn't want to be in that room.

“What'd he say?” he asked cautiously.

“He said there was some showdown about you hiding drugs in his backpack and how you tried to stop his drug problem but after that, he had had enough of it and that he still cares for you, but you hate him because he tried to help you and stop you, and that the only reason you weren't expelled is because your daddy gives a bunch of money here or something. I dunno. It's been a while since he told me that.”

“Do you believe it?”

I shrugged. “I dunno what to believe from him, anymore. I mean... I found some white stuff in a bag in his... well, your guys' room a while back while trying to find some DVD's to watch... He had a freaking heart attack. I didn't realize what it was then, but after re-telling that story to you, I'm pretty sure it was a drug of some sort.”

“Crack,” Ryan muttered to himself, his eyes angry, bright, and alert.

I feel like I wasn't supposed to hear that comment, so I just ignored it.

We walked in silence, me letting Ryan calm down and think this over, and me, just happy to be out of that crappy relationship.

Finally, he asked again, “What exactly did he do?”

I was a little confused as to why he cared so much, but after realizing that Mark was probably the druggie, and Ryan the hero, I guess I owed him somewhat of an answer.

“He got scary. His anger, bipolar thing was scary. He tried to push me to do things I didn't want, and he would get mad. He slapped me during the show last week. I guess that's when I really knew he wasn't the mysterious, charming, sexy guy I made him out to be,” I commented.

Ryan stopped dead in his tracks. “He laid his hands on you?”

I shrugged. “It wasn't that bad. It just shocked me. It's over now. Don't worry about it.”

Ryan shook his head in disgust. “I cannot believe he would do that. That's low, even for him.”

“I was shocked myself.”

“And you didn't end it right then?”

“Well. The show was about to start. He asked to go on a date this Thursday at the cast party. I was going to end it then, and I guess get some answers. But they've all been answer just by seeing him on that other girl.”

I then explained to Ryan the phone conversation I had overheard. He looked angry the whole time, but tried his best to comfort me as well. Even though, I think he was more trying to comfort himself.

“He's a dick,” Ryan finally said.

“I agree. But it's done now, so calm yourself. It's okay, really.”

He nodded. “Yeah. That's true. Since you don't have anyone to dance with at the ball tomorrow, save me a dance?”

I looked over at him. His curls were hanging in front of his face, and beneath his brown hair, his beautiful eyes had hope and fear in them. It was a beautiful combination, and really, he was just beautiful in general. His lips were smirked ever so slightly, as if he was trying to be cool and not show he was hoping I'd say yes, but underneath the sassy smile, I still saw the little bit of hopefulness he tried so hard to hide.

“Of course I would,” I said with a smile.

He broke into a grin, looking relieved, and said, “I can't wait.”

We walked around the campus until it was time for dinner, talking about nothing important but just enjoying each other's company.

We went to the caf, where we went our seperate ways. He had his friends and I had Tay, but we both agreed to split a large chocolate shake at Sonic when we went.

“So, what did you guys do? I saw you two walked in,” Tay asked with a waggle of her eyebrows right as I took a bite into my taco.

I tried to laugh but my taco just drowned out my throat instead, and I ended up choking for a good two minutes. I'm not very good at eating and socializing at the same time, in case you couldn't tell.

I finally stopped choking, and managed to tell the story of the crazy events that had happened this afternoon.

“Called it on Mark,” she said triumphantly.

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”

“Why would Ryan be that pissed off, though?” she asked thoughtfully.

I was about to answer, when she said, “Oh wait, 'cause he's nuts about you!” in the same know-it-all voice she had made her Mark comment in. I flicked a small piece of chicken that had fallen out of my taco.

“You're full of it,” I said.

She shrugged. “Can you trust anyone, for once in your life?”

“Nope,” I said with a big, cheesy grin.

She rolled her eyes. “Should've guessed.”

“You love me.”

“Sometimes.”

I glared, and we both laughed.