Your Mask

All An Act

I'd woken up. It had been a few days since I started opening my eyes to my surroundings, though today was definitely no different.

I sat up to my sister, Susie, sitting opposite the room on her laptop. How long had I been asleep?

I stretched, reaching for the ceiling as I opened my mouth as if to roar, though simply yawned instead. I was about to swing my legs around to get up, though I paused.

I didn't feel like getting up. My bed was comfy, and I knew that if I were to get up now my mum would make me go to school. Also, Susie was a massive snitch, and it was too late to act sick now. I awkwardly jerked my arm onto my bedpost in a hope to get up, pulling myself to my feet and walking towards my door.

Susie had likely already known I was awake even though she was facing the other way. She pushed out her leg, catching my ankle causing me to strike my head into the door.

Lachlan "Seriously?! I'm not in the mood Susie!"

Susie "You're never in the mood!"

Susie began to laugh. She was so annoying. Every time she had the chance, she would do anything and everything to torment me. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. In fact, we hate each other so much there are no pictures in the house with both of us in it. Well, apart from the one we took at Disneyland Paris where we were ripping out each others hair midshot... Yeah, that one wasn't framed.

I'd opened the door, holding my throbbing forehead as I slipped through to the hallway. The door was slammed and locked behind me, just like always.

I journeyed downwards into the bathroom. On my way, I looked around the walls just as I always had. Pictures of Susie and my parents when she was a baby were everywhere. There was maybe two or three with me. My mum hasn't been a big fan of me ever since my dad passed away when I was little; she says I'm an exact copy of him and it hurts her, so I try to avoid her whenever I can.

My mum and Susie are fairly similar, not only by appearance. I've found that their masks are almost the exact same. For example, when we have guests they will both act perfect and generous to appease them; though I have to stay in a separate room to not ruin things. Although I don't understand why they do this to me, I have no say in this house. Not whilst my mum is in control of it.

Susie is cruel to hide her soft side, especially to me. She's my older sister and therefore finds that I have to respect her. This authority complex has lead me to multiple situations of anxiety and selflessness. I live to impress others, just as my family have. That is how I was raised, so maybe this need to fulfil other peoples needs has lead me to see their true intentions? I wasn't sure.

Regardless, I stayed quiet and made it to the bathroom. I didn't realise how long I'd been standing around for. I'd opened a crack in the bathroom door and crept inside in hopes to not wake up my mother so early. I'd made that mistake multiple times before.

I tiptoed up to the mirror, taking out my toothbrush and running the water. The sound of the liquid splashing against the sink bowl was incredibly satisfying and drowned many of my thoughts. I'd tipped my toothpaste onto the brush, dragging it gently along my teeth whilst glaring myself down in the mirror.

I'd known precisely why my mother wanted nothing to do with me. I have my dad's scruffy beige hair and his round brown eyes; his eyebrows that were shaped like two slugs resting just below my forehead. The only difference between me and my dad was my lumped posture, my lack of motivation and the bags under my eyes which seemed to only grow day by day.

I'd started tasting blood in my mouth. I'd spat out the toothpaste into the bowl where a red substance would mix with the paste, swimming down the drain. I'd looked up from the bowl, back up into the mirror one last time.

Ugly. Useless. Disgusting.

Demented. Weird. Retarded.

These words took over my mind, trying to cease my sanity. Though, I was used to them now. It was like a song written just for me. Ugly. Useless. Disgusting.

I'd turned off the tap with a weak tug as the bloody bubbles disappeared into nothing. I brushed my hair back with my fingernails and placed my toothbrush back into the pot across the room. As I went to leave the bathroom, I heard my mothers voice from downstairs.

Mum "Lachlan, come down here this instant!"

Crap.

I swallowed, trailing my hand along the bannister as I timidly made my way downstairs. What did I do? Did Susie make up something? Was I being disowned? I could never figure out until I made it to the kitchen.

I arched my back, wavering my hair to the side as I turned the corner into the kitchen.

Lachlan "Yes, mother?"

Mum "Don't."

Lachlan "...Yes, Georgia?"

I'd keep forgetting the main rule of the house. I'm never allowed to label my mother as my mother. She hates it. In fact, most of the rules only apply to me anyway. I reckon the only thing I'm actually allowed to do is breathe, and that's still stepping on thin ice.

My mother, Georgia, waved her hands toward the door leading to the living room. From the door crept graciously a young girl, likely around my age.

Georgia "This is Julianne. You're going to be taking her to and from school this day forward."

Julianne made her way beside my mother.

She had long, golden curls and bright baby blue eyes. She wore a single white bow in her hair and a short purple dress and white heels. Just the sight of her made me slightly uncomfortable.

Julianne "Good morning, Lachlan Hughes. It's a pleasure being able to walk to school with you."

My mother tutted. She clearly disagreed. Julianne was wearing bright pink lipstick with orange eyeshadow, though it was so powdery it looked like it was falling off every time she blinked. She stood up straight with her hands firmly behind her back.

She looked to my mother, nodded and then approached me.

I didn't know what was going on. I tensed up more with every sound her heels made against the tile flooring. She skipped over to me, grinning from cheek to cheek like a clown as she wrapped herself around my arm.

Julianne "We'll be off then, yes?"

I felt like I'd managed to find someone even worse than my sister. I'd sighed deeply, and looked up to my mother who had a stern look on her face.

Lachlan "...Yeah, let's go, Julianne."

She pulled me by my elbow, stomping towards the exit. She fiddled with the door and before I knew it, I would be walking to school every day with a complete stranger.