Redemption

10 - Beneath the Mask

Chapter 10 - Beneath the Mask

The next few weeks start to blur together. School, work, sleep, repeat. The night with Harry on the rooftop starts to become a distant memory. It's become a habit of mine to look for him around the building but I never catch a glimpse of him.

I have been pretty isolated, not even hearing from Mom. I'm not sure if I should look at that as a good or bad thing. My apartment feels oddly empty as I sit at the island trying to focus on my assignment.

I pull up my mom's number, my fingers hovering over her name. I'm reminded of the nights I would stay up waiting for her to return, tending to Isaac and his needs because our mother was never around to do so. My mother made sure I would never want children of my own because of the way she left me to her duties. She wasn't there when I got my first period, but rather Jasmine's mom had to reassure me that I was not dying.

Before my thumb can meet the screen, a loud knock comes from the door. After just two seconds, the person knocks again, clearly very eager for me to let them in.

I practically jump out of my seat to get the knocking to cease before I wake up the entire floor. I barely get the door open a crack when Jasmine pushes her way in, causing me to stagger back a couple feet. "Oh my gawd, Ams, you won't believe this," she rambles, going straight to make herself comfortable on the couch we bought.

She doesn't give me the opportunity to reply. "Ben invited me to this party tonight, which he never does, you know that."

I run my hand over my face, suppressing a groan. Not too long ago he betrayed Jasmine's trust, yet here she is crawling back to him. I resist the urge to chew her out about it. "Is that really a good idea?" I ask her, returning to my place at the counter.

I can hear the frown that takes over her face. I pick up my highlighter again, focusing back on the assignment. I barely have time to turn my attention back to my schoolwork before Jasmine closes my notebook.

"Jas - " She holds up her hand to stop me.

"It's a Friday night. Are you really going to stay inside the rest of college?"

"Not if we're still friends," I joke lamely but it earns a smile from her.

She drags me out of my seat, pushing me to change out of my sweatshirt and spandex. After I have changed into some jeans and a light pink crop top with spaghetti straps that dips pretty low, Jasmine and I begin our walk to the street where all the frat houses are. We already know it would be a bad idea to drive there. The air is bites at my skin, creating goosebumps across my whole body and makes me wish we at least took an Uber.

The music is audible from down the block. I can see the people crowding on the front lawn, laughing loudly with red solo cups in their hands. Right when we step on the property, a girl with bright red hair presses a solo cup the color of her head into my hand. Her eyes can barely stay open as she looks at me and I have to resist the urge to grab her arm to make sure she doesn't fall over.

"N-Nice of y-you to join us," she slurs, disappearing back into the crowd. Jasmine takes the cup out of my hand, dropping it on the grass that barely looks green from being trampled on so much.

"Don't drink that." Jasmine tells me, hooking her arm through mine and plows through the crowd to get into the house. It's even more crowded inside than it was outside. A game of beer pong is going on in the living room, mostly frat boys that all look the same to me.

A flash of fear courses through me as I realize Shawn could be lingering somewhere here. He mostly likely is. He would never pass up the opportunity to get laid.