Unmasked

Finn's POV

Little sisters were the weirdest thing.

Since Dad's garage was just around the block, sometimes Trip came here to clean up. Mom made sure to give him his own towel before they left and everything. This was one of those afternoons.

Why was my sister weird? Well, she kinda served him orange juice and potato chips every time he came over.

Honest-to-God embarrassing.

April always crushed on Johnny's friends and mine. Hell, I suspected she crushed on every guy who didn't share our DNA.

"I think my sister loves you."

Thomas shot another dart.

"What makes you say that?" He mumbled slyly.

"Like you don't know." I threw my own. Bulls-eye! "I finally found something you suck at."

We both eyed his blue darts. Two were between the double and triple ring. Mine were the red ones. One inside the triple-ring and one bulls-eye.

"How do you do that?" He walked to the target on the brick-wall, yanking the pointy things.

"I'm Robin Hood." Trip gave me a mocking eye roll.

"Really? Then how come you haven't stolen my money and gave it to the poor?"

I gave a thoughtful nod.

"I'm still working out the kinks in my master plan." He grinned with a head shake.

Two rounds and ass-kickings later, Thomas plopped on my desk chair and I sat on the bean bag, tossing darts, catching them mid-air.

Thomas took a large gulp of freshly made orange juice before pinning me with a hooded look.

"So," he began. "Did anything special today?"

My mouth set itself in a stubborn line. I did so not want to talk about saving Valerie's hide.

"Just the usual." 'Usual' included killing a bunch of skeletons with swords and shields. I was kinda hooked on Dark Souls. "Still can't get past that damn cemetery."

"Interesting, interesting," Once I talked video-games Trip got bored really fast. Annoying him was fun. "I meant before the afternoon, before lunch... Before bursting into English?"

He knew. How—

"Valerie told Ava. Ava told me. Circle of trust." His finger traced the outline of a circle in the air, winking.

"More like circle of gossip." I muttered dropping my head back.

"You weren't going to tell me? Gee, what a friend you turned out to be."

I rubbed the darts between my palms.

Not like he told me everything. Even before this whole thing with his Mother, Thomas had always been distant when it came to his parents. His Mom was the worst, though.

The first times he came over, I actually felt bad for the guy. His money couldn't buy what he needed. Family. Normality.

I looked for an escape in the wall clock.

"Carly's running late. Which means dinner's running late. April will be bitching soon enough."

"And you're wondering why your parents called your brother to babysit you? You're waiting for someone to feed you."

"Hey! We just take turns with chores—April does this awful chore board every single week." She said it was fair. I didn't see how, since her tasks were always the easy ones. I perked an eyebrow his way. "And I know how to cook, unlike some people."

He made a pft sound.

"Please. Last week I learned how to make lasagna."

I muffled a laugh, "Burned lasagna."

His eyes went big and round, "Wha—she told you?"

"Your amazing cooking skills are too hilarious for Ava to keep to herself." I shrugged leaning back with a big, fat smile. "I still can't believe you set off the fire alarm."

His jaw clenched and his cheeks became bright pink.

"Whatever." Trip whirled in my chair before lowering his chin on both arms, staring unyielding. "This is about you. Not me. Or dinner. About how you turned into Peter Parker for two-point-five seconds and saved Mary Jane."

Yeah well, I should've turned into Green Goblin and gotten a few kicks out of the situation. Okay. No, I didn't mean that. There was nothing funny about a person dying. Even if it was the high school's Ice Queen.

"It was instinct. I didn't know it was Valerie until I'd snatched her aside." Or until I saw her too-bright brown eyes. "Instinct like... calling Christian a dick."

Thomas gaped for a minute, then all but pumped his fist in the air.

"There are no words for how proud I am right now." Only he'd be proud of name-calling.

I wanted to scowl. I mean, it wasn't like I lived in constant fear of Christian's shadow. Though, the guy was pretty sadistic.

Just because I was a pacifist, didn't mean I was afraid. I tried explaining it to Thomas several times. All those times he'd ended up calling me a wimp.

I gave up after the tenth time.

"Now all that's left is for you to kick his—"

"No," I crossed my arms. "There will be no patio-showdown. I happen to like my pristine record, thank you very much." Goes without saying, Mom would slay me.

She'd been to Woodstock. Pretty much said it all. She might be a reporter now, having a weekly column on a newspaper, but it never changed her loving attitude towards everything.

"Damn, it's like being friends with the World Peace Foundation."

"I'll leave trouble to you." Trouble didn't seem likely with Ava around. "Shouldn't you be going?"

"Ditching me, Matthews?"

"Trying to spare you horrible moments of future boredom—" I nodded to my PS3. He groaned. "See?"

Maybe I was doing a little ditching. Only because he wasn't going to stop with the Christian-thing. When that didn't work he'd go back to the Valerie-matter. I wanted to rehash those two subjects as much as I wanted to listen to Johnny singing 'Heat of the Moment' in the shower.

How Carly fell for him I'll never know.

"Ava wants me home, anyway. We're on for date-night."

I cocked my head, "Isn't every night date-night?"

Thomas let out a devious smirk.

"We've upgraded date-nights."

Oh. Ew.

"Thank you. I needed that inside info. Really."

He shrugged, "Shouldn't have asked." He slung his jacket over a shoulder and patted my shoulder going past me. "Thank your sister for the orange juice."

"I'm sure you'll be able to thank her yourself. She'll probably jump from the couch and walk you to the door with googly eyes."

Thomas stopped laughing his ass off when he swung my bedroom door open. He glanced back. April was by the TV, I'd wager.

"It's scary how well you know your sister." Trip whispered.

"Been living with her for sixteen years..." I mumbled grabbing the wireless controller, tapping the middle button to start the system.

I was vaguely aware of Thomas leaving, hearing April giggle as he said goodbye—seriously?—but everything was lost to me once I warriored-up and went for the graveyard. Soon, skeletons rose and came at me with swords, I dropped—rolling—blocking with my shield.

Watching some walkthrough on YouTube would tell me how in hell's bells I was supposed to kill undead skeletons, that would be cheating. I hated cheating.

Instead, I suffered major headaches the size of Kansas.

After running away—pulling a strategic retreat, I mean, I explored the mountains aimlessly, looking for some item that might help my quest to kill the bastards.

Nothing.

I went back. Mid-fighting my thoughts gravitated to this morning. Maybe it had something to do with the skeletons shields. They were bronze. The same color as her eyes.

I got stabbed in the torso. Damn.

I slashed with my sword but Valerie's panicky face kept haunting me.

A blow to the shoulder.

I could hear the echo of her voice—thanking me.

pretty sure I'd lost my right kneecap.

Then I remembered later, in the art room, how she'd had no idea I'd been attending all year long.

Blow to the head.

Dead.

I stared with evil eyes at the 'Game Over'. Valerie Monet had just cost me thirty-minutes of intense battling.

***

I wished I could say I spent days without seeing Valerie. Unfortunately, Ava liked her. And Thomas loved Ava. I liked Thomas, in a total brotherly way. Chances of not seeing her were slim to none.

After the almost-run-over-day I'd been around her, seen her, not talked to her. Or acknowledged her. Fine by me. But three days down the road I found my ass plastered to a stool, sitting in front of a easel, brush between my fingers.

It was supposed to be like any other art class. Paint and paint. But while I was hell bent on keeping things the same, Miss Hot Shot wanted to change up the game.

She was sitting next to me. Sneaking glances every now and then.

My shoulders kept tensing at the feeling of being watched, messing up my ability to paint a circle. Or line. Or think.

Snapping my head, I caught her startled eyes and her hold on the brush flattered.

"Is there a reason why you keep looking at me?"

Her soft lips parted, "You look different without your uniform, that's all." Her foot kicked on the floor. "You look better without it."

"It's nice to know my style has your stamp of approval. My life finally has meaning." I rolled my eyes dipping the brush's head into red paint.

Stiff shoulders. The It girl kept on gawking.

"You're... joking." She drew slowly. Really? Did she think the whole world gave two cents about her opinion?

"Yes, I am. Can you stop now? I can't focus with your stare."

"My stare?" I nodded. "I'm not staring at you!" She hissed, leaning back.

"My bad. You're probably not talking to me either, I guess I'm prone to small moments of insanity."

I sighed heavily mixing the blue-ocean with my red, working on a shadow in the water. I was going for a late afternoon sunset—

I blinked.

Valerie was covering her mouth, pressing it shut, but I'd heard it. The chuckle—giggle. Because that had been a giggle.

I could go two ways about this. Ask what the hell or ignore it. Maybe I had bursts of hallucinations after all.

When class was close to ending, Ms. Bishop walked around the easel circle dropping a comment here and there.

When she stopped behind Valerie she had only good things to say. For a minute, I thought our teacher was sucking up to her like everyone else in this damn school. Then I snuck a look. A brief one and it was enough. I found myself transfixed. Surely she'd cheated. Somehow. Didn't matter she'd been sitting beside me the entire time.

Her work was breathtaking. The kind that would earn a blue ribbon. No way someone as spoiled and self-centered as her could do something so pure and bright.

The greens and violets melted together in a harmonious embrace, working in synch with the glaciers and starry sky.

I didn't think Ice Queen knew what an aurora borealis was, little alone what it looked like.

"...I think this shadow is a little purple, don't you?" Huh. What?

I glanced at Ms. Bishop with her hair pins and ponytail and flowy shirt. She was standing behind me, commenting on my work.

"I... what?"

"The sun's shadow?" She pointed a finger at where my sun disappeared below the ocean. "You made it a little too dark, too purple. It should be more red, okay?" I nodded watching Valerie taking her masterpiece away. "Overall it's a very nice play of colors and technique, Mr. Matthews."

It was good. Not like Valerie's, though. Hers was just... perfection. Just like the rest of her, I found my eyes sticking to the middle of her chest as she came back from the storage room. Tight, black Tee on.

"Now who's looking at who?" She said with a spark in her pupils, packing up her stuff.

"Without the uniform you're no dog yourself." Where had that come from? Not my head.

She halted wiping her hands on the smudged cloth, eying me below her eyelashes.

"Is that a compliment?"

"Do you think it is?"

Her lips pursed, "I don't know," she breathed. "It wasn't very complementary."

Doing the same as her and every other student in this class, I put away my canvas giving Valerie's a lingering look as I left the storage.

When I went to wipe my hands I caught Ava walking in.

"Here for my ride?" I asked. She smiled at my sigh. "One day I'll ask myself why I play chauffeur to you."

"Because you're nice and Thomas played the bro card."

I feigned annoyance. "I should just toss the card in the trash."

"You wouldn't dare!" I shrugged slinging my bag over a shoulder.

No I wouldn't dare. Ever since Ava and Thomas moved in, they'd been working part-time. Thomas in my Dad's garage and Ava in a flower shop. Problem was, their schedules matched and their jobs were on opposite sides. Thomas had to rush to Brooklyn, Ava to Central Park. So, I took it upon myself to driver her there, because like Trip put it: I had no bills to pay.

"Remind me again why you sold your car?" I crossed my arms staring at a shifting brunette.

"It... was ugly."

"Then why buy it in the first place?"

Ava's fingers curled on her shirt fabric, something like a nervous tick—my shoulder got knocked on.

Valerie was standing at my right. I frowned down at the little distance keeping us apart.

"What does it matter? It was her car." I held her unwavering honey-gaze for a second longer before breaking contact. "Besides, tastes change. You might decide red is your favorite color and two years from now it's white. Nothing stays the same forever."

Thomas' girlfriend glanced between us nipping her lip. Like she was repressing a grin. I was so happy my torture amused her. Yes, because each second in this woman's presence was purely that—hell on Earth.

"By the way," Ava sounded like she wanted to step in-between us. "Would you mind giving Valerie a ride?"

Oh. This girl was so lucky Thomas was my friend right now. 'Cause I had some choice curse words to rain down on her—about Valerie. Keep it together, my Mother would say, Don't lose your head.

Taking a large breath, I cocked my head in defeat.

"As long as she doesn't go all Ruler-of-the-Universe on our way there, I'm game."

Valerie spied at me through narrowed eyes. Surely she would've said something if Ava hadn't spoken.

"Great!" She took her friend by the arm and whispered, "Now you don't have to ride with Jackson..."

My arched eyebrow went unnoticed as they took the lead outside the art room and went down the hall, for the exit. Ava climbed into the back—much to my displeasure—Valerie settled next to me. Her face told me she'd rather be stabbing herself in the eye than riding with me. Luckily, Ava's head poeked between our seats and she began girl-talk. Something I'd gotten used to hearing because of driving my little sis and her friends.

"Gabriel's throwing a party after Prom—his school's Prom—and obviously he invited Thomas, who is dragging me along..." Ava yapped away about Trip's friend and I stirred for the flower shop on the corner of 5th Avenue, near Central Park West. "...you're coming?"

"I don't know, it's not like we're super close or anything."

"I thought you were into him."

Ice Queen shrugged, "We talked and it was good, but he's not really my type."

"He's not rich enough for you?"

For mild seconds all that was heard was the Chevrolet's purr and some rock band playing on the radio.

Ava was staring at me with pitchforks for eyes. Ouch.

Clearing my throat, I said, "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out—"

"But it did, and you meant it." Valerie snapped getting her Imperial voice on. "Maybe you should keep your thoughts to yourself."

"Last time I checked free will was available to anyone."

Our eyes smacked. Hers were bright copper sparks, mine going stormy.

Something smacked my arm.

"Eyes on the road, Finn!"

They yelped when I gave the wheel a quick jerk, setting the car back on track, narrowly avoiding a street lamp. I didn't chance a look at the girl next to me, but she sure as hell was a magnet for near-car-accidents.

"An accident waiting the happen..."

"What?" They both hissed at me.

Shoot.

Another thing I learned from my sis and her friends: arguing with one of them did not end well when they were traveling in duos. Or packs.

I stayed silent and pulled up beside Enchanted Garden. My nose twitched; the name was a little too corny for my taste. I leaned my head back, turning the key. In the back I heard the jingling of Ava's purse, then a groan. Looking at her through the rearview mirror I saw her struggling with the seatbelt's latch. The middle seat always got jammed.

"You have to push down the button and pull the belt off." She nodded with a grunt, I shook my head. "You know," I mumbled. "Thomas has two cars. You could borrow one."

That mae her laugh.

"Trip might love me and share his toothbrush with me—" both me and Valerie twisted in our seats, peeking at her. Brown eyes stared back, lips tight. "It was one time. There was... an accident with mine. Anyway," she made a happy noise when the belt came undone. "He would never let me drive his SUV. Little alone his Porsche."

She bounced outside, slammed the door and bent to my window.

"I hope you two don't need a sitter." Her pointed stare was directed at me. I tilted my head with kicked-puppy eyes. "Just get her home without a trip to the hospital."

"I think that's asking a little too much of him."

A vein popped in my forehead. This chick wasn't going to survive the car ride. Not because of a damn car crash, either. Before I began fantasizing about kicking Valerie out while driving, I restarted the car, pulling to the middle of the street.

"Where to, mademoiselle?" I bit with a sharp, sweet undertone.

The raven hair hid her face as she crossed her arms.

"740 Park Avenue."

That wasn't far from here, in this traffic maybe ten to fifteen minutes. Something told me it wouldn't be a comfortable ride over, though. With a tamed sigh, I stepped on the accelerator.