Unmasked

Finn's POV

Art class had never made me angry. Then again, no one's work had been vandalized before today. Art, was one of the many outlet's I'd found to channel my anger and just to help me forget of what I used to have or what I could've had if that night three years ago hadn't happened... Today, I'd wanted to punch a hole through my canvas.

Valerie had gone back to class, I'd followed her shortly after—after my toes stopped buzzing with hurt—and finally understood why she'd been such a rabid rabbit. Some clown had torn her work apart.

"I can't believe someone did that." Ava murmured as I finished telling what happened. "Why would someone trash her painting? It's plain mean."

"And stupid," I added, chewing a bite of ham sandwich. Ava tilted her head in confusion. I sighed, you'd think she'd know Valerie better than me, being her friend and all. "Do you think Valerie's not going to find out? She's the freaking Boss Queen of all the Queendome. She'll find out and when she does, there'll be..."

On cue, Valerie strolled inside the cafeteria, looking quick and lethal, stopping only inches from a sitting Kelly. Kelly's face snapped right. A loud smack quieted the other students' murmurs. Kelly's left cheek already burned with Valerie's handprint.

Her friend barely managed to open her mouth before a loud voice stopped her.

"You know what that was for." Valerie's voice was strong, covering every inch of the lunch room. "You really thought I wouldn't find out? All I had to do was ask around. It was so easy. Clare Bennett told me, you asked for her key yesterday, just after Christian's suspension went viral."

Every art student had a key to the stash room in case we needed to take a project home or work on it after class hours...

"You told her I called asking for your help. That I'd asked you to drop my painting over at my place." Valerie crossed her arms standing intimidatingly before Kelly, who was breathing so fast I thought she might drop dead. "I always knew you were a moron, I never knew you were enough of an idiot to back-stab me. For a crap boyfriend, no less."

"He said he'd—"

"He'd what? Break up with you?" a sly smirk formed on her lips. "Maybe he should, Kelly, because then you wouldn't be the school's laughing stalk." Her head turned to Brenda who was sitting opposite to Kelly. "I bet you and Christian just laugh it up when you're done, right? I mean, you've been having sex under her nose for months. It's a little laughable."

Brenda's cheeks flared red. I bit my tongue on accident, staring transfixed at the In-crowd table. Next to me, Ava choked a gasp-laugh. She'd known about this? Not that Brenda sleeping with guys shocked me, that was public knowledge, but with her friend's boyfriend? That was just... wrong.

"Brenda?" Kelly let out in a high pitched squeak, only to be ignored as Brenda stood up, facing the Ice Queen head on.

Her eyes became thin slits, like a cat who wanted to rip a mouse in half. Valerie looked worse. A lioness ready to tear out her prey's jugular.

"You think you're the hot-stuff? Guess what, hon, you might be Queen but it doesn't make people like you. It means they're afraid of you. Keep that up and not even losers will want to go out with you."

"Do you think that matters? I'm Valerie Monet. I'm beautiful, talented, intelligent. And you...? You're Brenda. St. Joseph's personal whore, available from Monday to Friday." Valerie surveyed the room in a quick scan, stopping where most jocks were. "You should all get checked for STD's."

"You bitch..." Brenda spat, fists shaking at her side.

"I prefer being a bitch to a dirty skank." She glared down at Kelly. "You're dead to me." Ava and I exchanged a quick glance. "Your lives here are over. You better withdraw your college applications for any elite college in New York because if I know you're there, I'll skin you alive." She bent to Kelly's level, who'd started sobbing furiously into her hands and said, "You wanted to play at my game? You get burned."

Valerie stood up, whirled on her heel and did a practiced hair toss before walking away like a conqueror. She gave no indication of spotting me and Ava, walking outside the lunch room, leaving dead silence in her wake, except for Kelly's loud wailing. Damn girl sounded like a big baby.

Ava leaned in, whispering, "I never saw her like that. That painting must've been something special."

"You think?" In my opinion, Valerie got kicks out of humiliating people. Still... The memory from yesterday nagged me. She'd helped me with Christian. She didn't have to, she could've walked by, pretend I was invisible like she'd been doing the whole senior year.

"She's not as bad as you and Thomas think."

I shrugged, feeling weird stuff happen down in my stomach when the image of Valerie's red, puffy eyes popped into my head. She'd looked sad, vulnerable. The kind of person you wanted to cuddle and protect from everyone and everything.

Okay, Finn, get a grip. The girl stomped your foot into mush.

"So," Trip dropped his books on the table, next to me. I hadn't seen him coming in. Because you were thinking about... Stop. I forced myself. "Valerie nearly plowed me in the hallway. Did she and Finn have a fight?"

I frowned at him as he sat beside his girl.

"What?"

"You know, whenever you two are in a room you fight. It's actually hilarious to watch."

"There's nothing funny about arguing." I declared, trying to focus on finishing lunch.

Trip just wouldn't let it go.

"Did they fight?" he asked Ava, totally ignoring my presence. I glared daggers at his head.

Ava explained what happened and Thomas laughed it off. I think I saw him wipe a tear away. He didn't linger on that topic, though, pulling out tickets to a major band concert. There were three. He slapped one in front of me.

"What's..." I pointed at the colorful paper with big letters.

He rolled his eyes excessively, "It's for you, dumbass. I got them from my Dad on our latest son-and-father lunch. Ava doesn't like these guys, so I'm giving one to Gabe and one to you."

About to reach for the ticket, I stopped when Thomas added, "It's this Saturday, nine o'clock."

Shit.

Saturday was usually a bad day. Well, a bad night. Because unlike folks my age, I couldn't go out and enjoy myself. Nope. I had a weekly meeting, at the same hour, with the same people, about the same subject.

I grimaced inwardly. No one knew about the meetings, except for my family and I trusted them to keep their pie-holes shut. Trip was the first friend I'd made at St. Joseph, it wasn't that I didn't trust him to keep my secret, it was just... Sometimes being upfront with someone you liked wasn't easy; I was afraid of how he'd react. That he'd judge me. A bigger part of me knew he'd understand, still, there was the little part, weaker and fearful... It made me keep quiet.

It made me keep the farce of Finn Matthews geek boy alive.

"Saturday's no good man, I've got a... a barbecue at my brother's place. In Jersey. It's a family thing, I have to be there." I was lying. Lying to my best friend. Pretty much my only friend in the last two years. "Thanks for thinking of me, though."

Trip reached across for the ticked. He pinned me with a glare.

"Dude, you never go out. You seriously need to lighten up. In one week we graduate. Please tell me you'll enjoy summer?"

Ava nodded, serious, "It's the last one before college. It's a big deal."

I wasn't sure where that was written, but I humored them by agreeing. Another month of meetings and I'd be a free man, that's what kept me going.

"What are you guys doing for summer?"

"Not sure yet," Trip wrapped an arm around Ava. "We'll work for another month after high school ends. Maybe afterwards we'll go on a little trip."

After lunch ended, I made my way to AP Calculus. Math was my thing, at least since I'd applied myself. Three years ago my best subject would've been gym class. I know, shocking. Anyway, as I walked to class, my stomach began turning, churning with guilt. It hit me that Christian got suspended because of what Valerie did in the hallway, for saving my ass. He'd gotten pissed at her because of me.

Her painting got butchered because of... me.

Double shit.

Taking my seat, the only thought running through my head was finding Valerie and apologize. Maybe get slapped and insulted. Sighing, I flipped open my notebook and braced myself for a long hour.

***

Valerie's POV

Today had been a bad day. After seeing my ravaged painting, I'd been borderline miserable. The sadness from eight years ago had floored me, threatening to pull me under a suffocating pain. That type of pain made me do things. Bad, horrible things. Easing back into the leather cushioned seats, I gripped my BMW's wheel ferociously, wanting nothing to do with past memories. But it was impossible not see—not to remember the vivid red lining the bathroom floor. Slowly, I slid the wrist watch down. I bit my lip at the sight of a faded white scar. It was never totally going to disappear. Most days I tried covering it with make-up, or just used a bracelet or watch to hide it from prying eyes.

Eight years ago I'd lost the most important person. The one who I admired most, the one Dad often compared me to, the person I tried so hard not to become. Mom would've hated this me. The cool, icy Queen. I heaved a heavy sigh, bracing my head on the wheel. She would've hated that I refused to show myself, the real me. Sometimes I detested it, too. I wanted to pull myself from the shadows, they shredded and killed the goodness I'd inherited from Mom, my talent for playing violin, any good quality that might fascinate anyone.

After Mom died, I'd lost it. I mean, for a while, I handled feeling numb. Convinced myself that I could be a tough cookie and move on, live without my Mother. About a month after she'd past, I picked up my violin classes. Mom always listened to me play. She used to sit in the living room, sometimes reading a book, other times keeping her eyes focused on me and on my fingers. I couldn't make it through the first class. I broke down and ran into my bedroom, crying. Eventually the music instructor left and Simone knocked on my door several times. Only by then... When she got inside, I was on the cold marble, a pair of scissors in my right hand. There'd been blood running from my wrist, not very fast, apparently cutting your wrists wasn't a fast way to go. Simone called an ambulance and Dad dropped everything to the hospital. What I remembered from that night, was red, pain and white. I knew Dad bribed someone to keep things quiet, no one besides me, him and Simone knew I'd attempted suicide. After that, Dad got me a shrink and until this day, I had consults with her.

So yeah, losing my mother had made me want to kill myself. Why? Because I'd loved her and I'd lost her. Loving people caused suffering, heartache, because eventually everybody left. And the people who were left behind had to deal with never ending pain. That's why this way was better. Showing my true colors would attract people I'd like, it would give me people to love and hurt over after they vanished. The Queen kept everything at bay.

Well, not everything. I'd made the mistake of letting Ava too close. She was the only person I considered a friend. I should cut her from my life. I kept promising myself I would, I mean, life would do it for me. After this summer we were off to college. What were the odds of us sticking together?

Sighing, I sat back, enjoying the comfortable silence. The showdown with Kelly and Brenda took some edge off, though. I wasn't feeling crazy enough to jump off a building or drown myself in the Hudson. Progress. Still, I couldn't finish the day, not at school. I started the engine and took off. Within a week, senior year would end, who cared if I ditched three classes? Going home early sounded like an excellent idea.

Home, I ran up to my bedroom. I needed to relief some pent up tension and there was no better way to do that, then with a shower. I dropped the Prada handbag on my bed and began undressing, dropping my clothes on the rotating chair. I dropped the silver watch on my stand, heading inside my bathroom suite. Normally I'd ask Simone to prepare a bath with salts, but there was a high probability I'd lose it if I saw her right now. She was the one person, besides Dad, who knew me. The silly, good-hearted, sometimes geeky girl who liked watching shows about ghosts. She wouldn't censor me for crying. But she'd also worry about my mental state and that was something I didn't need.

Pulling a towel off the rackets, I draped around myself, climbing out of the tub. I stepped inside my room and stopped.

"What the hell?" I screeched in a whisper, drawing both arms around myself.

Jackson was sitting on my bed in a completely laid back manner, like he belonged there. Which he most certainly didn't. God, why did have to go and give into hormones? Jackson and I never truly had a meaningful relationship, I wouldn't allow myself that, but I'd more than enjoyed the things he'd said to me, the things he'd done to make me feel good.

"I heard your bedroom closing. I got curious."

"It's my room."

"I know. But it's early, you should be in school. Right?" A grin spread. He sat up, leaning back on his elbows. "Are you skipping? Bad, bad girl, Valerie."

"And what about you? Shouldn't you be in college, instead of being such a pain in my ass?" I threw up my hands. I felt the towel slip. Stupid move, Monet. I chided.

His shoulder rose in a careless shrug, "I got bored."

"Great..." I mumbled. The towel was edging down. I made a quick grab for the unlacing knot, securing it and my dignity. Jackson still wouldn't leave. "Get out before someone comes in and catches us."

He shook his head, "You know our parents are never home in the afternoon. Simone's gone out for groceries, I think. None of the other maids would come into your bedroom, her orders and all. We're all alone." Suddenly I wished my house didn't work under such a heavy routine. "We're safe."
Safe wasn't the term I'd use to describe this situation. Uncomfortable? Yes. Awkward? Very much so. Safe? No; I felt like a sheep heading to slaughter.

Jackson got up. I took a step back because in seconds he was in front of me, I had nowhere to go, but inside the bathroom. He followed. His dark hair grew damp from the steam, my own was wet, dripping little drops of transparent liquid around my feet. Jackson stepped onto the mat, just as I had.

"I'm not leaving," he whispered in a surprisingly gentle tone. It brought memories from months ago to life. I wanted to curse. "You don't want me to, not really. Your brain might want me far away, but your body is another story."

My...

Oh my.

I looked down quickly, tailing his brown gaze. Poking behind the towel were my nipples. I refused to believe it was him that caused them to... react. It could be from the cold. Or hotness. Who knew? Jackson ventured up close before I got another word out, his thumb brushed above the material keeping my skin from a total show. A shiver coiled my belly.

"Jax... You can't." The nickname slipped out for old times sake.

A coy smile popped up as he lowered his head down, the tip of his nose grazed my cheek but it wasn't enough, he kept leaning in... A soft gasp almost dropped from my lips. He dragged the tip of his tongue along the shell of my right ear. My foot faltered as I tried to move—Jackson moved in for the kill. His arm snuck around my waist like a cobra's striking, gluing our fronts.

"No..." I hushed out, pushing against his chest. "We're over. There's nothing between us, I don't want..."

"You don't want us back together? Come on, babe, don't lie." His mouth fell over mine. The kiss was rough, silencing my cry. Jack shifted his arms, pinning my arms at my sides. No, I couldn't let this happen. It was wrong. We were broken up and I... I shook my body, trying to pull my mouth from his.

Jackson let one hand travel up my back, curving behind my head. He pressed our mouths together, bruising my lips. I almost bit him, almost because then he... he touched me. And the tension the shower hadn't eased pumped through me, demanding to be used. I knew it was wrong. Jackson and I were brother and sister now, but that wasn't the worst part. He'd slapped me. Only once, he'd apologized afterwards, but doing this with him now... It would be like telling him that what he had done was forgivable.

It wasn't. I knew... I knew... But as he touched me, I felt loneliness creep up, exploding in a fury of regret and longing. Jackson was here and he was convenient, because being alone, in days like this, it was a bitch. And if I started crying he wouldn't worry over my mental health, he'd write if off on me being a woman. It infuriated me how chauvinistic he was, but he was the only one here.

The only person coming after me. Which meant for just a tiny moment I wouldn't need to feel so lonely.

Tears ran over my cheeks mixing with water trails. Jax's hand moved lower, causing my body to react heavily, it craved release, missed the attention. He lifted me off the floor, guiding my legs to wrap around him as he turned around, heading into my bedroom. He lowered me onto bed, tugging the towel from my naked body.

"Valerie..." his whisper made me turn my head. I closed my eyes tightly, willing the burning in my eyes to stop. "You have no idea how much I've missed you. You're so beautiful, so perfect..."

It was all he saw. The outside. I couldn't blame Jackson. His appearance had been what called out my attention when we'd met. I cried silently until Jackson elicited several waves of pleasure from me—he was giving me something most girls my age envied. Still, as I laid there tired, sleepy and emotionally drained, I found myself reaching for that tiny spark that screamed more and in my dreams I let myself go.