Behind the Mask - Book One [Editing/Re-writing]

(31) The Bad Guys Lair

Chapter Thirty One

It took me about ten minutes to get that darn egg out of my hair and by the time I finished getting dressed and went to join everyone in the living room they were already talking. I sit on the couch beside Nadine; as far away from Nick I can get, and stare moodily at the wall.

"Bethany, are you okay?" Kent asks while giving me a questioning look.

I turn my moody look on him and give him daggers for eyes, "I am certainly not okay. First Stayton almost dies, second, my dad bombards me with this fact that he’s known about everything this whole time, third, you guys still think Isaac is the bad guy where I am absolutely positive he isn’t, and the fourth thing—" I instantly cut myself off and avoid Nick’s eyes, "Some kids hit me in the back of the head with a stupid egg! Yolk got all through my hair and then it wouldn’t come out and now I have to just sit here and listen to you guys while you decide whether or not we go when really, it should be my choice because it’s my mom!"

Everyone stares at me and I fight the urge to scream at them again. I keep my eyes on Kent, not risking looking over at Nick. Kent keeps his calm, "Bethany, I understand you haven’t had a very good day," he says carefully, like if he says the wrong thing I could blow up and get mad all over again—which is actually kind of true, "But you’ve got to understand how dangerous it will be for you if we do go tonight. In fact, I don’t even know if you should come at all. Isaac could very well be there and he could kill you or—"

I throw my head back and laugh; though it’s a very cruel sound. When I look back at him I have a cold smile on my lips, "Ha! I’m sorry; I thought you just said Isaac would kill me."

"Bethany, listen to me—" Kent starts.

"No, Kent. You listen to me for once;" I say frostily, "Isaac would never, ever hurt a hair on my pretty little head. And he surely would never pull a gun on me." I add, feeling very good about the flash of hurt that just went through Kent’s eyes.

"But Bethany—"

"No!" I yell and slam my fist on the coffee table, "I’m not finished!" I scream, "Kent, you pulled a gun on me just to get me mad so you could get my blood. How low is that?" I hiss and turn to Nick; forgetting the fact that I’m trying not to look at him. His eyes are wide and I smile slightly, he’s never seen me like this before. "And you," I say while narrowing my eyes on him, "how dare you make me feel worse then I already do." His mouth drops in a ‘O’ and just stares at me.

"What’s going on in here?" A familiar voice asks and I spin on my heel, my anger spiking through the roof when I see its Stayton. All my pent up rage towards him pours out and I forget about the fact that he almost just died, all I can really think about is what Nick said, when you could have someone that doesn’t treat you like trash.

"I hate you!" I scream at him and he blinks once, his face becoming a mask of confusion, then hurt. I just stare at him. My words actually hurt him. And they hurt him bad. A sick feeling forms in my stomach but I can’t seem to make myself stop. I spin on my heel and blink through the tears, "I hate all of you!" I cry and before they can say anything else I bolt out of the room and out the door, slamming it shut behind me.

I jump down the front steps and bolt into my backyard and into the trees. About six minutes in someone grabs my arm. I let out a scream and turn around and kick them. They let out a cry and I kick them again then jump on them and we fall to the ground; me sitting on their chest and them flat on their back. I blink a bunch and finally let myself realize who it is and I scowl, "Why did you follow me?"