The Insanity of a Wallflower

Irrelevant Relevancy- XIV

Hayden drove us home. I don't know what I was expecting; him to just leave me there since my use for the day was up.  I was so used to seeing how he treated those who uprooted his mask slightly; the fact I had completely unearthed it and wasn't destroyed made my skin crawl. 

"Tell me about yourself." Hayden asked suddenly beside me.  Again, his voice was dry, uninterested. But yet apparently still curious enough if he was asking.

"My names Alys Westbrook," I recited unsure, "I've lived here for most my life. I draw. That's really it." 

"You've gone to our school all these years. So why is it no one knows who you are?" His eyes darted to me and watched me intently. 

I looked out my side window, and breathed in slightly, "I'm anonymous. It's easy. Why are you surprised? You blind them with friendship and popularity, why do you reason it's odd they lose track of the shadows?"

"Because you're not a shadow." It's like he was trying to solve some mathematical equation while looking at me.  But the void within his eyes scared me... 

"Again," he whispered, "Tell me about yourself. Tell me why you are different. I'm not an idiot. You've got something wrong with you... something you're hiding. Why do you draw those images? Why do you hate people who lie?"

My hands were white as they squeezed my seatbelt as tight as I could. "Are you under the impression that I would share any of this with you?" I laughed slightly. "Like I would just reveal to you anything you asked? Why do you even care, it has nothing to do with our plan."

Those words made him smile slightly; that cold and sharp blade. "True. But still, I will find these things out about you. One way or another." 

And with those words he pulled into my driveway. I hopped out as quickly as I could and walked away from his Jeep.  "Don't text me again," I hissed at him before turning and finding my mother standing atop the front steps. 

She smiled tightly, though there was a livid fire burning beneath her skin. 

"Where have you been sweetie? I have been worried sick about you." But as she said those words, and the closer I got, her voice dipped down for a private message, "How dare you just run off like that! You knew damn well the Mrs. Taylor was coming over... for..."

"Please forgive your daughter." A soft, low voice said directly behind me, "She was with me. You must be Alys's mother." A hand reached around me and grasped hers gently, "It's nice to meet you. My name is Hayden Donovan. I've been elected along with your daughter to paint the tribute for the school."

"Elected?" She worded unsure, her eyes widened with awe as she stared above me. I wanted to scream and slap her right then and there. How dare she, after everything we've been through, how dare she do this!

"Has your daughter not told you?" He chuckled slightly at my audacity, though he knew full well he had abducted me before I ever got home.  She giggled like a young school girl. "No she hadn't. But I'm glad you at least informed me." 

He continued to smile at her, and I could sense he was enjoying it greatly.  My humiliation grew.

"It's a great honor for us. And she'll be using her art to try and get into a college."

"....Art?" with those words my mother's smile dropped.  Her eyes broke from his to mine, her fractured mask still trying to retain its pleasantries in front of a guest. Hayden too looked down at me, curious at my mother's obvious reaction.