The Masked Duet

one

edited December 17 2015 

o n e 

"You won't find him drinking at the table, rolling dice or staying out 'til three. You won't ever find him be unfaithful, you will find him, you'll find him next to me," 

Hayley's angelic voice echoed through the bathroom, over the running water that had gathered around Hayley's feet, as she had accidentally stepped on the drain blocking the water's path.

"When the end has come and buildings falling down fast, when we've spoilt the land and dried up all the sea. When everyone has lost their heads around us, you will find him, you'll find him next to me," 

The water stopped and gurgled down the drain. The steam poured out of the glass shower door, Hayley stepping out and grabbing the towel from the rail.

Even the noisy hairdryer couldn't contain her voice as Hayley continued to sing. The warm air caressed her face and hair as she moved it around to dry her hair as fast as possible. She switched off the hairdryer and placed it back down onto the bathroom bench.

Hayley hang her head down, and pulled her warm, long, wavy chocolate hair into a bundle with her hands and flipped back upright, securing it with a brown elastic and a long shiny black ribbon. She slipped into her dark denim shorts, and pulled the purple peplum tank top over her head.

She grabbed her Monday school books from her bookshelf; English, Maths, French, History and Science, and the pink lunchbox from the table and shoved them all into her black school backpack.

"Bye Mum! I'm going to school!" She called to her mother who was busy applying mascara to her lashes in the living room mirror.

"See ya later Sweetie! Have fun at school!"

Hayley walked out the door and into the warming Australian breeze. As Hayley walked down the small beachside road, her best friend Casey ran up beside her.

"Hey Hayley," he chirped. 

His silver lip piercing glistened in the sunlight, and his dark brown hair naturally stood in a small quiff as always. His usual black t shirt and light blue ripped jeans framed his huge muscles as they moved to the beat of his slow steps.

"What's up?" Hayley asked, making small talk.

"Why would anything be up?" Casey retorted, defensively. Hayley wasn't expected that sort of reply, making her stop in her tracks, now a bit worried. 

Hayley eyed him curiously, Casey fidgeting under her glare.

A bright light, a reflection, hit Hayley's eye; Casey had his silver chain tangled around hid fingers, toying with the necklace that was almost always hidden under his tshirts.

He was anxious.

"Stop playing with that chain I bought you, and tell me why you're anxious."

"Dammit... Okay. I was waiting to tell you until we got to school but..." Casey gulped

"I got us two invites to Kirstin's mid year party!!" He squealed.

"What!!" Hayley screamed.

"You know I hate her! She's a bullying bitch, I never want to see her again."

"She doesn't have to know its you! It's a masquerade party, you could be anybody!"

Be anybody... Hayley thought. That sounded amazing!

The ringing of the school bell sounded to signal the end of the first two periods, and the start of first break. Hayley was sitting at her bench surrounded by her three friends, Beth, Lauren, and Katelyn. They were discussing the new book that was released on Friday that they had all already read.

-Severed Heads, Broken Hearts - By Robyn Schneider -     *SPOILERS*                               *duh*

"I cried once!" Katelyn squealed as she explained why she had cried... Hayley was listening to all the reasons that she cried and she can assure you, there was more than one. She had her head in her hands, a mess of red hair flopped over them. 

She had composed herself, lifting up her glasses to wipe under her stark blue eyes and the drop of saliva on the side of her freckled face.  

"I thought that Cassidy was a real meany to Ezra, springing it on him that there was another guy all along!" Beth sounded as though she was Ezra and she was telling her mum about the break up of her and Cassidy. 

"I thought it was funny when she told Ezra about the swapsies at the debating!!" Lauren said, giggling.

She was really too busy playing with her food to be that deep into the conversation. Her long straight, blonde hair was up in a high ponytail draping over her shoulder, almost into the food in which she was playing with. 

But Hayley couldn't stop thinking about Kirstin's party... She was afraid that Kirstin would beat her up again if she found out it was her with Casey. Kirstin thought that she was stealing Casey from her because they were going out, and Kirstin knew Hayley had a crush on him.

She couldn't help but stare at Casey surrounded by popular guys and hot girls trying to get his attention with oversized laughs and hair flicks. Hayley wished that she could be like that so that she was popular and pretty.

"Hayley?" All her friends questioned her presence at the book club meeting.

"Yeah?" Hayley said, suddenly sitting up straight and her eyes wide.

"What do you think of the book?"

"It's great, sad, empathetic, and funny." She said.

"You're just repeating what we said," Katelyn said

"Are you guys going to Kirstin's party?" Lauren asked, a question like that was sort of out of the blue. All of them avoided Kirstin and the popular posse of girls at all costs.

"Yes," Beth and Hayley said quietly in synch. They both looked up and smiled and started talking about what they are going to wear.

"I got invited through Facebook, so I took the opportunity!" Beth squealed.

"Yeah me too," Hayley said, not wanting to tell them about how Casey went to ask Kirstin for invites. They don't know about her relationship with him- her friendship.

"I got plus-oned as well!" said Lauren.

"Cool, we can go and get ready together!!" Beth squealed, again. Her high pitched voice was surprisingly un-annoying to them all except everyone else sitting around them.

"Wait, you guys are actually going?" Katelyn asked.