True Colors (The Masks #1)(33)

So glad I'd gotten over that brain fart!

Even so, I hated conflict, so I buried my anger and put on a smile, deciding that turning the attention back to her would put an end to our friction as well as ensure that she wouldn't probe into my weekend any further. I was just about to ask her what she got up to when Indie walked up.

“Hey guys.” For the first time ever I saw her soft voice as something other than sweetness. I pulled her mask off with ease and saw a battered girl. Not physically, but there may as well have been bruises all over her face. She looked wrung out, emotionally beaten...defeated.

“Hi Indie.” I pushed as much warmth into my smile as I possibly could. “How’s it going?”

“Good.” With her mask back in place, I could see the sweet smile again. She nodded and started telling us about how much fun she'd had at the party. “Did you guys enjoy it?”

“Those of us who were there did.” Stella shot me a baleful glare.

I was tempted to roll my eyes, but chose to ignore her scorn.

Indie looked really awkward, glancing between us. I could tell she didn’t want to get involved. I pulled back a layer and saw the idea of open conflict was too much for her.

Grabbing Stella’s arm, I swiveled her in the opposite direction. “Could you excuse us?”

“Sure.” The speed with which Indie took off was a testament to her relief.

“Let go of me!” Stella shook her arm free.

I met her glare with a stern look of my own.

“Would you stop, please? I said sorry about the party and it’s not like I didn’t come back and get you. Plus I tried calling you a bunch of times on Saturday and I know you were ignoring me.”

She lifted her nose with a haughty scowl. “I’m your best friend. I shouldn’t have to chase after you all weekend and I certainly shouldn’t have you ditch me at a party.”

“You looked pretty entertained when I left.”

Her cheeks flushed scarlet. “That’s not the point, Caitlyn. You should have been there for me.”

I knew this argument was getting us nowhere. I hated fighting with Stella. I always lost. From the fiery expression on her face, I knew I’d lose this round too.

With a soft sigh, I relented. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you needed a wingman so badly.”

Appeased by my servility, she gave me a nod of forgiveness. “What were you doing with Libby anyway? Is she working for you or something?”

“No. What does that mean?”

Stella blanched, her shoulders pinging back. “Nothing. I just meant I know she sometimes helps kids with homework and stuff. She’s a tutor.” Stella was lying. I didn’t need to pull anything away to see that.

“Tutoring on a Friday night, really?”

Stella couldn’t respond to my sarcastic reply. Shame washed over her features like dirty water.

I crossed my arms wanting to question her, to strip away her secrets until I could figure out what the hell she was talking about. But behind that layer of shame was a fragile insecurity I didn’t have the heart to mess with. I put her mask back in place and was met with a haughty, nose in the air, scowl.

I knew the only response to it was the truth, but I didn’t want to get Libby in hot water or say anything that would annoy Carter. I still had three months in this school to go as well.

Ruffling my curls, I flicked them off my face and went for a half-truth. “I bumped into Libby in the kitchen. She was really upset because some kids had been mean to her. I just offered her a ride home.” I didn’t want to go into detail about our awesome chats on the beach and how I actually felt closer to her than I did to Stella at this moment.

Stella’s lips dipped. She wasn’t overly friendly with Libby, but she’d never be openly cruel. I liked that her expression sunk slightly. “You should have come and got me. We could have driven her home together.”

Yeah, like that would have gone over well.

“I didn’t want to mess up whatever you had going with that cute guy.” I wiggled my eyebrows, needing to bring humor into this conversation.

Stella’s grin was instant, followed by a blush.

“Who was he?”

She winced, not looking ashamed in the least. Putting her arm through mine, she turned me in the direction of class and confessed. “I have no idea what his name is. We just drank and made out until he said he had to go. I didn’t even notice you were gone until then.” At least she looked a little abashed by that one. She shook her head, her perfect blonde hair rustling. “Just promise me you won’t ditch me at a party again.”

I wanted to tell her that I hadn’t, because I’d come back and got her, but I guessed that was just a technicality. In Stella’s mind, I should have been there for her, standing by her side even while she made out with her mystery man.

It really stung to say it, but I mumbled, “I promise.”

Squeezing my arm with a charming smile, she air kissed my cheek and strutted off. “See ya later, sweets.”

As I watched her flounce past the blue lockers, I thought back to my day with Eric and how enjoyable it had been. Not because it was Eric, although that was huge, but also because I had spent the day hanging out with someone who was just as interested in me and my thoughts as I was in his. He had kept asking me what I wanted to do, not demanding that I follow him everywhere. In fact he hadn't made any demands of me at all. It was a refreshing change.