True Colors (book #1, The Masks Series)

by Melissa Pearl

“You okay, Caitlyn? You look kind of pale.” Libby’s gentle, brown eyes were filled with concern as they landed on me. Genuine concern.

  It threw me a little.

  Shaking my head, I mumbled. “Just a headache.”

  “Still?” Stella looked at me. “You’ve had it all weekend. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Wow, all weekend?” Libby’s brow creased with compassion. “Maybe you should go to the doctor. When did the headache start?”

  “She’s fine, Nurse Libby. Thank you.” Stella flicked her hand, raising her shades to get a better look at me. I could see that she didn’t like someone else fussing over her best friend. Was that insecurity I glimpsed? That didn’t seem right. Stella was the most confident person I knew.

  Glancing back at Libby, I saw her face crest with disappointment over Stella’s sharp words. She looked about ready to cry, but there was a smile on her face. It took me a second, but I told my brain to see past the smile and I spotted it again. The watery grin, the wobbling lips. The effort to keep herself in control so we didn’t know how desperately she needed us to accept her.

  “Well, see you around then.” She waved, looking dejected as she slumped away.

  “Stella,” I whispered. “That was a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

  “What?” Stella looked confused.

  “Libby. Look how rejected she feels.” I pointed after her.

  “What are you talking about? She’s smiling.”

  Glancing back, I noticed Libby was, in fact, smiling and waving at people as she passed. She looked like a happy, carefree girl who was friends with everyone. I frowned and rubbed my temples, feeling stupid for even saying anything.

  “Seriously, Caitlyn, you have been acting so weird this weekend. What is wrong with you?”

  “I don’t know.” I squeezed my eyes shut.

  “Ever since Friday night at the club.” Stella shook her. “Did aliens snatch you and mess with your brain or something?”

  I froze. “What did you say?”

  Stella frowned. “It was only a joke, Caity. Chill out.”

  Chill out? I couldn’t! My heart was racing too fast. My mind was ready to explode. Friday night. That man...on the street...the electric shock.

  No freaking way. Did he do something to me? Was that more than just a shock?

  I had to know.

  Grabbing my bag, I flicked it onto my shoulder.

  “Caitlyn, what the hell are you doing?”

  “I gotta go.” I pulled on my shoes and dug my keys out of my pocket.

  “Where?” Stella looked seriously irritated.

  “I’m sorry. I just...I have to go. I’ll call you later, okay?”

  “Caitlyn! Caity!”

  I ignored her calls and kept my head down as I walked up the sandy path. I was on a mission and for once I wasn’t going to let Stella’s anger stop me.

  Chapter 7

  I put my foot to the floor and cruised along Pacific Coast Highway, up the California incline to Ocean Avenue and steadily made my way back to Sunset Boulevard and Skybar at the Mondrian Hotel. Coming from the beach wasn’t the most convenient drive, but I needed to get back to the club. Although I found my way easily, I still had to park down the block. Clutching my bag to my shoulder, I walked back down the street, keeping my eyes to the ground. My emotions were zinging like bullets inside of me. I couldn’t pinpoint which one to focus on. Everything from fear to outright rage was turning my brain into spaghetti.

  The man wasn’t in the spot from Friday night. Stamping my foot, I swore loudly, scaring off a woman walking past me. I ignored her. Part of me wanted to head back to my car and forget this whole thing. It was ridiculous. I was out on the street looking for some homeless guy, because I thought he cursed me with the ability to see everyone’s true emotions.

  Yes, that’s what it was.

  I was seeing who people truly were. The facades everyone normally hid behind weren't there for me anymore. It's like they were laid bare, for my eyes alone.

  It felt good to define it.

  But that didn’t change the fact that I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to see what people were feeling. It was fully messing with my head and there was no way I could continue life this way.

  Shoving my hands into my pockets, I looked up the street and then down, trying to decide which way to go. How long did I look for this guy? What if he’d moved on?

  I wasn’t overly keen on searching through alley after alley of homeless people. Not to sound overly judgemental, but it scared me a little. What if something bad happened to me?

  Something worse than what has already occurred? I rolled my eyes.

  The mental argument raged within me as I kept walking. The least I could do was check the full length of the street. If I didn’t find him after that, I’d head back home and I don’t know...start seeking out a psychiatrist or something.

  My feet were aching by the time I reached the Standard Hollywood Hotel, further down Sunset Boulevard, and still I hadn’t seen the man yet. I was fully fighting tears as I turned to head back to my car, but then the thought that the street had two sides hit me. I crossed the busy road and started my search again.

  Ten minutes later I found him.

  It was pure chance really. I spotted a black boot sticking out from behind a dumpster. I didn’t recognize it as his or anything, but I was pretty desperate by that stage, so I headed into the smelly alleyway.

  “Hello?”

  The boot twitched.

  “Hello, sir?”

  I gingerly stepped past the green dumpster and poked my head around the corner. And there he was. Those pale eyes took me in and then a smile of recognition eased across his face. “You’re welcome,” he said.

  “I’m welcome?” I couldn’t help my sharp tone.

  He nodded and grinned, struggling up from his spot. He looked weak and tired, but once he was standing something about his demeanour changed. He was no longer a desperate lowly man, but now stood with a confidence that was almost charming. In spite of the grey pallor of his skin, his face was the picture of serenity, his eyes dancing with a smile.

  “You were kind to me. I wanted to repay you.”

  “By ruining my life?”

  His forehead crinkled. “Ruining your...no. I gave you a gift.”

  I scoffed. “No, no you didn’t. You cursed me.” My finger was shaking as I pointed at him.

  “No.” He went to reach for my hand, but I yanked it away. “Sweet child, the ability to see behind people’s masks is a gift. It will protect you.”

  “Protect me! I’ve never felt more vulnerable.” I hadn’t actually known that, but now that I’d said it, I realized just how vulnerable I did feel. I blinked away tears. “All you’ve done is exposed me to everyone’s true feelings...and you know what, I don’t like them very much!”

  “I understand.” Regret flooded his expression. A big tidal wave of it crested over his face as if he knew exactly what I meant. Squinting his eyes he looked to the ground and took a deep breath.

  His expression turned from sad to pensive as he gazed back at me.

  “What?” I barked.

  “Rather than throwing anger at me, maybe you should ask yourself why these people’s feelings bother you.”

  “They’re bothering me because my boyfriend, who I just dumped thank you very much, obviously only wanted me for sex and my best friend doesn’t even care. In fact my pain seemed to bring her joy.”

  “Well, don’t you think it’s better to know this than live with a lie?”

  “I—" Throwing my hands in the air, I stepped away from him. “I don’t know. Lies make life easier sometimes.”

  “Ah.” The man nodded. “So, you’d rather play the ignorant fool.”

  I threw him a black glare, which made him chuckle. “It is the safer option, I guess.” Once again with the regret. His eyes brimmed with it until he blinked rapidly and shook his head. “What is your name?”

  “Caitlyn,”
I mumbled.

  “Well, Caitlyn.” He smiled. “The first time I saw you, I knew you were a good soul, and when you came back to prove it, I knew I had to pass this gift to you. I have never shared it with anyone before.”

  His warm voice made me feel privileged somehow, but I still couldn’t stop my head from shaking. “Look mister, I appreciate that you were trying to be nice and all, but I don’t want it. So can you please just, you know, take it back?”

  He looked hurt by my suggestion, but not offended. It didn’t really matter what he felt, because he still shook his head. “I can’t do that. It’s yours now. I passed it onto you. I can’t take it back.”

  “So, you, you don’t have it anymore?”

  He shook his head, looking at peace about the whole thing.

  I frowned. “Well, if you liked it so much, why’d you give it away?”

  “I’m dying.” He shrugged.

  My breath evaporated along with a little of my anger. I swallowed as he kept talking.

  “I don’t know how much longer I have. The day the doctors told me, I had a bit of a breakdown.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “When you can see what people are really feeling, it’s easy to tell when they think you have no chance at survival.”

  “I’m—I’m sorry.”

  He flicked his hand as if it didn’t matter. “I was a busy businessman...driven. Being able to read people gave me power and I abused it.” Shame flooded his expression. “I never gave myself time to fall in love or have...a family.” His voice wavered and I could see the lie. He’d had a family alright. One he'd probably abandoned, which is why he didn't want to say anything. What's the bet he couldn't handle seeing what they really thought of him and so he left. My eyes narrowed as he continued talking. “And then when I had no time left, I realized I needed to pass this gift on. But I knew no-one worthy of it.”

  “How did you end up on the street?”

  “When you know your life is coming to an end, things don’t matter anymore.” He tipped back on his heels. “I gave away everything I had. There were others who needed it more than me. But this gift of sight...I knew that was for someone special. I wanted someone compassionate to have it. Someone who could use it to help others.”

  “I’m not that person. Look, I’m really sorry, but I think you’ve made a mistake.”

  “On Friday night, you came back to give me money and make sure I was okay. I’ve made no mistake. Seeing the way people react to the homeless is fascinating. I knew I’d find someone this way.”

  “So you planted yourself here? Just looking for someone?”

  He nodded. “I wanted it to be someone with means. Someone who could use their position in society to help people.”

  “I don’t have any position. I’m not famous or anything.”

  “But you don’t want for anything. You have money. I could see that you are loved by your family. You have no emotional baggage to speak of. You seem restless, but not unhappy. You have space in your life to help others.”

  “How do you know I have money?”

  He raised his eyebrows as if to say, are you kidding me.

  I blushed and looked to the ground. “Besides, I’m a teenager, of course I have emotional baggage. You’ve read me all wrong.”

  He snickered, seeing through my lie. “Caitlyn, I want you to use this power to help people. Don’t do what I did.”

  “But...but Good Samaritan isn't one of my career choices." I practically whined.

  He smiled. “This is your path now, you must accept it."

  “I don’t—I don’t want to! How am I supposed to help people? Everyone has something to hide! Everyone has problems!"

  "Focus on the ones who touch your heart. It may be one, it may be five. Spend time with them, peel back the layers. As you learn to control your vision, you'll know what to do." He pointed at my heart. "Ignoring this will only make you miserable. Trust me, I know.”

  The deep shame and failure on his face made me want to cry.

  “Help those around you, one person at a time, and you will have a full and happy life. You can do what I never did.”

  Man, he wanted me to do this so badly, and I didn’t want to let him down, but this was a life-changer. Like massive. Huge. And damn it, I didn’t want it.

  “I liked my life the way it was. I never asked for this. Please, don’t do this to me.”

  “I can’t change it, Caitlyn. I’ve already told you that.”

  “But...” I sighed, probably looking as desperate as I felt.

  His eyes were warm with a compassionate smile as he squeezed my shoulder. “You can do this and you will be richer for it.”

  Tears lined my lashes as he turned and shuffled down the alley. He looked weak, and the idea that his regret over being a selfish businessman may have been a lie flittered through my head, but I had seen his face. He had told me the truth. I walked out of the alley and leaned my head against the wall, feeling desperate, afraid, annoyed...everything I probably shouldn’t.

  The urge to chase after the man and demand more was pretty strong, but I knew it was pointless. I was stuck with this gift now and there was nothing I could do about it. With a reluctant sigh, I realized that if I was going to do this then I should probably understand how it all worked. Like how did he get his power in the first place and how did he learn to control it?

  I stepped back into the alley.

  “Wait! I have a few more questions.” I looked in the direction he’d shuffled off, but he was gone. “Hello?”

  Running further into the alley, I looked into doorways and searched for any other exits, but there were none. Had he seriously just vanished into thin air? I was basically at the dead end when I found him. He was lying on the ground, a serene smile perched on his lips. I knew it before I touched him, frantically hunting for a pulse. There was none. He had obviously waited around long enough for me to find him again. One last explanation before he left.

  The tears I’d been blinking back hit me full force then. They dribbled down my face, dripping off my chin and landing on his dirty face. My insides shook as I drew in a quivering breath.

  What was I supposed to do now?

  I staggered to my feet and backed away from the body. I knew I needed to report his death, but I didn’t think I could handle talking to the police. My limbs were trembling as I headed out of the alley, hoping no one spotted me when I ducked back onto the sidewalk. I found the first pay phone I could and dialed 911. I gave the details swiftly then hung up before leaving my name and address. I didn’t want to use my cellphone in case they somehow traced the number. I felt bad, but I was in survival mode.

  Scrambling for my keys, I walked as quickly as I could to my car. I was wrong about yesterday. It hadn’t been the worst day of my life. Today had.

  Chapter 8

  I didn't remember the drive home. My brain was too full to really focus, so it was probably a miracle that I made it in one piece. As I slammed the door shut, I noticed Dad’s car. I knew he was coming back from golf, but I had forgotten. I didn’t want to see him. Not because I didn’t love him, I just knew that if he gave me one of his tight squeezes and asked how his little Caity was doing, I’d lose the plot completely.

  Opening the side gate, I decided to sneak around to the back of the house and get to my room via the laundry room. I was just ascending the stairs of the back deck when I spotted my neighbor. He was sitting on the back steps of his own deck, sipping on a Coke and looking content.

  Damn he was hot.

  Damn, why did I think that every time I saw him?

  He glanced my way. “Hey, Caitlyn.”

  “Hey.” I pushed a smile over my lips, knowing it probably looked weak and pathetic. I still wasn’t used to him being nice to me. Maybe I looked pale again. I bit my bottom lip.

  His eyes narrowed slightly. There was that concern again.

  “You want a Coke?” Digging into the cooler beside him, he pulled out an ice-cold bottle and held it out.
I skipped down the stairs, a little euphoric that Eric Shore was offering me a drink. It was both unnerving and thrilling. My woes still sat heavy and present on my shoulders as I reached over the fence for the bottle, but his enigmatic smile was certainly dulling the impact. Maybe I could forget about my day for just a second.

  Eric leaned against the fence, his long body looking comfortable as he took a swig of black gold.

  “So, I saw you hustling away from the beach today. Everything okay?”

  I so didn’t want to get into it with him. I could feel the tears brewing already.

  Nodding with another plastic smile, I downed a few large mouthfuls so I didn’t have to talk. I nearly choked, but managed to gulp down the fizz before spraying it all over him. I wiped the drops from my bottom lip, feeling like an idiot.

  He snickered.

  Wanting to remove all heat from my blushing face, I perched my arms on the fence and cleared my throat. “You heading back to your dorm tonight?”

  “Yeah, I’ll probably leave in an hour or so.” He looked at his thick leather watch. It was one of those massive, chunky ones and looked so good on his wrist. He had thin leather bands sitting above it. He wore those on both wrists. Some of them had beads woven in, others were just strips of leather. I always wondered if they were a collection or if they symbolised something more.

  He was looking at me, probably trying to figure out why I was staring at his styley wrists.

  I scratched the corner of my mouth. “So, um, why is it that your house is only twenty minutes from campus, yet you don’t live at home? Because that tells me you don’t want to be here, but then you’re home almost every weekend. I don’t get it.”

  His eyebrows dipped together as he dropped his head. After a moment’s pause he snickered and looked at me, slightly abashed. “Well, I live on campus because I can only handle so much of my mother’s steady stream of boyfriends. I come home every weekend because my half-sisters’ father got a one-year contract in Colorado and they’re missing him big time.”

  Swoon!

  I fought to control my quivering lips. “Wow. That’s pretty cool.”