True Colors (book #1, The Masks Series)

by Melissa Pearl

  “I’m sorry about what happened to you on Friday.” Her voice was small. “I didn’t find out until afterwards and I felt so bad.”

  “It’s not your fault, Indie.”

  She swallowed, looking guilty.

  “What happened to you?” Micah frowned.

  I flicked my hand, going for casual. “Some guy tried to give me a warning, told me stay away from Liam.”

  “Did he hurt you?”

  “I’m okay, Micah.” I didn’t want to go into details. Indie didn’t need to hear it. She already looked bad enough and it wasn’t her fault. “Indie, who attacked me?”

  “I can’t.” She shook her head. “You don’t understand. He’ll hurt me.”

  “Who? Liam or this other guy?”

  Her lips quivered. “Both.” She drew in a sharp breath. “They both have their ways of keeping me in line.”

  Micah looked ready to murder someone. I shot him a warning look. Indie did not need to meet his angry side. I knew he had one, that’s why he’d been on probation...for fighting. He worked overtime to pull his emotions inline. I could see him using some sort of calming technique he’d obviously learned. The unnerving black rage I spotted slowly swirled away.

  Satisfied he wouldn’t explode, I turned my attention back to the trembling waif on his knee. “Indie, you can’t go on like this. We have to stop Liam. We have to end this and get you somewhere safe.”

  “I don’t have anywhere safe to go. Liam lives at my house.” Her breathy laughter was sad and broken. “He manipulated his way into my life and now I’m trapped. I can’t get out. He’ll kill me, Caitlyn. And as miserable as my life is, I don’t want to die.”

  She pulled in a shaky breath and pressed the tissue to her eyes. Micah rubbed her back, placing a sweet kiss on her forehead. His fond touch seemed to jolt something inside her and she popped off his shoulder. Fear struck her features. She stumbled off Micah’s knee and popped back into her chair.

  “If Liam finds out what’s happening right now, he’s gonna...” She pointed at Micah’s lap and looked ready to puke. “He’s very particular about who I talk to. Please don’t tell him I let you touch me.” Her quavering voice tore at my heart and it was doing the same to Micah.

  He leaned over her, running his hand down her back. “I’m not going to let him hurt you anymore,” he whispered.

  “You can’t stop him.” She met his deep gaze.

  “I’m not going to let him hurt you,” Micah repeated slowly.

  But Indie just kept shaking her head. “If he finds out about this, about what Libby told you, he'll find a way to hit us all where it hurts the most. He watches everything. He’ll figure out the best way to make our lives a living hell.”

  The threat was frightening because I knew how real it was. Liam did know how to get to people. He preyed on their weaknesses and always knew the perfect way to strike. Everyone around this table was at risk. But in spite of that, there was a sense of freedom and unity among us.

  Everything had finally been spilled and I could tell Libby felt a deep sense of relief. Even through Indie’s fear, I could sense a spark of hope. So I decided to build on it.

  “Indie, he doesn’t know what’s happening right now. He’s not here.” I pointed around the study room. “We’re the only people privy to this conversation and we can trust each other. Together, we can bring an end to this.”

  Her fleeting hope shimmered a little brighter. “How?”

  “We need to out Liam. There’s bound to be some kind of proof of what he’s doing.” I looked to Libby. “How does his business work?”

  “Well.” Libby sniffed. “Every morning when I get to school there’s a new set of assignments, or a test to complete, in my locker. I have to finish it three days before the deadline so whoever the work belongs to can tweak anything and make it sound more like them. If I’m late with a deadline...I find other stuff in my locker.”

  “Like what?”

  Libby looked at Indie, who grimaced and whispered, “Photos of what’s been done to other people who don’t toe the line or a flash drive with video footage.” Indie swallowed back the details and I didn’t press her for more. I didn’t want to know.

  “Liam’s crew can be pretty...mean.” Libby squeaked.

  I gripped her hand, most likely in an effort to quell my own shaking. “Who do you deliver the completed work to?”

  “We leave it in our lockers to be collected.”

  “Liam knows all his workers’ locker codes,” Indie said.

  “I leave the work in a manila folder.”

  “Are you assigned to certain students?”

  Libby nodded. “I have three, some have up to five.”

  “Woah,” I whispered. “No wonder you’re so exhausted. You must be working round the clock.”

  “I don’t know what else to do.” Her voice tripped. “I can’t have him calling my parents. You know what he’s like. He can convince anyone to believe whatever he tells them to.”

  “Do you get paid for any of this work?”

  “No.” Libby’s voice was small and full of resentment.

  I looked to Indie. “But Liam gets paid, right?”

  She closed her eyes, looking pale and exhausted. “$100 bucks for test results, $25 for every page of standard homework, $150 for an essay and $250 for a full research assignment.”

  Her voice was devoid of life as she rattled off the amounts.

  My jaw went slack. “How many clients does he have?”

  “About 45 regulars and another 50 one-offs. Mostly juniors and seniors, a handful of sophomores.”

  “Stella’s one of them, isn’t she?” My voice was hard and clipped.

  Libby bit the edge of her lip. “I work for her.”

  Breaths punched through my nose as my nostrils flared. “We have to stop this. It’s not fair.”

  “If he finds out you even said that, you’re dead. That warning on Friday was real. You don’t have to get into this.” Indie’s emphatic voice did nothing to sway me.

  “I’m already in it and I’m not backing down. I’ve seen how scared you are. How scared Libby and all her friends are. It’s not fair to keep going on this way. All we need is a little evidence and we can expose Liam’s whole operation.”

  “Doing that will affect so many people...all the workers and the people paying for the services...me and Libby included.”

  “I know.” I grimaced, glancing at Libby. “That’s why the decision has to be yours. If you don’t want me, or Micah, to say anything, we won’t. This will be the last conversation we have about this. I’ll walk away.” I so didn’t want to do that, but I wouldn’t fight Indie or Libby on it. If they wanted to keep suffering that was their choice. I’d given them an out and I just had to cross my fingers that they’d take it.

  Chapter 25

  The silence that followed nearly killed me. If they didn’t go for this, I would have failed on an epic scale and Micah felt the same way. He was still fighting his rage, and I was worried if Indie refused that he might lose it and take matters into his own hands. I could tell he wanted to beat the shit out of Liam, but if he did, his chances of playing basketball in college were over. I didn’t want him to miss out on that.

  I felt bad for getting him involved and was about to start a speech about how we just needed to survive the last two months of school and then we could rescue Indie over the summer, when...

  “I want out.” Libby’s soft statement pierced the restless quiet we were sitting in. “I don’t care about the consequences anymore. I hate living in fear like this. I’d rather just go back to being unpopular, fat Libby Phelps.”

  Turning in my seat, I read her to make sure it wasn’t just bravado talking, but she was being honest. I squeezed her forearm.

  I then looked to Indie, ready to plead if I had to. She was gazing at Libby’s determined face, her weak one fighting with a maelstrom of emotions I couldn’t keep up with. I popped her mask back into place to give my e
yes a breather.

  “You’re brave, Libby.” Indie said softly. “But you’re not fat and you never deserved to be unpopular, because you’re one of the nicest people I know.” She glanced at me then turned to smile at Micah. “You all are.” She reached for his hand. “I never thought getting out would be an option for me. I’ve just been trying to survive...put on a show to keep everybody happy. To keep myself safe.” She licked her bottom lip. “But I’m not safe and I really want to be.”

  Micah threaded his fingers through hers and ran his other hand over her head. She was so petite beside him. I smiled watching their interaction and thinking once again about how Micah was the strong tower Indie could recover in.

  “Indie, can you help us put an end to this?”

  Her blue eyes remained transfixed by Micah’s sweet gaze. “Liam keeps a record of all the money collected. He has the names of every person who has ever paid him and the names of all the people who work for him, locker combinations...everything.”

  “Where is that?”

  “It’s on his computer.”

  “At school?”

  “No, it’s a different computer. He keeps it in the vault in my dad's office."

  “Okay, so do you think you can put those files on a memory stick and bring it to school? We could maybe...” I felt guilty saying it and shot Libby a nervous glance. “Take it to Dean Van der Belt?”

  “Man, that’s terrifying.” Libby bit her lip, her skin almost white. “But it’s less terrifying than Liam.” She was surprised by her words, but then nodded. Yep, they were true and it made me realize just how powerful the guy was.

  Indie looked ready to pass out, but she did nod...sort of.

  “Indie.” Micah’s voice was deep, yet soft. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “If he catches you in the house, he’ll...I don’t want him to hurt you.”

  “And I don’t want him to hurt you.” His eyes blazed. “So I’m coming.”

  Her smile was soft and fleeting, but I caught the relief in it.

  “We don’t want either of you getting caught. What’s Liam schedule for the rest of the day?”

  Indie pursed her lips. “Liam keeps tabs on me, waits for me after every class. I can’t skip and I won’t be able to get away.”

  “What about staging another study session?” I asked.

  “He already hates that I’m meeting with you guys and he’s only letting me do it so I can keep an eye on you.” She winced.

  I waved my hand, hoping to put her at ease. “Don’t worry about it. It’s actually worked in our favor. Do you think you can swing the lie that this morning was just a normal study session?”

  A sad smile spread over her lips. “I spend most of my life lying to those around me, so I’m well-practiced.”

  My brow wrinkled as I shot her a sympathetic look. “It still doesn’t get you back to your house alone though.” I nibbled my lip.

  “I’m free last period so I can leave any time after two,” Micah said. “We just need to think of a way to get Indie out.”

  “Do you think you could fake being sick after lunch?”

  Indie shook her head. “He’d make me wait with the nurse and then insist on driving me home.”

  “Well, what if Micah came into the nurse after Liam had dropped you, snuck you out and then took you home? Would 50 minutes be long enough to download the files and get back again?”

  “It’d be tight and how would we get past the nurse?”

  I grimaced, hating the fact that I had no idea. I dropped my head into my hands, not wanting to let my frustrations show.

  “You know what, as soon as Liam finds out what I’ve done, I’m dead anyway. What’s skipping class?” Indie’s voice held a note of strength to it. She squeezed Micah’s hand. “Libby, you’ve got double Physics with Liam after lunch, right?”

  She nodded, sitting forward in her seat.

  “If you could somehow distract him at the end of class then that’ll give me enough time to sneak away and meet Micah in the student parking lot. As long as I’m waiting for Liam outside Art History when that final bell goes, I’ll be okay.”

  “Where will you hide the memory stick?” Libby asked.

  “I’ll take it.” Micah nodded. “I can keep it with me until we decide to go to the dean.”

  “We’ll need to do it quickly. If Liam figures anything out, it puts Indie in danger,” I said.

  “We should see him this afternoon then.” Micah eyes were on fire.

  “I’ll go to the office and make an appointment.” Libby bit her lip. “He’s friends with my dad. I’m sure he’ll make time for me.”

  “Okay good. All we need now is a memory stick.”

  Without a word, Libby scrambled into her bag and pulled out a little black stick. She passed it to Indie who took it with quivering fingers before clutching it in her hand. I exhaled and looked around the table. We were all nervous, like hell scary nervous, but we had a plan and that bit felt good.

  I put my hand in the middle of the table. Cheesy, I know, but I had the compelling urge to suddenly be connected to each of them. Micah placed his hand on mine, followed by Libby and finally, Indie.

  “I know this is terrifying and we’re all taking a massive risk, but it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna end this.” I made sure I was looking at Indie when I said it. She gave me a grateful smile. It was the first genuine one she’d ever given me and it was beautiful.

  Chapter 26

  I was a jittery mess for the rest of the day. I actually started reading people during lunch just so I could distract myself and keep my gaze off Indie and Libby who were sitting with Liam for lunch. It didn’t really work. My eyes kept reverting back to a very nervous Indie. Thankfully she was hiding it like a pro. Micah never came into the cafeteria, which also helped. I was pretty sure one look at her would have let the mask slip.

  My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my bag, nearly dropping it as I unlocked the screen.

  You being safe?

  Eric.

  I grinned. Yeah, I’m safe.

  I didn’t want to give him full details in a text. But he’d made me promise to keep him informed. My finger wavered over the screen wondering if I should send a second text with more, but then his reply came.

  That’s my girl. Call me when you get home from school. Want to hear your voice.

  My anxiety ebbed. I could tell him then.

  Okay. Talk to you later, Hercules.

  You bet, girl next door. xx

  Kisses. Cute! He left me kisses in a text. Yep, my super-crush was definitely morphing into full-blown love.

  I felt calmer after Eric’s text. It was nice to know he was thinking of me. I was actually looking forward to giving him all the details. I just hoped they were good ones.

  I looked across the table and met Indie’s eyes. Her mask slipped and I was expecting to see a sign that she’d changed her mind, but her gaze was determined. She was desperate to just get on with it.

  The bell was a blessed relief. I scurried off to U.S. History, now my least favorite subject thanks to Stella’s hate vibes. I kept my head down and focused, then bobbed my knee through free period in the library. After that, my heart rate was uncontrollable. As I walked to Algebra I was fully aware that Libby was currently trying to distract Liam while Indie snuck to the parking lot. I thought my brain might actually short circuit as I fluffed my way through quadratic equations.

  When the final bell rang, I lurched from my seat, ignoring the surprised titters around me and basically ran to Indie’s Art History class. I had to see her meeting up with Liam. I had to catch her eye and know the plan had worked. Shooting past the blue lockers, I tore down the stairs, trying not to bump into people, and raced around the corner to where her class was located. People were milling around outside, none of them Indie...or Liam.

  My heart jumped into my throat as I looked at my watch. Crap. Crap. Crap!

  Spinning
around, I glanced up the stairs, across the grassy quad and then over my shoulder to the next block of buildings. No Liam. I didn’t see him coming from any building. In fact to make matters worse, the only thing I did spot coming my way was a flustered Libby.

  She grabbed my wrist as soon as she got to me and yanked me to a private corner.

  “What? What is it?”

  It took her a moment to catch her breath. “I tried to stall Liam after Physics.” She frowned, looking guilty.

  “It didn’t work?”

  “Sort of. I mean I could tell he wanted to get away and then he gave me that look. The dark one that scares the living crap out of me. I backed away. I couldn’t...I’m sorry, Caitlyn.”

  “No, it’s fine.” I rubbed her arm. “You did great.”

  “I don’t think I did.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, I followed Liam to see where he was going and...well, he got to Indie’s class and she wasn’t there, so he ran to Art History to check on her. He actually went into the class.”

  “Shit,” I whispered. “Did you see him come out again?”

  “No, I had to get to my own class. I nearly got a detention for being late, but Ms. Caldwell was in a good mood today.” She blinked at tears and I squeezed her arm.

  “Do you think he figured it out?”

  “How? Unless Indie let something slip.”

  “I don’t think she would have. She’s not stupid.”

  “So what do we do?” Libby bit the corner of her mouth, her dark eyebrows dipping.

  “I don’t...I don’t know.” I looked around us, wondering if we should walk to the parking lot and scan it for Micah’s car. Maybe we were overreacting. Maybe Liam had pulled Indie away before I got there. Maybe...

  “We have to find out.” Libby cleared her throat, striving for a courage we were both far from feeling. “We have to go to Indie’s place and make sure everything’s okay.”

  I swallowed. Libby was right. But the scary thing was I knew, like in my gut knew, that if we did find Indie at her place, it wasn’t going to be pretty. Libby turned for the parking lot, clutching her bag strap as she tore across the grass on her short legs. I hesitated. Eric would be so pissed if I did this. I’d promised him I’d be safe.