Masquerade

by Jessica Burkhart

  “I can’t believe you did this,” I said to everyone. “The party tonight is more than enough. You didn’t have to throw me a breakfast party too!”

  Everyone giggled. They were all dressed in cheery lounge clothes—lots of bright colors that made me happy to look at.

  “Please,” Jill said. “If you call this a ‘party,’ that would be really insulting. Balloons and a banner are so not enough.” Lexa’s roomie smiled at me.

  “Ooh, forgot one thing,” Clare said. She hurried into the kitchen and turned on my teakettle.

  They were even making me tea!

  “What Jill said,” Lex added, grinning. “You obviously have nooo idea how Canterwood girls party.”

  “But you will tonight!” Clare said. Her long hair was in a cute side braid secured by a glittery purple elastic.

  “Come sit!” Khloe said, taking my hand and pulling me forward and onto the couch.

  The table in front of us was full of breakfast food. There was a bowl of mixed fruit and giant lidded plates with steam coming through the hole in the top of the metal lids. A basket of various croissants, muffins, and doughnuts was filled to the brim. Five empty tea mugs were clustered together.

  “Thanks to Christina,” Jill said, “we have eggs, pancakes, waffles, sausage, and bacon under the lids.”

  “Omigosh,” I said. “It’s a feast!”

  Then I saw plates, napkins, and plastic silverware. It made my eyes watery. It was all sky blue.

  “You are the best friends ever,” I said. “Every detail about this is perfect. You got all of this in my favorite color. I’m still new here, and the way you’re treating my birthday makes me feel so special.”

  “We love our LT,” Khloe said, squeezing my arm. “It doesn’t matter to me, and probably everyone else in this room, how long you’ve been here. Speaking for myself, I’ve gotten to know you really well, and it feels like we’ve been friends forever, not just since September.”

  I smiled. “I feel the same way about all of you.”

  The teakettle whistled, and Khloe got up and turned it off. She carried over my tea basket and lowered it in front of me.

  “Birthday girl chooses the tea,” Khlo said.

  “You guys really thought of everything,” I said. I looked at my tea selection, knowing exactly what I wanted.

  I picked up a box of pumpkin spice tea. “My mom makes a cup of this for me every year on my birthday,” I said. “It’s so good—it reminds me of fall, and I don’t have it all year until my birthday.”

  “Pumpkin spice it is,” Lexa said. “That sounds really good.”

  I started to open the box of tea, but Lexa swatted at my hand.

  “Um, nooo. You start filling your plate for breakfast,” Lexa said. “We’ve got the tea covered.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I handed over the box.

  The girls got up, taking all of the mugs with them, and started filling mugs with water, adding tea bags, and pouring a packet of Splenda into each cup.

  Khloe set mine in front of me, and I smiled my appreciation. We all loaded our pretty plates with a variety of breakfast foods.

  “So, we have something planned with breakfast,” Khloe said. I took a bite of a strawberry, looking at her. “Becca and I have been in touch.”

  “I knew it!” I said, laughing. “There’s no way my sister would not contact you about today.”

  “She was really bummed that she couldn’t be here to celebrate your birthday,” Khloe continued. “Your parents and Ana and Brielle were too.”

  Khloe’s words made my chest tighten. I’d never had a birthday without my family. Even though today couldn’t have started off more wonderful, I still missed them.

  Khloe reached beside her and held up a purple plastic DVD case. It was covered in stickers—unicorns, hearts, smiley faces, and cupcakes. Khloe handed it to me and through the plastic, I saw a folded piece of paper with LAUREN written on it.

  “You’re supposed to read the note, and then we’ll watch the DVD,” Khloe said.

  Everyone watched as I opened the case and unfolded the note. Immediately, I recognized Becca’s handwriting.

  “Can I read it aloud?” I asked.

  Each girl nodded.

  “‘Little Sister,’” I started. “‘Happy, happy birthday! I can’t believe you’re turning thirteen. OMG, I’m going to have a teenage sister to deal with when you come home this summer. There’s lots I want to say, but it won’t fit on this note. Mom and Dad were going to send you a card, but um, they didn’t want to write you “Happy Birthday.” Instead, they—oh, forget it. Just pop in the DVD, ’kay? Love always, Becs.’”

  “Aw!” everyone chorused.

  I blinked to clear my vision, which had been blurred by tears. “Becs is the best. That was so sweet.” I reread the note. “I’m kind of confused about my parents, though,” I said.

  Khloe held out a hand. “I think the DVD might clear that up.”

  She put the DVD in the player and sat beside me. The screen on the giant plasma was black, then a bright purple filled the screen, with HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LAUREN! in aqua font. I left my breakfast on my lap, untouched. I didn’t want to miss a second.

  “Happy birthday to you!” Mom, Dad, and Becca came onto the screen. I couldn’t stop the tears as they sang the entire “Happy Birthday” song. Wordlessly, Clare put a tissue in my hands. It felt as though I was home and in the living room with them. They were seated together on the couch. I took in every little detail almost as if I’d never seen my home before. Every candle, every pillow, every photo was in the exact same place as it had been when I’d left. That made me feel good.

  “And now,” Becca said, “Mom and Dad have a few things to say.”

  Becca got up and moved off camera. I noticed the navy lace dress with a wide belt—it was new. That made me excited. Becca would have a ton of new clothes, and I’d “accidentally” pack a few of them in my suitcase on the way back to school.

  “Hi, honey,” Mom said.

  “LaurBell!” Dad chimed in. “Hi, sweetheart.”

  I’d heard my parents’ voices so many times since I’d been at Canterwood, and I’d even seen them through Skype, but nothing compared to this. Skype had its moments of breaking up, and the clarity wasn’t the best. The video was amazingly sharp.

  Mom was in a pretty, sandy-colored blouse, and Dad was in the T-shirt that I’d bought him for Christmas one year. A gray tee with black letters that said BE CAREFUL OR YOU MIGHT END UP IN MY NOVEL!

  “Lauren, your dad and I wish we could celebrate your birthday with you. Turning thirteen is a milestone in life. You will always be our little girl in our hearts. In reality, you have grown into a strong, smart, loving, and beautiful daughter. I could not be more proud of you for all you’ve accomplished at such a young age.”

  I sniffled. Mom and I had a complicated relationship. Sometimes I felt she paid more attention to work than me. But everything she’d said made me realize that my mom loved me more than I thought.

  Mom sniffed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “If your dad and I had to miss your birthday, the best excuse in the world is having you be away at Canterwood Crest Academy. I think about you every day, Lauren, and miss you. But I am prouder than I could ever express that you are following your dreams. I love you, sweetie, and can’t wait to see you soon at Family Weekend. Oh, and I’ve heard from Becca that your new friends have planned quite the party for you—so I want to thank them and can’t wait to hear all about it.”

  Mom looked at Dad, and he was teary like Mom! I was used to that from Dad—he was the softie between the two of them. I quickly glanced at the girls—they were all teary. Clare was dabbing her pink nose with a tissue.

  “Lauren, LaurBell, Laurbaby,” Dad said. His gentle voice made me feel as if he was hugging me. “You’re thirteen today. Thirteen. Time couldn’t have gone by any faster. Today I’m thinking about all of the time you and I spent on the road together, traveling for your shows, and how g
rateful I am that we had those moments together. You’d be asleep in one bed, alarm clock set for five in the morning, having fallen asleep with a book on your chest. I’d be in the next bed or at the desk writing my latest book and thinking how lucky I was to have a job where I could travel with my daughter.”

  Dad took a breath, looking down and then back at the camera. I watched him, my chin trembling. “I wouldn’t have changed one thing about the journey you took from your first pony ride until now,” he continued. “I hope you have zero regrets and are proud of the person you’ve become. For this birthday, I wish that you’d know even a little bit how much I love you.”

  “Okay, Dad!” Becca’s voice rang through our living room. She stepped in front of the camera, giving me an I’m so sorry about our parents! look.

  Becca perched on the armchair. “This is where I’m supposed to give the big-sister speech. You know, I love you. Proud of you, etc. Before I talk, I think I’ll let our big sister say a few words.”

  “What?” I said aloud, unable to keep the thought to myself.

  The screen went dark for a split second, then Charlotte’s face appeared onscreen. She was in her dorm—I recognized posters of her favorite singers and plays. The walls were a light pastel purple, and a wire rack that said DREAM hung on the wall, holding some of her purses.

  I couldn’t believe she’d done this for me. She wasn’t even in Union—Char was away at Sarah Lawrence College.

  “Heeeey, Laur!” Charlotte’s tan, pretty face smiled. “Happy number thirteen! I can’t believe this day is here—really.” She grimaced. “I mean, all of those times I dropped you as a baby . . .” She laughed. “Just kidding! So, what do you think of my hair?” Charlotte spun around in her desk chair. Her California blond hair had been down almost to the middle of her back the last time I saw her. Now it was a chin-length bob.

  “Cute, right?” Char said, fluffing it with a wink. “I chopped it off last week and donated it to Locks of Love. Anyway, I can’t really call you my baby sister anymore. I remember the day I turned thirteen—it was a Friday, and my friend, Lysa, threw me a sleepover at her house. I was the first one in my group of friends to turn thirteen, and I felt so cool.” Charlotte laughed. “Poor Mom and Dad. I spent about a month being ‘wild,’ then I got bored and turned back into the Charlotte you know and love.”

  I smiled. This was the biggest surprise on the DVD. Charlotte and I had a rocky relationship. It was getting better, but I knew that part of her still resented me for traveling so much. Dad usually went with me because of my age, and Char didn’t see much of him when it was show season. Maybe this DVD was the start of taking steps to repair our relationship.

  “Have an awesome party, a wonderful birthday, and I’ll chat with you tomorrow. Love you, Laur.”

  The screen flickered to black, and Becca appeared. She was sitting on her bed, the camera probably perched on a stack of books.

  “Surprised?” Becs asked. She grinned. “I thought so. I wanted to be the one to tell you that per your super-selfless request, we’ve all donated to the horse charity that Khloe sent us in an e-mail. Unlike the rest of the fam, who took, like, three hours of your day, I’m keeping my message short. You know I love you. You’re the best sister in the world, and no matter where you’re spending your birthday, I’m thinking about you. I kind of feel like I’m already there, since Khloe and I have been e-mailing so much and she walked me through every detail of the party.”

  I grinned at Khloe. “You two,” I said.

  “I’ll see you very soon during Family Weekend, and I can’t wait to give you a belated birthday hug. Now go have fun!”

  The screen faded to black, and I was still for a moment, taking in everything that had just happened. I knew Becs had been the one to organize and make the DVD. It was a present I could keep always and watch whenever I got homesick for my family.

  I looked around, realizing none of us had touched our breakfast. These girls really cared—they’d watched every minute of the DVD along with me.

  “That was the best gift from my family. Ever,” I said.

  “Well, that’s not exactly it,” Clare said.

  She reached behind the couch pillow and pulled three envelopes—pink, purple, and blue—from the hiding spot.

  We leaned toward each other, and I took the cards from her. I recognized my mom and dad’s, Becs’s, and Charlotte’s handwriting. “I think I’ll save these for later,” I said. “I’ve exposed you to enough of the Towers family, for the morning at least.”

  The girls nodded. “Jill, you want to grab that thing from the pantry?” Khloe asked.

  Jill jumped up so fast, she almost knocked the plate of food off her lap.

  “You guys . . . ,” I said. “It better not be a present.”

  The girls looked at each other. “We promise,” Lexa started. “We all donated to the thoroughbred charity. This is a tiny something from all of us.”

  Jill set a cellophane-wrapped basket in front of me. “Think of it as something for all of us. We can share!”

  I untied the ribbon from the basket and pulled away the plastic. Inside a wooden woven basket was an assortment of teas. Green. Black. White. Red. Oolong. Chai. Herbal.

  “This was something you knew I couldn’t turn down,” I said. “You used my weakness against me!”

  We laughed, and I smiled at them. “Thank you, really. I can’t wait to try all of these.”

  We finished breakfast, and the girls refused to let me help clean up. When they’d finished, I stood and joined them near the door.

  “I think it’s time to chill, shower—whatever,” Khloe said. “Just make sure you’re at the ballroom by seven or I’ll hunt you down.”

  We separated in the hallway, and Khloe shut our door behind me, bouncing on her toes. “Are you ready for party prepping?”

  “So ready!” I put my DVD present on my desk.

  “I mean, really ready. You’ll be showering, shampooing, doing your nails, and a million other things to get ready for your thirteenth birthday.”

  “Khlo! You’re making me nervous!” I fell onto my back on my bed.

  “Lauren Towers! Do not lie down!” Khloe had a drill-sergeant-like voice. “You will get up, get in the shower, and Operation Birthday and Halloween Party will commence.”

  I smiled, letting her pull me off the bed and onto my feet.

  I stepped into the bathroom, started to close the door, then stuck out my head. “I have this feeling that tonight’s going to be amazing.”

  Khloe smiled. “I hope it’s everything you wished for.”

  ANA SPILLS

  “THIS IS SOOO WEIRD!” ANA SAID.

  I laughed, watching my friend frown as we Skyped. Khloe and I were taking a break from prepping for tonight. I’d gotten a bunch of texts from Ana and Brielle and wanted to talk to them before tonight. I’d tried Brielle via BBM, text, and even calling her at home, but she was MIA. I’d called Ana next. I realized, too, that I’d never called her when she asked me to days ago. Things were so busy, and I was focused on Halloween and my birthday.

  “What’s weird?” I asked.

  “You’re a teen. That sounds so cool. You can walk around and think ‘I’m a teen. Yep. I’m not a kid or a tween. I’m a T-E-E-N.’ I’m still stuck with the ‘tween’ label for a few months.” Ana batted her eyelashes. “Are you still going to be friends with me?”

  “Hmm.” I tapped my forehead, pretending to think. “I guess I’ll be friends with a tween. You’re lucky that you’re turning thirteen soon, though. Otherwise, I’d have to reconsider.”

  Ana shook her head. “Have you talked to Bri?”

  “She left me a happy birthday message and I’ve been trying to get in touch, but I can’t. Do you know where she is?”

  I thought an odd or maybe guilty look flashed on Ana’s face. But she smiled and leaned closer to the webcam.

  “I’m totally not supposed to tell you this,” she said. “But Bri’s at the hair salon.�
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  “And you’re not supposed to say anything because . . . ?”

  Ana reached beside her computer, grabbed a lip gloss, and smoothed some Rosebud Salve on her lips.

  “Annnaaa,” I said. “You have to tell me now. If Bri’s getting a trim, it’s really not a big secret!”

  Again, I swore a look came over Ana’s face, but it disappeared before I could be sure.

  “It’s not a trim,” she said. “It’s huge. I know she wanted to tell you herself, but you can’t get ahold of her, so I’m telling you.” Ana grinned. “Brielle’s going BLOND!”

  “What? Did you just say ‘blond’?”

  Ana nodded. “Like, blond blond. She booked the appointment a couple of weeks ago, and it’s going to take, like, four hours.”

  “Oh my God! I can’t even imagine Brielle as a blonde! Her hair is raven black! It’s going to take so much bleach and color. When did she decide to do it? How’d she get her parents to say yes? What do you think?”

  “Bri said she was superbored and wanted a change. I think it was a couple of weeks ago because that’s when she got an appointment.”

  “I can’t believe she didn’t say anything to me about it,” I said. “Honestly, my feelings are a little hurt. I’d talk to you guys before I did something drastic.”

  Ana nodded. “I’m sorry, Laur. I’d feel the same way. I know Bri wasn’t purposely not telling you. I think she was caught up in making the decision, convincing her parents, and then showing you, maybe like a big reveal.”

  I took a breath. “I’m not there every day, either. Bri and I haven’t talked much lately and she might feel that whole ‘out of sight, out of mind’ thing.”

  Ana was silent. She looked down and opened and closed her mouth several times.

  “Ana, I’m sorry. What I said to you wasn’t fair. Brielle is your best friend, and it wasn’t cool for me to complain about our issues to you. I really am sorry to have put you on the spot.”

  Ana rested her chin on her hand. “It’s okay. This whole thing is hard. We’re all learning how to deal with you being gone. It’s kind of like a long-distance relationship!”