Behind the Mask Ch. 06

All characters are at least 18 years old.

------

"Hey, Tony."

"Morning, Miss R. What'll it be?"

"Four racks of lamb, with mint on the side."

Tony let me past and into the walk-in freezer. I made my way to my office, where Alain waited. He was beaming today, standing next to my desk with his back to Artemis's enclosure.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle. An auspicious day, non?"

I chuckled, giving him a weary smile. "Graduation? To most, I suppose. Everybody else is probably celebrating high school leading to the rest of their lives." I shrugged as I sat down and he handed me a file he was holding. "For me, I guess I could celebrate high school no longer holding me back from the rest of mine."

Alain gave me one of his enigmatic smiles before speaking. "Will university be of more use to you, mademoiselle?"

I withdrew the contents of the file, holding the pages as I leafed through them. "To an extent. We deal with people in this business. It's not something you can learn in the classroom. All college will be is another environment to meet new kinds of people, though I'm afraid the diversity of profiles I will encounter will be... limited."

"Agreed, mademoiselle. Students belonging to fraternities and sororities 'ave simpler wants."

"And are thus more easy to read and manipulate," I finished.

"Not to say that they 'ave no complexity to them," Alain reminded. He wanted to make sure I neither overestimated myself, nor underestimated any potential threats.

"Maybe. Still, I doubt that crowd will be much trouble. I'm going to community college, remember. Won't be many big fish there. It's just a front for me, to maintain appearances."

I turned my attention back to the files. More stuff on August. His father was an Army Ranger, killed in action. The widow was already pregnant with August, and she eked out a modest upbringing for her son. He'd had heart problems since he was a kid-- Wait, what the fuck? I frowned at the paperwork. A weak heart? How did he make it into the military? I read on. Ah, heart transplant. And this is where the mysterious benefactor began getting involved.

One wouldn't think somebody who'd gone through a heart transplant could join the Marines a year later. That was a string pulled. Transfer to Delta Force. Could be another string pulled. A swift probation upon joining SWAT. Yet another string pulled. But to what end? Upon initial judgement, the only motivation I could come up with was emotional. This guy mattered to somebody. Only question was who. His dad was dead, his mom was a nobody. None of his other kin was of any import.

"That's it?" I asked Alain as I went through the last of the documents. There had to be something, anything that explained how August remembered something that happened to me. Otherwise, Charles had given him a script.

"Oui, mademoiselle. Any files 'eld by the military or the FBI will be... difficult to procure," he explained. Fair enough.

I pondered the case. The most likely culprit would be Charles, given the fact that he was setting me up with August. If not him, then it was bizarre that somebody had chosen me to be August's wife. Had to be somebody I knew. Could possibly be one of his dad's army buddies. It'd explain the amount of sway this benefactor had in the armed forces. But streamlining joining SWAT was different. Would that mean the benefactor was also in both organizations?

I groaned and rested my face in my hands. This was more difficult than usual. Normally, I'd be able to get info easily, since the people I was looking into were civilians. Military was another story. Time to find a two-star general with a dirty secret. That thought finally make me laugh, and I sighed and sat back, looking at the documents spread across my desk. Alain remained standing, and I gestured for him to sit. The guy acted as gentlemanly as he appeared, and sometimes it amused me to watch how he held himself. That was probably how Charles wanted me to act, I mused. It's how he tried to, as well.

But Charles was a grub in a suit. Just because he had rich and powerful clients didn't mean he didn't eat shit.

"I guess it's about time," I muttered, and Alain nodded, eloquently peering at his watch.

"Would you like me to chauffeur you, mademoiselle?" he offered.

"No thank you. I don't want to stand on ceremony for this. Besides, I haven't been minding the club in the past few days. I need you to make sure we're floating on okay."

"Of course, mademoiselle." He stood as I did, and added as I began leaving, "By the way, mademoiselle, Senator Barnes's contribution 'as not arrived yet."

I clenched my teeth. It had been almost a week. If he was starting any funny business... "We need to keep tabs on him," I said. "See if it comes in today. If it doesn't, I want two units on him. I want to know where he's going, who he's seeing, what they're talking about if possible. I'm not letting that slimy pretty boy pull any surprises."

"Oui, mademoiselle."

--

"Lexi!"

I grinned as Brie hurried over to me, one hand on her graduate cap to keep it from falling off. She threw her arms around me, and it fell off anyway, making me laugh as we hugged. Graduation was being held on the football field, and we stood near the stands as people filtered in. Brie held me at arm's length to look at me, and I could see Stef approaching us before getting pulled aside by some of his swimming friends.

"You look good in the gown," she said.

"I'm pretty sure this is the ugliest thing I've ever worn," I quipped. "And that's including all the hideous shit my dad made me wear as a kid."

"Oh, God," Brie laughed. "You mean all that preppy children's clothing? Yeah, that's pretty bad."

"Did Drew or Cherry tell you if their parents are taking the day off for this?" I asked.

Brie nodded behind me. "You can ask Mr. Valentine yourself, probably."

I turned to see Cherry walking toward us and waving, her dad Leon trailing behind her with the dumbest grin on his face.

"Hey guys," Cherry said. Her graduate gown looked a bit oversized, which only lended to her cuteness. I had a dirty thought about Leon fucking her in it before they drove here, and smirked. We greeted her, and upon another survey of the attendees, saw Stef and Brie's mother Helen talking to Drew's mother Coco. According Coco, Helen had ended up discovering the twins' relationship. I regretted having not been there to witness it, but that would have been an even bigger mess to clean up. Coco managed to talk Helen down into a grudging acceptance, and it made me wonder how much of that advice was because Coco was fostering an illicit relationship of her own.

Drew was saying hi to Stef before checking in with his basketball friends. Leon went over to join in Coco and Helen's conversation. The football field was buzzing with activity now, and teachers were ushering people to the appropriate seating areas. We made our way over to the graduate area, parting ways with my friends' parents, who were seated in the family area further back.

Family, huh?

The Rochester family. What a joke.

"Lex? Are you listening?"

I turned back to Brie and Cherry, who were sat beside me for the time being. "Of course. Pretty nice of Coco to invite us over for afterwards."

"Can't believe you're still on a first name basis with her," Cherry muttered with a wry smirk. "After what you pulled? That's crazy."

I shrugged. "What can I say? I'm just too charismatic to be relegated as one of you mere mortals." Brie shook her head while Cherry giggled. "But yeah, I was kinda surprised she still wanted to be friends too. I thought that bridge was well and burnt. Guess she's... more grateful than I thought."

Finishing with a wink made the other girls grimace at the thought of Drew and Coco together, and Brie quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway. You sure you want to go to community college with us? Seriously, if you actually tried, you're smart enough to get into a much better school. And unlike us... there's nothing really tying you here." Brie lowered her eyes at the end, clearly reluctant to part ways. Cherry's mouth was similarly quirked in longing.

The silly girls. There was nothing for me out there. Everything that I cared about was right here in this town.

"But then I'd miss out on all the sexy adventures you guys get up to," I replied with a wink. In an instant, the somber mood was gone, replaced by shy looks as they thought about their respective partners.

"Forget I asked," Brie mumbled, rolling her eyes playfully, and I chuckled.

Soon we had to part ways, since we were to be seated alphabetically, for ease of going up on stage to receive our diplomas. Drew was the only one sat way up front, since the rest of us were in the second half of the alphabet. As the ceremony began, and the headmistress made her speech, I glanced over and saw Stef and Brie sitting together. I wondered if they were holding hands, I thought with a grin. Probably not, but I could dream.

They began calling out names, and students walked on stage to receive their diplomas and a handshake from the headmistress. People were cheering as their friends or children were called up, bearing witness to a momentous event in each of the graduates' lives.

"Drew Hammond!"

Hair disheveled as ever, evident even under his cap, Drew made his way on stage. He towered over the headmistress, shaking hands before taking his diploma. Coco was on her feet, halfway between cheering and crying. She had told me on many an occasion that the one thing that had come of being a teenage mom was Drew. It was no exaggeration to say he was her world. Stef and Brie stood to clap too, and then Cherry and I rose as well. Drew grinned widely, tipping his chin up at the audience before stepping off for the next student.

He joined a growing huddle of his basketball buddies, and we all watched as the proceedings went on. It was quite a while before...

"Alexandria Rochester!"

Fucking full name. Wished there was a way for us to choose how we were addressed when we were called up. I made my way up on stage and noticed my friends standing and cheering. Stef, Brie, Cherry, Drew on the side, even Leon and Coco in the back. Before I knew it, a genuine smile had spread across my face.

And then I spotted my parents among the crowd. I almost tripped into the headmistress. It was like I was being bombarded with emotions. I couldn't tell if I was annoyed that they were souring this moment, or glad that they still gave a shit to come. Damn, I was pretty fucked up.

Charles and Lena Rochester clapped politely as I graduated from high school, my feelings in utter turmoil. Stepping off the stage, I sort of hovered by myself as I waited for the others.

"Sabrina Thomas!"

Brie gave a little finger wave to her brother as she stepped on stage, the rest of us whooping with joy. Her raven black locks caught the wind, and she looked like some kind of dark angel. There were times where I envied her jet hair. Of course, Stef loved it even more, I thought, smirking. Brie came off stage, heading over to me, but was intercepted by some of her friends. Later, then.

"Stefan Thomas!"

Brie turned and jumped up and down as Stef went on stage. Drew was whooping, and I spotted Helen clapping with tears in her eyes. Her two babies just graduated. After her cheating husband had divorced her, they were all she had. Of course they were staying in town. Stef came over and was almost instantly mobbed by his friends on the swim team.

"Cherish Valentine!"

Cherry waddled up despite her oversized gown. Her copper hair looked radiant in the sunlight, almost as if it was ablaze. Leon had a wistful look in his eyes as he cheered. It made me wonder if he wished his wife were alive to see this. Now Cherry was all she'd left him, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Though it wasn't as if Cherry had any objections to staying right here with her daddy. She came down and was instantly swallowed up by Brie and her friends.

The ceremony went on to conclude, with the headmistress making the closing speech. I fiddled with the diploma in my hands, feeling my nerves bunch up as the ceremony ended and I spotted my parents heading my way. Guess I wasn't getting out of this without talking to them.

"Father. Mom." I nodded at each of them curtly. My mom managed a smile and seemed to come in for a hug. I took a tiny step back and she paused before reassuming her place by Charles's side.

"Congratulations, Alexandria," he uttered. Just an absolute fucking robot.

"Yeah, thanks. You didn't need to come."

"I suppose not."

Clenching my fist behind my back, I took a deep breath to steady myself. "Anyway. Be seeing you. Maybe in another three years?"

I turned to walk away, but Charles spoke up. "Have you given your engagement some consideration?"

I felt my nostrils flare. Of course. Straight to business. Whirling back to face him, I put my mask on. "Well, I met the guy. Great guy, but I don't do boy scouts." I grinned. "So thanks but no thanks."

"It would be in your best interests to accept this," he insisted. Don't lose control. As I maintained a cordial expression, I weighed my options. Should I reveal that I knew he was August's benefactor, in the hopes of revealing more about the situation? Or should I wait for a more opportune moment, in case he had more machinations in store and I tipped him off, losing the element of surprise? In an instant, I'd made up my mind. I was in an information drought, with few leads left.

"Would it now? Getting married to some random soldier boy you dredged up? What good does a Medal of Honor do me? What good does it do you?" His expression was inscrutable. God damn it, I was getting nothing. Mom didn't even bat an eye, but though she seemed detached from the conversation, she didn't have an absent look. Toeing the line between daydreaming and paying attention. "You're opening a lot of doors for this guy. And then you feed him these nostalgic-ish lines to use on me, which are actually really creepy since he's a damn stranger. So what's the end game? There has to be more to it than marrying me off to a SWAT officer."

"I'm not sure I follow."

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously? Playing dumb? Lamest trick in the book. At least play the game with me properly."

He sneered, shaking his head in disappointment before leaning toward me. "I know how to play the game, Alexandria. I've been playing it far longer than you have. And I'm better than you."

I'm better than you.

I couldn't move. I could only stare at him, using everything I had to maintain my composure. All my friends were elsewhere, celebrating with friends they'd probably fall out of contact with sometime in the next five years. Their parents were proud of them, even after the announcement that they were going to some dog shit school in the autumn. And I'd never felt so lonely in my life.

"Sure," I whispered.

Before I could collapse into tears, I turned and walked away, keeping my back as straight as I could. When I was sure they weren't following me and I was out of earshot, I let my breathing go ragged. I almost let go of my diploma. I didn't care. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

I'm better than you.

Everything hurt. My heart. My brain. It took me a moment to realize I was making a low keening noise. Please, let there be nobody around to see me like this.

I know how to play the game.

Fuck him. Fuck mom for enabling him. Fuck everything. Of course he knew how to play. What else had I modeled my operation after? He didn't have to rub it in my goddamn face. I'd built everything myself. Alain had helped with logistical stuff, but I was the one fostering business relationships. I was the one nurturing new romances. I knew how to play. I fucking knew.

I killed the love of your life.

A sob escaped my throat. No. Please, no. Not in broad daylight. Not here. I had to get away. I had to leave before the others saw. It hurt. It hurt so much. Somebody make it stop!

"Lexi?"

My stomach clenched when I heard his voice, and I almost threw up. I couldn't believe he was here too. Deep breaths. Swallow the bile. Loosen your muscles. Check for tears. Needed an appropriate expression. Mild surprise. A touch of confusion. The mask was set. I knew. I knew how to fucking play.

I turned to face him, praying to God that I looked baffled to see him, and not about to ugly cry.

"August?"