Masquerade Read Online Free PDF

ahead holds many
tests challenging everything she ever believed. I whispered a
prayer for her inner strength to guide her on her path. She was going to need it .

 
    Heven
     
    A long while later I let myself into
Grandma’s kitchen. I wasn’t crying anymore; I was seething with
anger.
    “ How was your ride?”
Grandma asked, her back turned, as she stirred something in a pot
on the stove.
    “ Fine.”
    She turned and glanced at me as I
poured a glass of water. “I saw you and Jasper run into the barn
from the forest.”
    “ Thought I heard
something.”
    “ Probably just a squirrel,
they’ve begun coming out now that the weather is
warming.”
    I said nothing because that
was why I was angry. It probably was just a squirrel, and I acted
like I was being hunted by a…well by who knows what? I was a stupid
scaredy-cat! My own shadow scared me, and
it was embarrassing. At the moment it also made me extremely angry.
I didn’t want to be a baby.
    “ I made spaghetti,” Grandma
said, pretending not to notice my foul mood.
    “ It’s Thursday. I have
Bible study at church, remember?”
    “ Not tonight. I called your
mother and told her I needed you to help me with some chores around
the barn.”
    “ Everything looked done to
me.”
    “ It’ll be our little
secret,” Grandma said, turning to wink at me.
    I smiled. “I’m surprised she agreed. I
didn’t go earlier this week either.” This meant that I would
probably get a lecture later on skipping church and being
unavailable to God. I sighed.
    “ I’m sure you could use the
break,” she said, placing a plate of spaghetti in front of me.
Could she know how tied up I felt inside?
    “ Thanks.”
    She joined me at the table with a
plate of her own and a basket full of garlic bread, which she
placed directly in front of me. I took a piece, not wanting to seem
unappreciative of the meal.
    “ How is school?”
    I took a small bite of spaghetti; it
was warm and slightly sweet. “Fine.”
    “ Nothing new going
on?”
    “ Kimber and Cole broke
up.”
    She smiled. “I’m sure it’s
temporary.”
    I nodded, not wanting to
go into details. I took another bite, and I surprised myself by
saying,“We got a new kid.”
    “ How exciting.”
    I shrugged. “He’s in my home economics
class.”
    Grandma leaned across the table to
whisper, “Is he handsome?”
    I giggled. “Yes.”
    “ Have you talked to
him?”
    My smile faded.
“No.” He doesn’t even know I’m
alive.
    “ Maybe you should say
hello.”
    “ Why would he want to talk
to me?” I felt embarrassed to say it out loud.
    “ Why wouldn’t
he?”
    I shrugged, sorry to have brought up
Sam.
    Grandma sighed. “You are
far more than those scars, Heven.”
    My eyes flew to her face. Not many
people brought up my face. It was dangerous territory. Instead of
getting angry I felt my eyes fill. “I’m hideous.”
    “ You could never be
hideous.”
    “ Forget it.” I wanted this
conversation over.
    “ I can’t forget it,” Gran
said, not giving up so easily. “I don’t like to hear you talk about
yourself that way. Your scars do not define you, young lady. Your
actions do.”
    “ It’s hard to act confident
when I feel anything but,” I mumbled.
    “ I know that.” Gran reached
across the table and covered my hand with hers. “But hiding from
who you are isn’t going to make you feel any better.”
    I let my fork fall to my
plate. I didn’t want to hide who I was – I just wasn’t sure who that was
anymore.
    “ Pass me the bread,” Gran
asked.
    It was right next to her,
so I figured that was her way of telling me that she was finally
going to let it go. Grateful, I passed the bread.
    We finished the meal in
silence.

    The next morning Kimber
laid on the horn earlier than usual. I ran down the stairs calling
a goodbye to Mom, not even bothering to pretend to have breakfast.
As usual I stopped at the big mirror by the front door and forced
myself to look up. My blond hair hung over my