When the Mask Slip Again
1706 Words
Morning seeped into the Cole's mansion like pale gold, warming the marble floors and sparkling against the glass balcony. The house looked peaceful from the outside.
But Andrain Cole did not feel peaceful.
He sat on the edge of his king sized bed, shoulders tense, eye fixed on the floor as if the polished tiles held the answers to all the questions burning in his chest.
Sleep had been a stranger.
Everytime he closed his eyes, he saw Elara's face hurt, confused, yet still trying to stay strong.
He saw Ariana stepping in and defending her.... against him.
And he heard the words he threw and Elara replaying in his mind... each one sounding uglier than the last.
He saw Ariana stepping in with fire in her eyes protecting Elara from him.
That stung more than he wanted to admit.
His heartbeat ticked louder the more he replayed the scene.
The guilt.
The shock.
The way Elara's voice shook when she said "I'm fine, Really."
He was deep in his thought when a knock broke the silence.
Andrain didn't look up. "Ariana, I'm not in the mood"
The door opened.
But the air that entered was colder
Sharper.
Demanding.
His father stepped in, immaculate as ever tailored suit, silver cufflinks, expression carved from stone.
Andrain's jaw tightened.
"Sit up," his father ordered.
Andrain stayed still for three long seconds before lifting his head slowly.
His father's eyes were icy, examing him like a business deal gone wrong.
"Your behavior yesterday was embarrassing." Mr Cole said, stepping in with that heavy presence that always made Andrain feel smaller, even at his height.
"Fighting with your sister, losing composure. Letting a poor girl distract you. Is this how a leader behaves? You stood there quietly like a coward, making her feel highly if her self. Do you know the video has circulated?" he added "It seems that girl has been a distraction."
Andrain swallowed hard, pulse ticking in his throat.
His father steeped closer, "You are becoming soft." a sneer.
"Just as your mother will prefer."
"But....."
"Am not done talking young man. Don't you dare interrupt me." his father snapped.
His father stepped closer, voice dropping into the tone that always hide Andrain's fits curl.
"I don't know what's wrong with you lately. Getting soft? Acting distracted?" "Allowing some....... nobody girl to get under your skin?"
"You're making yourself weak. And weakness is unacceptable."
Something inside him cracked, quietly, painfully.
His father smirked like he recognized the old anger coming back.
"Good. Fix your attitude"
"And softness," his father continued, "Is a weakness I will not allow in this family. You embarrassed saraphina. You embarrassed me. Fix it."
For a moment, Andrain forgot how to breath.
His father turned toward the door, Then paused.
"One more thing."
He looked back, eyes sharp.
"If you keep letting nonsense like this interfere with your future, you will not like what happens next."
The door slammed.
And something inside Andrain, the part that had started to thaw yesterday, hardened again his mask slipped back on.
Cold.
Sharp.
Untouchable.
He exhaled shakily, grabbed his jacket, and left the room with anger clothing like smoke under his skin.
Ariana didn't even look at him as she stepped out of her room.
No "Good morning", no teasing, no softness.
That hurt in a way he wasn't use to.
Andrain walked past her stiffly, pretending not to care.
But he cared.
Too much.
Elara woke before sunrise.
She sat in her small bed, still hearing the voices from yesterday echoing in her head.
But the one she kept replaying was Ariana's, the girl who stood up for her.
"Why would she defend me?" Elara whispered to herself. Elara tied her shoelace twice, once tightly, the second time for reassurance, just like she always did when she needed strength.
Her mother was humming softly while parking lunch.
"Uhh mum," Elara said sweetly "You came back home late yesterday, I told you to rest. You must be tired"
"Elara" her mother said, smiling gently. "Am fine... Don't worry about me. You look brighter today."
Elara nodded. Yesterday has ended strangely... Andrain had looked almost sorry, Ariana had defended her. Maybe, just maybe, things are changing.
She held onto that small thread of hope.
The school courtyard buzzed with morning chatter, groups gathering, phones out, gossip flying.
June spotted her immediately.
"Elara!" she ran over and hugged her tight. "I've been waiting since forever."
Elara laughed softly. "You got here three minutes ago"
June ignored that "How are you feeling? yesterday was..... a lot."
"It was," Elara admitted.
"And Ariana defending you?" June whispered excitedly.
"Iconic. Unbelievable. Unexpected. Perfect."
Elara ducked her head shyly. "I still don't know why she did it."
Before June could answer, someone's shadow fell over them
June almost screamed
It was Ethan Reid, quiet, calm, annoyingly handsome, everyone's dream boy, usually uninterested in anyone outside the Ravens
He ran a hand through his hair. "Hey.... uh, Elara."
June elbowed Elara with enough Force to bruise.
"Hi," Elara said nervously.
Ethan scratched the back of his neck. "Listen..... i wanted to apologize. For yesterday. Andrain was.... well, Andrain. But I should've said something. we all should've. You didn't deserve that."
Elara blinked. "You're apologizing?"
Ethan laughed. "Yeah. I figured someone from the Ravens should act as a decent human being."
June let out a silent scream of excitement behind Elara.
They all actually laughed.
For a moment..... Everything felt normal.
Light.
Easy.
Ethan smiled, a real one. "You're actually pretty cool. And thougher than you look."
Elara laughed shyly.
They began talking. light, awkward, surprising.
Andrain who was chatting with Kieran and Leo, "Where is Ethan," he asked "I can see his car."
He turned around casually looking, then he saw them.
What are they saying, why are they even smiling he thought to himself with anger in his eyes, he felt something he couldn't explain.
Maybe jealousy but didn't know why.
Andrain approach like a storm no one saw coming.
Eyes sharp.
Jaw clenched.
Anger burning under his skin.
The courtyard seemed too quiet, the Ravens watching from across the lawn with interest.
"What's this?" Andrain asked coldly. staring right at Ethan. "You're making friends now?"
Ethan smiled faded "Andrain, calm down
"Didn't ask for your opinion," Andrian cut in.
He turned to Elara, the venom in his tone returning like it never left.
"You again," he said. "Didn't know you needed an excort to survive mornings."
Elara stiffened. June grabbed her arm.
Ethan steeped forward.
"Bro don't talk to her like that."
Andrain ignored him.
"You think because my sister defended you once. You're something special now?"
A bitter laugh.
"You didn't deserve her help or anyone's."
Elara felt something inside her crack, a soft sound, but powerful.
I taught he had changed, he looked guilty yesterday, she taught.
Ariana suddenly appeared beside them, expression outrages.
"Andrian! Are you serious right now?. Why are you talking to her like that?"
But Andrain was spiraling, his father's words poisoning everything.
"Don't talk to me like that Ariana, am your older brother so accord me that respect. And watch your tounge when you talk to me."
"She thinks she can stand on equal ground," he snapped. "She can barely stand without causing problems. Or without her mother cleaning up after her."
"And next time ," he added "Tell your mom to teach you how to stay out of people's way.
Saraphina watching from behind, smiled with satisfaction, as if this was the Andrain she preferred.
That was it for her
Elara stepped forward, eyes bright and fierce.
"Enough, Andrain Cole." she said firecly "You can talk about me all you want, but don't you dare bring my mother into it. Ever, she has nothing to do with this, so next time watch your mouth." she added. "Just because I quiet doesn't I don't know what to say, the next time you mention my mum, I promise to fight you with everything I've got."
A hush fell.
June grinned proudly.
Ethan looked relieved.
Ariana looked like she wanted to hug Elara.
Kieran and Leo stood there in awe.
Saraphina stood there speechless.
But Andrain......
He froze.
He looked stunned.
For the first time......
Someone had stood up to his mask
And it rattled him.
Elara turned and walked away with June and Ariana following her protectively.
Deep down she was shocked, she stood up to Andrain Cole maybe her mom was right she is strong, she just had to face her fears.
Andrain just stood there, fists tight, anger and confusion swirling like a storm. with a crowd full of shock.
The Cole mansion was quiet when Andrain returned.
Too quiet.
He dropped his bag on the expensive rug, loosened his tie, and rubbed the back of his neck. His head hurt.
His chest hurt more.
Then.....
A familiar scent.
Lavender.
"Andrain?"
He froze.
His mother stood at the bottom of the staircase, suitcase at her feet, smile warm and soft, the opposite of everything he felt today.
"Mom," his voice cracked sightly.
She opened her arms and he went straight into them.
She held him tight.
Longer than anyone ever did.
Long enough for the mask to slip a little.
When she pulled back, she cupped his face gently.
"What happened?"
He hesitated then, for the first time all day, he let himself be honest.
Not about Elara.
But about the pressure.
The expectations.
The mistakes.
The way he felt like he was breaking apart and no one noticed.
His mother listened quietly, rubbing slow circles on his back like she did when he was younger.
"Oh, sweetheart," she whispered. Your father's words are harsh, but they are not your truth.
His throat tightened.
"You're good," she said softly. "You're capable of choosing who you want to be. Not who he wants you to be."
Andrian inhaled trembly. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
"You don't need all the answers today." She said, kissing his forehead. "Just take one step. One right step. One kind step."
Andrain closed his eyes
For the first time....
He wondered if kindness towards Elara would have made him feel less empty than cutely ever did.
- Writer
