The Face Behind The Mask

9

Kelsey wasn't thinking about her next move. She sprinted forward reacting to the florescent green tennis ball bouncing near the sideline and swatted it across the net.

Alexa stretched out for the return, but the ball beat her to the spot and bounced out of bounds. She wiped the perspiration from her forehead and, while retrieving the ball, squinted at a figure on the hillside adjacent to the tennis courts.

"Hey, I think we have an admirer."

Kelsey turned and noticed a man in dark blue pants and a dark shirt retreating into a stand of trees. "Is that Mr. Pavlick?" she asked.

"I don't think so." Alexa initiated another volley.

As the girls batted the ball back and forth, tennis shoes squeaking against the surface of the court, the man reappeared. He stood at a distance, watching from the shadows.

"Who is that?" Kelsey shielded the sun with her hand against her forehead, unable to make out his face.

Alexa shrugged. "Some rando."

"Can I help you?" Mr. Pavlick strode along the baseline toward the hillside. He was a compact man with a thick bovine upper body. He raised his voice. "Excuse me. I'm talking to you."

The stranger retreated like something feral. Pavlick started up the hillside after him, the girls watching.

The twosome on the next court halted their game. Their eyes followed the coach as he climbed the grassy grade.

"Hey!" Pavlick shouted. "You're on school property."

........

In the school pick-up lane, Skyden slowed her Volvo behind a silver SUV. A tall blonde boy with surfer dude hair stood beside her daughter, both of them wearing flirtatious smiles. Alexa may as well have been invisible, leaning against the wall a short distance away, out of the sunlight. 

Skyden marveled at the young woman her daughter had become. It was almost impossible to imagine that this teenager, confident and athletic, was once a little girl with sad brown eyes, too intimidated to play soccer with the other six-year-olds, too shy to perform on stage with her dance team.

When Kelsey and Alexa approached the Volvo, Skyden noticed that their hair was wet. Kelsey opened the back door and tossed in her gym bag and tennis racquet. Alexa did the same and slid onto the back seat beside the bags.

Kelsey plopped into the passenger seat, her wet hair draping her shoulders. She winced while pulling a brush through her tangled hair. "Ow! Pavlick ran us for three miles after practice."

"You run cross country," Alexa wheezed. "You're in shape. I could've died."

"I'm sooooo starved," said Kelsey.

"We'll pick up a pizza on the way home," Skyden replied.

Rap! Rap! Rap!

The girls jumped when a man knocked on Skyden's window. He was a broad-shouldered guy dressed in coveralls, carrying a toolbox. "Skyden?" He smiled. "I thought that was you." He gestured to himself. "Jonathan Bowman, remember?"

"Sure," Skyden said with a polite smile. "I remember."

"You look... you look great!" he said. "Wow!" He glanced into the car. "These your daughters?"

She sidestepped the question. "Nice to see you, Jonathan."

"Small world, right?" he said.

She said. "I gotta get–"

"I'm doing a boiler upgrade. I'm in the HVAC business." After an uncomfortable pause, he asked, "You live around here?" He laughed. "What a stupid question. Of course, you do. I live in Fredericktown. Not far from the old neighborhood."

"Look, Jonathan. I really need to get moving."

"I hear you. They're not payin' me to stand around hittin' on hot moms."

He lugged his toolbox toward a heating and cooling van.

Skyden drove away.

"Who's that?" asked Kelsey.

"That's Jonathan Bowman," said Alexa with a sarcastic grin. "Didn't you hear? He's in the HVAC business."

"He's just some guy from high school," Skyden said. "He's harmless."

Kelsey said, "That's what they said about Voldemort."

"Pizza okay with you, Kels?"

"Whatev."

Skyden commanded a Bluetooth call. "Call... Brick."

They heard Brick's phone ring followed by his recorded message. "Hey. This is Brick. Text me next time."

"Brick, it's me," said Skyden. "We're bringing home pizza for dinner. Call me... End call." She slowed at a stop sign. "I hope he likes peppers and black olives."

Still working the brush through her hair, Kelsey said, "He'll eat anything."

Skyden dropped off Alexa at her home and then ordered and picked up a pizza. By the time she drove up her driveway into the garage, she was almost too exhausted to eat. Kelsey gathered her tennis gear from the back seat and hustled into the house.

Skyden closed the garage door, grabbed the boxed pizza, and then carried it into the house. When she crossed the living room she was jolted by the sight of the front door wide open.

"Kelsey," she called.

No answer.

Then louder. "Kelsey!"

"What?" Kelsey called down from the second floor.

"Did you leave the front door open?"

"I thought you did."

"Why would I...?" She placed the pizza on the table, hustled to the front door, and locked it. She peered through the panes of cut glass flanking the door into the front yard. She retraced her steps to the dining room, turned on the ceiling light full bright, and then peeked into the kitchen.

Apparently, she was alone on the first floor. At least she hoped so.

"Brick," she called.

No reply.

She jogged up the staircase to the second floor. "Brick!"

Kelsey popped her head out into the hallway. "Maybe he's at Jonas' house."

"Not without telling me," Skyden said, her anxiety becoming panic. She raced to the end of the hall and pushed open the door to Brick's bedroom.

There he was lying on his stomach in bed, earbuds in his ears. She stomped up to his bed. "Brick!"

He lurched to a seated position, yanking the earbuds from his ears. "You scared the crap outta me!"

"Why didn't you answer me?" Her anger gave way to intense relief. "I've been calling you."

"Sorry. I was listening to music and I fell asleep."

"You left the front door wide open!"

"No, I didn't."

"What did I tell you about locking the door when you come home?"

Brick rubbed his eyes. "Do I smell pizza?"