The Wooden Mask

1. Never Look Back

Adani Carter's POV

Rainy days in Los Angeles are not something you see often, but here I am in my comfy apartment, wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket with a cup of hot chocolate in my hands as it pours outside. I stare at my mask on the coffee table infront of me as random thoughts come and go as they please in my head. You would think I would have gotten used to wearing this mask after 14 years but here I am still thinking of how I got here in the first place. I absent mindedly bring my hand up to the long scar across my face and hear a voice in my head say "Never look back". I have been hearing that voice for the past 10 years but still do not remember where I heard it. I used to try my hardest to remember but now I just take it as a guide and well, never look back.

I did not really like rainy days, because it was often inconvinient for some people. Just imagine your neatly ironed suit getting soaked as you run in the rain trying to get to your job interview, or forgetting to carry an umbrella and having to stand under a shed in the cold as a result. I am just glad I had no where to go today. I could easily film my videos in my apartment but it just was not in me today. So like any other TikToker, I decided to post my drafts. After 2 minutes, I receive 3 likes on my video and the slightest smile appears on my face. Do not get me wrong, I love my fans, but I just feel this overwhelming sadness but I just could not figure out why.

I go to my room, plop down on my bed, take out my laptop and start reading some comments from my fans. I try my hardest to read my fans' comments and reply to as many as possible because I do not want them to lose interest. The comments today were really good. There were less hate comments telling me I am a coward for not showing my face but hey, the mask is a trademark that they better get used to. After about 20 minutes, I get a message on my phone saying my rent is due in two weeks. Being a social media dancer with over a milion followers isn't all that rainbows and sunshine. Social media does not always pay my bills. I also cannot get another job especially with a huge scar on my face. I also live alone with no family nor friends to ask help from. And since I am no more the hottest thing out there, other dancers that just popped onto the scene are getting more gigs than I am.

It has been like this for the past 10 years. With the death of my parents and no one willing to be friends with the scarred girl, I have been providing for my self since I was 13 years old. I know what it feels like to live on the streets. I am so thankful that my mother's brother found me one day and took me in, but even he was not always around and mostly came home drunk or with a woman attached to him. When he was sobber, he would stare at me until he gets caught or just give me a strange look. I never said anything because he gave me a roof over my head and food to eat and never hit me so I could not complain. At the moment, he is out of the country without a trace and we lost contact. He is the only one who has seen my face.

I silently prayed to God to help me pay my bills because I am wallowing in debt. I have not been lucky with getting any promotional deals nor commercial deals nor music video deals so basicallly, I am broke and in debt. Fantastic no? I refused to let my mind wander into places I did not want it to, I picked up my headphones and my phone. I put my headphones on my head and over my ears and put on my favourite song, The Cure by Lady Gaga. I take in the song for a moment and my body begins to move to the beat.

I have never found it hard to get lost in music. Especially this one song for some reason. My body sways to the rythm of the song and I allow it. I have always loved to dance. It was my escape from my messed up mind and even messed up past. Dancing was the division of those worlds and my imagination and I love my imagination better.

Just as the song gets to the best part, it is interrupted by a notification. I forget about the notification when the song starts to play again. The song finally comes to an end and as I begin searching for another song to play, the notification catches my eye. I open it and my heart leaps as my prayer has been answered. Without hesitation, I open my calendar and set a reminder for a meeting on Monday at a company called Kente. I have heard of them but I had never really given them much thought. They are apparently a sneaker company who print their shoes in a print called Kente.

Wanting to know what I am getting myself in, I quickly grab my laptop from my bedroom, get comfortable on my ottoman and google the company, Kente. Vibrant colours pop up on my screen. Realizing I searched the wrong thing, I add 'sneaker company' to the search. Pictures of kente printed shoes pop up. There is a biography beneath the picture of the shoe. The company was established 5 years ago by a man named Trevor Lynn. I click on his name and another page opens.

On the side, a picture of black man with a wide smile on his face appears. The picture seemed to be taken unaware and from the side. He seemed to be at a conference. He had what looks like a diamond earring in his ear and a silver chain-like necklace around his neck. He had a low hair cut. It was pretty neat. He was quite attractive.

His biography was below his picture. It read; 
Trevor Lynn, founder and C.E.O of Kente sneakers is a British-Ghanaian entrepreneur and businessman.
Nationality: British-Ghanaian.
Age: 26
Parents: Shaun Lynn and Ohemaa Mensah-Lynn.
Relatinship status: Single.

There is more information on him but I scroll past them because I do not think they are very important. I think I already have all the information I need to be able to face this head on.

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No way! The first chapter of my book is officially out and you have no idea how happy and excited I am. Let me know what you guys think about it. Please like, comment and vote. Thank you!