Graveyard Blues [Brallon]

Masks

[I finished UC applications a month ago but I still haven't submitted them I'm afraid]

Monday morning, I am scheduled to meet my costar for the next film I'm starring in. Brendon decides to stay in the bedroom upstairs instead of sitting with me downstairs to critique my interactions, because he offered to help Hayley study for her English final. I don't understand why she has so much trouble in a course regarding a language she has spoken since birth.

In the past, I have had to sever connections to people that have gotten close because they begin to decipher the mask I put on. I hope I don't have to do that with her, because the new movie is supposed to wield a fairly large paycheck.

Important movie deal equals lots of money. Lots of money means I am set for a long time. Being set for a long time means letting down my guard and hopefully revealing my psychopathy. Those combined leads to high-end therapists, all while having a enough money to never act or show my face again while destroying the careers of everyone who ever associated with me.

That's the plan, at least. I don't find any flaws in it, but Brendon still thinks I shouldn't tell anybody. I don't listen to him. I'm determined to do it anyways so I won't have to interact with people again. Nobody wants to be friends with a psychopath, and I find that to be just fine.

Hayley bounds down the stairs and Brendon follows a few paces behind. Her hair is tied into a loose ponytail, and she's wearing an old shirt from her high school a few states over.

She grabs my wrist and curls my fingers inward so she can fist-bump me. "D'you know who you'll be spending the next couple months of your life with? Are they famous?"

I nod and hold up the text messages she sent to me. "Taylor Swift. Know her?"

Her eyes go wide and her jaw drops. For a moment, I wonder if she'll ever move again. "Oh. My. God. You're working with Taylor Swift?! Do you know how cool that is?"

"No. We're both actors. I don't understand the hype."

She snatches my phone from my hand and types her name into the google search engine. A few seconds later, she's holding up photos of her on the red carpet in stunning dresses and dramatic eye makeup. "She's a literal goddess that has blessed everyone on the planet with her presence. She has so many awards, she holds like seven world records. Oh my god, what're you going to do? How are you gonna act around her?"

I glance at Brendon over her shoulder. He shrugs. "Like a normal person would interact with her. You do know I am a good actor. You've met me before."

"Yeah but she has a degree in psychology from, like, UCLA. If anyone can figure you out, it's her, especially since you're spending so much time together." Hayley knows about the whole psychopath situation. She tries to give me tips for social media captions and tweets so I sound normal. She isn't the best at it, so I've adopted a quirky image for myself on those platforms.

Brendon suddenly looks nervous. "I-I thought the other girl got the role. Does she really?"

I know why he's upset. He'd receive endless backlash if the secret slipped. That was the main reason I'd kept it hidden for so long. I would also be locked away in a mental facility, but that is incomparable to the attention and insults that would be hurled at Brendon for helping me hide my identity for so long. But I really don't care.

Before Hayley can respond, the doorbell rings and I assume it's Taylor knocking three times. Brendon and Hayley both share a look and they both race to the door, leaving me behind and taking my phone with them.

They introduce themselves respectively and invite her in, trying to stay calm. Hayley doesn't say much. She sounds too shocked to speak any coherent words.