6. Masks and Strangers

Brooke felt that Mary had went too far when she stole her mother's diary, but how far will her father go to forget about the woman who broke his heart when she left.

               Brooke followed the parade about a mile from the castle. She decided that she had better find Dad so he could let him know she’d be going to the academy. She wondered where he was. The band float stopped. Drums and cymbals made a zesty beat and dancers in sparkling green tops and shorts performed. Acrobats threw flowers to the crowd and the lion tamer offered for people to pet the lion.

Brooke stood at the back of the crowd. She saw that Princess Meredith had come down from her float and screaming, excited children surrounded her. Brooke leaned on her tiptoes, but sighed because her short stature did not allow her to see the king and Princess Catalina. She cheered up when she spotted Mary’s red purse. That book stuck out of it and caught her eyes. Familiar letters scrolled across it. Brooke grabbed the book and it had her mother’s name. What was Mary doing with her mom’s diary? A rage and a sense of violation filtered through Brooke. Mary had no right to touch her mom’s stuff. Dad took this away from her. He certainly did not mean for Mary to read.

Mary turned around and gasped. She tried to snatch the book from Brooke and grabbed the top of the diary. Brooke narrowed her eyes at her as if she were a robber snatching away a special possession of that belonged to her. “Why do you have this?” Brooke asked between her teeth.

“How dare you go into my purse!” scorned Mary, but she had no right to scorn. How dare Brooke? How dare Mary lay a finger on her mother’s diary? It belonged to Mom, and Mary was not her mom.

“Answer my question, you gold digging tramp!” Brooke demanded still pulling on the diary.

Mary’s authentic face looked aghast and then a scowl melted onto her plastic complexion. “Just because your good for nothing mother left you doesn’t mean you have to take your b***h fits out on me!” she yelled. “I am the new woman in Ben’s life, so why don’t you just get over yourself?” Mary’s fake nails scratched the cover and her fingers caught onto a page, ripping it out as the women stumbled backwards.

Brooke stared absently at the ripped page and the diary now damaged because of Mary. A part of her mom taken away because of her. She wanted Mary out of her life. She wanted her daughters out of her life.

Dad, Fannie, and Lucy ran over to the conflicting women. Fannie and Lucy scrambled by their mother’s side and Dad stood in the middle, gaping at the diary lain there. He slugged towards it, and scooped it up, cradling it like an injured child. “Why does Mary have my mom’s diary?” Brooke asked again, raising her voice this time.

Mary rose to her feet and bowed her head with her eyes low and watery like a puppy preparing for a scorn. “I was just curious, Ben,” she started. “You never talk about her.”

Dad shook his head. “I don’t know what to say here, honestly.”

“I’m really sorry; please forgive me,” she begged.

“You’re not sorry!” Brooke stood and glared at the devious woman. “Look what she did to Mom’s diary!”

“Oh shut up! From the moment I stepped into the door, you’ve never respected me; this wedding ring says I’m the new Mrs. Keeper whether you like it or not.”

Brooke’s hand reacted faster than her mind. She open handily slapped the woman. Dad restrained Mary from retaliating and he frowned. “Brooklyn!"

“Brooklyn, that’s enough!” Dad said. Both Mary and Brooke paid attention to him as his voice rose. “You are going to have to understand that Rain Sevede has been gone for twelve years.” He took the diary and did something Brooke never saw coming. He ripped the pages out. All of them. One by one. Brooke felt her heart rip at each tear. “It’s time for both you and me to move on!”

Brooke kneeled before the pages, and her sockets burned with the intent to cry. How could her father just let go so easily? She held onto that hope, but it seemed her father gave up. There was always that chance that Mom could be alive. She always held onto her hope and she wasn’t going to let go. Not one bit because no one can replace Mom. Absolutely no one. A stiff wind scattered the pages and carried them away.

“Is everything ok?” Everyone looked up and saw Princess Meredith stand before them with the king behind her. Everyone but the people admiring the circus, band, and marine float had gathered around the conflict. Brooke did not care. She hadn’t even glanced up from the scattered pages.

Dad blushed. “Yes, your highness, we are sorry to disturb your celebration.”

Princess Meredith nodded. “It is quite alright.” She saw Brooke still crouched there. She walked over to the stunned woman, and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Are you ok?”

“She’ll be ok, your highness.”

Princess Meredith ignored Dad and asked again, “Are you ok?”

Brooke lifted her head and she met eyes with the princess. Her violet eyes glowed with concern, but Brooke’s heart felt like stone, unable to react to the gesture properly. She nodded. “I-I’m o-o-k, or will be anyways.” After the words departed from her lips, embarrassment sank in. Her soon-to-be boss just pitied her.

“Good.” She left Brooke’s side and returned to her float.

“Family let’s go,” commanded Dad. There was no debating him when he commanded things. “You don’t want to be late for your audition, Brooklyn.”

            When Brooke looked at Dad, she saw a stranger. She saw him just as he saw Mary, Fannie, and Lucy, a faceless man, a person she did not know. The saddest part was that she once knew him.

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

This chapter was mostly full of drama between Brooke and her father. Actually, I place the most emphasis on the interaction Meredith had with the family. I found it to be an ice breaker for her to speak. Meredith is one of my favorite characters so I hope you enjoyed meeting her. I also hope that you understand why Brooke felt a little angry about somebody she doesn't even like touching something as valuable as her mom's diary. Imagine that. Someone you absolutely wish wasn't there stealing something you hold precious? Wouldn't you be a little pissed off? Hope I didn't overdo it. Maybe I should include that Mary had been with them since Brooke was like eight and Mary wasn't very nice to Brooke as she grew up.

I chose this picture because it is a masquerade mask and the notes tie back to the word song in the novel's title. Poetic, don't you think? And there's darkness around it.

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless