Hidden Beneath the Mask

Disclaimer: Well two shows I do not own: "Good Luck Charlie" and "How to Rock", so try not to give me grief, as I'm not claiming them.

A/N:

Chapter 26 (Explosion of Poor Timing)

Stevie had a fit when Kacey told her that 'Molly' would be coming over. Zander remained silent, but he didn't seem so thrilled. There was no helping it though, and Molly was already there now. To Kacey, she looked extremely nervous and tense. Her eyes were moving about the room as she sat on the couch in between Grace and Stevie. Zander was standing behind them on the couch, his arms around Stevie's neck and her hand patting his arm. Kevin and Nelson hadn't moved any.

Kacey understood how difficult it was for Molly to be here, considering what Spencer had done to her. Assuming it was indeed Spencer. She moved a wooden chair in front of the couch, with its back facing the three. She sat down and leaned forward against the back rest, wrapping her arms around it and smiling. "Hey Molly. I know it's hard for you to come here, I just wanted to really talk to you." Molly shifted her gaze back to her. She could see uncertainty within her gaze, and for the first time, Kacey thought she was looking at a mask with painful eyes hidden behind it.

Her stomach began to churn as Molly lifted her shoulders. "Well. You called me here." The girl's voice was strained as she spoke, like she was forcing herself now. This was almost far too uncomfortable for both of them, but there were things that were of utmost importance. "I honestly don't know what you were thinking, thinking I really want to talk to you right now…" Okay, so that was a little harsh, but honestly? She was trying to help.

"Listen, it's about The Perfs. I know there are a few things about them you don't know." Molly raised an eyebrow. Kacey expected a smug grin to appear on the girl's face, followed by a sharp retort, neither of which came. Surprisingly. "I really don't think you should be involved in them. I mean, you're going through a tough time now, I think...and those girls are really…" She felt chills running along her spine as she nervously glanced to the door, half expecting them to walk in at any minute. "There's just something off about them."

"Look, I know you've been trying to get me kicked off, at least I think so…"

"I'm trying to tell both you and Grace, neither of you know what those girls are like." Kacey rose from the chair and started pacing back and forth, scratching the back of her hair anxiously. "Dakota practices witchcraft, I know this because before you came here I saw her as well as Chloe learning from a spell book. Tiffany lives alone. Once I went to her house, door was locked, so I looked in the window and she was making a porn film!" Grace and Molly looked at each other, their eyes steadily growing large. "I know I don't have proof of the first, but I'm pretty sure you can find Tiffany online…"

"I have noticed odd things about her twitter," Grace muttered. Kacey stopped and turned, pointing to her.

"Exactly! Who the hell are all the guys that are following her?!"

"I…don't know. Stevie?" Stevie shrugged and tugged her lips back into a frown. Stevie only followed to see what the perfs were up to, she never paid attention to the tweets unless it was necessary. "Why do you think you two were my closest girls? You two were not only the newest, but also innocent." Molly raised an eyebrow as Kacey groaned in frustration. She really wanted them to believe her, because it was all true. She felt it in her heart! "Rebecca, one of the oldest members, wanted me to do crack once. She pulled me to her house and put this stuff in front of me, asking if I wanted to snort it…I ran, my momma raised me better!" Kacey pat her chest and extended her arms. "I'm a rare breed, part Irish and African, but I don't drink."

"Someone drinks?" Molly asked.

"Suzy, underage drinker. She has been known to make fake IDs to get into these clubs….Megan, she's a bit odd…if you ever go to her house, you find she's got a lot of stuffed animals and toys." That wasn't odd, so Grace and Molly appeared gravely confused. Kacey cleared her throat and put her hands to her hips. "None of them are what they look like. She's got Barbie dolls with heads popped off their bodies and no clothes, she's got stuffed animals like…like stuffed bears with their arms missing, head replaced with another animal or toy of choice…" Stevie shuddered and Molly's eyes began widening. "She does a lot of experiments on her toys. Then there's Kelly…now she just oozes creepy. I've been to her place several times, she has no parents, no siblings, and yet no one raises a single, fucking question. Her home is always dark, and candles are the only light there is, and she herself acts too damn 'nice' to be truly nice." Kacey put her hands together and exhaled softly. "So that's why, I really just want to warn you…for your own good…leave the Perfs. They're far from 'perfect', even less perfect than you two."

"So why did you stay on all this time?" Grace asked. Kacey's heart was racing as she hurried her gaze to the door. She cleared her throat and exhaled softly.

"Because I was trying to protect you two from succumbing to all of them. I managed to keep myself safe and in control, that's why I was the leader, I didn't fall to their peer pressure. And then, Molly had to go and kick me off." Molly chuckled nervously and bowed her head. It seemed she was finally getting through to her. She saw Grace move her hand over to Molly's hand, squeezing it gently. "I don't want you two to be in any danger. I mean sure I don't like you guys all that much because of what you did, but honestly…"

She really was beginning to regret actually calling the Perfs over, when this alone might be enough to make the two leave the group. Silence filled the air as Molly stared at her. Even Grace was silent, her expression seemed to be filled with a great deal of fear. Kacey wasn't too sure she wanted to go through with all of this, but it was far too late, the sound of the Perfs erupted from the halls outside.

Skyler's eyes widened and her heart thumped in her chest, had the Perfs spotted her coming into the school? They must have! They must have followed her. The way Kacey so earnestly described them was so genuine that she was truly afraid of them. She turned her head to the door and felt a whimper struggling in her throat as Kelly and the girls entered the room.

"So we saw you," Kelly started with a smile. All of them had bags at their wrists. "We're here to keep you occupied while talking to Kacey ." No, they must have known what Kacey was going to tell her! She shrank back somewhat as the girls immediately ran for her. She shook her head and scooted back.

Zander yelped as Kelly moved behind the couch and pushed him to the side. The girl grabbed Skyler's hair and pulled it back. She cringed as she felt a brush running through her hair. The brown haired, freckled Dakota, and Chloe knelt in front of her and started to polish her nails. Her heart shot up to her throat and panic filled her eyes as she looked from Kacey to Grace. Tiffany pulled a bottle Chanel 5 from one of the shopping bags and smiled. "Don't worry, you and Kacey can keep talking, we're just here to pamper you and treat you nice while you listen to her. This is the Chanel 5, I think you'll like it."

"Uh, maybe…" No, she actually hated Chanel 5. She hated perfume in general, during her pregnancy the smell of perfumes had just been so nauseating that she developed a great taste for them. When she looked at Tiffany, before she used to be able to see a happy blonde girl with a long blonde ponytail and blush on her cheeks, but now she could imagine see her clothed and dripping with STDs. "Maybe you could, you know, keep the perfume-" She yelped as her legs lifted in the air, Suzy and Rebecca were removing her shoes. "What are you doing?"

"Painting your toenails of course," Rebecca said, sniffing like crazy. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hair was a mess. Skyler whimpered and curled her foot back, still she didn't want to be touched. Even Molly, in her mind, seemed like she would be terrified of this group now. She looked over to Megan, the girl had a red buzz cut hairdo, and was holding up two different gold chain necklaces. Skyler hated them both.

"Which one is better?" Megan asked. She saw Kacey turn away in shame of these girls, and even Grace didn't seem to be able to speak up against them. All they were doing was pampering her, an innocent but unnecessary thing, but now she couldn't get it out of her mind how criminal they all seemed to her. She was feeling particularly nauseous, and truly frightened. "The blue gem, or the ruby fire?" Skyler moved her head forward, then felt Kelly gently lift her head up by her chin.

"Please Molly, hold your head still so I can brush your hair for you." Her eyes widened remarkably and she suddenly grew terrified that Kelly might be trying to strike her throat. She put her hand to her neck and stared at Kacey. Both Kacey and Grace looked like they were about ready to call off the girls. "Why are you so tense? Do you need a shoulder massage as well?"

"No! No I really don't!" She quickly stood up, unable to take it anymore. The girls all looked at her with concerned looks as she waved her hands through the air. "This is too much right now! I know you're all trying to keep me in and all, and as much as I enjoy the pampering, I've really already made up my mind." She heard someone clear her throat and froze. Her muscles tensed and a final whimper traveled up her throat and out her lips. The scent of a manly autumn cologne drifted to her nostrils, a scent all too familiar to her. She slowly turned around and saw PJ and Emmett at the door, both appearing shocked by all the attention she was receiving. "N-No, PJ, this isn't…this isn't what it looks like!"

Grace's hands flew over her mouth and Skyler's heart began to strip into many threads. Her eyes began to water as she felt Molly laughing inside. "It can't be. H-He's seen me-oh god no." Now that he saw her truly being pampered and spoiled, how would he react? PJ's lips were parted slightly and his eyes drifted slowly over to Kacey.

"I came to give you some tips for the final audition, I didn't know you had the Perfs over." Skyler started to step forward as PJ slowly looked to her and the girls. "So everything Kacey said…is true? Have you really changed this much?" He seemed to be muttering, but she could still hear bits and pieces. Her chest was on fire. The girls stood behind her as PJ rubbed his hand through his hair. "Popularity…I never thought I'd see you again, Sky, and I…never thought I'd see you getting pampered like some high school queen bee. That…that isn't you." He looked very confused and very concerned, his thoughts conflicting him.

"PJ, I-" Tears stung her cheeks as she took another step. Kacey and the others appeared absolutely astonished and genuinely concerned. She heard Kelly mention something about a split end and quickly reached up to brush it off. An alarm went off inside and Skyler quickly turned to her. "Please stop it!" Her hand flew to her mouth and she returned to PJ, whimpering as he started to turn away.

"I…I need some time to think."

"No, don't leave. Please. Take me in your arms, love me, hold me, kiss me. Please, I need you!" God he hated her now, didn't he? He hated her! Just like she was afraid he would! Damn these girls, damn them all to hell for this!

"Come on Emmett…Miss Simon I'll…see you at the final auditions. Good luck." Skyler watched with growing fear as PJ and Emmett walked out that door. She reached her hand out, her entire body was shaking so much that she was certain an earthquake was going off right now. Why wasn't anyone else shaking? Her entire world, crushed.

Kacey watched with growing anxiety as Skyler stared aimlessly at the door, not even bothering to move. "What the fuck have I done? Skyler? Not Molly? Who the hell is…oh god…" She put her hand to her stomach as the pieces began to fall in place. Bile began to fire up her throat as Skyler let out an ear piercing scream. The girl slowly fell to her knees and curled up into a ball, weeping bitterly. Grace shot up and ran to her side and Stevie simply shot a disappointed look towards Kacey.

"Way to go, Kacey." Kacey looked over to her, her own heart darkening in the muck. "You finally ruined 'Molly's' life. I hope you're fucking proud." Stevie knelt beside Grace and started rubbing Skyler's back. Kacey felt a sting of tears in her eyes, forcing them shut. She didn't feel proud, not one bit. This wasn't how she envisioned things happening! She was going to be sick. Even the Perfs looked confused as hell. What would happen now?

Go figure, time wasn't on her side now, or ever. She'd hoped the Perfs would have annoyed her before PJ showed up. She didn't know what kind of connection the two of them had? How was she supposed to know if they'd been friends, or lovers? There were questions that needed to be answered, but first, she had to help console Skyler.

Well, Kacey did it, and trouble is afoot. What do you guys think of the chapter?