Some Tigers Hide Behind Masks

Octavio didn't bother with the front door when he got to Ajay's house. He ran over to the side of the house and scaled the wooden lattice just like he always did. He made it to the tall second story of the house and gently pushed open the window to Ajay's room that she always left unlocked for him. He stumbled in through her window but made it to his feet without falling.

"Che, you really need to put something there for me to land on or something." He looked at her back as she sat on the floor next to her vanity. She was still in the same wet dress from when he dropped her off earlier. Her hair was still a mess; none of this was normal for her. Ajay quickly pushed tears away from her face and forced her tense body to stand up. Octavio walked over to her and raised his hand to touch her shoulder but dropped it to his side when he saw the mess on her mirror. "What happened Che?"

Ajay choked back tears and tried not to sound sad as she walked over to her dresser. She pulled down two paper mache masks that she had made for them. Both were ferocious looking tiger masks. One mask was crimson red with gold accents and the other was jade green with gold accents. She slid the crimson tiger mask over her face to hide her lacerations and bruises. "It's just paint from des." She turned around with the jade mask and held it out to him.

A goofy smile crept along Octavio's lips until it settled into his whole face, "Wow Che! These are so cool!" He grabbed the mask and put it on without another question. He even checked himself out in the vanity mirror, "I love it!" A sad smiled formed on her lips, "Really?" He nodded, "Yeah! I am going to keep it forever!"

Ajay stood there for a moment before she started shivering from the cold wet dress that she was still wearing. Octavio looked over to her, "You should change out of your wet clothes. You wouldn't want to get more sick." Ajay didn't really understand what he meant by that as she turned back around towards her dresser, "More sick?"

Octavio nodded, "Yeah. My padre said your padre called and said that you couldn't go to the gala tonight because you were sick. So I didn't have to go to the gala because I might be sick too." Ajay pulled a draw open and pulled out a long night gown. "So yuh dad sent yuh here?" Octavio laughed, "Nah. Padre wanted me to stay home and rest just in case I was sick too. He went to gala with Sherlock."

Ajay sighed as she tried unzipping the back of her dress with one hand but she was unsuccessful. "Yuh don know her name?" Octavio walked over to Ajay and helped her unzip her dress. "I do. I just don't care. She's not wife number two." Ajay slid her arms out of the dress and let it drop down to the floor around her ankles. She then proceeded to quickly get the gown over her head but she was making no progress with her mask on.

She pulled the gown up but she soon found that she the gown was stuck on the mask. She shuffled around in front of the dresser and but was unable to get the gown or the mask off of her head. Octavio laughed at Ajay's little show. "Come on Hermana, what's the rush? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before." Ajay groaned as he eased the gown from her mask.

"I think you need to take your mask off to get this on." Octavio said as he reached for the mask but was immediately swatted away by her hand. She hit him just hard enough to make a loud slapping noise, "Nah, don touch it." He pulled his hand back and shook it. He pretended like his hand hurt even though it really didn't, "Come Che! That hurt. Why do you have to hurt me all the time?"

She shook her head at him but Octavio couldn't ever take no for an answer. He again reached for the front of her mask but she took a step backward as he did. His fingertips grazed the front of the mask. He unexpectedly became off balance from his overextended reach and tripped. His body fell into hers and they both went flying towards the floor.

"Silva!" Her back hit the floor with a thud that knocked the wind out of her. Her body caught Octavio's body and broke his face. As Octavio sat up on top of Ajay's stomach he pulled the mask from her face and shouted, "Ha! I win!" His victory was short lived when he looked at his best friend's bruised and bloody face.

"Che… What happened?" Concerned filled his voice as he stared at her. Ajay couldn't even bare to look at him as she held back tears. "Nothin Silva, I just fell down da stairs." He looked at the scars and the different color bruises along her chest, "I don't understand how you can ride a skateboard in dress without falling but you can't seem to navigate the stairs chica. You fall down them a lot."

It was always the lie that she used when he inquired about her bruises or cuts, "I fell down da stairs." She didn't know what else she was supposed to tell him. She obviously wasn't good daughter so this was the consequence of her actions. She often wondered if any other children had to go through what she went through. Octavio was her only friend and she shared everything with him, except for this. She couldn't seem to tell him about this dark part of her life.

Ajay pressed her eyes closed tightly, "I'm just stupid and clumsy Silva, yuh know dat." When he heard her say what she said he knew that she was lying to him. He knew for a fact that she wasn't stupid; she was one of the smartest people that he knew. With his free hand he reached down and touched her face. He traced his shaky fingers along her split lip; afraid that he might break her if he applied too much pressure to her wounds.

He looked over the dark bruises along the left side of her face and frowned underneath his mask. Stray tears fell from the outer corners of her eyes as she took in a staggered breath. He hated seeing her like this. She was always so strong and confident; so it just didn't make sense to see her crying and vulnerable. He pulled his hand away from her face and pushed his own mask up onto the top of his head. He didn't know what to say so he just sat on top of her in silence.

After a few minutes Octavio stood up and picked up her night gown. "Che?" She opened her eyes as the weight of his warm body left her stomach. "Come with me." He offered her his hand. She took his hand and stood up with his help. He was gentle as he got her night gown on and then guided her into the bathroom that was joined to her room. "Here." He patted the counter next to the sink and lifted her up onto to it to sit down.

She sat down as he ran the water in the sink until it was warm. She really didn't know what to say to him. No one had ever taken care of her like this. She was usually the one taking care of him. Ajay watched him as he found a washcloth and held it underneath the running water until it was damp. He turned the water off and looked up at her face. Octavio's face was playful as he tried to hide all of the concern her had; he knew that she didn't need to see the worry.

Ajay winced as Octavio began to clean dried blood from her face. He wanted to make some stupid comment about how she was the one that usually did this for him but he didn't have the heart to say anything mean or stupid right at the moment. When he got all the blood that he could off of her face he helped her down from the counter and led her back into her bedroom.

Octavio could see the look of defeat on her face and the fatigue in body. Nothing needed to be said between them to know how each of them we're feeling. He motioned towards her bed and Ajay followed his lead. Ajay laid down on her side in her bed as Octavio placed the crimson tiger mask on the table next to her bed. He turned the light off before climbing into bed with her and covering both of them up.

It wasn't unusual for them to sleep together; they had done it for years. Ajay's father, Darion was good friends with Octavio's father, Eduardo. Ajay had heard stories about how they grew up together. She often wondered if that was the only reason why she was allowed to see Octavio. Ajay knew if her mother had her way then Ajay would not be allowed to see Octavio ever. Her mother didn't ever try to hide her hate for the Silva family.

The very thought of not seeing her best friend made her eyes water again. Octavio pressed his forehead to Ajay's forehead. A comforting feeling washed over Ajay as Octavio's body was snuggled up against hers. Her tense body relaxed into his; she always felt safe when she was with him. She closed her eyes and tried not to focus on what she could do to be a better daughter.

Octavio whispered to Ajay as he closed his eyes, "Che, you're my best friend. You don't need to hide your face or anything from me." She nodded but didn't say anything because she was afraid that if she spoke that she would start sobbing again. Octavio yawned and pulled her tightly against him, "I love you Che..." He quickly fell asleep. He really didn't want to sleep but for some reason when he was with her he felt safe and things, like sleep, were just easier to do.

Ajay lost it when she heard his words. She could no longer hold back her tears as she began to cry silently. She regretted not telling him that she wanted to leave Psamathe as well but he was already asleep. She wished that she would have told him earlier in the day but she was too scare. She was always the weak one and Octavio was always the strong one. She didn't know how she could ever leave home.

When she was sure that she was able to talk without sobbing or sounding like an idiot she whispered to him, "I love yuh too Silva." Ajay didn't want this moment to end because she knew when she woke up she would be the cold, broken, scared little girl that she always was. She clung to him because she was afraid that if she let go of him that he would suddenly disappear.

Sleep soon overwhelmed her exhausted body but for some reason she could hear Octavio calling her name. She tried to ignore him because she was honestly too fatigued to entertain him right at the moment. He still seemed to be calling her name but this time it sounded more urgent. Her heart began to pound rapidly against the wall of her chest as his distant voice continued to echo above her.

Ajay tried to speak but she couldn't seem to get the words out. Panic overtook her body as she jostled in her best friend's arms. She was suddenly aware of the familiar metallic taste in her mouth. She coughed in an attempt to get rid of the unwanted taste. She forced her eyes open but everything was hazy and grey. She really just wanted to wake up from this nightmare she was in. Maybe if she went back to sleep then the nightmare would go away.

She could feel something cold brush up underneath her hand and again she tried to convince herself to go back to sleep. If she went back to sleep then she could wake up and put this nightmare behind her. She closed her eyes in an effort to go back to her warm, safe place with Octavio. "Mi amor, mi esposa…" Those were the last words that she heard as her hand slid off the cold metal thing that it was touching. A painful moan escaped her lips as she fell into darkness again.