The bell rang again and all the students pooled out of the classrooms and to their lockers. Sharon hurried close to me and said, “That was too close to call, Mel. You’re lucky you knew the answer.” She was right. I had gotten in trouble for daydreaming before.

One time in 8th grade, I imagined what life was like in Ancient Rome. I got so carried away, I didn’t notice my classmates and teacher were watching me. I got sent to the office soon afterwards. All my life, I’d been some sort of dreamer. Besides Italy, I had many more aspirations and dreams. Many of them didn’t get fulfilled.

Before I could reply, we came across a poster promoting the Annual School Gala. It was kind of like a prom, but it was set near Halloween, so it was more of a costume ball for seniors. All through high school, I wasn’t even that interested in going and even scoffed at the idea of a costume ball. “So, you gonna go?” Sharon asked me. At first, I wasn’t even thinking of going, but the longer I considered it, the more I thought about my chances of winning those passes. It might not be much, but it was worth trying, though I plan to get good grades anyway. Finally, I decided, “Yeah,” and wrote my name on the list.

“Well, what are the odds?” a voice made me jump. I turned to that all-around school flirt, Vivacia. Like I was infamous for being a heartbreaker, she was famous for being a flirt and the ex-girlfriend of Zephaniah Paci. Paci was no one I knew, just heard of. They said that he wore a mask that fully hid his face just after he and Vive broke up. Rumors have persisted that he wanted to hide his face in shame from breaking up with the school flirt.

I didn’t believe them and knew, along with few others, who Vive really was. She was a cruel and sneaky scamp who could care less about how other people felt. She was no more than a bully in my eyes. If I was allowed one guess, I would think that Vivacia might be responsible for the reason why Paci wore a mask. I had no idea what I felt, but I felt that I was maybe right.

“I thought you didn’t want to go,” she smiled. “What made you change you mind? Your desire to break more hearts?” “I’m doing it just for the heck of it,” I retorted. “Besides, it’s only for seniors, and you’re a senior only once.” “Well, you better watch out,” she stepped up to the poster, “because I’m going, too.”

As she signed her name, I knew that I had to watch out.

After school was over, Sharon offered to take me out to our favorite ice cream shop for a birthday treat. Yes, it was my birthday, my 18th. But somehow, I felt like it was typical day, not my birthday. We took Sharon’s car since she offered to give me a ride this special day. Honestly, I would’ve done the same for her.

Once we got there, all you had to do was go in, tell them it’s your birthday, and you get either a birthday sundae or whatever you chose for free. That’s how special occasions worked around here. The staff and people around here were friendly, since after all, it was a small business. That’s how this town worked here.

Nice, not too big, and thriving were all the words you needed to describe where I lived. There was barely anything new for me and this town. I often found myself wishing for some change and rarely do these wishes come true. Maybe I don’t believe in them hard enough. Perhaps I could try when my folks celebrated with me.

When I ordered a chocolate shake, Sharon said, “Are you actually thinking about going? To the gala, I mean.” “It’s for the passes.” I replied. “But I still want to receive A’s, nevertheless.” “Girl, you are a driver,” she commended. “Thank you.” I said. How do you think I won the science fair award in ’04?



It was getting dark when Sharon drove me home. Instead of dropping me, she parked her car and came in with me. It was then that something suspicious was going on. I opened the door with my keys and entered to darkness. With Sharon standing right beside me, I went in. As I shut the door behind us, I was overwhelmed by the sudden onset of lights and the shouts of “Surprise!” I should’ve known, I thought.

My parents and my younger cousin, Malin, came toward me with presents and my birthday cake. This was the nicest surprise I had in days. It wasn’t every day you turned into a full-fledged adult, though I still felt young at heart. Malin jumped up and down saying, “Open my present first!” Mom chuckled, “Malin, we don’t do that until after Mel blows the candles off her cake.” Malin groaned, “Awww!”

Malin came to live with us a couple years ago after his parents took a world tour as a part of their jobs. They sent back postcards and souvenirs and every so often, talked with him via telephone or Skype. He was a living ball of energy and had nonstop adventures using his imagination and our backyard. Needless to say, after he’d come back inside, the backyard had looked like a hurricane came in and wrecked only there. He was really nice, though. He respected it when rules needed to be followed and was really polite…if you were lucky. He annoyed me sometimes, but other times, he acted like I was his closest friend. And sometimes, I was.

I sat down on the couch, cake in my lap, and thinking really hard about my wish. Should I wish for those passes to Italy? I thought. No, too greedy. Maybe to find love? Nah. To get good grades? Try harder.

By the time Dad lit the candles and Mom took my pictures, I had already thought up my wish. I blew really hard like I was going to believe in my wish. While we dug in my vanilla cake, I opened my presents. Malin got me a mask-making kit, Sharon got me a best friend locket, and my parents gave me a pink opal necklace encrusted with diamonds and on a pearl chain. I have to say, the necklace was my most favorite gift. After the celebrating came to a close, Sharon went home and I had the evening to myself. I decided to go up my bedroom and make my mask for the gala.

It turned really nice: not too girly and yet stood out. I also thought to wear my necklace to the gala as well. Before I drifted off, I though about my one wish: I wish something interesting would happen in my life.

The night of the school gala came and I had picked out my outfit: just a sleek dress I choose to wear on such occasions. The gala had many origin stories, all not quite clarified. I think it rooted from 80’s drug dances. I didn’t anticipate it nor dread it; I just felt like it would be a regular night at a regular party. Little did I know.

Sharon came as well with her homemade toga and her Grecian mask. She looked at and cried, “Mel, what an amazing mask you’re wearing!” “I know,” I acknowledged, “I made it.” “Wow!” she gasped. “You’re quite the artist!” “Don’t we all have a little creativity in us?” I said in amusement.

As I made my way across the floor, Vivacia met up with me. She had a, dare I say, much more gorgeous gown than I did. After all, her parents were rich. “Melinda, so glad you could make it!” she greeted me in a faker tone of warmth than I had ever heard. I was in no mood to engage in conversation, so I made my reply short and sweet, “Didn’t know where else I’d be tonight.”

She chuckled back, “Aren’t you the smart aleck? Here’s to hoping you’d find another boy and…break his heart.” As she walked past me, there was no mistake that I heard her chuckle. She usually pushed me and sometimes, I would push her back, only to get in trouble. With not-yet simmering anger, I made my way to the refreshments table. As I poured myself a glass, an unfamiliar voice spoke, “Got sassed off by Vive, huh?”

I turned to the left and saw a boy with a green mask (that had red “hair”)…and the deepest blue eyes. I never saw him before, and yet, I felt like I knew him as a dearest friend. My heart melted just by looking at his eyes. I replied back in a casual tone, “Yeah, she does tend to do that. You know her?” “Yeah,” he said with a voice that seemed cold and harsh, yet also as smooth as silk and sweet as honey. “I wish I never met her.”

He moved on to another topic when he said, “So, is your mask homemade?” “Yeah,” I said. “It was my birthday present, the kit it came with.” “It looks like you did a wonderful job,” he complimented. I blushed and asked, “So, you what about your mask? Was it homemade, too?”

“Oh, no.” he shook his head. “It’s a mask from Commedia Dell’Arte, an Italian comedy group.” He put his gloved hand up to where the tips of his fingers touched his mask. “This is La Ruffiana,” he explained. “Oh,” I nodded.

Just then, the screech of the microphone filled the air. We turned to look up on the stage and saw another classmate of mine in a formal gown making an announcement. I didn’t know, but she had long raven hair and a pretty long face. “May I have your attention, please?” she asked as all suddenly became quiet and the air was filled with eager anticipation. “It’s time for the drawing. As you know, we draw out names for each prize. The first is two passes for the end-of-the-year trip to Italy.
“This is the only exception for gaining passes for this trip. The rest of you will have to earn good grades in order to go. Let’s begin with the passes.” There was a loud cheer as the wheel spun. When it stopped, the girl opened the little door and drew out a name. I was filled with anticipation, but also bracing myself for disappointment. My heart jumped when she read aloud, “Melinda Matteau.”
Many people were clapping, but I didn’t hear them. I heard only the boy as he said to me, “Well, go on. They’re waiting for you.” I passively strode across the floor and onto the stage to retrieve my pass. Finally, my wish had come true! I was finally going to Italy!
I was about to get off the stage, but the girl motioned for me to stay. The wheel spun again and I hoped that this time, Sharon’s name would come up. The wheel stopped and the girl opened the door to retrieve another name. This time was a surprise.
“Zephaniah Paci.”
There was applause for a few moments, but Paci didn’t walk up to the stage to claim his pass. We waited for half a minute, but he didn’t show up. I turned to the girl and said, “I’ll hold it for him.” The girl was hesitant, but she complied. After I grabbed the pass, she announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, Melinda Matteau.” Another round of applause came and I scanned the crowd for the boy in the La Ruffiana mask, but he had vanished.
I went outside into the commons to search for the boy…or Paci (I can’t remember which). Just then, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see a boy with a white full face mask and raven hair, but with those same deep blue eyes. I was shocked when he said, “Excuse me, but I believe you have my pass.”

“You’re Zephaniah Paci?” I barely gasped. “The one and only,” he answered. “Although, I like to be called Zeph. By you, I mean.” “Why did you change masks?” I asked before giving him his pass.
“Thanks,” he said. “This is my usual mask. My La Ruffiana one is the one I wore for the gala. That is, if you could even call it a gala.” “I know what you mean,” I nodded. “I went because I felt that there was a chance I could win a trip to Italy.”
“I went because I felt that I could fit in,” he said. “What makes you say that?” I asked. There a momentary silence, then he muttered, “I’d rather not say.” I felt a pang of guilt before I offered, “Why don’t I take off my mask just to let you know what I look like?” He waved his hand, “I don’t think that’s necessary. I want to keep it a mystery. Besides, I already know who you are.”
I chuckled, and then I spoke, “When can we see each other again?” “I’m sure we’ll sure each other in school,” he assured me. “Just look for the boy with the mask.” We both chuckled before he said, “Well, I’m going home. Are you staying?” I shrugged, “I’ve no reason to now that I got what I came here for.” “Well,” he walked towards the doors, “no sense staying here.”
I followed him outside to the parking lot and just before he vanished from sight, he turned back to me and waved, “Here’s looking at you, kid.” Usually, I didn’t go for reused lines like that, but for some reason, my heart fluttered. As I walked up to my car and turned it on, I saw a lone car drive by me. I knew it was Zeph mainly because his car was the only one leaving. I managed a smile before he drove out of the parking lot.
I climbed into my car and cleared my head of any emotions before I attempted to pull out. But as I drove home, I couldn’t help but think about Zeph and how he could be the one. I wasn’t sure yet. But maybe, maybe it was him.


That night, I couldn’t help but think of him. This was unlike me to feel this way about someone new before. That was the first shred of proof that Zeph was for me.

The morning hours of the following school day seemed to fly by as I found myself dazed at the memory of meeting Zeph last night. The possibility that he might be my equal had come up, but I refused to firmly believe in it till what we had went beyond the standard week. Finally, as lunch hour approached, I remembered that we had open lunch. As I went in the commons, all time seemed to slow when I saw him. The boy with the white mask, raven hair, and deep blue eyes. Zeph.

In a daze, I walked right up to him. This hadn’t happened to me before, being in a daze. I partially took this a sign that he and I were meant to be. It was amazing that in the state of consciousness I had been in, I had managed a “Hi”. He turned from a tall Native American boy and said, “Hi, Melinda.” “Oh, please,” I smiled. “You can call me Mel.”
What did I just say? ‘You can call me Mel’? Normally, this doesn’t happen until a few days into the relationship, but in a day? Something was up with me and I didn’t know exactly what yet. “Okay,” he said. “Mel, I want you to meet Istu, my friend.” I looked at him and extended my hand.
“Pleased to meet you.” I said as I shook his strong hand. “As am I,” he gently spoke in a confident voice. “So, you want to go somewhere to eat?” Zeph asked me. I thought about it, and then I said, “How about McDonald’s?” “That sounds fine,” Zeph nodded and turned to Istu. “How about you?” Istu rubbed his hands together and said, “I’m all for it.”


We drove to McDonald’s and we ordered our food. I got a Chicken McSandwich and a salad, Istu got a hamburger and a McFlurry, and Zeph got himself fries and super-thin foods (and not just to cut on the calories). On the way back to the school, Istu told us a knock-knock joke. “Hey, guys,” he said. “Knock-Knock.” Zeph didn’t say anything, so I did.
“Who’s there?”
“Istu.”
“Istu who?”
“Is not, Istu.”
I gave an “Oh” and chuckled. Zeph glared at him, “Oh, Istu. Not that joke again.” “No, it’s okay.” I reassured him. “It was funny.” I cringed as I braced myself for any hurt feelings. Instead, I heard, “Well, finally someone agrees with me. My mom gave me that name, so it’d be the butt of jokes.”
“Really?” I gave a half-smile. “Yeah,” he replied. “Someday, it’s going to make me a comedian.” Zeph only shook his head.


When we got back into the cafeteria, we all sat together at a nearby table. For what felt like the first time ever, I was the one engaging in conversation. “Come on,” I asked Istu, “what does your name stand for?” “All right,” he answered. “It stands for ‘sugar pine’. That’s what gave me my sweet tooth.” I laughed, and for the first time, I heard Zeph also laugh.
Just then, the lights went out. There was only a distant light left shining. Stunned, I asked, “What happened to the lights? Who turned them out?” Suddenly, I heard a chair pull out and back in and I saw Zeph’s silhouette against the far light. As he marched towards it, I heard him grumble, “Farlane.” At instinct, I rose from my seat and followed him, as did a host of others.


Without the supervision of adults, we followed Zeph into the control room. There, we saw that a muscled, sweating boy from the football team was grasping the wires to the fuse box. Zeph stepped out in front of the crowd, his voice grating, “What the heck are you doing?!” “I’m plunging the whole school in darkness,” Farlane replied, “so that I’m going to give them the biggest scare they’ve ever seen.” “You’re mad!” a voice shouted from the crowd. “Easy for you to say,” he sneered. “Once I unplug these wires, the school won’t see us coming.”
“You’re crazy!” I exclaimed. “No,” he said, “this is.” As Farlane attempted to pull the wires from their circuits, Zeph cried, “Farlane, stop!” But he succeeded, with trails of electricity separating the wires from their circuits. We were also in the boiler room, so when it turned dark, all I could see was aided by the glow of the boiler.
It all happened so quickly. As Farlane laughed triumphantly, Zeph took out his calculator and threw it at Farlane. It hit him so hardly, that he collapsed on the floor and the calculator shattered upon impact on the ground. As shocked as I was, what truly mystified me was that Zeph needed to bend his fingers before throwing. It was as if they were…rigid. Yes, as rigid as the icicles in the winter. This perplexed me and would do so for a while.

His display of anger hadn’t exactly impressed me. Moreover, I was curious about the rigidity of Zeph’s fingers. If they were rigid at all. It could be a habit of his, I thought. Or something might’ve happened…

“Mel!” a voice cried as I felt my way in the barely sunlit hallway. I could barely see her, but I knew that it was Sharon. “I was worried when I didn’t see you at lunch! Where were you?” I tried to answer, but at that moment, all the students were ushered outside. Sharon and I went with them, curious about what was happening.

Once we got into the cold weather, it took our eyes a few seconds to adjust to the autumn sunlight. Then, we saw an assembly of students gathered around something…or someone. We didn’t know what it was, but less than a minute later, the students broke up and went back inside. I asked the nearest student what was going on, and she replied, “We’re going home for the rest of the day.” Well, at least Farlane’s plan worked after all…just not the way he would’ve wanted it.




Even when I was in the parking lot, I hadn’t seen Zeph since he took out Farlane. I could imagine how much trouble was stored for both of them. I could care less that I haven’t seen Zeph afterwards, but a part of me was anxious to see him again soon. I decided to go to the ice cream shop and relax for a while. As I drove down there, I couldn’t help but sense that something was watching me. Something familiar.

I parked the car and entered the shop. Instead of the counter where I sat at on my birthday, I took one of the booths. As I waited for my order to be taken, a familiar shadow crept over me. I turned up to see that it was…Zeph! He asked, “Is this seat taken?” I shook my head and said, “No, go ahead.”

He sat next to me, nerves tingling around inside me. “Look,” he started, “about Farlane. It’s just that he was doing something and I had to stop him.” “Stop him?” I scoffed. “You could’ve blinded him!” “Well then, what did you want me to do?” he asked in a tone of rising anger. “I did the only thing I could think of.
“Besides, that’s what the crowd would’ve wanted.” I stopped for a moment, and then asked, “Wait? The crowd wanted you to do that?” “Pretty much, yeah,” he answered more calmly. “But don’t you get in trouble for those sorts of things?” I asked. “Once in a while,” Zeph replied, “when the situation’s not extreme like today.”
By then, the waitress came by to take our orders. Zeph turned to me and asked, “May I?” I nodded, “Sure.” He turned back to the waitress and said, “Two lover’s sundaes, please.” He pulled out a five-dollar bill and said, “It’s on me.” I blushed both times, and I tried to calm myself before he saw me. This was quite extraordinary given that I never did anything like this on my dates.
It was like there was something in Zeph that brought this out in me.
After she went to the counter, he turned to me and said, “I have an intimidating reputation to most folks, but the truth is, I’m a really nice guy. You believe me, don’t you?” I didn’t know what to think, but something in his eyes prompted me to say yes. “Oh, thank you,” he sighed. “You know, I wasn’t famous before Vivacia, but let me tell you something.” The tips of his fingers barely touched his mask as he said, “She’s the reason I wear this.” I smiled as I thought, I knew it!
“You’re my first since I broke up with Vive,” Zeph continued. “I wasn’t so sure about love anymore…until I met you.” I couldn’t help but smile, but it vanished just as a question popped into my head. I asked him, “What was it like being with Vive?” “What does it matter?” he scoffed. He put his rigid hand on mine as he continued, “All that matters now is us.” He leaned in close to me, and though I was hesitant, I allowed for him to kiss me.
It was unlike anything I ever felt before. Usually, I get a flutter when I kissed someone, but this…this was something entirely different. It felt like a thousand and one fireworks went off in my and exploded my heart. And that was when he had his mask on. But I knew that it was a sign of true love. The sign that I found him, my true equal. The one behind the mask.
A few seconds later, he asked me, “I’m sorry. Did that make you uncomfortable?” “No,” I gasped, “it was fine. In fact, even better than fine. It was…breath-taking.” “That’s strange,” he said. “My mask is known for daily wear, not for taking somebody’s breath away.”
We both chuckled before the waitress came by with our sundaes. As he picked up the spoon, he pushed down his fingers in order to get a good grip. Once again, I found myself curious by his hand, but I dared not asked. I had just found my soul mate and I did not want to ruin the moment. Who would’ve thought that I would’ve fallen for the guy in the mask, who had quite a reputation in school. But whatever the reason for wearing the mask of whether his appearance is haggard or not, I’d still love him no matter what.

While we were in the ice cream shop, Zeph and I exchanged our phone numbers, addresses, and information about ourselves. I was careful to choose my words wisely so I didn’t accidentally anger him. It looked to me like he was doing to the same thing. Before we went our separate ways, he asked me, “Say, do you have a birthday coming up?” I answered, “I just had my 18th a few days ago.” He scolded at himself, “Shoot! I missed it.”
He turned toward me and I thought I saw pinkness underneath his eyelids. He stammered, “Uh…Say, how about I give you a late birthday present soon?” I smiled, “That would be fine.” “Great,” he opened his car door. “I’ll see you soon.” I waved, “Good-bye.”


We returned to school that Halloween, the day after the electricity outage. I hadn’t heard from or seen Zeph since the day before. I heard, though, that Farlane had just returned from the hospital on account of his head injury and was now being severely punished for disconnecting the wires from the fuse box. The school day flew by fairly quickly with no Zeph in sight. Finally, after school, I received a text that read:

You want to go on a car ride Saturday night? I promise it won’t disappoint. I’ll also explain everything about today.
Zeph

The thought had crossed my mind that maybe going on a car ride after dark wouldn’t be a bad idea. I was about to put my phone away when a hand suddenly grasped my wrist. I felt anger rise in my chest when Vivacia took the phone from my hand. “Ooh, what’s this?” she said in an intrigued tone. “You know it’s not nice to look into other people’s stuff.” I scolded. But she didn’t seem to hear me and read the text in a low, annoying voice.
“Zephaniah Paci?” she scorned as she handed my phone back quite forcefully. “You’re hanging out with that freak?” “For the record, he blames you for what happened to him,” I retorted. Her ghoulish green eyes quickly filled with an unspoken rage, but her face was indifferent. She scoffed it off and said, “I hope you know what you’re getting into. You might not like it.”
“Maybe I will,” I shrugged, “maybe I won’t. We’ll see.” Before Vive said anything else, a car honked and her mother shouted, “Arnalda Yarden! Come here this instant!” I couldn’t help but snicker at her real name...and that it was spoken out loud in front of many students. She glared back at me with redness to her face. “You just wait, Melinda Matteau,” she pointed as she walked away. “You just wait.”

That Halloween night, I took Malin out trick-or-treating. Dressed as Indiana Jones, he was being a brave little explorer, searching distant neighborhoods and unafraid to step up to the scares that waited outside. Soon after we had visited our 25th house, Malin asked, “Hey, do you know where else we can go? Somewhere we hadn’t been to before?” Suddenly, I knew just the place to go.



We rang the doorbell and out popped a boy with a white mask and the deepest blue eyes. “Hi, Mel,” Zeph waved. “Hi, Zeph,” I waved back. “Wow! Cool costume! Simple, yet outspoken.” Malin complimented him. “Thank you,” Zeph nodded.
He turned to me and asked, “Brother?” “Hardly,” I plainly answered, “Cousin.” “Oh,” his eyes looked away from me and toward Malin. “You remind me of someone familiar,” he told him playfully. “I’m Indiana Jones,” he explained. “Oh, that’s right!” Zeph chuckled.
He turned his back towards us and retrieved a bowl of candy. Again, I noticed how his gloved hands were so rigid and his fingers so unmovable. I had wondered about them since the day of the outage. He said to Malin, “Oh, get the heart-shaped lollipop as compliments for the lady.” He winked at me and I blushed. “Thanks,” Malin said. “No problem, bro,” he said.
“Hey, maybe I’ll see you Saturday night,” he told my cousin. “That is,” he turned to me, “if I see your cousin first.” I smiled, “It’s a deal.” “Great,” he nodded. “I’ll see you both till then. Bye.” As he closed the door and Malin and I walked back to my car, I had a warm feeling that Zeph liked Malin and would treat him like a brother.
Just as I had.


The next night was to be our first official date. Malin was as excited as I was, though I tried my best not to look overly ecstatic. My parents had asked what I would do tonight and they assumed I was having a relationship with another boy. Well, I was...and maybe it’s a more permanent one. I had their permission and my heart was filled with joy when his car pulled up.
The doorbell rang and I opened it to see Zeph dressed casually other than his mask and dark gloves. “Nice to see you again, Mel,” he grinned behind his mask. “Is he here?” Malin’s voice resounded at the top of the stairs. I turned and shouted back up, “Yeah, Zeph’s here!” Before I finished, he scampered down the stairs, looking joyfully at Zeph.
“Hey, little Indy!” Zeph playfully cried. “So good to see you!” I was so fortunate my parents weren’t there. They went out to their favorite restaurant so they could rekindle that flame of love. If you ask me, the flame of Zeph’s and my love was only starting to rise.
“How long will you be gone?” Malin asked. “Don’t worry,” Zeph assured him. “We’ll be back before you’ll go to bed.” “Promise?” Malin inquired. “I promise, or so help me, the witch will come back.” Malin chuckled and waved us good-bye as we walked to his car.
“Witch?” I asked most curiously. “Vive,” he answered as we got in. I chuckled as I buckled my seatbelt. His gloved hands came into view again as they were adjusted to the driving wheel. They barely seemed to move, and I wondered if there was something more to them than meets the eye.
As we went on our dark, romantic ride, he was the first to start up a conversation. “So, you want to know what happened to me yesterday?” he started. I nodded, and then he explained, “I got suspended until Monday. I could imagine Farlane got a worse punishment than mine.” “I could see why,” I agreed.
There was a lengthy silence before he said, “I like your cousin. What’s his name?” “Malin. Malin Weston,” I revealed. “What’s he like when I’m not around?” he asked. I rolled my eyes in playful exasperation, “Oh, he is very lively and a super ball of energy. He’ll look like a hurricane came in and destroyed only one place in this entire place.”
He chuckled, “Really? Because I’m very good with kids…except when they’re very difficult. Or when they want to take off my mask.” “Oh, well,” I motioned with my hand, “I’m pretty sure Malin’s nothing like that.” I thought about it, and then said in an uneasy tone, “I hope.” “Well,” he put his arm on me, “let’s worry about us right now.” “Yeah,” I agreed and relaxed in his company.
Suddenly, I saw two bright lights on the side view mirror. They seemed to blind me for a second or two. Then, my blood curdled as I saw two silhouettes above the lights. Zeph must’ve sensed my nervous reaction, because he glanced behind for a moment and then muttered, “Oh, no. Vivacia.”
“Who’s the second one?” I asked. “Dyson,” he explained rather hurriedly. Needless to say, I never heard of Dyson before, let alone seen him. “Is that her new boyfriend?” I asked. “No, her henchie,” he answered. “Even when we were going out, he was right there, ready to execute any orders Vive would give him. If you ask me, he would have thrown me into the mud if Vive told him to.”
The car behind us honked twice, confirming that it was indeed Vivacia and Dyson. “Hang on,” Zeph leaned in on the wheel. “I know a shortcut.” He took a hard left turn and sped up a little. I wasn’t thinking when I cried, “Are you crazy?!” Zeph only replied, “Nah, Vive likes it when you do this. It entices her.”
“What are you talking about?!” I exclaimed just before he took a sharp right turn and I slid into him. “You see, when you date someone like Vivacia, you get a few tricks up your sleeve,” he explained. He sped a little faster on this now isolated, windy road. “Vive tends to look for excitement a lot, but when she gets too much of it…”

I could see we were headed towards a swampy pond. I pointed at it and cried, “Look out!” But Zeph didn’t seem to hear me and continued, “…she gets caught up the moment, and she’ll…” He turned a right turn so sharp, that I had hold on for dear life on the car door.

“…crash!”

Behind us, we heard screams and a big splash. I looked back and laughed when I saw Vivacia, Dyson, and her once spiffy white car all soaked…and covered with algae, I dare say. It was awesome, I can say much, to see Vive submerged in mucky water as much as her car. But I didn’t worry too much about the future at that moment, but later, I realized it was going to do much.



My heart was still beating fast when Zeph brought me home. “Exhilarating, huh?” he asked me. I nodded, “The best.” As I tried to get out of the car, my legs and arms were shaking all over. I could barely get up, let alone step out of the car. Zeph must’ve seen it, because he rushed to my aid.
“Are you okay?” he asked me. “Yeah, still a little wound up from our encounter.” I answered. I put my arms around him and he hoisted me up. Just then, Zeph said, “I want to give you something. Close your eyes until I tell you to open them.” I complied, almost expecting a gift from him. What I got was even more.
I heard rustling and then he said, “Take a deep breath.” I did so, and the most magical thing happened. I felt his lips brush against mine. It was the effect of our first kiss…times ten! His appearances wouldn’t have mattered whether I looked or not; it was the kiss. A kiss like mine meant everything in love.

After our first actual kiss, I gathered myself and we went in my house. Malin was overjoyed to see us, Zeph especially. Zeph could only stay for the next half hour, so he and Malin made the most of the time. I just stayed downstairs in the living room, still dazed from the real kiss. After 10 minutes, I went upstairs to check on the boys.

I was relieved when I found Zeph just sitting at Malin’s desk and Malin was showing off his pack of Yu-Gi-Yoh trading cards. “So,” I asked, “is everything okay up here?” “Yes,” they both replied. “Actually,” Zeph motioned, “can I speak with you for a moment?” “Sure,” I nodded. “Is that okay with, Malin?” he asked him. “Sure,” Malin nodded. “I can wait.”

We both left the room and stayed out of earshot of Malin’s room. Zeph whispered, “When he asked me about my mask, he thought I thought it was still Halloween.” “Did he do anything to hurt you?” I asked with a tone of concern in my voice. He chuckled, “No, no. Nothing like that. I told him that I wear this mask because I’m the son of the Phantom of the Opera.”
I chuckled, “Oh, geez. You told him that? For all I know, your name could be Gustav. That’s what his son’s name is.” “Oh, really?” Zeph said surprised. “All right, then I’m Gustav.”
We both laughed at this, and then he asked, “By the way, when is Malin’s bedtime?” “Not for another hour,” I answered. “We’ll be lucky if he goes to bed earlier than that.” “Perhaps I can make a bet with you,” he proposed. “I get him to bed before I leave, and you give me ten dollars and a kiss. If not…” “You meet my friend, Sharon,” I named the terms.
“Deal,” he agreed extending his gloved hand. As I shook it, I noticed once more the rigidity of his hand. Either those are very hardy gloves or he got frostbite, I thought. For all the time I’ve been with him, I’ve never seen his hands loosen up. I went downstairs again and stayed there until it was almost 9:00.
I climbed the steps and in Malin’s room, I discovered Malin in his jammies sleeping in his bed and Zeph sitting at the foot of it. “Told you,” Zeph gave a partially hidden smug look. “All right,” I whispered, “Kiss first.” We didn’t even bother taking the mask off; the kisses with it on were just as good. After we stopped, Zeph looked dazedly and chortled, “Forget the ten bucks. Your kisses are worth a million.”
I kissed him again and this time, he said, “Make that two million.”


We agreed that he would come over on Sunday afternoon to play with Malin. I knew he loved him, but not as much as he loved me. True to his word, Malin became the younger brother he always wanted. A younger brother I wished I could dump on his lap.
When I told Malin, he was ecstatic. Zeph said it would be alright if he got to pick what to play. Malin knew just the thing, I could tell.


When Zeph came by, he was carrying a knapsack. I guess he was prepared for just about for anything, even down to the first aid kit. Before he played with Malin, he dug into his knapsack and pulled out a small gift with a bow. “I noticed that necklace you were wearing that night we met,” he explained. “I thought this would compliment it.” I opened it to find a silver bracelet adorned in pearls, pink opals, rubies, and emeralds. I gasped as he stated, “The rubies, pearls, and emeralds make up the colors of the Italian flag. Happy belated birthday.”
I smiled at him and said, “Thank you.” He only nodded before Malin caught his attention. He told him they were going to play “Peter Pan”. Zeph was all for it saying, “I have just the right accessory for playing Captain Hook.” I was very grateful that Zeph went along with whatever Malin came up with.
He went into the bedroom for a moment and came out in the Hook costume Malin laid out for him and a two-pronged hook replacing his left hand. At first, I thought he had put his hand in his sleeve, but the costume might’ve been so baggy, I couldn’t tell. I watched the boys play from the patio. It was strange that with Zeph around, the playground didn’t look so trashed. In fact, not trashed at all!
I noticed how tightly his gloved hand (white this time, on account of complimenting it to the costume) was gripping the wooden sword. Geez, I thought, it must be rigid enough to grip that sword. It’s like Zeph is getting into his determined role of Hook and fighting so hard, yet gently enough, to win. But no matter what, Peter Pan (Malin) always won and Hook (Zeph) cried out for mercy. It made me giggle seeing this particular scene a couple times.
When it was time for Zeph to leave, he and I talked a little before he got into his convertible. “Do you watch ‘Peter Pan’?” he asked. “Only the first thousand times I’ve seen it with Malin,” I rolled my eyes in playfulness. He and I chuckled before he said, “You know, I’d still like to meet your friend tomorrow; providing she’s not any more beautiful than you are.” I chuckled, “I doubt you’ll find anyone in the school like me.” “That’s true,” he nodded.

The next day was pretty sluggish, considering that it was Monday. Fortunately, I did get to see Sharon. Needless to say, she looked worried. “Where have you been?” she asked. “I haven’t seen for the last few days since the outage! I was worried!”
I tried to apologize, “I’m sorry, Sharon. It’s just that I was really busy.” “Busy with what?” she asked in a tone that I couldn’t help notice had a bit a rejection in it. This time, I couldn’t lie, so I said, “I made a new friend.” She smiled and jumped a bit at the news. She took it better than I expected, I thought.
She squealed, “That’s wonderful! Who is it?” “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I hesitantly explained. “Oh!” she understood fairly quickly. “This is one you want to show me, right?” Basically, “Yes.”



At lunch, Sharon and I walked towards the table where Zeph and Istu were hanging out. She must’ve gotten the wrong idea, because she walked up to Istu and shook his hand saying, “Hi, I’m Sharon, Melinda’s friend.” “Charmed, I’m sure,” Istu said. “I’m Istu.” “Istu? Really?” Sharon questioned.
I put my hands on her shoulders and softly spoke to her, “Uh, Sharon, that’s not who I was talking about.” I pointed to Zeph, “That’s him.” As she looked over to Zeph, I gave Istu an “I’m sorry” look. He shrugged as if to say “That’s okay.”
Sharon hesitantly spoke to Zeph, “You’re Zephaniah Paci?” He offered a quick comeback, “Funny. Melinda said the same thing when we met. I guess I’m pretty famous around the school.” Just then, I noticed something reflected light on the eyeholes of his mask like…lens. I thought I was seeing things, but when I shook my head, the light still reflected on a surface from his eyes.
I sat down and, to be polite, Sharon did, too. I asked Zeph, “Just curious, Zeph. Do you wear glasses?” “Oh,” he pointed to his eyeholes, “these? They’re just lens I put on the mask. I’m nearsighted.” “Oh, that explains a lot,” Sharon said.
After lunch, Sharon and I were walking to our lockers talking about Zeph. “Zephaniah Paci?” she scoffed. “That’s who you’re going out with?” “Shh!” I motioned. “We decided to keep it a secret, for his sake.” “Seriously,” she questioned, “the boy in the mask? Who knows what goes on underneath that mask of his?”
“More than you realize,” I said as I walked forward.
No sooner did I near my locker did Vivacia stop me dead in my tracks. “Think you’d get away with running us into the pond?” she said in a menacing tone I hadn’t heard before. “I’ve seen you and Zephaniah together, and I’m planning to tell the whole school about it. Also, I’ll tell them about what’s behind his mask, because I know what happened.” “It was because you did it!” a voice rang from the hall. Never was I more grateful to see Zeph at that moment, standing up to Vive for me. And himself.
“Like I told you, it was an accident.” Vive said with her hands on her hips. “Besides, if you hadn’t turned out this way, maybe you and I would still be together.” But he put his hand in the air to stop her and declared, “Never again in a million years. You had your chance to prove yourself, but you failed.” This time, Vivacia’s eyes filled with such outrage, that you swear you could feel chills up your spine. Usually, I wouldn’t be scared of her, but just that moment, I could feel an unsettling threat about her.
“You think you love him even without his mask?” Vive sneered at me. “Wait till you see what’s under there. Then, you’ll see he’s not what you think he is.” Zeph looked as if he was about to say something, but the bell rang. Now, he could only sigh in defeat as Vive walked away from us with a daunting impression she left in us.

Just in time for study hall, Zeph took my hand and said, “Come with me.” We went to the school library and sat a pretty isolated table. He sighed, “Vive was my girlfriend when it happened. She and I were hanging out at the docks and she decided to sneak into a prohibited shack. We found a sort of control room that was filled with all sorts of gadgets and machines. There was a boiler in there, as well.

“Vive thought we could fool around in here for a bit. I wanted to leave, but I also wanted to please her, so I stayed. She took a tennis ball and threw it against a wall. It rebounded past us, only to mess up the controls on the boiler. It looked like it was about to explode, so I told Vive to get out. I thought I knew a thing or two about boilers, but I confused it for furnaces.

“I tried to fix it, but then it got burning hot and so bright, I had to cover my eyes. Just then, nuts and bolts were ricocheting and I had to duck behind a sturdy podium. I made the mistake of peeking at the boiler just before it exploded and…” Zeph seemed to be lost in his own memories, so I had to safely snap him out of it. He came to and whispered, “Sorry.”
He motioned his head toward his right hand. “Remove the glove and you’ll see,” he instructed. I did so, but all I saw was a regular hand…and yet, it felt so cold. “Roll back the sleeve,” he said. I was shocked by what I saw. A plastic band circling his wrist meant only one thing: a prosthetic hand. “Your hand’s not real,” I gasped.
He nodded and murmured, “Do the same for the other hand.” I did so and discovered yet another prosthetic hand. This was the answer to my questions, why his fingers were so rigid, why his hand seemed…immovable. “I lost both my hands that day,” he explained. “It’s also why I wear a mask and am nearsighted.” Now, more than ever, I had sympathy for him and felt such sorrow I had never felt for a guy before.
He turned his head away in shame saying, “Surely now you don’t want to go out with someone like me. Someone with disabilities. I could never be normal to you now.” I embraced him and said, “You don’t need to be normal to be loved. You’re loved just for who you are.” I gave him a kiss on his mask and when I pulled back, I saw tears glistening in his eyes. He took my hands in his unreal ones and whispered, “Thank you…for holding out for me.”

That night, I had a nightmare. This didn’t root from Zeph’s hands, but his story. In my dream, I was in the shack with Zeph, who was without his mask. He looked very handsome and he looked…very concerned. He went up to the smoldering boiler to try to shut it off. That’s when I noticed the pressure valve on it.

But before he could do anything else, nuts and bolts started ricocheting and one hit him! He was badly hurt, so I cried to him, “Get back! I’ll try to stop it!” Just as Zeph held out his hand in protest did he shout, “Melinda, no! I’ll lose you…”

Just then, the boiler exploded, not in your usual explosion, but in a white flash. That’s when I woke up gasping. I wondered if I should take this as a sign that something’s about to happen. Or if Zeph’s story got to me.



At school the next day, I couldn’t stop thinking about my dream. I planned on telling Sharon, but she was nowhere to be found. This is very strange, I thought. It’s not usually like her to disappear without notifying me. But then again, I didn’t contact her when Zeph and I were going out.

I decided to go to the office to see if Sharon was absent. The secretary said that she didn’t come here to sign out nor did the secretary receive any sick notice. Could it be that she was skipping school? I ruled out that possibility as soon as I thought of it. When I left the office, I began to worry about her.

When school was done, Sharon had been nowhere to be found. It was starting to scare me until Zeph met up with me. “Hi, Mel,” he said. “You look worried. Is something wrong?” I nodded, “I haven’t see Sharon all day. I checked with the office and they said that she should’ve been here.”
Just then, my phone rang. I pulled it out to see that it was from Vivacia. I looked up at Zeph, who nodded, and I turned the phone on speakerphone. “Hello?” I spoke while I held the cellphone between us. “Hello, Melinda,” she spoke with the sneaky tone I’ve heard all the time. “If you’re worried about your little buddy, Sharon, don’t worry. She’s safe…” Then, her voice soured into menacing while saying, “…because I’ve got her!”

We both tried to hide our surprise, but our eyes gave it away. Zeph spoke into the phone, “I didn’t think you were the kidnapping type, Vivacia.” “Is that Zeph?” she mockingly asked. “Hi, Zeph.” “Save it,” I said angrily. “What have you done with Sharon?”

“Ooh, aren’t we the sassy type today?” she teased. Then, she continued in a more malicious tone, “I’ve got her in the new shack at the harbor. Have Melinda come down, Zeph can join, too, and I’ll strip her of her beauty just as did him. Only this time, I’ll do it on purpose!” Zeph sassed at her, “And just how exactly are you going to do it? Beat her up? Because I’ll be there to stop you!”

“Oh, no,” she derided, “nothing like that.” Then her tone darkened, “Something far worse. It’s either Sharon or Melinda. Ka-boom.” We winced when she said ‘ka-boom’, and then she hung up. In an instant, we both realized what she meant.

I cried in an urgent tone, “They’re going to kill her! We have to go down there!” But as I was about to break into a jog, Zeph grabbed me and commanded, “Wait! There’s something I want to show you first.” He forcefully dragged me to a wall hidden from others’ views.

He looked around to see if no one was watching, then he let go of me. He sighed, “Mel, I realize that if you go down there, I might never see you again. I’m going with you, but if I don’t do this now, my secret will belong to no one else ever again.” I realized what he was about to do and braced myself. He lifted his mask and I couldn’t help but gasp.

His face was burned and pigmented with an unusual reddish tone. His nose was lopsided and his left eyebrow was the only one remaining. There was a streak of untouched skin that seemed to overlap his eyes and eyebrow. And his lips…they were barely touched, except by a tiny white scar on his upper lip. But after a moment or two, I didn’t seem to care about what he looked like. He looked like my surprise was the reaction he expected and was anticipating the worst.

But I calmed him saying, “They say that the eyes are the windows to your soul…and you have the most beautiful eyes. Your face doesn’t exactly show it, but you have a soul that means more to than anything in the world. I love you, Zeph, because now, I know you.” I leaned in and kissed him. He kissed me back, now sealing our love for one another.
The first time we kissed was the sign of true love. The first time we kissed mouth to mouth was more romantic. But I think that the most memorable kiss we had was when I found out what was behind his mask. That was because I knew him. Also, for the first time, I saw him truly smile after our kiss and that made me gush inside. Then, his smile disappeared and said, “Come on. We got a friend to rescue.”

We took Zeph’s car to the harbor, where he stepped on the brake ten feet from it. I asked, “Zeph, what’s wrong?” He put his hand on his head and said through his filtered voice, “Sorry. I had a flashback. I’m a little reluctant to come back here now.”
I put my hands on his arm and assured him, “I promise no one will get killed. It’s me Vivacia wants. She’s not after you.” “Still,” he turned to me, “I feel like I’ve got to protect you.” “You already are,” I smiled. I could tell he was smiling from behind his mask.


We parked the car and marched to the new shack to confront Vive. Sure enough, we saw her and Dyson near the entrance. “Hello again, Mel,” snide Vive. “Oh, look. You’re here, too, Zeph.” Zeph bent down his fingers to form a fist and warned, “You’re not allowed to call me that again.”
Her eyes revealed she was agitated, but she mocked, “Ooh, I’m so intimidated.” She continued in a more menacing voice, “Give it up, Zephaniah. I know who you are.” “No, I do,” I stepped up. “You don’t. You never knew him for the true person he is. You only dated him because you thought his looks could match up to yours.”
Zeph looked amazedly at me, wondering how on Earth I figured it out, but Vivacia grew even more outraged. “Silence!” she shouted. “You think you can woo somebody by just looking at who they are? I’ve seen boys being attracted by your charm and wit, but it’s mostly your beauty!” “Is beauty all that matters to you?” I questioned her. “Only beauty in its true form can be found within, and I don’t think it’s something you possess.”
Vivacia looked beyond ticked, but she only opened the door and ran inside. Zeph and I raced to stop, but Dyson grabbed hold of us and struggled to keep us in his grasp. Geez, I thought, for a football player, he sure has a nice grip. He turned so we can face Vive, who was at the boiler. In the corner of my eye, I saw something else, something that looked gagged.
Sharon.

I realized that Sharon was bound up inside the shack as Vivacia spoke, “That’s right. I wreck the controls on this thing, and this whole shack blows sky-high along with your friend. Unless you would be willing to sacrifice yourself for her.” I was about to respond when Zeph cried, “No!” He kicked Dyson in the groin and as Dyson howled in pain, he released us both.
Just as I was getting up, I saw Vive with a knife charging right towards me. But as I was about to duck, Zeph jumped in front of me and took the blow. I screamed when he fell, taking Vive with him. Before I could react, she jumped up and ran towards Dyson. I could’ve cared less about those two at the moment as I more worried about Zeph. He had the knife implanted in his abdomen and was bleeding fairly quickly.
I tried to pull the knife out, but he only writhed in pain. “Go,” he gasped. “Go…and save…Sharon.” Tears of worry filled my eyes as I said, “But what about you?” “I’m…going…to keep your…promise for you,” he smiled weakly. “Will you *groan* do the same?” By now, I felt the tears spill on my cheeks as I promised, “Of course I will.”
But just in case…I pulled up his mask and kissed him for what possibly might’ve been the last time. I was about to pull down his mask again, but he shook his head. “Go,” he whispered. I treaded up to the entrance and looked back towards Zeph. I saw the most surprising thing: a lone tear rolled down his scarred face. I opened the door and went inside the hot zone.
Suddenly, I heard the door shut behind me. I heard Vivacia’s maniacal laughter and, still to this day, I can’t remember what she said. I was less important than Sharon’s need for my help. I raced towards her and released her from her binds. I noticed another door on the other side of the room. As soon as I took the gag off her mouth, Sharon sighed or relief, “Thanks, Mel. I owe you one.”
She rose up as she said, “Now let’s get out of here.” “You get out of here,” I stopped her. “I’m going to try and lower the threat of the explosion.” She grabbed my arm tightly and exclaimed, “Are you crazy?! You’re going to die!”
I released her hand from my arm and held her wrist in my hand. I reasoned with her, “If I don’t lower the pressure down, everyone in close range will die. If I don’t make it, I will have saved other lives in the process.” With tears in her eyes and a saddened expression, she complied and ran out of the shack as fast as she could. I ran towards the now-reddening boiler as glimpsed at the pressure valve. I took my bracelet out of my pocket and thought, I’m sorry, Zeph. It was a good thing it was elastic; otherwise, I would have never been able to pull it back like a slingshot and let it fly through the air to hit the wheel that controlled the pressure.
The wheel spun as steam was released. I knew I had succeeded, but the explosion was inevitable. I looked around for a sturdy place to take cover and found a hard desk to duck under. I ran to it and dived just as there was an orange flash and a KA-BOOM! I barely made it to the desk just before everything went black.



KA-BOOM!
Zephaniah heard an explosion within the steel shack and saw the door burst open with flames flying out. He looked on in horror as he thought Melinda had died. Vivacia and Dyson long fled the scene, but Zeph knew that were going to get busted. He was about to submit to unconsciousness when he heard footsteps and a cry of surprise. “Zephaniah!” Sharon cried. Just then, everything went black.


Zeph woke up in the hospital and looked down to see the knife was no longer implanted within him. He could care less about himself and worried more about whether or not Melinda made it. For what seemed like forever, a nurse entered the room with a baggy. She solemnly whispered as she put the bag on the tray next to him, “I’m sorry.” When she left, he peered at the baggy and his heart dropped. With the last of his strength, he grabbed the baggy and zipped it open. His heart shattered when he pulled out…Melinda’s bracelet.
It was almost burnt, broken, and had two adjacent gems missing. This broke him up as he pulled the bracelet close to his face and did something he hadn’t done in a long time. He wept for Mel, the only person who seemed to understand him just before the explosion. There was no mask to hide his face now, so he let himself weep openly for the one girl who truly loved…and he loved in return.

It took two days to heal from his wound, although Zeph might’ve stayed there for longer considering his emotional health. The wound in his heart was still fresh when he arrived home. His parents and older siblings were awaiting his homecoming, but he said nothing. He just sat there on the couch, blankly watching TV, when all of a sudden…

“Breaking news!” the newsman blared. “Rescue volunteers have found a girl in the midst of debris left over from the harbor explosion. She was barely alive when found and was airlifted to the hospital. She is an 18-year-old girl with blonde hair…”

Zeph could hardly hear what was being said, yet his heart was overfilling with joy and his eyes with tears. He couldn’t help but smile and whisper, “Mel.”



I woke up in the hospital, still woozy and dizzy after what happened. I looked all around the unfamiliar room and felt suddenly grateful I was still alive. A moment later, I heard the door open and turned to see a nurse. She spoke in a soft, warm voice, “Someone’s here to see you.” My heart filled with delight as I saw Zeph enter the room. He strode towards me in a fashion that was urgent, not quite like him. He hugged me tightly as he whispered, “Mel, I’m so glad you’re alive! I thought I lost you!”

I heard something in his voice I never heard before: a sense of vulnerability. “I told you I would keep my promise,” I smiled. “How long has it been?” “A couple of days, at least,” he answered. He chuckled, “Don’t worry; I sort of lost track, too.” “Because of your wound?” I asked. “No,” he shook his head, “because I thought I lost you.”

I felt a sense of shock and my heart drop as I realized he thought I was dead. I couldn’t say I blamed him. I put my hand on his mask and said, “I’ll always be here for you, in spirit or not.” He smiled behind his mask and put his hand on mine. “I’m glad to hear it,” he said.

After a few overjoyed visits from friends and family and a lengthy hospital stay, I was released no more than a week later. By that time, they had uncovered security footage the day of the recent explosion and found Vivacia and Dyson responsible. They also accused me of the explosion, but a nearly burnt tape recording of inside the shack revealed that I was innocent. I was later commended as a hero for releasing some of the pressure from the boiler. Vivacia and Dyson were jailed for a month and were put on community service for an additional two. Vive was lucky not to be disowned by her parents; but here’s hoping she would not commit any more evils than what had occurred.

I apologized to Zeph about wrecking the bracelet, but he understood and had it remade so that it included steel stars, a bar engraved “HERO”, and two adjacent blue topaz gems, carefully chosen to match my teal eyes. I couldn’t thank him enough and I’m still paying back his good deeds. As did the bracelet, I bore some new scars from the explosion. I had burns on my right arm, some on my left, and a large patch on them on the right side of my body. I dare say I would never look attractive in a bikini again (I never was) and just sticking to one-piece swimwear.

After news of the explosion and my survival spread all across town, an assembly was held in my honor. However, there was one detail I wanted to include: to make sure that Zeph was also hailed as a hero. After all, he did save me from Vive. At first, he didn’t want to be acclaimed for his actions, but at my insistence, he went. Amidst the hundreds of students that applauded us for our deeds (thankfully, Vivacia wasn’t there), Zeph did something that surprised us all. As he spoke on the podium, he took off his mask to reveal himself for who he really was. We all gasped (yes, me too) initially, but as Zeph explained, referencing me from time to time, the audience remained silent.

When he finished, the audience roared with cheering and Zeph was pushed off the stage for a stage dive. I just jumped in for the heck of it. When I came close to him as we were lifted by a flurry of hands, he kissed me and said, “Thank you for making me see.” I was confused for a moment, but then, I smiled at him. I reflected on all that had happened, and I beamed when I realized it all happened…because of me.




A lot had happened in the school year till May. Zeph and I were no longer branded as infamous, but now, we were famous. Zeph kept his mask on partially because he was to keep his intimidating reputation, but he took it off at lunch or whenever he wanted to kiss me. There were still bullies in the school, but Zeph made sure they got their “just desserts”. Whenever he saw someone being picked on, he lifted his mask up to reveal his scarred face and startled the bullies. He extended his hand to the victim, offering peace, and usually, they accepted. To the ones who didn’t, Zeph was used to this, because then, he thought of me.

Vivacia was no longer the school flirt because nobody wanted to be in love in her, not after what she did. Needless to say, she turned bitter, especially towards me. But to me, that was always her true nature. Dyson was kicked off the football team and blamed it all on Vive, subsequently leaving her. I don’t really know what happened to him, except I heard that he isn’t the person he used to be.

Finally, the school year had come to a close and all of our efforts were rewarded with that trip to Italy. Sharon got enough good grades to go on the trip and many others did to after they learned Zeph and I were going. It was as if we were Mr. and Mrs. Popularity overnight. Naturally, I was excited to go to the place of my dreams, but I was apprehensive, too, because I was leaving my country for the first time. As we left for the airport, I noticed Zeph was wearing a much different mask than before. This one was another white mask, but it was outlined in gold sequins, had blue swirls over the eyes and cheeks, and gold-glossed closed lips. He explained to me, “I’ve been saving this for going to Italy someday.”

I understood fairly quickly, and then I wished that I had saved something to bring to Italy. “But you have,” he assured me. “You have your ambition. That’s all you need to bring with you.” As a guarantee, his eyes gave a sparkle.



As we were climbing the steps up to the airplane, Zeph commented, “Wow! Quite a wind here, isn’t it?” It was true; there was so much wind that he had to hold to his mask. After I had looked back one last time, I turned to Zeph as he extended his hand and asked, “Spento a Italia, il mio amore?” I had no clue what he meant, but I assumed that I would answer with a “Si.” I took his hand and trekked up the steps to the flight that would take us to the land of my dreams.

Zeph, our friends, and I passed high school with flying colors. After our parties, we had to choose which colleges were the closest to each other so we could often see each other. Zeph said that after his accident, he found his true calling in making masks. He, with Sharon’s and my help, set up a business to create original masks inspired by parts of the world. Needless to say, when Halloween arrived, his masks came in high demand and his business was selling. Don’t worry; it’s still open today with the help of new management, mainly, Malin. He’d come up with the designs and research and Zeph, with Sharon’s fashion sense, created each mask to be original (along with copies of it).
I pursued my dream into writing novels, both mystery and romance. I included tidbits of Zeph’s masks sometimes to help business along or just for fun reference. Zeph and I are still going out, though our relationship isn’t so secret anymore. Now, he doesn’t mind whether or not our love is known, be it ten people or a hundred. Like us, Istu and Sharon are becoming really good friends; I don’t know whether because we’re going out or they seemed to hit it off. At Zeph’s encouragement, I began to gain weight until I was the curviest woman in town. Honestly, I don’t care much about my looks…or his, either. Right now, I’m the happiest woman in the world.