Celeste The throbbing in my head was my first clue that last night had been a bit too wild, even if it was just a private dance party of one. My room was in a state of disarray, with empty bottles and discarded clothes scattered around like confetti. As I groggily sat up, fragments of the night’s escapades flashed through my mind. I remembered considering something about Matt… unblocking him? A sense of urgency washed over me, and I practically lunged for my phone on the nightstand. Scrolling through my contacts, I finally landed on Matt’s name. Blocked. The only notification on my phone was from Fiona: “Good job, dancer girl! I hope you’re excited for your first day of practice, and you’d better be getting coffee with me afterwards to tell me all about it!” A rush of relief coursed through me. Thankfully, my drunken self hadn’t done anything too regrettable. I pushed the covers aside, the cool morning air refreshing against my skin. Jack’s room was eerily silent, which me
Matt The lingering scent of cologne hung in the air as I adjusted my collar, peering into the bathroom mirror. It was another evening, and I had agreed to meet up with Sabrina. Why I did was still a mystery to me; perhaps it was the allure of unraveling another, more important mystery; the identity of the masked girl. Sabrina had insisted we meet at ‘The Blue Lagoon’, a dimly lit bar at the heart of town. It was a dive bar, but it was only one of three in the entire town. She had mentioned something about it being a suitable place for our discussion. Knowing her, ‘discussion’ could mean anything from genuine conversation to something far less dignified. The moment I walked in, Sabrina, with her blonde hair cascading down her back, waved at me from the bar. A sly smile was stretched across her face. “Over here, Matty boy,” she purred. I made my way over, offering a half-smile in response to the bothersome nickname. I kept telling myself that this was necessary, that I j
Celeste Amid the hustle and bustle of school life, a looming dance competition, and the myriad of demands that came with it, there was Sabrina and her incessant errands. If anyone asked me to describe my life at that time, it would be one chaotic swirl with a dance spotlight in the center and Sabrina’s demanding voice echoing in the background. My thoughts, outside of school and Sabrina’s increasingly taxing errands, were consumed by the upcoming competition. For what felt like the first time in a long time, I didn’t think about Matt or even Jack. Practice hours had doubled, and every spare moment found me either in front of a mirror, perfecting a move, or in the library, grabbing a moment of respite. However, Sabrina’s demands were getting more incessant. It started out with simple requests: pick up dry cleaning, call the maintenance person for Sabrina’s apartment, grab her coffee on the way to class. However, it quickly became more and more demanding, and it was bordering
CelesteI ran down the corridor, my heart pounding as though it wanted to break free from my chest. The echo of Matt’s voice filled the air, his cries growing louder as he realized that I was the one he was looking for.“Hey! Wait, please, let me talk to you!”I cursed under my breath. I couldn’t stop; I wouldn’t stop. The past was chasing me, threatening to engulf me in a storm of questions and emotions I wasn't ready to face. What could he possibly want from me?The clatter of my shoes against the floor guided me to an empty lecture hall. I fumbled with the door, my shaking hands finding the handle just as I heard his footsteps drawing near.Once inside, I hurried to the other side of the room, hoping to find another exit.But there was none. The back end of the lecture hall was just one flat wall.“Shit,” I whispered to myself, whirling around as my breath became ragged beneath my mask. “Not even a fire exit? This can’t be legal.”The door swung open behind me, and I was trapped. M
Celeste“A… A date?” I stammered, the words feeling foreign in my mouth.“Yes,” Matt said, his smile growing, his eyes alight with excitement. “A date. You, me, a nice restaurant. Or maybe a movie? We can just talk and have a nice time. Nothing needs to happen outside of that.”I frowned, pulling away slightly, my heart aching with conflicting emotions. Matt’s grip on my wrist released, and I slipped out from between him and the wall to broaden the distance between us.“I don’t know…” I murmured.“Come on, Mystery Girl,” he said gently, still holding my mother’s necklace in his hand. “You know we had something special at the ball. Don’t you want to explore that a little?”I swallowed, adjusting my mask on my face. “I do, but… I don’t know. You realize this can’t go anywhere, right?”Matt said nothing. His face remained stony, determined. It seemed as though he wasn’t backing down.This was dangerous territory. The logical part of me knew that getting involved with Matt would only lead
Celeste“A date?” Fiona’s eyes widened as I dropped the bombshell on her in the library the next day. “With Matt?”“Shh,” I said, pressing my finger to my lips as I noticed the glares from nearby students who were trying to study.Fiona’s face turned a little red. “Sorry,” she murmured. “Really, though, Celeste? A date?”“Yes, Fi,” I whispered, feeling my cheeks get warm. “A date.”She stared at me, her mouth slightly agape, and then shook her head. “Celeste, this can’t end well. You know how these things go.”I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. “I know, but it’s just one date. Besides, I… I don’t know. Maybe something more will come out of it, if you know what I mean. I’m nineteen, almost twenty. It’s about time.”Fiona’s face flashed with obvious anger. “So you’re going to use him to lose your virginity.”“No!” I hissed, my face getting even more red.“Hey! Shut up!” a nearby student snarled. “This is the library!”“Sorry,” Fiona and I murmured at the same time.I turned back to Fi
Celeste We were on the road for a while, the town’s lights slowly fading behind us, and the rhythmic hum of the car was almost hypnotizing.I found myself glancing at Matt every so often, catching his profile in the dim glow of the dashboard. I could sense an easiness about him, a calm that made me feel comfortable.
Celeste My eyes widened at Matt’s question, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The candlelit dinner had been going wonderfully until he had asked why I always wore my mask. I knew the question was inevitable, but that didn't make it any easier to answer.“I… Um…” I stammered, struggling to come up with a response.