𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐑'𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐄 || sodapop curtis

002 | one week

❝In life, we can't just disappear, and leave the ones we are disappearing from with only our lies.❞

I ARRIVED AT school in my mother's old car. It wasn't nothing out of the ordinary- where I live, nobody was necessarily rich. I knew that I had only one week until I had to leave for Venice, and I couldn't bring myself to tell my friends. Plus, they deserved to go to the masquerade way more than I did.

"Hey, Fran!" I heard Maddie call from behind me. I turned around to make my way over to them. Maddie and Jessica are my best friends, I've known them since primary school.
"Hey Maddie, hey Jess."
"Hi Fran!" Jessica said, giving me a hug. "So, did either of you get a letter?"
"No." I said a little too fast.
"Nah, I didn't." Maddie agreed.
"Me either." Said Jessica.

I felt horrible for not telling them. What was I going to do? Just disappear for the week of the masquerade, and hope they don't notice something is up? They would definitely figure it out.

"... and did you hear, Rachel didn't get one?" Rachel was the cliche, pretty, rich girl at our school. A soc.
"Really?" I said. I couldn't believe it- I got one and she didn't.
"Yeah. And there's no way her mom could pay her way into that!" That's true. All of the letters given out from the prince and his royal association are final, no mistakes- which is hard to believe.

•••

The first bell rang, and I made my way to my first period, math. The rest of my day went by pretty fast. I was right, because all day today I could hear girls whispering and talking about who got a letter and who didn't, and apparently it really mattered to some people.

I walked out of school with Maddie and Jessica, and eventually we went out separate ways. I usually walked home from school, because my mother worked until 5:00. While I was walking, I wondered if I actually had a chance of being the prince's love interest. I knew the chances were low, though.

About half way home, I stopped at a gas station called the DX to grab some snacks. There was always this one boy working the counter, I think his name was Steve. He used to go to my school, but now he's a drop out.

"Hello, welcome to the DX." He greeted me.
"Hey, thank you."

I walked up and down the many aisles of food, grabbing a bag of chips, a candy bar, and a soda. I walked up to the cashier to see Steve once more.

"Did you find everything alright?"
"Yes, thank you."
"No problem."

He rang me up, and I was soon on my way back to my house. When I arrived, I unlocked the door and went up to my room. I started on my homework, knowing that when my mother got home it would be time for supper.

I only had math homework and a science project to finish up, so I was finished in about an hour. I sat on my bed, daydreaming about how handsome the prince would be. Probably nothing like the boys around here- how out of my league he would be.

"Francesca honey, I'm home!" My mother interrupted my thoughts.
"Alright mother, I'll be right down."
"For supper I'll be making lasagna."
"That sounds amazing."
"Great."

"So, did anybody you know get an invitation?"
"No, not that I know of."
"Did you tell Maddie and Jess that you got one?"
"No. I don't want them to know either."
"Alright, alright, I just hope that was the right thing to do." But in the end, would it matter? It's not like they thought I would be chosen anyway.

I went back up to my room, and decided to call Maddie and Jessica. I knew that in the end, they would find out. I had to do this, otherwise our friendship might have been no longer.

"Hey, uh, Maddie?"
"Hey Fran!"
"I have something, err, important to tell you."
"Go for it."
"I lied. I got invited to the masquerade."
"I- that's great Fran!"
"Yeah."

I called Jessica, and I could feel her jealousy through the telephone. I never thought of her to be jealous, but she most definitely was. I mean, if I were her I might've felt the same. But Maddie, I just think she was upset she didn't get one as well. She would have loved to go alongside me.