My Warfstache Princess

Chapter 23

I sit on the hanging, wicker woven, tear drop chair. In my lap was Tiny Box Tim. On the cushion next to me was a barely eaten meal. I tip my head back as I let the two pills fall down my throat. I wash it down with some water.

Our house behind me had people laughing or talking very loudly. Glasses clinked. People cheered. Music blasted.

I watch the stars slowly pop into the deep blue sky. I tried to find my weirdly made constellations. I laugh at myself as I pretend to show them to Tim.

“I thought I would find you here.”

Chills went down my spine. My tiny neck hairs raise up. I don’t jump. I just smile. “Hey Mark.” I greet as I look up to see him standing next to the big Jaracanda tree.

He gives me a peace sign. His other hand was stuck in his pants pocket. He still was wearing his black suit jacket. His white dress shirt was no longer tucked in and his black tie was loosely pulled down but wasn't completely pulled out.

He leans against the purple flowering tree trunk. He looks up at the sky. The moon reflected off of his glasses. It made them look like glowing balls of light.

"I thought that you'll be down there. Hanging with everyone." He says, pointing a thumb behind him.

I shrug my shoulders as I look up at the sky with him. "I would probably be doing same thing that I'm doing right here."

He nods his head before holding out a hand. “Come here.” He commands, still looking at the moon.

I set Tiny Box Tim onto the cushion of the tear drop chair. I take Mark’s open hand. He pulls me close to him as a half embrace. He points a finger around the deep blue sky. “I see a rabbit somewhere.”

I hold up a hand to my pale purple glossed over mouth. I tried to cover up my smile. Mark has finally lost it! “I don’t see it.” I reply, wanting to see what would he say.

“Think big.” He tilts his head and smiles. “Bigger than the rest.”

I stare at the sky long and hard. I didn’t see a rabbit. Then it dawned on me. “I see it.” I whisper.

‘Where is it?” Mark asks.

I point at the full moon. “Two ears and the head. There’s the feet.” I traced out the rabbit with a lone stretched finger. I bump my shoulder in his. “Nice reference. How did you know that I knew about To the Moon?”

He smirks. “I’ve been watching a lot of your videos.” He rubs the back of his head, as if ashamed.

He looks back at the house. The music changed from a nice upbeat song to a  slow song. Mark takes my other hand. “May I have this dance?”

I blush. "I'm sorry. I'm a horrible dancer and I don't want to crush your toes.” I tell him.

He laughs. He takes my hands. "Me too. Let's be horrible dancers together."

Mark laughs as he takes my gloved hands in his. I gave him a confused look before we start to dance. We awkwardly dance in circles. We both step on each other's feet. He would laugh it off. I would say sorry and regret every time I would do it. The song ends. Clapping came from the house. The next song was more upbeat. The talking conitues.

I lean against the flowering tree. He stands in front of me. Our hands where still intertwined. But something was wrong. Mark stared at the my hands. He barely looks at me.

“Mark, is there something wrong?” I ask.

He glances up. He brings up one of my hands. He flips my hand over so my palm was open. "I want to give you something."

His other hand unlink from mine and starts to dig in his jacket pocket.

I awkwardly smile. Heat was rising to my cheeks. "You didn't need to get me anything. I mean, you already gave me Tiny Box Tim. I'm grateful enough."

He pulls out something. He holds it up, wanting me to take it. I delicately take it from him. I hold it up. A black mask. My mask. The mask that I lost at the masquerade. I've forgotten about till now.

“Where did you find this?" I ask. I delicately take it out of his hands. I admire the mask. "I lost this at the masquerade ball." I try to recall the night.

"A girl was in a red ball gown. She sat all alone, just waiting for the night to be over." He explains.

I gasp, looking up at Mark. "A man came up to her and they talked about the music. Then he asked why she was sitting alone." I continue the story.

Mark starts the next part. "She said that she was a big party person or a dancer. The man takes her hand and laughs."

I stare into his dark brown eyes. "You were the man." I barely shake my head. "How didn't I notice from the start? I mean, I thought about it but you weren't the same as we got to know each other."

He takes the mask from my hands. "I figured it out when you were in the hospital. I thought about it long and hard. The hair, the gloves, how the mask would look on you."

The shyness starts to take over the show. "So, you figured it out that it was me, but why didn't you just give it to Levi or Terrence? Why go through the trouble of learning about me?" I ask quietly. My gaze shifted from Mark to the grass that poked at my toes through the skin color leggings.

"Well, let's just say that I liked learning about the owner of this mask."

A hand lightly tilts my head up. Mark ties the mask around my head, making sure it was tight. His hand cups my face. I let my head rest in his head.

"You look as beautiful as that night." He whispers the compliment.

I place my hands between the tree and my body. I lift myself up on the tips of my toes. Early blooming purple flowers stared to break off. They twirled around us. Mark's other hand touches my waist, lifting me up a little more. My toes barely touched the ground.

Our lips met each other.

The little black teardrop jewel touched both of our noses. We both close our eyes. We had our first kiss under the giant Jacaranda tree. Under the rabbit constellation.

He pulls away first. My toes touched the ground again. My lips were barely touching each other.  I lusted for more. I wanted to kiss him again. My prince in a black suit.

"Aria! Mark!" We both look back at the house. Levi was waving her bouquet of pink, purple, and white flowers at us. I shyly wave back. Both hands cup over her mouth. "We're cutting the cake! Come on!"

I look back at Mark. He glances at me before he surprises me with another kiss, this one being shorter than the first. His lips disappears from mine. He bolts down the hill. I smile and run after him.