Masqueraded Identities

Chapter Fourteen

I groaned in pain and threw my too-small shoe at the wall, narrowly missing Tay as she walked over to her closet. She whipped her head around and glared.

“Was that necessary?” she snapped. She had been very grumpy lately. I assumed she was PMS-ing, but whenever I tried to ask she got even more pissy.

“Yessiree!” I responded, heading over to my closet and trying to find a comfortable pair of flats. Besides, Mark wasn't that tall, anyway. Who needed heels?

“I hate you,” she muttered as she slipped into her slinky, black dress. God, was I ever envious of that body of hers.

“I'm sure,” I replied, struggling to get on my shoes without falling over. Dresses were so annoying. Clothes in general were annoying. Why couldn't we just be nudists? All clothes did was make you too cold or too hot, make you feel horrible about your size, and made simple tasks incredibly easy, especially when in skinny jeans or long dresses like the one I was wearing now. It was the end of the month, so it was more of a black-tie dinner than a formal dinner like all the other ones. Those rich kids sure like to show off.

I looked in the mirror and gave a huff. “Is it too fancy?” I asked.

Tay looked up from slipping on her shoes, her long, black dress floating around her ankles.

“Not at all. Princeton loves having a reason to whip out the ballgowns, hence the end of the month black-tie events,” she responded, finally getting her shoes on.

“Yeah, I noticed that last month.”

Two months here, and I was still unsure of what I thought. Tay and Mark were incredible, snagging the lead role was pretty awesome, but... Something was still missing. My masked stranger perhaps? Since the last note a week ago, I hadn't heard from him or gotten any clues from anyone. I prayed with all my might Mark was my masked stranger, for the sake of romance more than me wanting it to be him. It sounds awful, but my masked stranger was ten times sexier than Mark, which is saying something because Mark is just smoking.

Tay and I grabbed our bags and headed towards the cafeteria. Some rip-off Michael Buble music was playing, and all the rich kids were chattering about their next boob job. Tay and I headed to a random corner, our usual spots of choice, and nibbled on some bread until the main meal was served.

Mark had told me he'd have dinner with us, but was he here? No. He probably got lost in one of his poems or books or something. He did that a lot.

We finished dinner and were just walking out of the cafeteria building towards our dorms when a firm yet gentle arm pulled me aside.

“Hey,” a voice whispered. I squinted in the darkness and saw Mark, his shaggy hair messy and disarray. He wasn't in dress wear either. Was that alcohol in his breath?

“Hey,” I whispered back, shaking off the last thought. There was no way he'd be drinking. He was too innocent, too smart. Especially not enough to get him drunk... Right?

“Sorry I missed dinner. I got distracted... Again,” he said with a sheepish chuckle.

“It's okay.”

He gave me a peck on the lips. “Wanna take a walk?”

“Sure.”

We walked hand in hand around the dark campus, just taking in each other's company. It was a cool night, but it felt good, especially underneath the heat of my ballroom dress.

“You look beautiful. As always,” he commented, seeming to read my thoughts.

I blushed, thankful for the darkness, and said, “Thank you.”