Masquerade - The Complete First Novel

- 13 -

(Anastasia)

I sit at my regular spot at the bar, chatting with the bartender, Chris. "Well, hello stranger!" Sean announces. I look over at Sean's smug face, smiling. Chris nods, bringing us two beers.

"Hey, Sean!" We start to chat like we normally do. We are just two normal people in a bar. Possibly, friends. The scenery starts to become dull, as we have seen the same band played almost every night. The same people. The same signs. The same bartender. "Do you want to go walking? This place is starting to get boring," I smirk.

"You read my mind," I gave a thirty on the table for Chris, and refused Sean to pay for me. I stuff my hands in my patched, army green jacket. As that is the only jacket I have with me. We start to walk to the right, towards a small strip. I look over at Sean, seeing his dark eyes seem to show the wonder of some kind. Is he thinking of me? No, don't be selfish. You have only known each other for three days. "What is on that mind of yours?" I start to think aloud, resisting at first. Sean looks down at me, smiling.

"I was just wondering about that thirty-one patch," Lies. He lied. I sigh, sitting on a large decorative rock. I order him to sit, and he obeys.

"The thirty-one was my brother's basketball number, his name was Viktor. God, he loved basketball,"

"Was?" I look at him. Damn, he's smart. I look back down at my boots, continuing.

"He died from a car crash when I was fifteen, he was eighteen," I pause and smile in his memory. Most people would see that name as a weight, but he is what is keeping me going. "So, I have this patch in his memory, it's like he is always with me," A silence stretches between us. Almost feeling uncomfortable. I shoot up, turning around and smiling. "Now that we got that sappy stuff out of the way, let's just have fun! Okay?" I turn around, feeling a hand restrain me from walking any further. I turn around, seeing Sean's extended hand connect with my arm.

"If you want to talk about it, we can," I shake my head, not wanting to share my pain. He sighs, getting up from his spot on the rock. We just stare at each other, for I don't know how long. This way, I could really see his eyes. Even though his eyes should resemble darkness, I can see the light glowing behind the black orbs. They seem to hold passion, as mine guard that. He breaks the tension, walking past me. "Alright, come on," He waves, as I do something I've never done before. Follow a command.

We stumble into the hotel, trying to be quiet as all the others were sleeping. I shush him, grabbing his hand so he doesn't smash a lamp. We laugh, as I walked to the other side of the room. He planted himself on my bed, as I sat on the floor. "So why are you here?" I look up.

"What?"

"Why are you at this hotel? Trouble with a boyfriend, or what?" I chuckle.

"No boyfriend. Trouble? Yes." I remember the argument I had with Dakota. I wonder if we can mend our friendship after that. "I was living with a friend after I got kicked out of college, and we had a fight. So," I let my words trail off. Knowing he knew what I meant.

"Kicked out of college? What did you do?" I get off of the floor, and sat next to him, facing the window.

"I was failing almost all my classes, and I couldn't pay any more fees, so I was kicked. I lived with my mom for a while, then I heard that Dakota moved back to Washington after finishing college in Massachusetts, I decided to live with her. And my mom got a new husband so I didn't want to disrupt them,"

"What college did she go to?"

"Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has a graduates degree in journalism," I saw his eyes light up.

"Really? I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts!" I roll my eyes, knowing that they would get along. Probably better than we can.

"Well then you two will have something to talk about," I sigh, moving my eyes away from him. There was another silence. It didn't seem awkward, it seemed necessary.

"So what did you two get into a fight over?" A missing, dead girl.

"Something that was really important to her that didn't seem that important to me," he nodded, thinking.

"Why didn't it seem important to you?" I shrug, not knowing what to tell him.

"It was lost, and I didn't seem to understand why she couldn't just forget about it. I mean, it wasn't a family heirloom or anything. It was just something that she found in the house," I was trying to be vague and tell him about the little girl that Dakota was obsessing over.

"Well, Dakota; that's her name right?" I nod, "Well, even if it's not a family heirloom, this thing that Dakota cares for so much to find, may remind her of something that she lost in her childhood, or something that reminds her of something important. Like a dead relative," I let him place the pieces together as I realized the words he was saying. I am such a bad friend.

"That makes sense. I mean, it probably reminds her of her little sister. She passed away. She was sixteen," he nodded. I really am a bad friend. I have to go make things right. I spring up from the bed, gathering my bag.

"Where are you going?" I turn back to look at him, determination burning in my eyes.

"I have to go make things right," he smiled, letting me leave.