Septiplier One Shots

1-800-273-8255

WARNING: Deals with heavy topics (trigger warning) 

(Mark's P.O.V.)

A person never truly realizes just how well a mask can fool someone until they're in the situation of finding out about the mask. Cause no, I'm not talking about a legitimate mask. I'm talking about masking your emotions, your secrets, until people don't truly know who you are. And it's really hard to understand how easy it is to fool someone, unless you're fooling or being fooled.

I bet every single person out there has at least one mask. One secret, one emotion, that they don't want let out for the world to see. But for most of those people, I feel like it's not a giant deal, something smaller. Something that wouldn't change life, or the course of it, or others around you all that much. 

Maybe I'm wrong; I don't know that many people. But the people I do know, I know almost everything about. It's just me, and my small group of friends. I didn't even know most of them until my best friend dragged me to this club after school, a small video game club made by him and a couple other friends. Now it's all five of us, just happy and smiling and laughing and playing. 

Felix is the goof, Cry is the mature figure, I'm just kind of there, and Ken is the quiet type that only speaks when needed. And then there's Seán, my best friend, and president of the club. We've known each other since we were very little, having been neighbors as soon as he moved from Ireland at age five. 

Ever since, we've become the best of friends. We know everything about each other, and spend almost every minute of every day out of school together. But lately, he's been a little bit off. Normally, he's the happiest person in the world. Always laughing, and smiling, and making sure none of us argue. 

He's the one that always has a smile on his face, and can help anyone else smile too. He's the one that always has a joke to tell, and a laugh ready if anyone else tells a joke. He's the one that everyone loves, and everyone envies because we just can't be that happy. Because we've all sworn that he is the happiest person we've ever met, and maybe even the happiest in the world. 

 But I guess even Seán has a mask.

***

Seán left the club early two days ago, saying he felt sick, and then didn't come to school yesterday. Now it's Saturday, and I'm a little worried. He hasn't answered my calls, or my texts. No one else from the club has heard from him. He's just disappeared. And I'm scared. Because I love him, even if I don't know in what way yet. 

I groan, flopping onto my bed as I try to figure out what to do. I can always just go over there and open the door like I always do, after all his parents won't be home. They work almost 24/7... Or I could just keep calling and texting and hoping he'll answer. But that doesn't seem like it'll happen anytime soon, and I'm really scared, so I'm just going to go over.

I quickly put on some legitimate clothes and then run out of the house, quickly running across the empty street to Seán's house. I grab my key ring and unlock the door, opening it with a quick knock. I close it behind me, locking it like I always do. No cars were in the driveway, so I know Seán's the only one here. If he's here.

"Hello hello!" I call out, but I get no answer. I look around the house, but all the lights seemed turned off. I frown, walking around, trying to find if anyone is here. "Seán?" Again I get no response. I humph, running upstairs. I check the rooms until I finally find a light on under the door to Seán's room. My eyebrows furrow and I walk over slowly, staring at the light underneath.

Why didn't he answer me?

"Seán?" I ask quietly, knocking on the door. I open it quickly to see Seán sitting on his bed, with his head in his hands. And it sound like... He's crying. "Hey, are you okay?"