Let Me Count the Ways

The Mask

 "Belle!" Persephone said, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

 "Yes?" I said, my thoughts interrupted.

 "Welcome back to earth!" she said, shaking my hand. "A lot of time had passed since your last visit." She flashed me her signature, sparkling, teasing smile. I shook my head.

 "Pray tell, are you still the fairest of them all? Or has Aphrodite herself come to reclaim her throne?" I said with sarcastic curiousity.

 "Stop it." She elbowed me, but she was still smiling."Are you ready for our Christmas break to begin?"

 "Ah, I see you have overlooked our montrous load of homework." I said, conitnuing my formal teasing voice. "First we must slay the dragon of school before we take part in the holiday festivities."

 "Your a strange one!" Persephone said, laughing. "Your house or mine?"

 "Yours, obviously!" I said, returning to my normal voice, which was only slightly less teasing. "With your parents private library at our disposal our homework should be done in a jiffy."

 "You sound like an idiot when you talk like that."

"What? This is my normal voice!"

 "Oh, come on, let's go."

 I smiled and looked over at my best friend. She was wearing the ear muffs I had gotten her for her birthday. They had doves and hearts. I had gotten them as a joke. Aphrodite was also called the Lady of the Doves.

 That reminded me of one of the infuriatingly anonymous notes. It had been a Bible verse out of Song of Songs. It was from chapter one, verse fifteen. It said, "How beautiful you are, my darling! O, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves."

 I sighed, exasperated and frustrated. Who was this person who kept leaving me notes? For being "Not So Secret" they sure were secretive.

 That's when I noticed the awkward silence and looked over at Persephone who was staring straight back at me. I sighed. "You asked me a question, didn't you?"

 "Yes! Where is your mind these days?"

 "Far off places, trying to solve the mysteries of the universe."

 "While it's there, could you ask it to find me a unicorn or a phoenix?"

 "Sure, Seph."

 "And when we get home, I expect to here all about him and why you're spending so much time thinking about him. Because he must be something to take your mind away from it's normal train of thought. Something's bothering you and I will know what it is."

 "Yes, ma'am." I said, but I smiled. I knew it was impossible and to argue with Persephone, just as she knew it was useless to aruge with me once I had made up my mind. But I didn't mind telling her about the notes. They do say two is better than one. Which reminded me of yet another note.

 I cursed my admirer in my head. Not swearing, I don't swear. No, I pretended I was killing him with an Avada Kedavra curse. Yes, I'm strange like that. His face was hidden behind a white mask. I longed to take the mask off and uncover his face. Who was he? This mysterious person that took up so much space inside my head, who could slip notes to me, hiding them so thoughtfully. I enjoyed my daydream and tried to think of who could possibly be behind the mask all the way home.