The Masquerade Read Free Page A

was not a pretty picture. His skinny '5'7' form was no match to any of them who stood taller than six feet, including Eli. Adam tried to master the tough guy look once but
    when you have a Justin Bieber haircut it's a little hard to pull off. He'd sported that hairstyle for as long as I could remember. It used to be cute, until that lousy singer became famous and it turned into a bad trademark. The
    entire school nicknamed him 'Bieber' even after that thing we call a pop star cut his hair.
    "So, where should we prepare for this extravagant event?" Shiloh asked to bring back the initial subject that had us worked up to begin with.
    Hayley shrugged. "Whoever's house has the most bras, make-up, and tampons." She turned to our friend with a smile. "Adam?"
    He frowned at her. "Go away. No one likes you."
    I raised my arm and waved it around like a child desperately trying to get the teacher's attention. Shiloh turned in her seat and called on me to play along. "Yes, you there. Blonde girl with the random purple highlight in your hair."
    "My house!" I said, feeling myself turn back to the bubbly girl I was at heart. Eli's dark scowl faded into the back of my mind...but stayed there.
    "Sour gummy worms?" Hayley asked, eyeing me with
    scrutiny.
    "Duh."
    "Ella's house it is." She said blatantly before she took a handful of fries from Adam's plate and shoved them into her mouth. He shot her a look filled with malice.
    Shiloh's skeptical eyes moved to Hayley. "What did you have to do to get those tickets?"
    "More like who ," Adam scoffed.
    Hayley snickered and, as if on cue, the lunch table behind
    ours burst into hysterics. I leaned up and peered over Hayley's shoulder to find her stoner friends pointing to her and nodding. My eyes moved back to Hayley. A knowing smile pressed her lips.
    "Are those idiots the same ones that gave you the
    tickets?" Shiloh snuck a peek at them as well. Hayley smirked and began to sing the chorus of "Everybody Loves Me" from OneRepublic. Adam winced as though he smelled something horrible and held up his hand.
    "Just stop, stop!"
    She cut herself off to glare at him. I grinned at my three friends, sinking into the glorious excitement of the events to come tonight. The thought of being in a crowded room, shoved up against random strangers with
    the same passion for music, waiting impatiently for the final band to perform was exhilarating. Nothing could disrupt my moments of pure bliss, not even Eli and his incessant issues.
     

Three
    One of the first students to exit the building after school,
    I was on the sidewalk across the street, before I heard the laughter of students celebrating the Friday afternoon. Adam had to stay after school to speak with a teacher about his project grade, which meant waiting for him,
    taking the bus, or walking home. I wasn't one of the privileged juniors to own a car so I depended on Adam for transportation, but I liked walking.
    We lived in a small town where everything was within close proximity. My school was less than five minutes from my house. When I walked, it took longer, but I loved the time alone to think. It allowed me to venture into my personal demons and the memories I kept locked inside. My life wasn't perfect, but there was nothing I could do to change it, so I lived
    optimistically.
    A few minutes passed before a car slowed beside me. The glare of the metal cast from the sunlight caught my attention. Squinting, I turned in the direction of the car that was rolling slowly to match my pace. My
    breath caught in my throat when the baby blue 1967 Mustang came into view. It was a known fact around town that if you saw Vlad, Eli's friend, you were to stay close to your parents or run to the nearest building and stay there.
    Although I'd never actually seen Vlad hurt anyone the way his friends did.
    The passenger window rolled down. "Ella," Davey said coolly, leaning forward. I noticed his curly brown hair had grown since the last time I saw him.
    "Davey," I