swirling that he attends St. Francis.
I’m reminded of Gabriel and Camilla’s family bond—cousins—distant. How distant? I wonder.
The Fall Dance has started. It’s really a Halloween dance, but no one calls it that. Some students are in costume, but most aren’t. I’m surprised by the levels of attendance. It seems as if the entire school is in the gymnasium.
I’m not wearing a costume, and neither is Camilla, technically. She’s wearing leather pants and a tube top. She changed into it while I drove her to the school. It’s hot, as Florida is in late October. I’m wearing a camisole and mini skirt. Bold, I know, but not nearly as scandalous as some of the other female students, who think that this is a nightclub, and not a school dance.
Camilla is dancing with Tony. I’m a wallflower. Alejandro is dancing with a girl, I don’t know her name. We haven’t spoken since that night when I refused to wear his promise ring. I heard that he hates me. I hate myself.
Gabriel is a no show. I’m glad yet disappointed. I wonder if I asked him, would he run away with me? Silly, I know, but there are times when I want to get away—from my family—even from Camilla. I love her to death, but she can’t always be pulled between me and Tony. She’ll have to choose. And she should choose Tony. I’m not worth it.
The Man behind the Mask
The song is over. Camilla and Tony are talking to Alejandro and his dance partner. Soon, another song begins, and they are dancing—except for Alejandro, who leaves his partner. She looks sad.
Alejandro makes his way towards me and leans against the wall. “You look nice.”
“Thanks, you do too.”
“It’s just jeans and a T-shirt.”
I shrug. “You do. You always look nice, handsome.”
“Not handsome enough to tempt you?” he says, smiling a bit, raising his eyebrow.
I laugh. “We’re doing Pride & Prejudice ?”
He breathes in deep, then out. “I will conquer this!”
I laugh again, and then I’m serious. “You’re wasting your time with me. You should go back to your date.”
“I don’t like her.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s not you.”
“I’m messed up, Alejandro.”
He secures his hands in his jeans’ pockets and rests his head against the brick wall. “Right, right, I forgot. You’re not ready. One day, you know, you’ll be ready, and I’ll be gone.”
“I know. You’re better off without me. You were right. There’s something going on between me and Gabriel, I just don’t know what. I think about him all the time.” I shrug. “He has this hold over me.”
He folds his arms across his chest. “I’ve seen you two, together, in class. You barely say two words to each other. It’s like you hate each other.”
I nod. “We do, I think. I hate how he makes me feel—lost—adrift.”
“You’re a liar, you know that, Daria?” he says, but without malice. “You complain of being lost, adrift, but honestly, I think that’s where you want to be.”
“Why?”
He’s already walking away, but stops, and turns towards me. “You don’t want to be found.”
He walks away. Vicki enters, followed by Emily. Vicki’s new beau’s face is hidden behind a Phantom of the Opera mask. He looks older, by the mature shape of his body. I guess he is in college.
Vicki, her arm looped around his, saunters over to me. “Hello, wallflower.”
I say nothing. The man behind the mask unsettles me.
“This is Emilio,” Vicki says, “my new boyfriend. Isn’t he delicious?”
“I can’t tell,” I say. “His face is hidden.”
Emilio removes it. He reminds me somewhat of Gabriel. Emilio has one blue eye, and one green eye.
“Hello, senorita. How are you this evening?” he says in a Spanish accent.
“Good,” I say, taken aback.
“I’m Emilio de la Vega.” He extends his hand. “And you are?”
“Daria,” I say, choosing not to be so
I’m reminded of Gabriel and Camilla’s family bond—cousins—distant. How distant? I wonder.
The Fall Dance has started. It’s really a Halloween dance, but no one calls it that. Some students are in costume, but most aren’t. I’m surprised by the levels of attendance. It seems as if the entire school is in the gymnasium.
I’m not wearing a costume, and neither is Camilla, technically. She’s wearing leather pants and a tube top. She changed into it while I drove her to the school. It’s hot, as Florida is in late October. I’m wearing a camisole and mini skirt. Bold, I know, but not nearly as scandalous as some of the other female students, who think that this is a nightclub, and not a school dance.
Camilla is dancing with Tony. I’m a wallflower. Alejandro is dancing with a girl, I don’t know her name. We haven’t spoken since that night when I refused to wear his promise ring. I heard that he hates me. I hate myself.
Gabriel is a no show. I’m glad yet disappointed. I wonder if I asked him, would he run away with me? Silly, I know, but there are times when I want to get away—from my family—even from Camilla. I love her to death, but she can’t always be pulled between me and Tony. She’ll have to choose. And she should choose Tony. I’m not worth it.
The Man behind the Mask
The song is over. Camilla and Tony are talking to Alejandro and his dance partner. Soon, another song begins, and they are dancing—except for Alejandro, who leaves his partner. She looks sad.
Alejandro makes his way towards me and leans against the wall. “You look nice.”
“Thanks, you do too.”
“It’s just jeans and a T-shirt.”
I shrug. “You do. You always look nice, handsome.”
“Not handsome enough to tempt you?” he says, smiling a bit, raising his eyebrow.
I laugh. “We’re doing Pride & Prejudice ?”
He breathes in deep, then out. “I will conquer this!”
I laugh again, and then I’m serious. “You’re wasting your time with me. You should go back to your date.”
“I don’t like her.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s not you.”
“I’m messed up, Alejandro.”
He secures his hands in his jeans’ pockets and rests his head against the brick wall. “Right, right, I forgot. You’re not ready. One day, you know, you’ll be ready, and I’ll be gone.”
“I know. You’re better off without me. You were right. There’s something going on between me and Gabriel, I just don’t know what. I think about him all the time.” I shrug. “He has this hold over me.”
He folds his arms across his chest. “I’ve seen you two, together, in class. You barely say two words to each other. It’s like you hate each other.”
I nod. “We do, I think. I hate how he makes me feel—lost—adrift.”
“You’re a liar, you know that, Daria?” he says, but without malice. “You complain of being lost, adrift, but honestly, I think that’s where you want to be.”
“Why?”
He’s already walking away, but stops, and turns towards me. “You don’t want to be found.”
He walks away. Vicki enters, followed by Emily. Vicki’s new beau’s face is hidden behind a Phantom of the Opera mask. He looks older, by the mature shape of his body. I guess he is in college.
Vicki, her arm looped around his, saunters over to me. “Hello, wallflower.”
I say nothing. The man behind the mask unsettles me.
“This is Emilio,” Vicki says, “my new boyfriend. Isn’t he delicious?”
“I can’t tell,” I say. “His face is hidden.”
Emilio removes it. He reminds me somewhat of Gabriel. Emilio has one blue eye, and one green eye.
“Hello, senorita. How are you this evening?” he says in a Spanish accent.
“Good,” I say, taken aback.
“I’m Emilio de la Vega.” He extends his hand. “And you are?”
“Daria,” I say, choosing not to be so
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