I stood by the refreshment table of my schools prom eating a chocolate covered strawberry and gazing at him across the room. The auditorium was decorated in a sea of white Christmas lights and fake forestry to go along with the theme midsummer night masquerade. The rest of the room was dancing and the techno music was blasting out of the speakers to my right, but in that moment, all I saw was him.

I was wearing a white button up shirt, a pair of khaki pants, a blue felt hat, and a teal scarf. My mask was simple, just a cheap, blue, store bought one. They gave us the option of putting feathers and other glittery things on them, but I chose not to as to not seem too flashy. He was sitting in a corner talking with some friends, not dancing, as usual. He was wearing a brown striped shirt, and no mask.

Step by step, I found myself walking towards where he sat.  I crossed the dance floor never taking my eyes off of him, but he was oblivious to me. I finally reached where he sat and he looked up at me, a quizzical expression on his face, as if he were trying to figure out who I was through the flashing lights.

I leaned down close to him and whispered, “Do you want something to drink?”
“What?” He screamed in my ear.
“Do you want something to drink?” I asked louder.
“Yeah, I could go for some punch,” he replied.
“Ok, do you want anything to eat?” I continued, still half shouting so he could hear me.
“Would you bring me a chocolate covered strawberry?” He asked.
“Sure thing, be back in a second.” I said.

He nodded in response. I crossed my way back to the refreshments and filled up a glass with the red-orange liquid. I had decided that I was going to get him to dance with me tonight if it was the last thing I did. He wouldn’t do it easily, but I found that I could be pretty persuasive. I picked up a plate and chose two of the largest, most artfully decorated, chocolate covered strawberries remaining on the platter. I crossed back across the room and sat down next to him, handing him his glass.

“Thanks,” he said as he leaned back and placed his feet on the table in front of us.
“No problem, take your pick,” I said as I held out the plate of strawberries towards him.
He chose the bigger of the two and took a large bite out of it.
“Why no mask?” I asked

He took a second bite out of his strawberry with a loud slurping noise. Some of the chocolate had stuck to his lip and he licked it off before replying “I guess I just don’t see the point in trying to hide yourself from people.”

“Just because your not wearing a mask, doesn’t mean you are not hiding,” I replied.
“I’ve got nothing to hide,” he replied, tossing his last bite of strawberry into his mouth.
“Yeah, that’s what you want people to think,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“What do you mean?” He asked.
“You know what I mean,” I replied in a tender knowing tone.
“Maybe I do, anyway, what’s up with your mask?” He said.
I reached a hand up to make sure it was still on my face.
“What about it?” I asked.
“It’s not very you,” he said.
“And what does that mean?” I retorted.
“It’s plain, and simple. You didn’t decorate it and make it all showy like I assume you would have,” he said.
“Maybe I’m just a simple type of guy,” I said.
He snorted.
“I don’t think I would ever use the word simple to describe you… complicated however,” he replied.
I kicked him gently in the shin. He looked down in surprise, and then back up at me. We both laughed for a moment.
“So are you going to dance,” I asked him, already knowing the answer.
“You know I don’t dance,” he replied.
“Things change,” I said.
“No, I don’t plan on dancing,” he replied.
“Well plans change too,” I replied, holding out a hand to help him up.
“You’re not going to win this,” he said bluntly.
“When are you going to learn to stop underestimating me,” I replied, preparing for a battle.
“When are you going to learn to quit while your ahead,” he replied.
I sat back down for a second and then made sure he was looking me in the eyes. I took a breath before starting my argument.

“See, I think that this is your mask talking. You are too afraid to look stupid out on the dance floor to even try and get up and have some fun. Let me tell you how this is going to go down. I’m going to finish speaking; you’re going to argue with me. In fifteen minutes you will have agreed to dance for a total of one minute with me,” I said.

“Your one to talk about masks,” he replied, ignoring the other things I said.
“What, just because I didn’t put a bunch of stupid feathers on it,” I replied.
“Not your physical mask, the one you put on for everyone else,” he replied.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, alarmed at how suddenly perceptive he was being.

“There’s a disadvantage to being close with someone, they learn all your secrets. I know your mask. I’ve seen through the cracks in it. You always seem so perfect and everyone thinks your happy and together, but you are slowly unraveling,” he replied.

I was shocked. Everything he said was so true, so unmistakably true, but what he didn’t know is that he had caused the cracks. He had taken a hammer to my perfectly chiseled mask and chipped at it piece by piece with his perfect smile and kind words. He was the only one who saw me fore who I really was, but didn’t know that he is who had made me that way.

“Well then, I guess I don’t need this anymore,” I said, taking of the mask and throwing it in his lap. He picked it up and set it beside him.

“It’s not a bad thing not to be perfect,” he said soothingly.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” I said, getting up.
I reached my hand out again and looked pleadingly at him.
“One minute,” I asked.

He sat there for fifteen second before rolling his eyes, letting me help him up, and replying “one minute.”

We made our way onto the dance floor and he stood there motionless. I started to shake my body around to the beat and he looked at me, amused. I grabbed ahold of his wrists and started moving them back and forth. I let go and he continued the motion. His bangs were already dripping with sweat and sticking to his forehead. He actually stared to look kind of happy and got into it a little bit. He forgot about the time and waited until the end of the song, at which point, I grabbed his hand and used it as a way to twirl around. I dropped his sweating palm and we returned to our seating area.

“Was that so bad?” I asked in a tone indicating that I had won.
“Maybe not, but you looked ridiculous,” he replied jokingly.
“I’m going to go head back to the dorm and shower,” I said, pausing and continuing, “thanks for the dance.”
I was half way to the door when he said “hey wait, do you want this?”
He was holding up the blue shimmering mask. I looked to him and then back at the flimsy object in his hand.
“Keep it, it never did me any good with you anyway,” I replied, as I walked out the door.