Masquerade
Deception
Call it what you will. All I know is that I will be able to face him tonight. As long as he doesn’t know who I am, I will be safe from utter humiliation.
As I sit in the back of Marcie’s car, I think about how I will go about telling him my feelings. Will I walk straight up to him and have everything tumble out? Or will I be slightly more subtle and dignified. Either way, nobody will know.
Before I can make my choice, the car stops in front of the house. Terror overcomes me. I stiffen and can’t feel my own heart beating. It takes me telling myself to suck it up. How can he know it’s me? That isn’t possible! Right? I’m sure. It can’t happen.
I inhale quickly and hop onto the pavement. All of a sudden I feel dizzy. What’s wrong with me? I straighten up and follow Marcie. A masked man in a tux opens the door. He steps aside and we walk through. The room is enormous! It’ll take hours to find him!

Twenty minutes pass and I have located him. There’s only one problem. I feel like I’ve melted to the ground. I won’t be able to do it! I flatten myself against a wall and the feeling of myself breathing calms my fluttering heart.
One trip to the bathroom and some breathing exercises later, I’m ready. I stride up to him and get his attention.
“Hello, Jesse.”
“Hi, MacKenzie.”