The Masquerade

The Beginning

HEAVILY REVISED AS OF 8/19/2012.

Decisions are life. So making too many wrong ones, is obviously not a good thing. It can even end up defining you. Mackenzie Kenison learned this the hard way during the summer before her senior year. Her life and the lives of those around her went to hell. And it all started with one stupid decision she made in the local book shop.

 “Tony, do you have the last Vampire Diaries book before they all went to shit?” Mackenzie yelled as she traced the closest book shelf with her index finger. It was the beginning of summer break after junior year, so she was searching for new reads in the teen section. This was an annual tradition for her and her best friend Allison, and they'd been doing it since seventh grade. Tony was a high school friend of Mackenzie's mom Ella, so he'd always allowed them to roam his store during his lunch break and after it was closed. They mostly did it out of tradition now, as both of them had graduated into worlds of classic literature and more adult books, but it was still a fun way to spend one of the first days of the summer.

 “First of all, I've never read one of those books in my life. You'll have to give more of an explanation. And second, quit cussing around me. I've been cool about it, but eventually I'm going to feel obligated to tell your mom that her daughter has the mouth of a truck driver,” Tony said, sneaking up on her from the back of the shelf.

 “She means the fourth book,” Allison explained, coming from the opposite direction. She bent down, mouthing the letter 's' until she found Smith. She pushed her curly blonde hair out of her face and tapped each book in the row.

 “Dark Visions, Forbidden Game, Night World..” Allison muttered, then stopped, “Here, Vampire Diaries.”

 “Now was that so hard?” Tony asked, patting Allison on the back while looking at Mackenzie reproachfully. Mackenzie shrugged and took the book from Allison.

 “I just enjoy bothering you,” She stated, sarcasm nearly written on her face. Tony rolled his eyes and left the two girls to their book search, going to the front of the store.

 “So are you getting that?” Allison asked as her light blue eyes examined the cover. Mackenzie flipped through the last couple pages, not worried about spoilers. She had read them all already.

 “Wait, is this the one with the ghost soldiers?” She asked with distaste.

 “Uh, yeah,” Sophia said, reading the back, “I think it is.”

 “Then I think I'll pass,” Mackenzie said, bending down and placing the book back on the shelf. “That one's too Bonnie heavy for my liking.”

 “Why do you hate the redheads Mack?” Allison asked with a joking smile.

 “No matter how often you make them, jokes about my hair color will never be funny,” She replied, bunching up a handful of her own bright red hair. Between that, the pale skin tone, and the Scottish ancestors, Mackenzie should have loved Bonnie for their similarities. But the differences were much more pronounced. It wasn't just physical appearance, though Mackenzie did have hazel eyes and more height to her, but she felt Bonnie lacked fire.

 Allison picked a book off the shelf, examining it. “I remember liking this.”

 “You did when you borrowed it from me two years ago,” Mackenzie said, also turning her attention back to the books. She looked at a mystery book for a second, considering getting it, but then set it back down. She could never read straight through a mystery, she always skipped to the end in order to find out the outcome. All the waiting and build up killed her. Just as she was about to join Allison on the floor, Tony walked up to them, feet scraping across old carpeting.