The Masqueraded

22

The dew had settled among the patches of grass, the swings and the small wooden benches when Mel made her way to the park that morning. The sun was slowly rising in the far end of the purplish sky and Mel couldn't stop staring at it as she walked aimlessly past the swing set and slid down on to a bench.

It had always been one of her favorite ways to pass time and this time was no different. She had initially thought that she might have some thinking to do but surprisingly she felt at peace. Enjoying the little things in life was something she really loved since she was a child.

Her peace was not the least bit interrupted when someone quietly joined her. The dark burgundy sweater, black jeans and the tan arms covered half way by the sleeves to complement. Mel was still staring at the purple sky but she caught the glimpse of the person who sat down next to her from the corner of her eye. Her eyes on the sky, she smiled.

'Matching colors', she whispered. The person looked at her curiously. 'The color of the sky matches your sweater', she said, her smile widening. Eyes the color of caramel cappuccino looked up at the sky. There was a slight nod and a soft chuckle.

Mel turned to Stefan. 'You know...there's something I've been meaning to tell you'. At this, Stefan's eyebrows briefly furrowed inquisitively. Mel turned her gaze skywards again. 'I'm still confused about the color of your eyes', she said and looked at his face for a reaction.

Stefan stared into a distance nonchalantly for a bit before responding.

'You know...my mom has coffee brown eyes. A lighter shade though. Like...' his voice trailed off as he cocked his head to a side thoughtfully.

'Like caramel cappuccino?' Mel filled in, ending with an inquisitive note at the end. His head swiveled in her direction as he gazed at her with slightly widened eyes. Mel turned to him and her face broke into a smile when she saw his expression. 'Yeah well, yours are that color I think...so I just thought I'd assume your mom's were too'.

'You're something else, Mel', he responded with an amused expression on his face, 'I've never met anyone quite like you'. Mel shrugged.

'Well, we are all different I guess', she said modestly. 'Also...you haven't met much people yet either'. Realizing that she was being sarcastic in the last bit, Stefan threw her a look. 'Well', the girl added, matter of factly, 'you will when you go to France'.

He looked at her with a sober expression at the words. Mel patted his arm comfortingly.

'I'm gonna miss my mom and...' he paused, 'I wouldn't be able to stay close to Delano either'. Mel remained silent, knowing the boy was probably going through too much and wanted emotional support more than advice. Silence settled down for a few minutes as he stared into space. She continued to observe the sky.

'There's nothing particularly good about France either', he said at last, breaking the silence. Mel looked at him for a brief moment and then smiled at something which came to her mind. When he looked at her questioningly, she responded with a laugh.

'Let's not pretend that you're not excited about les jolies filles' she said. Stefan leaned back, laughing.

'I know it's the right thing to do', he said, nodding happily. 'You guys will be okay without me, yeah?'

Mel rolled her eyes. 'Oh no! My goodness we can't go on living without you, your highness'. They broke into a hearty laugh at Mel's tone. 'We might miss you a bit', Mel put her thumb and forefinger together and gestured, 'just a little bit'. Stefan shoved her slightly off the bench with his shoulder. Mel shoved him back with a scowl.

'We have company', Stefan said, looking up at Ru and Kira who were walking down the path towards the benches. They were having an animated conversation and didn't look at the two until they came closer. Ru patted Stefan on the back before sitting down with Wes on the bench opposite them.