The next morning Leif got out of bed with a skip, then stopped himself, he probably shouldn't seem too happy that he went over to Section River. His parents were sure to ask him where he'd gotten his happy mood.
He hurriedly ate his toast and frittata.
"What's the rush?" asked Keighan.
"Nothing," he said with a full mouth, "just gonna meet a friend today."
"Who?" asked Emberly.
"Robbyn," he said.
The lie had slipped out so easily that time.
"Oh, you've told us about her haven't you?" asked Emberly.
"Yeah," he said feeling his cheeks starting to burn.
"I hope we can meet her sometime," said Keighan.
"Yeah, maybe you can," he said. "But maybe not today, she lives all the way across town."
"Oh, where are you two meeting then?" she asked.
"Oh, somewhere in the middle, it's always different," he said as he finished his food.
He hopped up from the table and grabbed his fedora and a blue hoodie. He kissed his mom on the cheek and gave his dad a fist bump.
"See yuh," he called as he went out the door, grabbing his skateboard as he went.
He skated down to the fence that was only a couple of blocks away, (not across town). He waited there for a few moments until he heard her soft footsteps.
"Hi," she said mildly.
"Masks on?" he said putting on his own.
"Mask on," she said affirmatively.
They turned to look at one another. She was carrying her art supplies and he carried... well, his skateboard. They both sat down in front of one another.
"What color?" she asked him.
"Hmm?"
"What color do you think my mask should be?"
"Oh, well, what about a kind of red color, with some silver streaks," he said.
"I like that," she said. "And I think you should have blue with black."
"Yeah, that sounds cool," he said.
She handed him her silver and red paint. He reached through the wire fence and touched her mask with the paint with the brush. She did the same to his.
He accidentally got some paint on her face.
"Sorry," he said trying to wipe it off.
"That's okay," she said as she touched his nose with her paintbrush.
He lurched backward trying to avoid the blast of color on his face. She laughed and moved forward trying to reach his face.
"Don't you dare, don't you dare," he said leaning so far back that his back was almost touching the ground.
She laughed more. Then he suddenly sat up and swiped at her face with his paintbrush. The paint traveled across her eyelid and over the brim of her nose.
"Woe," he said.
"What?" she asked.
"That looks really cool," he said.
"What the paint?"
"Yeah. I think it'd be cool if we painted our faces then put the mask over it."
"Why would we need too?" she asked.
"It brings out the extra detail of-" he stopped.
"Brings out the detail of what?" she asked. "Come on don't leave me hanging."
"Well, I was gonna say that it brings out the extra detail in your face," he said.
She stopped painting his mask. She looked down at her paint palette.
"I'm sorry," he said. "This is weird isn't it?"
"What's weird?" she asked looking back up at him.
"This," he said. "Us. The sections."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it's weird because, we aren't allowed to be friends," he said.
"But you said that it-"
"I know, what I said about the laws saying we couldn't see each other, and that's true, but we both know what it's really saying."
"Well, yeah, but that shouldn't stop us," she said.
He shook his head, "You're right we shouldn't, and we haven't let it."
There was a long pause. "Leif?"
"Jordan?"
"When is that dance?"
His eyes were wide with wonder. Was she really asking him that? He thought that she was that girl that wasn't too rebellious, but just enough to talk to him. He thought that she'd never ask, literally.
"It's in August," he whispered. "August 16th I think."
"Why are you whispering," she whispered.
"I don't know, because it seems like something you need to whisper about."
She laughed slightly.
"Are you really going to come? 'cause I mean, you don't have to," he said.
"I want to," she said plainly.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
She paused... "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I'm sure."
He went home that day in a magical daze, but when he laid down in bed that night, the daze went away and an intense fear began to rise up in him. What if they got caught? What if someone took off her mask or his mask? Or both?
He couldn't sleep that night. But a few days went by and he felt better, but then a few weeks, then a few months until it was the night of the dance. Now he was really freaking out, but he couldn't back out now.
He'd had bought a blue suit the day before. It was a scary nice suit considering he got it from a thrift store, and to get anything fancy that wasn't red was certainly a find. He'd given the suit to Jordan, for some slight adjustments. He hadn't seen her in the dress yet, honestly, she hadn't let him see the dress at all. He knew it was red, but he didn't know how she was going to accessorize it.
He was so nervous, but he was going to try not to show it. Although she was probably nervous too, so what the heck right? He hoped that she wouldn't be nervous enough to back out, but he didn't want to pressure her into going either.
"I'm going mom," he said. "Wish me luck."
"Good, luck, if there's any way, then bring her back for dinner," she said.
"Her parents want her back right after the dance, so I don't think we can do that. Sorry," he said as he walked out the door.
"Oh, well tell her I said 'Hi' then!"
"Will do!" he said and closed the door behind him. He grabbed his skateboard and rolled toward her section. No one was there. He was surprised, but then she rounded the corner with her mask on. She didn't have her dress on, it and the suit were in a bag she carried on her arm.
"Throw the bag to me," he said holding out his hands.
She threw it to him and started to climb over. He set the bag on the ground and held his hands out to her. She took them and jumped all the way down.
"We can get dressed when we get there," she said.
"Good idea."
She grabbed the bag again. He gave her his hand and she took it, but not before hesitating.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I just... well... This just doesn't feel safe," she said. "What if we get caught?"
"We won't, I promise."
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Leif," she said.
"I know, that's why I can promise you that we won't get caught," he said.
He put one foot on his skateboard and helped her on. Then he put his other foot on the board and it sped off by itself. Jordan gave a little screech and her arms tightened around him.
"How is it moving on its own?!" she asked.
"I had a friend help me make it!" he answered.
"This is really scary!" she said, "but so cool!"
He laughed. She did too. This was going to be awesome.
When they got to his school, Phoenix was waiting there along with other kids. They were already in their fancies. They bother headed to the bathrooms to get dressed. Leif got out before her and waited outside in the hall.
When Jordan finally got out, his breath was nearly knocked out of him by the sight of her. He stood there with his mouth half open and his eyes wide.
"How do I look?" she asked.
He couldn't speak all he did was stand there and shake his head in amazement. It wasn't even the dress as much as it was her in the dress.
"It's horrible isn't it?" she asked. "I knew I should've bought the dress instead of making it my own."
"You made that?" he asked. "It's absolutely gorgeous."
She looked down and smiled, "Really?" she asked quietly.
"Really," he said.
He offered her his hand and she took it. It fit perfectly into his or was he just imagining it? They walked into the gym where everyone was dancing.
"Do you wanna dance?" she asked.
He thought it was very brave of her to ask first.
"I think I do," he said.
After they danced to fast songs, slow songs, sad songs, and bitter-sweet songs they went over to the snack table. They were both out of breath. They both laughed. But Leif stopped laughing as soon as he saw Phoenix. He'd been avoiding people he knew the whole night. He couldn't be recognized with Jordan with him.
"Punch?" he asked laughing once more.
"Sure," she said.
He poured punch out for the both of them, they grabbed something to eat and then sat at a table in the corner of the gym.
"I'm glad you talked me into this," she said.
"Me too, I'm glad you could come," he said.
"But you know what this means, don't you?" she asked.
He shook his head.
"It means that we are lawbreakers," she said. "And you know it."
He nodded. "I'll never ask you to do it again."
"Don't make promises I can't keep," she said.
"That's- wait that you can't keep?" he asked.
"Yeah, 'cause I just might have to ask you to come over to my section sometime," she said with a smile, but she bit her lip trying to conceal her glee.
He smiled widely but also tried to hide it by pushing the corners of his mouth downward, but they wouldn't stay there.
"What are we Bonnie and Clyde?" he asked facetiously.
She giggled slightly. Leif stopped laughing.
"What?" she asked, then she felt a shadow on her shoulder.
She turned to see a guy standing over her.
"Hey," said Leif.
"Hey, now I gotta guess who you are," said Phoenix. "I've guessed everyone but you two."
"Bet you can't guess," Leif laughed nervously.
"Bet you ten bucks I can."
Then a bright light shined into the audience.
"And now," said Mrs. Brimstone, "we'll announce the winners of the King and Queen Couple's Pageant winners!"
Everyone cheered and Phoenix turned to face the stage. Leif grabbed Jordan's hand and they rushed out of the gym. When Phoenix turned around they were gone.
"And the winners are, Leif Hayes and Robbyn Forge!"
Everyone clapped, but nobody came up on stage.