My Secret New Year's Kiss

 I readjusted my peacock mask for the
umpteenth time and sighed. Whoever came up with doing a multi-school masquerade-type New Year’s party was seriously kidding themselves. The feathers were bad enough, but I could barely see out of the thing. By the way the other kids were playing with theirs, I wasn't the only one who felt that way.

“Come on, Paige. At least come and dance
with me.” Sidnee yanked on my arm and tried dragging me to the center of the crepe-papered gym. “We have a long night ahead, and you can’t just pine over some guy who didn’t deserve you.”

“But he wasn’t just some guy. He was the
guy.” I said it more as a habit than anything. Obviously, Chase hadn’t been the guy or he still would have been around. Instead, he was over in the corner with someone new. The jerk.

I dodged Sidnee’s elbow, laughing at my
friend’s crazy attempt to both dance and cheer me up. I just hoped she wouldn’t
injure someone in the process. Not that I was a much better dancer. There was a reason I hadn’t been dancing, and it wasn’t just Chase.

I couldn’t dance. Like, at all. Sidnee was
actually a great dancer, but me? Not so much. And standing out here was one of
the last things I wanted to do.

Someone shoved me from behind, knocking me forward and onto the floor. Awesome. That was a great way to impress guys.

“I am so sorry.” A guy in a tiger mask stood over me with a hand outstretched to help me up.

“You should be.” I grimaced at how rude
that sounded. I forced my temper down and smiled. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that,
really. It just caught me off guard.”

The guy laughed. “I’m sure it would. But
my friend was doing some kind of weird . . . something . . . and lost his balance, which made me lose mine. Are you all right?”

I smoothed out my dress and nodded. “Yeah,
no broken bones, and the staring from others was minimal. I think we can count it as an ‘oops’ and move on.”

“Thanks. Uh, sorry. Maybe I should just
walk away and end this embarrassing conversation before I make things even
worse than they already are.”

“Really? Look who I came to the dance
with, then tell me what you just did is worse.” I pointed out Sidnee, who was currently doing her own version of some nineties dances.

He laughed. “Got it. Maybe we need to hook
our friends up. They’re perfect for each other.”

I grinned. “I'm not sure that would be
good for those around them. Including us.”

“Good point.” He nodded toward the punch
bowl in the corner. “Thirsty?”

“I’m fine, but if it means getting off the
dance floor, I'm in.” I followed him to the corner where all the other kids with no dates were hanging out.

This was usually my crowd, but Sidnee
would hear nothing of it. Something about resolutions and how I needed to get out of my introvertedness for the last part of my senior year or I’d be a wreck in college. Her words, not mine.

Tiger Boy handed me a drink, then led me
around tables until he found an empty one. He pulled out my chair—bonus points for him—and then sat in his own. “So you go to this school, I assume?”

“Yep. Born and raised right here in the
same house. And my parents will probably live here long after I graduate and move out. You?”

“We just transferred here.” He tried to drink, but his mask got in the way. “Well, this is a pain, isn't it?”

I nodded. “I already thought the masks
were annoying, but I hadn't even thought about trying to eat or drink with them
on.”

He pulled the mask up just far enough to
move the feathers out of the way, then took a drink. “Ah. There we go."

“Good thing Mrs. Crenshaw didn’t see
that.” I scanned the audience for our principal, but she was too busy dragging
another couple up to the stage.

“What would happen if she did?” He took
another drink.

I pointed toward the stage where the band
played. “That.”

Mrs. Crenshaw tapped on the microphone.
“Who’s having a good time out there?”

A cheer went up as the couple stood next
to each other with wide eyes. Their masks hung loosely in their hands.

“Wonderful. We have our first karaoke
contestants for the night. And don’t forget that if you take off the mask, you’ll be next.” She straightened her suit coat and backed away while the completely freaked-out couple had microphones shoved in their hands. After a quick discussion with the band, music played.

“Your principal is terrifying.” Tiger Boy
pushed away his drink. “That’s it—no more for me tonight.”

I patted him on the shoulder. “Wise
choice. But I do have to say, Amy has a pretty good voice.”

“Her date is pretty good too.” He tapped
his fingers to the music. “What about you?”

“Nope. I avoid dancing and singing at all
costs. Put me on a court or a field, and I’m good.” That sounded really arrogant, but I didn’t mean it that way. “I have five older brothers, so sports are kinda my thing.”

He whistled. “Five? And I thought two was
bad enough.”

I shrugged. “It’s not so bad. I have protectors wherever I go—whether I want them or not. And Dad spoils me, so that also helps.”

“I’m sure he does.” He chuckled. “I know
my parents would be thrilled to have a girl after all of us.”

It was amazing to me that I was so at ease
talking to this guy. Chase had been great—until he dumped me—but we mostly just
talked sports. That was easy. But Tiger Boy was different. He asked me all kinds of things about home and school and yes, even sports.

Several more couples went up to sing, but
near the end of the dance, I suspected people were doing it on purpose so they
could have relief from the masquerade masks. A slow song came on, and Tiger Boy
leaned close.

“Don’t suppose you’d like to dance?” His
eyes were somewhat hidden by his mask, but they looked hopeful.

I couldn’t say no. I stood and walked out
to the dance floor with him, wondering what had gotten into me. Wasn’t the punch, because mine sat untouched on our table. He put his arms around me and I laced my fingers around his neck, swaying to the music.

Sidnee caught my eye and pulled her partner toward us, her eyes wide. “There you are. I thought you’d left.”

“I was in the same place all night.” I
mentally pleaded with her to go away. Her interruption annoyed me more than I
thought it would.

She smirked behind her feathered mask and
twirled away, leaving me to enjoy the rest of the dance. I shook my head and
looked up at Tiger Boy.

“Did you notice who she was with?” He
pulled me in a little closer.

“No.” I went up on my toes to see if I
could find them.

“That’s my friend. Apparently, they found
each other without our help.”

It was the guy was the one who knocked
Tiger Boy into me. Whenever we ran into each other again—figuratively or
literally—I’d have to thank him for introducing me to, well, whoever this was.

We’d talked all night, knew about each
other’s families, and knew each other’s hobbies, but our names? Never came up.
I don’t know why I couldn’t ask him, but it felt like it would ruin everything. He’d find out I was super lame, and I’d find out he was super popular and didn’t need me around. Something like that.

I couldn’t risk it.