Cinderlily Left a Ring

"Lils, did you hear about the halloween dance, it's a mascurade theme!" my friend Rachel, said excitedly. I sighed as I pushed my glasses up my nose.
"I heard, but I'm not going," I said, slamming my locker shut and putting my backpack on my shoulder, and walking outside. Rachel grabbed my arms and looked at me, pouting.
"Why not? You know mom has the vintage store. She can help us with the costumes. There's a dress she just got in. It would look perfect on you!" come on. I sighed. I hated going to dances. I wasn't that social, most people didn't know I exsisted. I hardly said anything and remained in the back of my class.
"Fine," I said. Twisting the ring around my finger.
"When is Joe, coming home?" she asked, refering to my brother.
"He has leave soon," she said. Joe was in the marines. She loved him very much. The ring that she wore around her finger, was from him. A slim gold band, with small lilies engraved in it with three tiny topaz stones. Inside it said, Stay strong little flower, J. She treasured it and loved it. It was a little loose, but wouldn't fall off if you didn't pull it.
"That's awesome, remember Friday, be there," I laughed and waved.

"Mom, can I go over to Rachel's on Friday? You know to get ready for the dance," I asked.
"Of course," she said probably happy that I have some sort of social life. "Your brother is going to be coming home, two weeks Friday," she said.
"Really? I didn't know it would be so soon,"
"A year, last week," I smiled. My big brother would be home soon, I couldn't wait.

Soon the week was over. I got into Rachel's ancient Buic and headed to her house. "I'll show you the dresses. Mom put them behind the counter. I found some masks and shawls to match. You can pick out whatever shoes in the shop, just be careful cause mom will want them back," I nodded.
She parked on the street and we walked to her mom's shop, Tarnished Gold. They lived upstairs. "Let's eat and I'll show you the dresses at like six, so we can pick out the shoes and accessories and get ready at six thirty," I nodded and followed her upstairs.

A couple hours later we made our way downstairs. "Wait until you see your dress, you'll look A-Mazing. Trust me," I nodded, not knowing how it could happen. I was pretty small, but freaky tall 5'9, which made it hard to hide. I had brown hair that the only remarkable thing about it was how frizzy it could get and eyes that if you were kind could be discribed as golden. Rachel on the other hand was lucky. She was the normal height at 5'4, with a tiny waist and golden hair that you could practically anything with and doe brown eyes.
"Are you coming, Lily?" she asked, I scurried to catch up.
"Ta-Da!" she exclaimed pulling out a dress. It was ivory colored with a strapless sweet heart neckline that had beading on the bodice. The skirt was ankle length with a small champaine bow and a matching shawl. "This mask goes with it," she said handing it to me.
The mask was breathtaking itself. A ivory colored tinged with gold and bronze ribbon around the edge and to tie it. It sparkled with beading taking up the hole thing. It would cover my forehead and to the end of my nose and down my cheeks. The only thing you could see clearly was mouth.
"Told you that you would love it. Look at mine," Her dress was a shiny red fabric, the neck was strapless sweetheart with a pickup skirt that went to her knees. Her mask was small and would only cover her eyes. It was red also with black lace trim and a black ribbon to tie it.
"Lets go take showers and then get ready. You brought a robe right?" I nodded. "You can take my mom's bathroom," I took a long shower using the shampoo Rachel had instructed me to buy. Once I got out I blowdried my hair and headed to her room.
"Sit down," she instructed, her hair already dry and up in a loose bun with pieces framing her face. I did as she instructed and let her work her magic. I saw all the things she put on my face, but didn't really register what they were.
After my makeup was done, she did my hair. I have no idea what it looked like, other than the fact it had curls in it and it fell loose. "Voila, you can't look yet. I want you to be surprised when you look in the mirror," I nodded and made my way downstaris.
"Change in here," It was a small curtained off off dressing room. I slipped on the dress, relishing the feel of the satin against my skin. "You can't hide forever, Lily," she said.
I stepped out feeling funny in my barefeet and the fancy dress. She was standing in front of the room and turned around, smiling with glee. I saw she held my mask in her hands. "You can't look yet, not until your mask is on," she said. "I'll put it on. I had mom tie it on for me," I turned around and waited as she tied it on securely making sure, not to mess up my hair. "Done," she said stepping away.
I let a deep breathe out. The girl in the mirror could not be me, but it was. My waist looked tiny and the dress made my heighth not seem freaky, but graceful. My hair was pulled back halfway but the rest was a nest of sleek ringlets. She had painted my lips to a rosey pink and my eyes looked huge and sparkly with long eyelashes. "I look amazing," I told her almost doubtful.
"Told you, let's go find shoes," she grabbed me by the hand and pulled me to the rack where all the shoes layed. We both took off the masks so we could look better.The both of us gifted with small feet. Her 6 1/2 and me 7 1/2. I looked at them trying to find a pair. "Aren't these perfect," she said trying on a pair of peep-toe slingbacks. They were black with a lace trim and about three inches high. I rolled my eyes.
She thrust a pair of high heels in my hand. I handed them back and tried on a pair of gold slippers. She shook her head when I found them. They were like sandles, ivory with gold beading similar to my mask. She nodded her head.
I looked at the clock. "Crap, take off your shoes and let's go!" her mom was taking us to the ball since we would be getting back so late. Then we (somhow) grabbed our shawls, shoes, masks and gloves in one hand and grabbed our skirts in the other. We plopped down in the backseat of her moms van.
"Cutting it close," she said, but we paid no attention, to busy getting ready. I put on gloves, long ivory opera ones that fit tight. I had to put my ring over it. She had black gloves that were fingerless and had two bows at the elbows. "We're here, I'll see you at twelve," she said the both of us tied on our masks and stepped out, letting out shawls hang loose in the crook or out arms.
The school held our dances at one of the country clubs. The let us use it for the night for a small fee. We walked into the lobby and up the stairs. Everyone was wearing a mask. Most of the guys were wearing the cheap plastic masks that they handed out at the door, since everyone had to wear one. We hung up the shawls and headed to the doors. We were late, "Ready?" Rachel asked, I nodded for lack of words.
I followed her down the stairs, all eyes on us. I couldn't blend in. Once we hit the floor I rushed to her side. "Who are they staring at?" I asked.
"You, Cinderlily," she said, with a smirk. "Enjoy yourself Lil. No one can recognize you," she said with a laugh. That didn't comfort me. I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Excuse me? Do you want to dance?" It was a guy. A tall guy, taller than me in heels with dishelved black hair, wearing a silver mask and a tux. I couldn't be sure, but I was pretty confident in his idenity. Matt Carlson, he would never give me the time of day if he knew who I was.
"Go ahead, Rach, I'll be fine," I said. I felt him grab my elbow.
"No you," he said. She nudged me and I grabbed his hands. We danced for a couple of songs. He spun me around during fast songs. We talked some. "Let's get some punch and get some air," I nodded caught up in all this.
We got a glass of punch each and headed outside, to the garden. It was light up with lights and you could see the stars in the sky. "Beautiful isn't it?" he asked.
"Lovely," I replied, looking into his eyes. A greyish blue like a turbulent ocean. He smiled at me and I felt myself blush and was happy that the mask hid my cheeks. We continued walking around.
"Do I know you?" he asked, I looked up at him. "Do you go to Glennfield High?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied. He looked at me puzzled. Trying to place me, I knew he wouldn't. The only person who acknowledged my exsistence was Rachel, my best friend since kindergarten.
"What's your name?" he asked. I considered telling him. The girl he wasted nearly an hour dancing with, was nothing more than a nobody at school. How would he react? If he was who I thought he was. Matt was in a completely different world than me at school. He hung around with his friends, was easy going and every one loved. He joked around with the teachers, but he never got in any real trouble.
"Guess," I said suddenly feeling confident.
"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "Have I ever seen you before?"
"Yes," I replied. He laughed and reached to take off my mask, I grabbed his wrist and held them down. "Not until the unveiling," I said with a smirk.
"I take it you know who I am?" he asked.
"Matt Carlson," I replied. He took off his mask which only covered his eyes.
"I guess the mask didn't do that great of a job. You know the whole point of this dance was to meet new people. They thought if we didn't know who each other was we would be more willing to talk." he said.
"Like the Twelth Night," I said.
"We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves," he says.
"That's not from the play, that's who? Rochefoucauld?" I asked.
"I don't know, I just know the quote. Your not like most girls are you?" he questioned I didn't answered. "You came in with Rachel, right? Why didn't you think I would want to dance with you," I shrugged, then laughed harshly. "Because I tend to fade away when I'm around her. That's one of the reasons I'm her friend." I said, setting down my glass and walking away.
"Your pretty I don't know why I don't notice you at school," he said. He saw me roll my eyes at the cheesy line, he noticed and fixed it. "I mean your hard to miss. You're taller than some of the guys on the basketball team," I hit his shoulder and he smiles a crooked grin. "Let's go back inside I don't want to start any rumors," he grips my glove clad hand and we walk back in.
Slower songs are playing. "Let's dance mystery girl," I giggle as we have fun dancing around. I know we have attracted attention, but for once I don't care. I feel powerful with my mask on, wearing this dress.
The clock ticks and the music stops as a perky girl takes the mike. She's tall and wearing a pink dress with the hem high and neckline low. Her mask barely covers her eyes and she has glitter all of her face. "It's almost midnight! Everyone take off your masks and reveal yourself," Matt does it right away and so do many other people. I see Rachel laugh as she already took hers off awhile ago.
I look around, finally everyone has theirs off. I look at the announcer. It's Amber a perky cheerleader. She spies me in the middle of the dance floor standing next to Matt. Of course she would zero him out. Everyone knows they dated end of last year and it didn't so well. Plus we aren't exactly unnoticable. Matt and I are nearly the same heigth.
"Looks like someone's a little shy," she says in a wheedling voice trying to make holes in me with laser vision. I don't notice as he reaches to take off my mask. I swat his hands away, but it falls lose. I manage to hold it up to my face and try to run away. Matt grabs my hand.
"Wait!" he shouts. I yank my hand away and my glove is half off. I don't care as I exit. Running up the stairs like a world class sprinter and out the door into the cold night. Rachel's mom won't be here yet so I stop. I here the doors open and run hoping it's not Matt. "Wait Cinderlily," Rachel yells, I trip nearly falling.
"Make a dramatic enough exit?" she asked, I take a deep breath. She notices my discomfort and takes my mask, then wraps my shawl around my shoulder. We walk over to the parking lot where her mom is waiting. We get into the van she smiles at us.
"Have fun girls?" we both nod and she says nothing more.

Once we get to her house I go from being beautiful and graceful to gawky and awkward once more. I slip out of the silky skin and into a pair of sweats and baggy shirt. We raid her kitchen and take the loot to her bedroom.
We crash out on her bed and turn on the tv. Bad movies and old sitcoms are all that's on. I tell her everything that happened. "You really are Cinderlily!" she said. "Matt Carlson, seriously. Why did you run? I don't think he would care who you are," I shrugged.
"I panicked. How would he feel if he spent all that time with a nobody,"
"Your not a nobody." she says. She looks at me and her eyes rest on my left hand. I look down and suddenly realize the familat weight is not on my finger anymore. "Where's your ring?" she asked.
I reran my steps of the night in my head. Then it dawned on me. To stop me Matt pulled on my left hand and my glove came loose; my ring came with it.

The girl pulled away and ran up the stairs and out the door. He clenched the hand where her ring came off. He was stunned, before he could react the girl she arrived with, Rachel, ran after her. He followed her, the small ring still in his fist.
Rachel was grabbing the wraps. She turned around and saw him, shaking her head. He stood there watching her leave then grabbed his coat. Outside he looked around. They already left. He ran to the parking lot and saw her getting into a car and driving away. He sighed.
The girl, the strange wonderful mystery girl, had left before he even knew her name. Matt opened his palm and looked at it. It was tiny, probably wouldn't fit on his pinky. It was small and gold with three small stones. He looked inside, Stay strong my little flower, J.
No name, he clutched it in his hand. He was left alone holding a ring instead of a shoe.