"Mark
"Mark!" Mark Diamond twisted around in his uncomfortable school lunchroom chair. "O-oh!" Mark had a habit of stuttering when he got nervous. Mark was an extreme introvert student at the local high school in Stoney-brook. However, Mark had no reason to be frightened, as it was just his friend, Courteny Chetwende. His only friend. Courteny slid into the chair next to Mark and began to eat her lunch of chicken pot pie and french fries. "Mmm, healthy." Mark smirked. "And what you're eating is supposed to be mega-good for you?"
Mark blushed and looked down at his lunch of pizza and carrot sticks. Seeing Mark eating with Courteny wasn't unusual. There was nothing odd there. It was what wasn't there. Their third best friend, Bobby Pendragon was missing. He had been for four years now. Oh, and Bobby was jetting around Halla (everything and every time) trying to save the world (several of them) from a bald demon?
"Hey Mark, did you hear that Mona's coming back?" Mark spat out his mouthful of milk. "Mona? Wow!" Mark mused. "Haven't seen her in like, ten years!" Mona was another ex-friend of Mark and Courtney's. Unlike Bobby, she hadn't disappeared, but moved to Toronto. They all used to hang out in grade 6. Mark had a little (okay, a big) crush on Mona, but was too chicken to say anything the day she moved away.
"I wonder if she still carries Stephen King books everywhere?" "Heh! Yeah, I remember! We had to watch the Shining at least a dozen times!" "Oh! Does she still have headgear?" "Mark? I think maybe we should pick her up from the airport!" "Um… I don't know." Mark shyly turned away from Courteny. "I gotta go." Mark high-tailed it out of the caf. Courteny rolled her eyes. Would that dork ever get over his weird fear of humans?
A week later, Courteny by using her incredible persuasive power to control Mark (Okay, and a comic book or 2) manages to drag Mark to the airport. "Oh! Maybe her plane got delayed…? We should go." Mark muttered. "Get over it, Mark. Stop being a baby." Courteny sniffed. "The plane from Toronto's already in. Ah! There she is! MONA! MONA! OVER HERE!" Courteny called, waving her arms. "I gotta pee!" Mark tried to scramble to the door, but Courteny was holding him back.
"Mark? Court? Oh my god!" A voice drifted over from the baggage claims. "Whoa…. crap." Breathed Mark. Standing in front of the sign was a beautiful girl with green eyes, chestnut hair, golden pig earrings, and NO BRACES was throwing down a plastic Longos bag full of books. Mona threw her arms around the two of them, as Mark turned a very amusing shade of pink. "It's so good to be back home! I feel like I never left! So where's Bobby?" Mona gushed. "Um….it's so good to see you, Mona!" Courteny screamed. The two girls hugged as Mark stood sheepishly in the background. "Good to see you too, Mark.." Said Mona, sensing to stay away by Mark's awkward stance. Marks heart skipped a beat. "Yeah….y-you too." Mark stutrred.
Mark had always thought the only girl he'd ever like was Mona. He understood he'd pretty much die alone when Mona moved away. The circumstances where so right; two nerds, smitten with each other but both too cowardly to do something. He accepted that, too, without too much anger. But now she was back; and she was beautiful. Competetion. Mark was never too good at stuff like that. That was Courteny's game, Bobby's game. Not his. "Nrrgh!" Mark wailed, punching his pillow.
In the middle of the night, Mark sat straight up. Oh man. What if Mona was Saint Dane? It was not only possible, but probable. Mona's reaperrance had been quick, and he hadn't seen her parents yet. Oh man, oh man, oh man. Mark couldn't handle that, after what had happened between Courteny and Whitney Whilcox. But if Saint Dane made him fall… there would be hell to pay.
The next day, going to school and seeing her was something really hard. But it had to be done. "This is Stoneybrook high, Mona!" Courteny grandly announced, coming in through the school's dingy front doors. "Oh, and Mona, there's a dance tonight. Marky's not going but I am…." Courteny smashed into Mark. "Sorry! Marky baby, Mona and I where just discussing the dance." "Why aren't you going, Mark?" Ah hell. Screw better, this was the best there was. "I- I was waiting for you to get back so we could buy tickets together!" Oh shit. Marky baby was in hot water. "Sure! C'mon Mark, let's go buy them!" Mark's jaw went slack. "Uh… okay!" He said dreamily.
That night….
Mark's doorbell rang just as he was putting on his tux (okay, dress shirt and jeans). It was Mona. "Damn!" Said Mona. "When it rains, it pours." Mona looked good. She always did. Mark tried to ignore the low-cut dress, but his eyes just kept straying…. "A-HEM." Mona interrupted Mark's thoughts. "Mark, let's go!" "Oh geez, I'm sorry Mona. Yeah, let's go."
The dance was… well, pretty lame to tell the truth. Marky baby had a lot of fun, though. Dancing wasn't his thing (what was his thing?), but Mona could dance. Mark kept having to leave because every time they danced, his face turned bright red. Mona made fun of him everytime it happened. Mark didn't want the night to be over. He didn't want Mona to be who he thought she might be. "Courteny?" Mark called. She was in a corner of the gym, making out with some guy he didn't know. "Ha!" Mona smirked. "Guess we'll be leaving without Courteny." "Y-yeah." They drove silently. "Mark?" Mona said, breaking the quiet. "Mmm?" Mark fiddled with a pencil. "What's up with you? You won't even talk to me like we used to. Are you mad at me?" Mark temper rose. This was a dirty trick. This was Saint Dane, Mark was so sure. "You'd better not be who I think you are." He said loudly. "Pull over, Saint Dane, I'm getting out." Mona's face registered shock, and then anger. "Mark, what the hell are you trying to pull? Get out. I don't want you here." Mark angrily slammed the car door.
She sniffed. "I could have fallen for you, Mark. But you're just like every other guy on the planet! Stupid!" Mona burst out into tears and drove away into the rain. A single tear ran down Mark's face. Tricked, again. By stupid Saint Dane. Man, he hated that guy. The rain kept falling. Just like Mark. Just like fake Mona. Was there a real Mona? Or was it all along Saint Dane? Mark kept walking. He didn't know where he was going, and Mark really didn't care.
In the distance, there was something glowing. A light? A streetlamp? A…. no. A car head light flickered for a moment, then turned off. Mona got out of the car. Without a word, Mona walked towards Mark. She wasn't him, Mark knew it then. He had seen Saint Dane many times, but he knew…. he somehow knew this wasn't him. Mark walked toward her, hands outstretched. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I know you are." Mona said simply. "Let's go for a walk." "Yeah."
Mark felt good. Etheral, almost, as he floated through the trees with Mona. "I love the moon at night." "I don't." Mona turned toward Mark, kissing him softly. "I just love being here with you." She whispered into his mouth
THE END