This is affectionate known as "the pie chapter". I promised there would be some nice moments for Kire and this is one of them!

Giver41

It soon became apparent that the crowd had little interest in what was being played as long as they could dance and sway to the music.

Rather than sit in the corner and sulk, I played with the band, listening to the dozens of men and women drown out Marie's words. Several times I caught her attempting to change the way she sang, and every time she caught me looking at her, she quickly turned away.

"You should play every night!" a man with a pot belly and ruddy face said as he clapped me hard on the back. "You are like an angel sent from heaven."

Despite smelling like he'd indulged in an entire barrel of beer, I smiled back and thanked him quietly, then slipped behind Marie while the musicians took a break. The smell of alcohol made me shiver, the man's praise overshadowed by his unintentionally heavy hand. It took several deep breaths to steady my suddenly racing heart.

I enjoyed their appreciation for my music, but I didn't want to stand before the crowd. My head began to ache from the blow I had taken earlier in the day, my eyes heavy, my heart still a beat behind. With all of the activity and the brightly colored masks, I had nearly forgotten my heartache.

Amelie's mother laughed loudly from across the open space as she took her seat beside several other masked women. I watched her for a moment and wondered how quickly my parents had forgotten me.

They were sullen, angry people, more concerned with keeping me away from the world rather than living their lives. I wondered what they would have thought if they had seen me playing a violin, of the crowd's reaction to my talent.

They would have thought me possessed by some evil force, tricking innocent people with my unnatural abilities. They would have set the crowd after me, encouraged them to beat and reject me.

Terror ripped through me and I immediately set the violin down, taking great care with the instrument. Quickly I backed away and felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Uncle," I said under my breath.

I turned and found a swan princess instead. "You do realize you are horrible at being invisible, right?" she teased.

Her gentle, friendly tone kept me from bolting away. She smiled when I didn't reply and giggled to herself.

"My mother said you are due for a fine reward," she stated, her eyes wide as though this would somehow tempt me. "It's delicious."

"Reward?" I questioned.

She nodded. "Mother rewards everyone with pie."

That was all the prompting I needed. She tugged me along, though it was mostly for show as I had no desire to protest. Amelie ushered me toward the end of a table and sat beside me on the bench while her mother delivered dessert to the table.

My mouth watered at the sight of flaky crusts and berries oozing from the inside.

"Blueberry, strawberry, or peach?" she asked.

It seemed unfair to choose just one.

"May I have a little of each?" I asked quietly.

She smiled down at me. "My, you are so humble, young man. You speak boldly with a violin in hand, but set you in the middle of the crowd with only your tongue and you barely have a voice."

I wasn't sure what to make of her words or whether she meant her tone to be light or condescending. In silence I searched for my uncle and found him gathered with a group of older men. He caught me staring and nodded back, attempting to reassure me.

"Peach is my favorite," Amelie's mother said as she placed dessert in front of me. As requested, I was given three slices; one of each flavor. The flaky crust and giant, glazed berries and fruit took up the entire plate and I had every intention of filling my gut.

Her dessert was a delicacy unlike any other and just the smell of it made my mouth water with anticipation. My eyes closed with the first sweet bite and I couldn't imagine a more pleasurable experience.

Amelie rested her chin in the palm of her hand and watched me while I ate. I paused after indulging in a bite from each slice and looked at her.

"I beg your pardon?" I said as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

She shrugged and pulled off her mask. "Take yours off while you eat," she suggested.

I must have noticeably recoiled as she too stiffened and drew back from me, a hint of fear in her gaze.

"No," I said firmly.

Her eyes widened. I held my breath, afraid she would further question me or worse, attempt to remove it herself. I waited for the people gathered around us to take notice, to pause from their meals and study me closer.

"Do you like it?" her mom asked suddenly.

I looked away from Amelie and nodded, afraid she would tell me to remove the mask while I ate.

"Good, then I expect an empty plate from you," she said before she walked away.

I continued to eat in silence while Amelie dutifully sat beside me. I longed for conversation, for a moment of seeming ordinary, but I feared the consequences. Already she had to suspect I was not at all like her.

"You will be sick if you eat another bite," Amelie pointed out.

I purposely shoveled more blueberries into my mouth. "Highly doubtful," I replied.

"You should see yourself in the mirror," she said with a shake of her head.

Alarmed, I froze, my fork clattering from my grasp and onto the edge of my plate.

"Your lips are blue." Amelie laughed. She plucked a berry from my plate and popped it into her mouth. "How about mine?"

It took a moment for my heart to settle and voice to emerge. "Still red."

"I'll settle for red," she replied. "I couldn't possibly eat another berry."

I ate another one on her behalf, which made her chuckle.

"Did you think that was a challenge?" she asked.

Everything to me was a challenge. "Your mother told me to eat it," I said defensively.

"She will be very pleased," Amelie said with a nod. "And she will undoubtedly ask you to stay here forever so she could fatten you up some."

I wistfully considered the idea of being asked to stay, but knew my façade would only last for the night. I entertained the fantasy of a mother bringing me desserts, of cooking meals just for me and standing idly by, fretting as I took the first bite.

From the corner of my eye I saw Amelie's mother across the table watching me. She smiled and nodded in approval when I looked up, the last of the cherry glaze resting on the edge of my fork. Within minutes I had succeeded in gorging on the finest dessert I ever enjoyed in my life.

"You have the saddest eyes I have ever seen," Amelie said suddenly. She placed her hand over mine, her touch so warm and soft I found it impossible to deny. "Have you lost someone close to you?"

My heart ached and I nodded in silence, raw emotion threatening. Dogs barked in the distance and I swallowed hard, realizing mere hours had passed since I had buried my loyal friend.

The problem wasn't only that I had suffered a loss as it was I had never managed to gain. My time with Girl had been fleeting, and I knew the days I had left with my uncle were short. These were not ideas I wanted to entertain, not when there was music in the air and a girl whose warmth I could feel beside me.

Other than my uncle, I had no one. Looking around at the people gathered in the night, they were closely knit friends and family, all of them embracing, laughing, and enjoying the simple act of being together.

Surrounded by laughter and friendship, I felt utterly alone and discarded. I dreaded the night's end as once the daylight came, the masks would be gone and so would my disguise. By tomorrow I would be strange, a boy in a mask, an unwelcomed stranger.

"You have a bruise almost all the way around your neck. I can see it peeking out from beneath your shirt," she said, her voice suddenly quiet. "Did someone hurt you?"

I nodded, ashamed of what I was beneath. She had no idea how deeply I had been hurt, how much I still hurt.

"Is that why you don't want to remove the mask?"

Again I nodded, savoring the excuse.

She frowned. "I understand," she said, her voice gentle, almost soothing. She squeezed my hand hard and then pulled away as she stood.

"Where are you going?" I asked, afraid I had frightened her away. If only for the night, I wanted her friendship.

She glanced over her shoulder at me and smiled. "The swan princess is going to dance one last time," she said coyly. "Would the invisible boy care to join her?"

I had no desire to dance, but even less desire to be alone. Without a word I stood and followed her, accepting her hand as she reached back to me.

Taking a deep breath, I laced my fingers with hers and tried to convince myself this was a normal act. Had I not been terrified, it would have been an enjoyable sensation.

Awkward was a trait shared by all boys my age, though I focused solely on my own difficulties. Amelie stood at a distance and placed her hands on my shoulders, then waited for me to do the same. Standing off to the side, we swayed in a circle, threatening to topple over at any moment with our jarring stiff-legged movements.

Amelie giggled nervously, and seeing her own fears, made me realize I wasn't the only one feeling incompetent. Couples swayed around us, light and deft on their feet as though they were made of some pliant material while I was made of lead.

"Am I doing this wrong?" I asked.

She nodded but laughed nonetheless.

"Why is that amusing?" I questioned.

"You can make beautiful music, but you can't dance to it." She smiled, her eyes still shining bright despite the darkness. "Music is less frightening than dancing with a girl, isn't it?"

I nodded back and took a breath, attempting to relax. She danced with me merely because I lied to her, hid the awful truth. Instead of shame, I felt a spike of pride in my deception. I stepped in closer and gauged her reaction, waited for her to draw back when she looked me in the eye. Instead she lowered her gaze, smiled nervously, and leaned in closer, her small hands gripping me tightly, as though she feared letting go.

"You wish only to prove me wrong, don't you?" she questioned.

Again I nodded. All I ever wanted, all I would ever want, was to prove the world wrong.

At last I found the rhythm, and when I whirled her around, she tossed her head back and laughed, her body trembling in my grasp. The music ended, but as I released her and stepped away, I felt humbled by the power emanating from two people—two strangers—joined for a song.

I studied her for a long moment, this swan princess beneath the moonlight, this beautiful moment birthed by lies.