The Masqueraded Man (Chapter 3)

Monday came and Madeline never stopped thinking about the boy who kissed her ever since the dance. She acted as if she had fallen in love with him. So when she arrived at school, she handed out flyers in the second floor that she made with a painting on it and questions printed under it.

She asked passer-bys the same unanswered question when she handed them a flyer which was: "Have you seen this guy?"

After passing out at least twenty flyers, she turned around to Andrea and Lizzie who had just stopped by.

"Oh, hey, guys," she greeted. "What's new?"

"With us, nothing much," answered Andrea. "But with you, a lot."

"What are you talking about?"

"I think it has to do with you handing out flyers," responded Lizzie.

"So what? I'm helping out."

"Yeah, helping yourself," Andrea said, taking a flyer from Madeline's hand.

"That's a bit ego-electrical," Lizzie commented.

"Egotistical."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"Did you paint this?"

"Yes," Madeline answered. "It's pretty great, isn't it?"

"Pretty great? More like ugly great. I don't know if this is supposed to be a man or a cantalope."

"If it's a cantalope, it looks pretty delicious," said Lizzie.

"So you haven't seen anyone who looks like this?" asked Madeline.

"Why are you obsessing over this guy?" questioned Andrea.

"He kissed me at the Masquerade Ball and I can't stop thinking about him."

"Was the kiss really good?" asked Lizzie.

"More like really, really good."

"Aw."

"And I need to find him."

"Do you even know his name?" asked Andrea.

"Nope, just a mask."

"Well, he's not going to wear the mask to school."

"I know that. But that would be really helpful if he did."

"So you're going to search for a guy that you barely know?"

"Yeah."

"You're crazy."

"I know you are but what am I?"

"Crazy."

"Please, you can never be crazy with love."

"Love? You love him? You barely know him."

"That's what makes it love."

"No."

Madeline turned her head, taking a glance at an unfamiliar boy who was loitering in the hallway.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "He has brown hair just like the boy at the dance did."

"Um, a lot of boys here have brown hair," said Andrea.

"Some dirty blonds are mistaken as brown-haired," added Lizzie.

"I'm going to find out who he is," said Madeline.

"Please don't," begged Andrea.

Madeline walked away.

"Oh, she's going to do."

Madeline approached the idle boy. She held up her neat pile of flyers so he could see.

"O.A.R.?" she inquired.

The boy looked at Madeline. "What?"

"O.A.R."

"Or what?"

"You know... 'How many times can I break till I shatter?'"

The boy made a face of confusion and looked away.

"Come on, don't you know?"

"Know what? You're freaking me out."

"You can't be freaked out at love."

The boy ran away, scared of Madeline's growing anger.

"Oh, come on!" she threw her flyers down on the ground. Her eyes then widened as she saw another, brunet boy in the hallway. "Hey, you!" she approached him. "O.A.R.?"

The boy ignored her and walked off.

"Forget you!" Madeline shouted. She walked up the hall and went up to more boys who were passing by. "Do you guys even recognize me? 'How many times can I break till I shatter?' This is our song!"

Andrea and Lizzie stared at Madeline walking through the stampede of frightened boys.

"Has Madeline lost it or what?" inquired Andrea.

"I thought she'd get upset every time she watched the ending of Titanic," said Lizzie.