Breathing heavily, I looked down at Mr. Tremont who continued to stare at me with wide eyes. I had sung with all my heart and done all of the moves perfectly; it had felt so exhilarating! As I caught my breath though, I began to feel more and more nervous.

Why isn't Mr. Tremont saying anything? Did I squeak? Or maybe he didn't think dancing suits me? Or maybe... My thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly exploded from his seat and began clapping exuberantly.

"Marvelous! Stupendous! It was bold, dramatic, daring, emotional! Miss Opal, I didn't know you had that spectrum of talent!"

I blinked in shock and felt my cheeks begin to heat up. "Thank you, Mr. Tremont. So... will I be in the show?" I asked hesitantly.

"Of course, you'll be in the show! You..." Mr. Tremont stopped in the middle of his sentence and from the stage I could see his eyes widening and his mouth drop open.

Now what is he thinking? I wondered anxiously, not liking this "A-ha" expression he was giving me. I didn't have to wait long to find out; he raced from his seat up onto the stage with me and clasped my hands in his. I looked down at the short man who was grinning with almost manic glee.

"I have just had... the most BRILLIANT idea," he said slowly and deliberately. I blinked fretfully as he continued to grin and squeeze my hands. "Have you told anyone you were going to audition?"

I shook my head quickly as a silent response. Remembering how I had essentially lied to Lysander earlier I felt guilt make me open my mouth though.

"I didn't want to in case I didn't make it in," I admitted with a sigh.

"This is perfect!" Mr. Tremont exclaimed, throwing both our hands in the air and spinning around happily. I lowered my hands in bewilderment as I watched him and suddenly he stopped spinning and pointed directly at me.

"YOU will become the Talent Show's Mystery Act!" I looked at him and I was sure my face was conveying the complete and utter confusion I was feeling, but Mr. Tremont didn't seem to notice. "It will be dramatic! Unexpected! SHEER POETRY!" he roared and I jumped in surprise at the intensity of his voice.

"Umm... I don't think I understand..." I admitted apologetically. Mr. Tremont nodded as if that was to be expected.

"To put it simply, the principal forced me to drop my fall play this year so that I could be in charge of the talent show, but I cannot go through a year without the thrill and drama of a stage performance. And so," Once again he pointed at me and I gulped, feeling an acute sense of dread. "I will create drama by not listing your name in the program! You will be known as nothing but 'The Mystery Girl'... or perhaps 'Maiden X'... hmmm.... this will need some thought," he mused, turning away and mumbling to himself. I watched him pace and tried to process what he was suggesting.

"So... I'm in the show, but no one will know it's me? Won't the other performers feel left out?" I asked awkwardly. Mr. Tremont suddenly clapped, eliciting another flinch from me.

"You're right! EVERYONE should feel the drama and suspense of 'The Masked Woman'!" He stopped and then shook his head. "No, definitely not," he muttered under his breath.

"Ummm... how will you keep it a secret from everyone?" I asked and he faced me again, his excitement back in full swing as he explained.

"You will not practice with any of the other performers. I won't even list your name on the announcement sheet! We will keep your identity completely hidden until the night of the performance."

I rubbed my arm awkwardly, feeling very conflicted. Why is this happening to me? I didn't even want to perform in the first place and now I'm being pulled into some over-the-top scheme, I thought a little dejectedly as I tried to hold in a sigh.

"But then, when will I practice?"

"How do you feel about mornings?" Mr. Tremont asked and I shrugged.

"I don't mind them."

"Perfect! Then on the days we rehearse, you will come in early in the morning and I will personally make sure everything goes flawlessly!" Mr. Tremont said with excitement and I bit my lip.

"But..."

"Please, Miss Opal? I am simply starving for more drama in my life," Mr. Tremont said with a soulful look and I sighed, finally smiling.

"If that will make you happy," I conceded and he grinned.

"Wonderful! But you mustn't breathe a word of this to anyone! Now use the front entrance to leave; I have another act coming soon."

"Oh, but my CD..."

"Ah! Of course! Go out to the lobby and I will fetch it for you." Mr. Tremont shooed me off the stage and I walked down a hallway behind the seats of the auditorium and into a spacious lobby.

The auditorium had a very functional and beautiful setup, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking into the lobby and then two tunnel-like hallways wrapped around the back of the seats so when you stepped into the auditorium you felt like you had stepped into a completely different world. I felt a small thrill go through me as I imagined all the people who would come through those tunnels and watch the talent show. Anxiety and anticipation gripped me in equal portions and I hoped I would perform well, but then I sighed.

Why did Mr. Tremont choose me for his dramatic plan, anyways?

"Oh, well. Auntie will probably love it," I muttered to myself just as I heard footsteps behind me. Turning, I saw Mr. Tremont extending my practice disc to me.

"Depending on the number of participants I might have to extend callbacks which could push our schedule back, but our first run-through should be in two weeks. Listen for the announcements and I will find a way to relay our special rehearsal time to you. Okay, Lady Mysteria?"

"Lady Mysteria..." I repeated hesitantly while taking the CD and Mr. Tremont nodded energetically.

"Yes, I like that! Safe travels home!" he called before he whisked back into the auditorium.

Tapping the disc against my left palm, I reflected on what had just happened. Just then I felt a vibration coming from my pocket and I pulled out my phone to see a new message from Castiel.

Done yet?

I walked out of the auditorium and ducked into a side door to get back into the school as I typed.

Just finished. I'll be out in a minute.

There was no reply so I quickly grabbed my backpack and headed for the school's main entrance. I had nearly reached the doors when a voice came from behind me.

"Opal, wait up." I turned and grinned at Nathaniel who was jogging up to me.

"Hey, Nathaniel. You haven't gone home yet?"

He shook his head and smiled gently down at me. "Not quite yet. Do you have any plans for after school?"

"Umm..." I looked out the door and caught a glimpse of blood-red hair. "I do, actually. But did you need help with something?" 

Nathaniel's cheeks flushed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah, no, not this time. I was just heading out to grab some dinner before heading home and wondered if you wanted to go with me..." Nathaniel said, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck nervously. 

I blinked in shock and opened my mouth to respond when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. My fingers brushed against my phone in my pocket and I flicked my eyes over to the entrance doors.

"That is kind of you to invite me, Nathaniel, but I already made plans to meet with someone. I'm sorry," I apologized. 

Nathaniel frowned, but quickly smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Maybe next time," he said and I smiled up at him.

"Sure," I replied before waving at him. 

Turning towards the entrance doors, I pulled out my phone and smiled at the simple frowning emoticon that Castiel had sent me. Repositioning my backpack I opened the school's doors and walked out into the courtyard where Castiel was leaning against his tree with Demon standing next to him.

"Demon!" I cried out excitedly and the big dog barked loudly before barreling straight at me.

Skipping a few steps I jumped to the bottom of the stairs where I kneeled down and let him come into my arms, hugging him tight as his tail wagged excitedly.

"Who knew I had such a girl crazy dog? It's almost embarrassing," Castiel grunted but I ignored him, gazing instead into Demon's dark eyes.

"Don't pay any attention to him; you're the most wonderful dog in the whole world!" I praised and Demon barked happily.

"Stop spoiling him, he's going to get a big head," Castiel growled mockingly and I smiled up at him.

"Thanks for bringing him, Castiel. I missed him." Demon woofed and I continued to rub his ears. "Yes, that's right. I missed you lots and lots!"

"You know where I live; you can come to visit him whenever you want," Castiel said with a shrug. 

I blinked up at him as he smirked. Assuming he was teasing me I rolled my eyes and smiled, stroking Demon's head and neck as he panted happily.

"Are you excited about the talent show?" I asked. Castiel grinned and shrugged arrogantly.

"I guess. It's obvious we're going to win, I almost feel bad for all the other acts."

"Win?" I asked in confusion and Castiel raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't hear? After the show, they're going to pass out voting cards to the audience and the top three acts get a prize. Not the dumb ones like at the orienteering race either. First prize is a $200 cash prize and tickets to the waterpark."

"Wow. That's really cool! I hope you win," I encouraged him and he smirked.

"We will. What about you? Are you going to audition?" I quickly turned my face back to Demon as I tried to keep the guilt from my voice.

"N-no, I don't think so. I don't really have a talent," I mumbled and Castiel shrugged.

"Well, whatever. You're pretty good at singing, though," he said gruffly, looking towards the street so I couldn't see his expression.

"Thanks..." I said awkwardly as I continued to stroke Demon.

"But..." I looked up to hear the rest of his sentence. My eyes widened in shock as I found myself staring into Castiel's grey eyes and felt his breath against my nose. "I'm okay if you want to keep your voice a secret between us," he said in a half-whisper.

I blinked dumbly, desperately trying to get my body to respond to my frantic commands for movement. Suddenly Demon barked and ran around me before taking my backpack into his mouth and pulling it off. He then began running away full tilt, dragging my backpack with him.

"Demon!" I called, scrambling to my feet and running after him. As I chased after him I was amazed at how easily he was carrying my backpack, which had three textbooks in it.

"Demon, you idiot, give it back!" Castiel yelled, chasing after him too with a wide grin.

We ran after the energetic Demon for several minutes as he dragged my backpack around, taunting and teasing as Castiel and I would get close before bounding away, leading us on another chase. Castiel lunged, catching one of the straps of my backpack, and Demon was pulled to a halt. He let go and barked happily, tackling Castiel and licking him. I picked up my backpack, breathing hard, and watched with amusement as Castiel and Demon roughhoused. When they had finished Demon trotted over to me and licked my hand, so I patted his head as Castiel sat up with a grin.

"Sorry about that," he smirked and I shook my head.

"He just wanted to play," I said while rubbing his ear as he leaned against my leg.

I walked over to where Castiel was sitting on the grass and sat a few paces away from him. There was no way to hide my delight when Demon laid down and turned to his back, exposing his belly to me with a pant and an obvious invitation to give him a belly rub, which I was prompt to accept. Castiel leaned back and watched us for a second and I looked up at him with a smile as I rubbed Demon's belly.

"How did you know that Demon wanted to see me?" I asked curiously and Castiel arched an eyebrow at me with a disbelieving look.

"Lysander and my friends have been coming over every day to practice our song for the talent show and every time there is a knock on the door Demon bolts to it. When he sees it's one of my friends though, he starts whining and won't let them pet him. I think he might like you more than me, the ungrateful mongrel," Castiel growled sarcastically. 

Demon flopped his head over to look at Castiel with his tongue lolling out of his mouth as I continued to rub his belly.

"I highly doubt that. But Demon makes me really happy. Thank you for bringing him all the way here, Castiel," I said sincerely and Castiel smirked at me, nodding.

Neither of us spoke for a few minutes and Demon finally rolled back over, satisfied with his belly rub, and began sniffing around the courtyard with obvious interest. Castiel stood up and brushed off his pants and shirt then held out a hand to me. I blinked at his outstretched hand, glancing up to see that he was watching Demon exploring. Giving an inward shrug, I slipped one of my hands into his rough one.

Instantly Castiel gripped my hand tightly and pulled gently, helping me to stand up before turning his gaze on me and giving me a rare smile. I swallowed but returned his smile, removing my hand from his to brush off my own jeans and shirt. Castiel let out a quick, musical whistle and instantly Demon brought his head up from the grass he had been snuffling through and trotted over to us.

"What a smart doggy you are, Demon!" I complimented the big dog and his tail began wagging like crazy as he gave one proud bark. 

Patting his head lovingly I saw Castiel reach into his jeans pocket out of the corner of my eye and pull out a leash. He clipped it to the chain around Demon's neck and then turned his gaze to me.

"The guys will be coming by my place in about an hour, but I want some ice cream. If you come with us then we can walk you home," he offered and then cleared his throat. "I mean, Demon needs the exercise anyway."

My head jerked up in surprise to look at Castiel and he looked back at me while quirking one eyebrow up in what looked like a challenging expression. I opened my mouth but just then I felt a vibration come from my pocket and I automatically pulled it out. Before I looked at the text I glanced first at Demon then up at Castiel who was still giving me a part challenging part expectant look.

"I like ice cream," I found myself saying. Castiel snorted, looking away for a second as he let out a short chuckle. "But no licking my finger this time," I said in a stern voice while trying to keep from blushing. 

Castiel turned to look at me and the amusement and mirth shining from his eyes was enough to cause my blush to actually surface. This time I turned away and looked down at my phone screen to see the text was from Auntie.

SO?! Did you audition?! Are you in?! Of course you're in, but still. Tell me!!!!!!!!

"I make no promises if you are texting while we are eating ice cream," Castiel said teasingly and I glanced up at him while rolling my eyes.

"It's Auntie, and I am going to answer her, so if that is the deal then I guess I won't go," I huffed, nearly sticking my tongue out at him but I managed to bite it just before it came out.

What is it about Castiel that makes me want to stick my tongue out at him so much? I wondered and he chuckled.

"Your aunt doesn't count. Go ahead and text her back and we can head out. There is an ice cream place just down the road," Castiel said, sticking one hand in his pocket as Demon panted up at me in the picture of patience. I reached out and rubbed Demon's ear quickly before I rapidly texted Auntie back.

I made it but Mr. Tremont has decided to make me a surprise act of sorts. He's listing my name as Lady Mysteria and not letting me rehearse with the other acts. It's really strange. Castiel just invited me to go get ice cream with him and Demon, so I will be home a little late.

Sticking my phone back into my pocket I smiled up at Castiel who smirked back at me and we started walking away from the school in the opposite direction of my apartment. I matched his pace without difficulty, even though his legs were much longer than mine, and I kept my right hand resting against Demon's head.

"Did you want to hold Demons leash?" Castiel asked while holding the leash out to me. 

I smiled excitedly and reached out to take the part of the leash hanging off of Castiel's hand into my own. Just as I took the leash from him Castiel reached past me and tugged the handle of my backpack, slipping it off of my shoulder easily.

"What are you doing?" I asked, reaching out to take it back, but Castiel held it out of my reach with a teasing grin.

"Do you have something in here you want to hide?" he asked with a grin and I cocked one eyebrow at him.

"Not unless you find a psychology textbook suspicious," I replied dryly. 

Castiel laughed, slipping one of his arms through the strap of my backpack and shifting it to a more comfortable position against his back.

"Everything about you is suspicious," he retorted. 

I blinked in surprise, not sure what the proper response to that was. Just then I felt another buzz from my phone and I pulled it out, glancing at the text and groaning quietly.

Whoever Mr. Tremont is I LOVE HIM! Now onto the important things: Castiel is taking you on a date?!?!? How did this happen?!?!? Pictures! I need lots and lots of pictures!

"What's wrong?" Castiel asked while looking over at me. 

I peeked up at him and felt my cheeks flame up traitorously. Shaking my head I quickly typed in a reply to Auntie, NOT a date, and shoved my phone back in my pocket. Demon bumped my leg with his shoulder and I smiled, reaching down to scratch his soft but stiff ears.

"Just because you don't answer me doesn't mean I'm going to forget," Castiel remarked with a smirk and I looked up at him with a pout. 

He grinned cheekily at me as he guided me down a street that had several fast-food restaurants and small shops. I sighed and shrugged, glancing at the upcoming shops.

"I told Auntie that we were getting ice cream and she told me she wanted some pictures," I mumbled, hoping Castiel wouldn't see through the half-truth.

"She really likes pictures, huh? At least you know she loves you," Castiel said with a snigger while pressing the button at the crosswalk. I smiled quietly as Demon and I waited next to him for the light to change for us.

"Yah, she does," I agreed happily, letting my gaze wander as I thought of how lucky I was to have Auntie in my life.

"We're going over there," Castiel said while pointing to a store that had a neon sign proclaiming it Nelson's Custard. It was a small shop painted all blue with a white door on the front and what looked like a drive-through window on the side, though there weren't any cars at the window.

"I thought you said we were getting ice cream," I observed as the light changed and we began walking across the street. 

Castiel just grinned at me though without answering as we reached the other side and continued towards the unassuming restaurant.

A/N *Sigh* I wish Demon was real. I absolutely love dogs! Hamsters are good too though ^.^