Mari hung up the call and breathed a sigh of relief, returning to the living room. "Oh, boy."

"Who was it?" Josh asked. His face flushed pale. "Unless you don't wanna tell me. Sorry, am I being nosey? I hate nosey people."

Mari laughed. "It was Monsieur Bennet, the new manager."

"Ah, the dude who looks like he's from the WallE movie," Josh smirked.

Mariah laughed again. "He's a nice guy, alright?...But yeah, that's him."

"What exactly did the evil Bowser want with Princess Peach?" Josh laughed, tossing Mari's book in the air and catching it.

"He wanted to ask me to the masquerade."

"So, that's the theme of this year's ball," Josh chuckled. "Man, he must be desperate. You're way out of his league."

Mari shrugged. "Well, fortunately, I was able to come up with a quick excuse."

"You have to watch rom coms to soothe your depression?"

"I told him that I have a boyfriend," Mari smiled sheepishly. "Then he asked for a name."

"God, Jeremy broke up with you six hours ago," Josh exclaimed, throwing a hand in the air. "This isn't communist Russia! How do rumors travel so fast?"

"More like two hours," Mariah mumbled. "I have no idea how these things get around, but they do...I may or may not have said that you were my boyfriend."

Josh's eyes widened and he stared blankly, his heart racing. "You didn't. "

Mari bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have, but there was no other way to get out of going. Not that I could think of in the split second I had to make something up, anyway."

Josh looked at her curiously, his eyes narrowing. "Why didn't you say Uriah?"

"Because Uriah repulses me."

"What about James, the old manager? Or Caleb?" Josh said slowly, taking a step closer to her as his eyes focused warily. "Why did you say my name?"

"Why did I say Josh's name?" Mari thought. She covered her mouth. "Oh, crap," she whispered. "I um...I don't know."

Josh frowned, and awkwardly took a few steps backward. "Sorry...I don't-" He looked down to his shoes and then back up. "Do you still want me to? I mean, after the week you've had, I'm surprised you want to go at all."

"Do I want you to what?" Mari asked slowly.

"Come? To the masquerade?"

"Come as in be there or come as in go with me?" Mariah questioned.

"Is there a difference?" Josh asked, "I mean-" He picked at his pocket awkwardly. "I mean, come on, being seen with me will take you down a few notches in respectability."

Mari smiled. "I sincerely doubt that. Besides, who cares?"

Josh raised a nervous, little hand.

Mariah laughed. "It would up your credibility," she pointed out. "Do you...want to go with me?"

"Do you want me to want to go with you?" He asked with a furrowed brow.

"For someone with such a high IQ, you can be so dense sometimes," Mari laughed. "Duh. Why do you think I asked?"

Josh quickly tensed his jaw. "My IQ is completely normal, thank you. Why do you think I'm wondering why you asked?"

Mariah smacked her forehead and shook her head. "Why do I bother trying?" She sighed, removing her hand. "Must you answer a question with a question every time?"

"Must you keep avoiding giving answers?" Josh said slowly and casually.

"You're the one who's avoiding answering me," Mari laughed.

"Okay, stop doing that," Josh smiled softly. "Are you going or not, and do you need me to chaperon?"

"I'm going and I don't need a chaperone. I'm a big girl. However, I do need a date," Mari said slyly. "So, again, I ask, do you want to go with me?"

Josh frowned. "So, again, do you want me to want to go with you?"

Mari rolled her eyes. "You think I asked you for no reason? Of course I want you to go with me."

"My god," Matt called from the elevator. "Shut up and kiss or something."

Josh staggered backward in surprise. "How long have you been standing there?!"

"Long enough," Matt's sneered. "This stupid contraption won't start."

"Me and Mari aren't- no," Josh stammered. "No way. That's preposterous. That's like you taking Ben's wife to the masquerade. Impossible, ridiculous, idiocy, Matt. Like Gerard Butler and Lily James getting married. You're gonna make her put worms in our salad again, you dim wit."

Matt stuck out his tongue and returned to attempting to press the elevator buttons madly.

"Use the stairs, you sea urchin."

"Get a girlfriend, geek squad."

Josh removed a shoe and flailed it toward the elevator just as the doors snapped shut. He turned to Mari awkwardly, breathless from anger. "Sorry, he's such an idiot."

"Kiss Josh? God, I wish," Mari thought biting her lip. "No, I don't like him. I can't. We're just friends."

"Hm?" She hummed, snapping herself out of her daydreaming.

"You okay?" Josh asked slowly. "He's such a jerk. Can't let me have a minute to myself without chucking a pebble at me or force-feeding me raisins."

"Careful. That's Catherine's boyfriend. She'll have your head if you say anything bad about him," Mari chuckled.

"I'll be dead within a year anyway," Josh moaned. "Caroline will probably murder me for the insurance money."

"Nah," Mariah smiled. "I won't let her."

Josh made a teasing meow. "Cat fight."

"Shut up. You still haven't answered my question."

"Can I phone a friend?" Josh laughed. "I no longer remember said question."

Mariah sighed. "You. Me. Masquerade. If you want. Geez."

"I wasn't planning on it, but if it would make you feel better....or we could run off and walk the Seine with earbuds in."

"As fun as that sounds, I promised Catherine I'd go. She doesn't think that Matt will want to go, so she wants people to talk to," Mari laughed.

"He'll go," Josh said dead seriously. "Trust me. He won't miss this for anything."

"People might recognize him."

"Maybe," Josh shrugged. "I don't think he cares. Not with what he's doing."

"What's he doing?" Mari questioned with suspicion.

"Nothing that concerns us." Josh mumbled, trying to keep his eyes from her. "God, she's gorgeous," he laughed internally before snapping from his thoughts and slapping himself silly.

"What are you thinking?" Mari laughed. "And why won't you look me in the eye?"

"What?" Josh snapped looking up, still not meeting her eyes. "He has a proposal, that's all."

"Proposal?" Mari asked, eyes wide. "Please tell me you don't mean marriage proposal."

"I didn't say anything!" Josh exclaimed, putting up a hand. "And definitely not that."

"Oh, thank god," Mari sighed in relief. "So...you'll go to the masquerade with me?"

"Yes, but...just don't snoop into any more of Matt's plans. He's a dangerous man when he wants to be," Josh shuddered.

"I can take him," Mari smirked evilly. "Besides, if he wants this thing with Cath to last, he's not going to come after me...Anyway, what are we going to do now?"

"I don't know. I usually do some work until I'm tired."

Mari's eyes suddenly began to sparkle. "Do you dance?"

"No," Josh said awkwardly, "why?"

Mari looked slightly disappointed. Slightly. "I like a man that can ballroom dance. Have since I was little. There's something so hot about...I'm sorry, I'm rambling...Besides, you'll be expected to dance at the masquerade. It is a ball...I mean, you won't have to dance if you don't want to."

"I'm just not...physically inclined," Josh chuckled nervously.

"You know, Catherine taught me to ballroom dance...Having girls like her around isn't fair for the rest of us," Mariah laughed. "I mean, she's beautiful, she can act, sing, dance. She's even an author and poet. She's brilliant too. And not just book smart...That was a fun night, though. I stepped on her toes a lot."

"I taught Matt," Josh smiled softly and sadly. "Was gonna show him some more, but he isn't around much."

"So you do dance?" Mariah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not well," Josh stammered.

"I'm not very good myself. I should probably find another teacher before the ball. Catherine spends every waking moment with Matt," Mari sighed, subtly glancing at Josh. "I suppose I could find somebody who overcharges like you wouldn't believe."

"Yep," he nodded, pursing his lips together.

"Although, those are usually the people who are booked up months in advance. Maybe I'll just find some guy on a street corner." She smacked her hand on the counter. "Are you really going to make me ask?"

Josh smirked. "Ask what?"

Mari sighed and rolled her eyes. "Will you help me with my ballroom dancing?"

"I could," Josh laughed, "if you weren't so stubborn."

"I am not stubborn!" Mari exclaimed, faking offense. "Come on. Teach me, please," she begged, sticking out her bottom lip like a five year old.

"Fine," Josh groaned.

Mari grinned. "Thank you. Can we start now? It's not like we have anything better to do."

"We could be trying to cure cancer," Josh mentioned with a laugh, "or make world peace or-"

"Shut up and dance," Mari laughed.

"She took my arm," Josh sang with a laugh, sliding his across the floor. "I don't know how it happened. We took the floor and she said..."

"I knew phrasing it like that was a bad idea," Mari sighed.

"Yep," Josh grinned, popping the p. He rose to his full height and straightened his posture, moving a stray piece of dark brown from his eyes and extending his arm to her.

Nervously, with sweating hands, Josh helped her arm gently onto his shoulder. He hesitated as he put his hand to her waist, first looking with confusion into her bluish green eyes, and finding no sense of repulsion, proceeded slowly to touch her waist. He let his hand gently rest, his fingers nervously trembling. "Dang it," he muttered awkwardly with a laugh, dropping his arm and wiping his hand on his pant leg. "I didn't put any music on yet."

Mari giggled. "You know, I didn't even notice."

"Well," Josh laughed awkwardly, "what kind of music do you want? You seem like one of those classical freaks."

"It's okay. I actually am into rock and heavy metal mostly. I listen to a lot of alternative as well," Mari smiled. "I suppose that's Cath's doing."

Josh pretended to choke.

Mari laughed. "What?"

"Nothing," Josh chuckled. Suddenly, he realized his hand was still on her waist and jumped back nearly ten feet. "What song you want?"

"Whatever you want," Mari shrugged.

Josh smirked. "Any aversion to Audrey Hepburn?"

"Go ahead."

Silently, he made his way to the phonograph, reading the title of the record with a soft smile before settling it on. "How long has this been going on?" He sang in a mellow tone, swaying gently to the music as he made his way back to her side.

Mari smiled as she watched him, her heart fluttering. "No, I'm not falling for him. I'm just confused. We're friends," she thought. She put one hand on his shoulder and took his hand in her other. "You seem nervous."

"I'm not!" Josh yelped in a high pitched voice. He repeated it once again in as deep a tone as his nerves could manage, his voice breaking slightly, "I'm not."

Mari laughed. "Yeah, that's convincing."

Josh blushed beet red and prayed she didn't notice or read anything into it. Sometimes he was just embarrassed, it didn't have any double meaning.

Right?

Right?!

Josh cleared his throat and tensed his muscles anxiously as he assumed his position with a bit more assertive confidence.

"Does he like me?" Mari thought hopefully. She pushed it away. "No, he couldn't." She sighed. "Am I doing this right?"

"Hm?" Josh hummed, his eyes staring at his hand on her waist as the phonograph buzzed in the background.

"What are you staring at?"

His eyes snapped back up to hers. "Nothing!" He quipped quickly. "I have a hang nail, that's all."

"Yeah, Josh," he scolded himself internally, "that's all!"

Mari tried to occupy her thoughts as she danced, but only one thing, one person rested on her mind: Josh. She internally reprimanded herself. Why couldn't she stop thinking about Josh? They were friends. Nothing more.

Right?

"So," Josh mumbled, "watch your step here on the turn, alright? Count to four." He gently spun her around, and on her return facing him, unconsciously drew her a little closer.

"Count to four," Mari mumbled in her head. "Keep a grip." She melted into his touch, feeling her heart flutter. She no longer tried pushing Josh out of her mind. She just excepted it as they danced.

As the music slowed, Josh looked her over slowly, her blonde hair in small, wavy curls over her shoulders, the way her blue nail polish stood out against her pale, cold hands...He couldn't help but feel something stir within him that he wished he could silence. He never should have danced with her. How could he do this to himself? Again?

As the song drew to a close and his arms dropped to his side, he found his soul aching in the echo of the last line.

How long has this been going on?

Mari bit her lip, trying to remember all his corrections. Count to four, keep a grip...there was something else. She couldn't remember. Oh well. What else she did remember was sufficient. "So..."

"So..." Josh breathed unstably.

"Will you be dressing up for the ball? I'll be dressing as Carlotta, obviously. There is going to be some huge announcement and they want the cast to dress as their characters," Mari said excitedly. Not waiting for him to answer her first question, she asked, "Do you know what the announcement is?"

Josh shoved his hands into his pockets, huffing a piece of hair out of his eyes. "Why would you think I would know?"

"Really? You and Matt are the Erik and Nadir of this place. I'm sure you pick up things here and there."

"Nadir?"

Mari rolled her eyes. "You would know these things if you would read the book...Nadir is Erik's friend. He brought him to the Opera House. You kind of remind me of him."

"Hold up," Josh said with a frowned brow, "I'm not any sidekick, alright? I'm Erik, if anybody."

Mari let out a laugh. "Yeah, okay."

"I mean it," Josh laughed, "That's like calling you....just Meg Giry you know? Minor character to move the plot along. See, the secret is, Mari, we're all the narrators of our own stories. I don't think your a Meg and I'm sure as heck not some Nater."

"Nadir," Mari corrected. "And, in a way, yes, I am Meg to Catherine's Christine." She thought for a moment. "And Caroline is our Carlotta," she added with a laugh.

Josh ignored her last comment. "You're a Christine, totally."

Mari shook her head. "Catherine is definitely the Christine, and I'm proud to say so. She's been through a lot. How she stays so...happy, despite it all, is beyond me."

Mari and Josh continued to discuss and debate this topic for quite a while longer.

—————

Catherine and Matt were just finishing up a movie when Mariah rang Cath's phone.

"Let it go to voicemail," Matt plead, pulling his girlfriend back to his side.

"I can't. It's Mari," Catherine laughed. "Five minutes."

"Alright," Matt sighed. "Five minutes."

Cath answered the call in her bedroom. "Hey, Mari. What's up?"

"I have news. Jeremy stood me up," Mari replied in an oddly cheerful manner.

"Again? I can't believe this. You need to have a talk with him," Cath sighed.

"No, you didn't let me finish. Then, he texted and broke up with me," Mariah added, her tone changing to one of slight anger.

"What? He texted you? That jerk! Send me his address. I'm going to beat him up," Catherine said indignantly.

"Relax, Catherine," Mari laughed. "It's okay. I actually spent my night with Josh."

"Intrigue. Tell me more."