"Behind the Mask"

BZZZZT!

Lia was lying on her bed, turning her body as the thin blanket covered her.

BZZZZT! BZZZZT!

"Ugh! Stupid alarm…" Lia whispered to herself. She sat up and clicked the DISMISS button. Suddenly, she smelled a fragrant aroma from outside. "Oh shoot… it smells like fried fish… Oh, Leo's here!" she quickly stood up from her bed.

"Good morning, Lia," Leo said, as he flipped the mackerel. "Today is mackerel day."

"My goodness!" Lia exclaimed as she smelled the buttery aroma of the fish. It seemed like Leo brushed butter on the surface of the fish before frying it. "I'll just wash my face!" and she ran towards the bathroom.

After some minutes, Leo served the buttered mackerel on the dining table. Too bad, he left the detachable-mouth-part face mask that Sanno gave him. Lemmon and Lorus were out to do some grocery shopping, and it was only Leo and Lia in the Brentvale household.

Lia tied her long, brown hair to a bun and combed her bangs, then sat in front of Leo in the dining room.

"I've cooked you some fried rice, too," Leo said. After Lia's parents got into an accident, he had been frequenting the Brentvale household to check up on Lia and her siblings. It was his way of saying thanks for Lia's kindness to him ever since they were kids.

"Have you eaten?" Lia asked. Even if he always cooked for her, he never ate with her, or even drank in front of her. She didn't mind, and she never asked...

...because she already knew.

Lia was respecting his privacy, not only as a friend but also as a mutant who was concealing his character. She thought that the best way to interact with him was to treat him as a normal person. She knew, since long ago, that Leo had those whiskers on his nose, like a member of the Felidae family.

"Yes… I ate with mom..." Leo replied, but it was a lie. It was always his excuse. He had always liked Lia more than just a friend, but because he was a mutant, he couldn't be honest with her. He didn��t want his best friend to be disgusted with her. His mother named him after a lion, but honestly, they were not sure if he's a wild lion or a domesticated cat.

There were many mutants like Leo Vayneseed that blended with the normal people. Some mutants, who had characteristics that were not obvious, were accepted in society. Mutants like Leo, who had evident body features, were homeschooled to prevent bullying.

"Okay, I'll eat, then," Lia took the lower half of the buttered mackerel. She placed it on her plate and started pulling out its bones. "Thank you for always cooking for me, Leo!"

"No problem, Lia," he said, brushing his blonde hair with his fingers. "I can even cook for you every day if you'd let me..."

She was touched by his kindness, but she didn't want to impose on him. Besides, she could only go home once a week. Leo was one of her great friends, and sometimes she treats him as part of her family. "You're busy at your shop, right? You don't have to, I cook bacon and eggs pretty well!" Lia said, laughing.

Leo laughed with her, and as she continued to eat, he opened up a conversation, "Lia, there's something I'd like to tell you," he placed his left hand at the table and his palm rested on his cheek. He looked at Lia intently, making her stop eating.

Lia took a glass of water and drank it. When she placed the glass on the table, she asked, "What is it, Leo?"

When she asked this, Leo thought deeply. Maybe it's his chance! They're alone in the house, and he thought that he wanted to make things clear - that he likes her not just a friend, but more than that. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him. He wanted to confess his feelings after so many years.

Leo gathered his courage, stared into her deep blue eyes, and finally, he opened his mouth. "Lia, the truth is… I really like-"

Leo was interrupted by Lia's ringing phone.

She placed down her utensils and took her phone from her pocket, "Hello? Sanno?"

Leo was disappointed that his golden opportunity was gone! "That Sanno! Talk about wrong timing," he thought as he scratched the back of his head.

"What!? Couple necklaces?" the surprised Lia exclaimed, and as they continued their conversation, her voice turned from a normal tone to whisper.

Leo's mind was clouded with jealousy. What "couple necklaces?" What did Lia mean? A lot of things passed in his mind, if Lia had already liked Sanno, or if she and Sanno were already in a romantic relationship. He was also wondering why Lia's voice became softer, it just meant that she's hiding something from him.

He observed Lia as she talked to Sanno over the phone. Instead of disappointment, her different reactions made Leo smile because he saw his "special someone" feeling happy at that moment. Maybe he's just not the aggressive-type, and her happiness and safety had always been important to him.

"See you tomorrow!" she told Sanno as she ended the call.

"What's that about?�� Leo asked.

Lia didn't want to hide something from his best friend, but she wanted her and Aesop to progress to the next level before she says anything to Leo. "He's selling 'couple necklaces'," she mentioned, which wasn't a lie. "He's offering me to sell online…" and this was the lie she said.

Leo had known her for a long time, and it was too obvious that she was lying! Every time she lies to him, she looks up at the ceiling, and couldn't look directly into his eyes. "So, are you going to?" he replied, pretending not to see through her lie.

"Uhm… Yeah," she uttered. Feeling uncomfortable that she lied to his friend, she changed the topic, "Geez, the food will get cold!" Then she stuffed a lot of rice and fish onto her mouth!

Leo just laughed at Lia, but deep inside, he was wondering what she was hiding. He hoped that someday, she would tell him her new secrets.