"Yo, did you see the decorations yet?"
"Yeah. They went all out this year."
"Bro, I heard there's a DJ. Like—an actual one."
Eli Herman walked a few steps behind a group of students, listening without
meaning to. They laughed loudly, bumping into each other, already half in
costume even though the party hadn't started yet.
He pulled his hood a little lower.
"Hey, Eli."
His steps slowed.
"Eli! You going to the party or what?"
Eli turned. A girl from his class—Mara, he thought—was standing with her
friends. She had fake fangs and glitter on her cheeks.
"Oh," Eli said. "Uh. Yeah. Maybe."
She smiled politely. "Cool. See you there."
She didn't wait for a response.
Eli kept walking.
He checked his pocket again, fingers brushing against the folded bills. He
exhaled quietly. Still there. Not much money, but enough. Enough for a mask.
Enough to not look completely stupid.
"Just a mask," he muttered to himself. "That's all."
The street was crowded. Music leaked from open car windows. Someone yelled
about photos. Someone else complained about fog machines.
"Eli."
He stopped.
That voice wasn't friendly.
Three boys stepped in front of him, blocking the sidewalk like it was nothing.
They weren't dressed up yet. They didn't need to be.
"Oh," one of them said. "Look who it is."
"Didn't think you'd be out tonight," another added. "You got invited?"
Eli swallowed. "I'm just—going to a store."
The tallest one tilted his head. "Yeah?"
His eyes dropped to Eli's hand.
"What's that?"
Eli looked down too late.
"It's just—"
The money was gone.
The boy had taken it so easily that Eli didn't even feel it leave his palm.
"Hey," Eli said. The word came out quieter than he meant it to.
The boy laughed. "Relax."
He fanned the bills, counting slowly. "This is it?"
The others leaned in.
"That's rough," one said. "You rob a vending machine or something?"
Eli clenched his fists. "I need that."
"For what?" the tallest one asked. "A costume?"
The group laughed.
"You dressing up as a ghost?"
"No, no. He doesn't even need a costume."
"Right. He already disappears."
Eli looked around. People were walking past. Some glanced over. No one
stopped.
"Come on," Eli said. "Just give it back."
The tallest boy sighed dramatically. "Man, you're killing the vibe."
He flicked a single coin back at Eli.
It hit his chest and dropped to the ground.
"There," he said. "Budget yourself better."
The three of them walked off, already talking about something else.
"Yo, drinks at eight, right?"
"Yeah, I'm bringing my speaker."
"Bet."
They didn't look back.
Eli stood there, staring at the coin on the pavement.
A couple walked past him.
"Did you see that mask store?"
"Yeah, looks creepy."
Eli crouched down and picked up the coin.
He stood up slowly and kept walking.
The thrift store sign flickered.
SECOND CHANCE
Eli stopped in front of it.
"Figures," he muttered.
Inside, the place was quiet. Too quiet. Old costumes hung from racks like
they'd given up trying to look fun.
A cashier sat behind the counter, scrolling on their phone.
Eli walked down one aisle, then another.
"Nope."
"Nope."
"No way."
He stopped in front of a rack of plastic masks.
Animals. Superheroes. Cheap monsters.
"Seriously?" he said under his breath.
He turned—and saw it.
On the bottom shelf.
A white mask.
No feathers. No paint splatter. Just a stitched smile pulled tight across its
face.
Eli stared at it.
"…Huh."
He picked it up.
It felt heavier than the others.
"Hey," he called out. "How much is this?"
The cashier glanced up. "That one?"
"Yeah."
"Cheap."
"How cheap?"
The cashier shrugged. "Depends how much you got."
Eli opened his palm.
One coin.
The cashier looked at it. Then back at the mask. Then back at Eli.
"…Sure," they said. "Why not."
Eli blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah," the cashier said, already looking back at their phone. "Just don't bring
it back."
Eli paid and walked out before anyone could change their mind.
The school gym lights were bright enough to light the street. Music thumped
through the walls. Laughter echoed from the entrance.
Eli stopped behind the building.
"Okay," he said to himself. "Just… put it on. Walk in. Then leave."
He stared at the mask.
"It's not a big deal," he said. "It's just a mask."
He lifted it.
Pulled it over his face.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then—
"Huh."
His voice sounded… different.
Eli straightened without realizing it.
He rolled his shoulders.
"…Weird."
He took a step forward.
Then another.
He stopped in front of a dark window and leaned closer.
The mask stared back.
The stitched smile looked calm. Confident.
Eli tilted his head.
"…Okay," he said slowly. "That's new."
He turned toward the gym entrance.
Music hit him full force as the doors opened.
"Yo, sick mask!" someone shouted.
Eli paused.
They were looking at him.
Not past him.
At him.
He took another step inside.
No one laughed.
No one ignored him.
Someone nodded at him like he belonged there.
Eli's lips curled slightly beneath the mask.
"…Yeah," he said. "I know."
And for the first time, he didn't feel small.