A fiber of delightful smell spiraled up from the kitchen, creeping slowly under Reina's nose. She felt it caress her nostrils like the wind blows the greenery. Spaghetti, she thought, tracing the tempting aroma with her nose. She tiptoed down the staircase nonchalantly peeking at her mother, seated, and making some tea. Her tummy growled.

"Smells delicious" she walked into the kitchen with a bright smile, her eyes darted on the steaming goodness settled in the middle of the table. Her mother took a sip of her tea eyeing her to sit across her. Reina grabbed a fork, saucer and pulled a chair. She licked the fork before piercing the meatball. "Oh that's hot" she said puffing steam off it. The doorbell rang making her turn head to the door. They wondered who that might be.

"Go check it out" her mother said looking over the rim of the teacup. She pranced up dashing to open the door but nobody was there. She step foot outside to investigate, a delivery truck just turned into the corner, she then spotted a huge long box lying beside the door step. Tilting her head with curiosity, she picked it up, shaking it to decipher the content. It's kinda bulky. She could feel the content sliding inside as she held it up.

"Did you order something?" she asked her mother while dragging the box, reading the stamp content. It was addressed to her mother.

"Open it" Reina gave her mother an are you sure look. She grabbed a pair of scissors from the counter drawer and started cutting the tapes on the lid. Beneath the crisp paper,  she reached onto a delicate, lilac blue garment and held it above her head. Her face lit with excitement realizing what the garb was for.

"Oh mom! Thank you!" she gave her mom the brightest smile, standing to size up the gown. She twirled twice hugging it on her chest forgetting her hungry belly. She gave her mother a hug.

"I say, you fit into that my princess" exhilarated, they went to her room. Reina slid herself into the dress. Her mother rested her long dark hair on one shoulder revealing her birthmark. Reina felt her mother touching it. "Time flies by fast. I could still remember the doctors making fuzz over this mark when I gave birth to you, like it was yesterday. And now you're fitting a gown for prom." she said tightening the laces on her back. People were always amazed by her birthmark. Reina, for one, was impressed by it. It remarkably mirrors a pair of wings spreading to the length of her shoulder. Some had mistaken it as tattoo for being too detailed. Like the appearance of a mark made by a branding iron, used centuries ago.

"Maybe wings would sprout and fly me to the sky" Reina chuckled. That would be nice-- she thought. Gliding through the wind, overlooking her hometown and not having the trouble to spend sitting in bus to school. Reina began fantasizing things. "This time, can you do my hair up?"

"Hair up? why?" her mother wondered.

"I always had my hair down. Wouldn't it be nice to tie it up so I can flaunt how beautiful my birthmark is?" she said looking at her mother through the mirror.

"No!" an immediate response, sounding as if she were to break a taboo. All her life, the birthmark hid beneath her hair. She was only allowed to tie it up when wearing concealing clothes. People knew about it because she informed them or they caught a glimpse of it. "It's too dangerous"

"Mom, what is it with my birthmark that is dangerous? If you're thinking I'd get embarrassed because of it, I won't." she said in a calm voice. They sat on the bed. Her mother sighed as she held her hands.

"There's just things that-- is not safe these days" she replied, hesitating. Reina always wondered why her mother was overprotective when it comes to her birthmark. She would always brush it off and say that it's for her own good. She once thought, as a child, that it was a curse from a witch. Doubt never left Reina. Was there something she needs to know? She called her best friend, Ailee, to rant about it later that night.

"I really want an up-do hairstyle for once." Reina protested over the phone minimizing her voice.

"Sweetie, I have a plan" Ailee smoothly replied devising a plan for Reina to have her hair styled up. They burned the midnight oil discussing pros and cons of their plan. Reina had guilty feelings about  disobeying her mother, but then she thought, maybe it won't hurt. Just this once. She slept through the alarm clock the following morning that her mother had to wake Reina herself.

"Reina" her mother shouted upon entering the room in effort to wake her up, her phone still snoozing. There, buried under the blanket cooped like a cocoon is Reina. "Sweetie, you'll be late for school!" she yelled louder retiring from the room at the sight of Reina moving.

Reina jolted. She didn't want to leave her bed yet; what if she's just dreaming or their neighbor was just being loud. She groaned trying to figure out what day it is.  

"Mom, it's Saturday. We don't have school." she mustered under her nose. Not a minute later after being in deep thought, Reina knew something wasn't right. She jumped out of her bed, landing face-down on the floor realizing that today is the rehearsal for the Prom's special performance. She heard her mother saying about the food getting cold outside her room. Reina took the shortest shower and a shortcut to her wardrobe then raced downstairs to grab her breakfast.

"What's the rush?" her father asked sitting across the table, reading some papers. He was wearing the black tie she gave him as present last Christmas.

"I'm running late-- actually, I am late for the rehearsals!" Reina said, feeling quite panicked looking at the time. She was beginning to think that everyone already started. She gave her parent hugs and kisses and took her car to school. She took a step in the gymnasium. Looking left and right, she saw everyone on the sides, chatting. Thank God, they haven't started-- she thought as she gently slide the door shut, hoping no soul would notice.

"There you are!" cried her best friend Ailee with the loudest voice ever. "Oh great" Reina mumbled, rolling her eyes heavenwards. She smiled yielding glances from everyone.

"Why'd you be so loud!?" Reina greeted Ailee with a side elbow  jab.

Reina noticed something in the corner of her eyes. The man in a black shirt with patterned cuff, leaning against the wall, was looking their way. Ailee waved him over.

"Yeah?" he said sauntering towards them. He had tousled dark brown hair, which was sleek and lustrous. His strong eyebrows arched like scythe and eyelashes so thick; it highlighted his mesmerizing deep ocean blue eyes. He got better the more she looked. He stood beside Ailee, she could see the streak of gold in his eyes. His voice was deep, yet gentle.

"This is Cross--- Cross, this is my best friend, Reina" Ailee took the initiative to introduce the mysterious man. Reina made a subtle smile, still figuring the handsome specimen in front of her.

"Nice to meet you" Their gaze halted when they shook hands. Reina's smile had faltered a fraction of a second for she felt a hot burning sensation on her back that vanished almost instantly.

"Nice to meet you too." Reina replied. She switched glances between Ailee and Cross. "Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you in the previous rehearsals." 

"Can somebody help me set this up?!" Elise, their choreographer, cried dragging some kind of wheeled box onto the stage. Cross excused himself to offer help. 

"Did we have someone like that?" Reina was referring to Cross pacing towards the stage in even strides, his feet gently pounding the floor. Ailee stopped to think.

"I have no idea. All I know is that I know him" she paused again to think. "You know-- I don't know him but I know him. Am I even making any sense?" she shrugged her shoulders. "Everybody knows him." she declared.

"You're not ." Reina chuckled. "If everyone knows him, there was no need for you to introduce him to me, right?" she added. Ailee nodded in agreement, she can't seem to explain herself. 

A mysterious thread keeps pulling Reina to him. She can't grasp the nostalgic feeling though she can relate to what Ailee was pointing out. Her gut says she knows him but her memory doesn't. Throughout the rehearsals, at certain point, Reina felt her shoulder area burning up, but is cold to touch. She's beginning to notice how every time Cross is near, her shoulder burns up. It felt like the birthmark is throbbing. Ailee and Reina took a break outside the gym.

"See, the burning sensation is gone!" Reina remarked reaching her hands over her shoulder. "How do you explain this?"

"Maybe you fell in love and your birthmark is acting instead of your heart" Ailee said sarcastically. They walked back to gym after finishing their snacks. As Reina eased the door open, there stood Cross holding his side of the door. She looked up meeting his gaze, noticed his jawline so on point she could grate cheese with it. She pulled her eyes up to meet his gaze again.

"I was about to call you guys. Elise is doing a roll call" he said stepping back from the door. Reina flustered, her eyes looking anywhere but Cross.

"How's your back?" Ailee inquired as they walked inside. Reina didn't feel anything even though Cross was right behind them. She felt guilty for assuming obscure things, yet she can't shake off the strange feeling. Something about Cross bothers her.