Mask of A Legend (31 page)

S
tephen stepped into his private jet, and wandered up to his father, cringing over and sobbing. His father grabbed him, delicate to his touch, and guided him to his seat, saying, “I guess things didn’t work out like you wanted.”

Stephen looked out of his plane window and at the airport, wondering where Legend was at, and what terminal she was in. “No, it didn’t. She’s going to New York now, she’s in this airport, Father. . . . But I can’t do anything that would allow her to change her mind, because she already told me her answer. She doesn’t believe me, and that pisses me off,” Stephen said. He pounded the glass of the window and turned to his father.

“Well, it’s for the best. After that prank she and Dina pulled at the Styling Awards, I’m kind of glad she’s not coming with us,” William said. Stephen pulled out a blue velvet box and opened it. “Did you propose to her?”

Stephen pulled out an engagement ring, the diamond was as big as a small pebble.

Stephen glared at the blue diamond that was decorated with smaller diamonds surrounding it. He picked it up from the case, and held it up in the air, the sunlight reflecting a prism-like reflection off of Stephen’s face. “No, I didn’t get to that point. After she told me that she was already planning on going to New York, I couldn’t ask her the big question.”

His father saw him crying and gave him a tight hug. “Well, we’ll just take that back to the store today. After all, we just got it today, they should accept it back, full amount,” William said.

Stephen still stared at the diamond, even while he was hugging his father.

“Father, you always taught me to hold onto beautiful things, and now I’m going to let one of those things go.” Stephen still stared at the diamond ring, like he was in a trance.

“Well, it’s for the best. The whole world is looking for Legend Conaway, and if what you say is true about her mask of beauty, then just leave her be, and let her live her own life. Personally, I believe that it was all a prank. I mean, how could a girl possibly have a mask of beauty? It’s impossible,” William explained, Stephen slowly turning away from the ring and looking at him.

“Father, you believed that Angelica story, and that was the same thing that happened to Legend. Now, you’re saying that you don’t believe me, after I told you that it was really a mask? How could you believe that Angelica story, and not believe your own son?”

“Son, I never believed the Angelica story, I only told you to teach you, that looking for a model is more than looking at beauty. . . . Besides, I told you that when you were a kid, you should have known that story wasn’t real by now.”

The plane began to turn on its engines.

“Yeah, but this story that I’m living is real!” Stephen then looked out the window again. “Legend is a goddess to everyone, but she’s willing to give all of that up, because of her mask, because her beauty wasn’t real. Father, if you had seen Legend now, you would say that she was ugly. When I saw her true image for the first time, I said that same thing in my mind. But then, after she ran, I saw beauty beyond that ugliness. I discovered that I really, truly, passionately, love Legend Conaway for who she is, not what she looks like. . . .”

“Well, you’ll get over that, son. Besides, she already told you she didn’t want you anymore, and personally, I’m glad she said that. If she really is ugly, then why would you want to be with her, when you can have any woman you want?” William asked.

Stephen stared at the engagement ring once again, then turned to his father and closed his eyes. He imagined Legend’s true image, and that’s when he said, “Because . . . I love her.”

L
egend was still deep in thought about Jenny’s question. “So, do you love him or not?” Jenny asked.

Suddenly, Legend opened her eyes and said with a smile, “I.” She then paused, closed her eyes again, picturing all of the times she spent with Stephen, and all of the tears and smiles that he caused. She felt her arm, and rubbed it, while she still thought of his face, his image, his hair and his eyes as they would look at her so heavily before. She began to hear his voice in her mind, and that’s when she opened her eyes again, and turned to Jenny. She smiled more. “I do love him.”

Jenny got up from her seat and said, “Well, here.” Jenny handed Legend a piece of paper.

“What’s this?”

“This is the phone number to my dorm, and this is the address, so you can write me. Also, don’t forget to invite me to your wedding, I want to be the maid of honor. Hopefully by that time, I’ll lose this weight on a diet I’m beginning tomorrow, so I’ll look good in the dress.”

“But–”

“No buts. Legend, listen to me, Stephen is rich, famous, handsome, and everything any girl would want out of a guy. He’s funny, and most of all, he loves you. Legend, did you take a look in the mirror lately? It’s not like you’re the most attractive girl in the world anymore. But he still loves you, and for that, you better run after him. . . . Or else I will.” Jenny then pushed Legend. “If you don’t go get him, then my big ass is going to, and that’s no joke!”

Legend gave her a hug and cried, “I love you so much, Jenny.” She hugged Jenny tighter, and fathomed, finally, that she was right.

“I know you do, now you better get a move on, you still don’t know where he is in this airport. You don’t even know if his plane took off yet.”

Jenny guided Legend to the airline worker that stood behind a desk with a large computer.

Legend tapped her fingers on the desk, asking, “Excuse me, ma’am, could you tell me where a Stephen Drakson is, what terminal he’s at?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t give out that sort of information,” the woman replied, staring at Legend’s gruesome face in an appalled way.

“Just take a picture, it will last longer,” Jenny said to the woman. She suddenly turned away from Legend and stared at Jenny. “Listen, he has a private jet, and my friend is supposed to fly with him today. She forgot the terminal he’s in, and all she wants is to know that!”

The woman typed up the name on the computer. “Well, I really shouldn’t be doing this, but since it’s a private jet and all,” the woman said. She gave out the terminal number and said, “It’s about half a mile down that way. Just go straight, and you’ll find it. This is terminal five, and he’s in terminal seventy-three,” the woman explained.

Legend and Jenny walked away from her.

“Alright, I’m going to go after him, but what happens if I don’t make it to him in time?” Legend asked.

“Well, then that’s fate. All I’m saying to you is I’ll be waiting here for twenty minutes till my plane leaves.”

Legend gave her another hug, then began to run for her destiny, fate, her love. She ran past terminal five, and felt happy, she felt alive once again. Her fears shattered, and happiness took the place of them, it took the place of all her bad memories. But, still, her fear of losing Stephen ran through her mind that was once beyond confused, but now was not.

She passed by terminal twenty, and had a feeling of prosperity, her love for him created her smile. She passed by people, and they stared at her ugly face, but she didn’t care anymore. Her love for Stephen, and the mask of beauty she once wore, caused her to be proud of her image, and to turn away from the evil, rude-like stares. She thought about when she first began her adventure, and how her story was about a simple wish she made, a simple wish of beauty. She didn’t know her story would turn to a love story.

She felt that when beauty was involved, a love story was bound to happen, to be created, and to be fulfilled. That’s what she was doing as she ran through the airport with a determined smile on her face. She thought of her wish, and how it became destined to turn into a love story, instead of a wish about beauty. She was fulfilled with happiness, and she wore her mask no more. Her true image shined, and for that, everything was real once again. Stephen’s love for her, and her love for him, were real, and a mask wasn’t involved either. The only thing that was bothering her, but not that much, was the whole world still believed she’s beautiful. They didn’t believe she has any ugliness to her, but she didn’t care. All she cared about, and all she yearned for, was her love that already saw her true image, and accepted it.

She saw terminal seventy-three, and began to call out Stephen’s name. She ran up to a man who was standing behind a desk next to the terminal, and asked, “Excuse me, but did Stephen Drakson’s plane leave yet.”

“Yes, that’s his plane right now.” The man pointed toward a big window. Legend walked up to the window, and saw Stephen’s jet running down the runway, and getting ready to take flight. Her tears of sadness showed, as her love, who accepted her true image, was gone from her life for good. “No,” she cried, hitting the window with her hands. “Please, God, no,” she cried out again, her tears showing in the reflection on the window. She lost her love, her identity toward him, she knew he was gone forever and would forget her. She turned around, and saw news cameras passing by her and running up to the man who was behind the desk.

“Excuse me, but did Stephen Drakson leave yet?” a reporter asked as she stuck a microphone up to the man’s face.

“Yes.”

“Damn. Do you know if Legend Conaway was on his flight?” the reporter asked.

“No, the only girl who attempted to see him was that one, right over there.” The man pointed to Legend, while she still stared at Stephen’s plane.

“You mean that ugly one?” asked the reporter. She walked up to Legend. “Excuse me, ma’am, but are you friends with Stephen Drakson, or even Legend Conaway?”

Legend slowly turned around. “No, why?” Legend asked. The reporter stared at her with disappointment.

“Because we’re trying to track down Legend. But that’s fine, thank you,” the reporter replied. She walked away from Legend and sat down in a seat with her cameraman. The reporter went to the ladies’ room, and Legend turned around to face the window again.

“Goodbye, Stephen,” said Legend. She stared at Stephen’s plane taking off for the sky. Suddenly Legend saw her reflection in the window, and started to cry more. Her tears were due to the sadness of her ugly image, and because Stephen accepted it and still loved it. It was over, done, the fairy tale didn’t have a happy ending.

But then, she saw another reflection, looking at her, and coming closer to her. She opened up her eyes more, and saw that it was Stephen approaching her. He saw her reflection for the first time, and that caused Legend to turn around and face Stephen’s real image. They both stood still, they didn’t know what to do. That’s when Legend asked, “Um, what are you doing here?”

“Well, what are you doing here?”

“I asked you first. . . .”

“Well, I couldn’t leave without you answering me a question,” he replied. Stephen walked up to her, paused for a moment, and stared at her true image. He asked, “I wanted to know, what were the three things you liked about me?”

“Well, I liked your face. . . . I liked your lips. . . . And, most of all, I liked you, for the fact that you’re rich and famous,” she laughed.

He slowly approached her face.

“Now I want to know one more thing,” he said, getting closer to her face. “What are three things that you love about me? Just give me three words.”

Legend pulled away from his face with a smile. She closed her eyes, and got closer to his face in an unhurried motion, and said, “The answer is, I---Love---You. . . .”

Stephen looked away and saw the reporter gawking at him. The reporter grabbed the microphone, while people were beginning to run toward Stephen. He then smiled, and said, “Well, I love you, too.” They kissed as the reporter and the cameraman walked up to them, and the people started to surround Stephen and this mystery girl.

“Excuse me, sir, who is this girl you’re with?” the reporter asked. Stephen reached in his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet box.

“Well, she might be my fiancée,” he replied, pulling out the engagement ring and showing it to Legend. “Will you marry me?”

Legend’s tears of happiness showed once more. “Do you promise you’ll never hurt me again?” Legend asked. Stephen placed the ring on her finger.

“Yes.”

“Well, then, I have to say, ‘yes’. Yes, I will marry you!”

They kissed once more, and the cameraman held his camera on this glorious sight.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but what’s your name?” the reporter asked.

“Well, my name is. . .” Legend then stared at the people, and stared at Stephen. She gave out a short pause, and realized she was beautiful, even if her face showed ugliness to it. “My name is . . . Legend, Legend Conaway,” she replied with happiness. The reporter looked at her with shock. “And I’m proud to be here, too. And pretty soon, I’ll be Legend Drakson.” The people of the airport surrounded Legend and Stephen, clapping their hands and screaming out her name.

“What happened to your face?” the reporter asked. Legend and Stephen walked away from her, and toward terminal seventy-three.

“Well–” Legend said before Stephen interrupted her.

“We’ll explain everything later on. Right now I want my fiancée to come with me, and celebrate back at my house,” Stephen replied. They both walked into the terminal.

“How are we going to leave? Your plane already took off,” Legend asked. They walked outside, while the reporter and all the people followed them.

“Just in case you changed your mind, I had a plane ready for us.” They both walked to a black jet as it stood directly in front of them.

They entered it, jumped in their seats, and kissed. Legend and Stephen were finally happy. The plane took off and Legend took a pause from kissing him, asking, “So, when’s the wedding going to be?”