The Mask of my Feelings

First meeting

Imagine a packed came with thousands of folks, all hyped up and desperate to see you hit the stage and belt out some tunes. Me, Eleanor, better known as Maria, I live through this frenzy almost every month on my tours. You might think it's awesome, but let me tell you, it's exhausting beyond belief. At first, it was fantastic, I was having a blast, every concert making me feel more alive than ever. But over the years, the mental and physical fatigue piled up, and I found myself without friends. Don't get me wrong, I love my fans, but I'd like to cut down on the number of concerts, just slow down a bit. I love my job, but I need some time to step back. Outside of my career, few people know I'm just a regular high schooler, dreaming of true love, passionate about makeup, and secretly crushing on Jungkook. I'm not an outstanding student, but I'm not bad either, just a normal girl. But in reality, I'm not your average girl; after all, a regular girl isn't an international superstar, she doesn't have a secret identity to lead a quiet life behind a mask. Sometimes, I dream of living without this burden, hanging out with friends or just having them, but with the endless tours, I'm almost always on the move. It's not just tough for me, but also for my parents and my brother, Rayan. Rayan is probably the one who suffers the most, although he never showed it, being overprotective of me. Every time a boy approached me, he scared them off, maybe to prevent me from getting hurt, he being a true ladies' man. But his latest conquest, Jenny, is a cool and stylish girl, with tattoos at only 17, like my brother, but her parents have accepted her choice.

Today, it's a special concert, the last before I slow down. Finally, I'll be able to settle somewhere without constantly moving, make friends, and maybe even find a boyfriend... I'm so excited, I'll finally get to attend high school! My manager, Aisha, is kinda my only friend, even though she's 25 and I'm 14. She's beautiful, smart—graduated at 15, the best at everything she does, even with guys. The only thing I'm better at than her is singing, but even then, she can assist me during concerts. Sometimes I'm jealous of her, but I still adore her. And like magic, she appears: "So, are you ready, Ele... uh, Maria?" she asks me with a cheerful smile. "Yes, yes, I'm so excited, I'll finally be able to stop moving and make real friends!" "Oh, real friends, because I'm nothing?" she grumbles. "No, no, I... I didn't mean that!!!" I hurry to correct, panicked. "It's okay, girls your age need friends their age." I roll my eyes and head back to my makeup artist to finish getting ready. For special occasions like this, I wear my most beautiful mask: blue, fox-shaped, adorned with red diamonds and multicolored flowers. My scarlet dress is embellished with a belt of cyan flowers and small yellow rubies, because I wanted to add a touch of color. I always choose such luxurious dresses because I then donate them to charities.

I give my family one last hug before standing in front of the curtains, ready to take the stage. I hear the screams of my fans. It's not the first time, but this time it's special; I feel my heart racing, my hands sweaty, like for my first concert. Suddenly, an idea crosses my mind: what if I hold a contest? The winner would have the opportunity to chat with me over tea and cake, to better understand my decision to slow down concerts. Without even consulting Aisha, I make the announcement to my community. Everyone is shocked, especially my team, but my fans are thrilled.

My musical style is unique, maybe that's my key to popularity. I blend folk, electro, R&B, and rap, composing all my music myself, from instrumentation to lyrics. I tackle sensitive topics, even though I don't consider myself an expert. Maybe what attracts people the most is the mystery of my mask, something uncommon. I am the author of "Vein", "Love Yourself", and "Land of Fire".

I start playing the piano, and the first notes escape my mouth: "Sometimes, my heart is loud, sometimes it's so calm. Watching others, I only feel my heart." This is my latest composition, the one in which I poured all my soul. I'm apprehensive about their reaction, but once the song is over, I look up, heart pounding. The audience and the producer say nothing. I think they didn't like it. But suddenly, applause erupts, people scream, some cry. At that moment, immense joy fills me. My song, to which I gave so much, touched people, and I really needed that.