�Ahhh we�re late�� Gabben was pacing around his room, while Doug was looking around the room like mad.
�Don�t get your�Found them!� Doug ran over to Gabben tossing him a mask. Gabben put on the dark blue mask. The mask also made Gabbens hair turn brown. Doug put on his dog like mask and turned to Gabben.
�Ready mate?� Doug asked.
�Ha�you look like Red.� Gabben said laughing.
�Shut-it� I know I look like your dog� ready?�
�Sure. Let�s go.� Gabben said.
The Christmas ball was down in the courtyard of the Gardner castle. Gabben�s great great great something started the ball and ever sense then it was held there. Candle�s and Swedish fairies floated above the masked people below. It looked as though the entire town was there. There were about 20 tables around a dance floor. No one was sitting at a table though. Everyone was on the dance floor. Different colored masks seemed to float by Gabben as he looked around. He closed his eyes and smelled a smell he knew all to well, and he wanted to burn it in to his mind forever. He loved the smell of fire, and the forest near by. But there was another smell he couldn�t figure out. It wasn�t the smell he smelled at the last Christmas ball, no this was a beautiful smell, it made him feel calm and warm inside. Most people would think Gabben was a little odd thinking about smells so much. (Doug told him this every day.) But Gabben being part lion smelling to him was as good as seeing.
Then it clicked. He knew that smell. The last time he smelled it he was crying� and a girl tried to comfort him. Gabben opened his eyes and looked around. All he saw were masked faces. He growled in anger.
�Ahhh where is she?� Gabben said to himself.
�She? She who?� Doug asked turning to Gabben. But before Doug could get an answer Gabben took off. Doug put an arm out to catch him but something caught his eye. He turned and saw her�
Gabben closed his eyes and smelled again. He was getting closer. He had to find her he just had to. �What if it�s not the right girl? What if you�re wrong?� Gabben put all these thoughts out of his mind. He started to walk down to the edge of the forest. He opened his eyes and saw someone. She had on a beautiful blue dress, and in Gabben�s mind it looked like it was made to fit only her. It wouldn�t look right on anyone else. He slowly walked over to her.
�Umm� Hello�� Gabben said. His voice sounded a little high. He turned red, why did he have to go red now! �Glad I�m wearing a mask�� Gabben never acted like this with girls. He was the ladies man at Hogwarts. He could get any girl he wanted but for some reason he felt like he had no way of getting this girl to like him.
The girl laughed lightly and Gabben smiled. It was her, he knew that laugh but� from who? He thought it was the girl who kissed him by the lake but�
�Would you like to dance Gabben?� The girl asked. She had on a light blue mask that matched her dress. It covered most of her face but her eyes, and mouth. Gabben smiled and nodded holding his hand out to her. She took it and they started to dance. They were still by the edge of the forest but from where they were they could still hear the music. They started to move into a slow waltz. Gabben was amazed at how well the girl could keep time with him. Being a Gardner he had to learn how to dance. One thing he always hated till now.
Doug walked up behind a girl with a red dress and white mask. He smiled hearing her voice. �Please let this work�� he thought to himself.
�Ummm � may I have this dance?� Doug asked bowing and holding his hand out to her. At first he thought she was going to say no, but she smiled and took his hand. Doug walked them to the dance floor and they started to dance.
�You are a very good dancer sir.� She said.
�Why thank you Gabriella.� Doug said with a smile.
�Do you know who I am?� Gabbie asked a little shocked.
�Yes� You could say that.� Doug leaned down and whispered into her ear.
�I knew you by your voice� and your smile. I would know it any where�� Doug said, and he meant it too. Gabbie turned red under mask. She had no idea who this man was. But in the back of her mind she felt as though she always knew him.
�Do you know who I am?� Doug asked with a charming smile. Gabbie frowned in thought.
�I can�t say I do� no one has ever treated me like this before. Not the boy�s I know anyway.� She said looking into his dark green eyes.
�Hmmm� maybe you need to give some of the boy�s a chance��
�Ha I will after this� but I know one will never change�� Gabbie frowned looking down.
�Really who might this be?� Doug said with a smile but inside he had a feeling he knew who it was.
�You don�t know him�� She said still looking down. Doug slowly moved her head up.
�Try me��
�Well� he�s an old friend of my family� Douglas Brown� He just acts so� childish. Always thinking what his next prank will be and what cheesy line he can say to me.�
�Maybe he doesn�t know how to tell you he loves you�� The second he said �love� he growled inside. He didn�t mean for that to come out.
�Love�? That�s a strong word that I doubt he will ever know�� Gabbie said with a small laugh. Then she looked down.
�I�m sorry I shouldn�t have said that� he�s not that bad��
�What makes you think he can�t love?� Doug said with a smile.
�I don�t think he knows how� he seems to not think about that kind of stuff��
�Really? Hmmm� Doug said looking down a little.
�Ha I�m sorry I dumped all that on you� I still don�t know what to call you?� Gabbie said still trying to guess who he was.
�Hmmm� you can call me��
The bells for midnight start to go off.