"Huh?"
I suddenly found myself in a place full of darkness, devoid of any life or structure. Except for the cafe in front of me.
It exuded a warm aura, the types you feel when you're at home.
"But…"
I look around and still see nothing but darkness.
"It's location is just weird."
Without anything else to do, I walked towards the cafe. I opened the door and was greeted by a brown interior. The tables and chairs are made from maple trees from what I can assess. Vases in the middle of the tables, a bookshelf with different books. Foreign books? I couldn't read them.
"Welcome to Cafe Luna, Ma'am."
The barista greeted me warmly and motioned to the seats in front of the counter.
"Hello..?"
I tilted my head to the side in confusion but still made my way to the seats.
"What kind of place is this?"
I asked the barista as he cleans the cups and prepares the coffee maker.
"Hmm, I guess you can say it's an imaginary cafe where people can be themselves."
He said with his back turned towards me.
"Where people can be themselves, huh."
I pondered upon the thought. Where people can be themselves?
That's just a big lie.
"Here you go."
A cup of coffee was slid in front of me.
"Take a sip."
I looked at him with suspicion, looked back to the cup, and took a sip. It was nothing like I've ever tasted before. It sure still tastes like coffee, but there's a hint of fruitiness into it that I couldn't explain.
"Lemon?"
I let out a word as I sip the drink once more.
He laughed and said:
"Maybe? Maybe not? Maybe that fruit doesn't exist in your world."
"Lemon?"
"No, ------."
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
"No surprise, you're from a different world after all."
Huh…? My eyebrows furrowed and I looked at him inquisitively, trying to figure out who this mysterious barista is.
"What do you mean by that?"
"This Cafe exists in all parallel universes unlike you, who only lives in one. You do know about parallel universe theory, right?"
I nodded.
"It's about the theory where each decision you make creates an alternate reality, right?"
He closed his eyes and nodded.
"Simplified, yes. Every major decision you make, makes a new reality. But as humans, you can only exist in one of them. That's where 'life is made up of choices' come from."
"Hmm, I see. So you're saying that you exist in all of them?"
"Yes, in fact, I do know of a world where a major dictator has actually won the world war."
My eyes widened in shock and my mouth agape.
"You mean, that guy with the iconic moustache?"
He silently nodded.
"Just curious, how was it?"
I can't help but be curious about it.
"Like I said, there's a world where it was welcomed, and a world where it wasn't. Everything can happen now."
"Such a boring answer."
I rolled my eyes.
"Sometimes the truth is as boring as it gets."
He laughed.
I sighed and took a sip of the coffee again. For some reason, his words kept ringing on my ear.
Where people can be themselves.
"Hey, I'm just a little curious."
I called his attention.
"What do you mean by 'where people can be themselves'?"
"I meant it in every sense of the word. Do you know about the Three masks?"
"The three masks?"
"The first mask is the one you show the world."
He snapped his fingers and produced a blue mask which he wore.
"The second mask is the one you show your close friends and family"
He waved his right hand over his face and the mask magically turned to blue.
"Then, the third mask."
He did it again, but this time, the mask was gone and it was only his face.
"Is the face you never show anyone."
"The face you never show anyone… huh."
"Yup."
He snapped once more and the masks in his hands were gone.
"So, what does this have to do with 'where people can be themselves'"?
I added.
"Well, it has everything to do with it. Look around you, who's here?"
"Uhh, you."
I pointed at him.
"Besides me, of course."
"Nobody?"
"Exactly. That's why you can be comfortable here."
I looked at him and just sighed. I fixed my hair into a ponytail and finished my coffee.
"So? What do you think about the masks?"
"Hmm, well it's essential."
"How so?"
"Without them, there would be chaos in the world."
"Huh? Isn't that like, an overstatement?"
He shook his head.
"No, what would you think would happen if people suddenly only thought about themselves and refused to compromise?"
I rubbed my chin, thinking of a response.
"Conflict?"
"Yes, the only reason why war doesn't happen every other day is because countries and people compromise."
He smiled and added:
"That applies to you too."
"Huh? What do you even know about me?"
I crossed my arms.
"Just about everything I need to know."
"Like?"
He snapped his fingers and slid a blue mask.
"Your masks."
"But you said they were essential!"
"Indeed, but I didn't say to kill your personality."
The atmosphere of the cafe grew still, his words reaching the depths of my heart with razor sharp precision.
"Maria, I think it's time to stop being a martyr."
I looked up at him with welled up eyes.
"How'd you know my name?"
He gave me a smile as bright and as warm as the sun on a very good spring day.
"Told you I know just everything I need to know."
He winked.
"But, I don't know! It's just.. If I don't do it, I'll lose my place!"
"Place in what?"
"In my friend's circle!"
"Is that worth losing sleep for?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are your friends worth dying for?"
"Of course!"
"But Maria, you have four masks."
He produced a yellow mask, a color I haven't seen in his demonstration earlier.
"A fourth mask?"
"This is the mask you show your so-called 'friends'."
He slid the mask in front of me and continued.
"If they can't accept you for who you actually are, are they really your friends?"
I can feel my cheeks flush red and my eyes welling once more.
"B-But what should I do?"
I buried my face in my hands and cried.
"Like I said, it's time for you to find a place where you can actually be yourself and stop pretending. Fake it til you make it isn't a valid choice here."
He snapped his fingers and my vision started to fade.
"Remember, Maria. Never lose yourself in the face of peer pressure. You have your own sense of judgment, trust it."
Were the last words I heard.
***
It's easy to get caught up in peer pressure by your friends. Oftentimes, it comes out as positive. But at some point, this peer pressure may evolve into something else that torments the person instead.
Why?
It's simple.
It's the fear of not fitting in.