She first saw him at a baseball game between their respective schools.

Her on the bleachers, him on the field. He was an excellent hitter, with elegant hands too beautiful for baseball. But it wasn't those hands that first caught her eye. It was the stray strands of silvery white hair he tried to hide under a cap worn low.

His homerun hit won the game and in the midst of the victory cacophony, she grabbed him by the arm and took him somewhere quiet. He didn't object, she was a very pretty girl.

"I see it." she said once they're alone, "what's under your cap."

A look of surprise came over his face and he pulled the hat even lower. The girl smiled.

"Don't worry." she said, pulling off her brunette wig and revealing an avalanche of sterling silver locks, "I'm hiding it, too."

The boy's jaw dropped. After his initial shock subsided, he touched her hair. He did so gently, like he was afraid he would hurt it. She reached out and removed his cap. He flinched, but didn't stop her.

"You cut it so short." she said at his messy shock of silver hair.

"You have it so long." he said back, his hand still in her hair. She scoffs.

"I wish I didn't have to hide it. But the questions are unbearable."

"Yeah. Too many."

She gave the cap back to him but he didn't put it back on. He looked relieved to have it off for once.

"So," she began, "how many times have you been in highschool?"

He laughed.

"This is my last run." he said.

"Mine too. I finally got bored of all the angst."

"I'm Dante." he said suddenly.

"Dante? Heavy. Did you pick that name yourself?"

"Well, if I have to live like this I thought I should name myself after someone who went to hell and back." he shrugged, "because honestly, this is hell."

"Yeah, I guess something like Thomas or Brian won't cut it." said the girl, laughing.

"What's your name?"

"It was Helena for a while, but I'm Elizabeth right now." she replied, "I don't like it that much so I'll probably change it again, I don't know, I can't seem to find a name I like."

"You don't look like a Liz."

"People call me Beth."

"You don't look like that either."

"Okay, what do you think I look like?"

Dante smiled sheepishly. "For one, beautiful." he said, blushing.

The girl laughed and pinched his arm. "Don't flirt with me. Don't start thinking that our meeting here today was fated. That we were made for each other." she said, "I'm not your Beatrice."

"Nah, you definitely don't look like a Beatrice. You seem like you can find your way out of hell just fine on your own." said Dante, putting his cap back on. The girl smiled, she knew he meant it as a compliment.

"I should go." he said, preparing to leave, "it was nice meeting you."

The girl grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Hey, let's be friends." the girl said, sudden and rushed. She felt embarrassed to have sounded like such a loser. But the grin on Dante's face made her feel better.

"Sure, yeah, I'd like that. It's nice to finally have a friend who won't... well, you know."

"Grow old and die?"

"Yeah." said Dante, "so I'll come find you, then."

"I'll leave breadcrumbs." said the girl, trying not too sound too excited.

Dante tilted his head and examined her face. "I think," he began, "you look like an Iris."

The girl made a disgusted face. "I do not."

With that and one last laugh between them, Dante turned and left.