Roommates

Invitations

Stunning black and white posters were plastered all over the uni lining the corridors so it was impossible to miss the famous masquerade ball the occurred once every ten years.

I checked over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching me as I pulled a poster from the wall to examine it closely. In big capital letters were the words 'ESCAPE YOURSELF IN O'BRIEN UNIVERSITY'S MASQUERADE BALL'.

I stared at the poster for a good long period dreaming up my costume I thought gold. Gold dress, gold mask, gold makeup. I liked it.

Mentally patting myself on the back as I walked to class, I folded the poster up and shoved it in my bag.

Lit droned on as the guy next to me tapped his book with his pen at a hundred miles an hour and the tutor we had had no idea what was going on, he turned up to class with the wrong book and therefore didn't know what to write on the board in the lecture theatre.

"So..." Mel, began as the class began talking and the poor professor up at the front looked as though he was going to faint of embarrassment.

"So.. what?" I asked, drawing on my page a few scrappy flowers and a dress that I hoped mine would look like for the ball.

"Cam told me what happened the other day between you and Mason. How he found you in a less than decent attire." She chuckled and I rolled my eyes.

"There's more to the story," I groaned pinching my eyes shut in frustration. "He was helping me get my towel out of the door after it got stuck and it fell off in the process." She gave me a 'sure, I totally believe your story' kind of look and I returned to my drawing.

"Has Lucas asked you to the ball yet?" She had a cheeky smile on her face as she side-eyed me, scrolling through her phone.

"I'm guessing that means that Cam has you?"

"Yes! And I'm so excited!" She bounced in her seat.

"No. He hasn't asked me and from the way this whole Mason-Lucas showdown debacle has gone, I don't think I'll be seeing much of him anymore." I said, my eyes lowering a little. As upset as I was about Lucas, I couldn't help but wonder how sexy Mason would look in a tux and a mask that would surely show off his sharp jawline and seductive smile.

I wasn't sad just because my only romantic interest was probably no longer interested in me, but because I had also lost a friend.

And he really was a friend, he made me feel comfortable to share my problems no matter how little they were and he always had a solution. I really did miss him.

The class... well, social session, wrapped up and we all piled out of the class. Luckily for me, I didn't have any lectures left today and was planning on just going home to sleep.

As I made my way through the halls to the exit, people were buzzing about the ball and suddenly it was like a weight had formed in my bag. Would go stag? Would someone ask me? There's nothing wrong with going solo but I did hope that someone would want to go with me.  With each step it felt as though the poster in my bag gained a pound.

When I clambered into my car, I just sat behind the wheel for a while. I pulled the poster out of my bag and examined it again.

Under the address, date and time was small cursive writing reading: A date not needed, but recommended - along with shoes worthy of dancing in. "Great." I rolled my eyes. Turning my keys in the ignition and driving slowly out the lot.

I walked into the apartment and did my usual throwing of keys onto the bench and books under the table.

Mason was standing in the kitchen picking at a bowl of berries, staring out the window next to the sink.