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.
I walked over to him and hopped onto the counter, stealing a shiny red raspberry.
"Do you ever go to uni?" I ask him, as the sour berry made my eyes squinting and face to pucker up.
He laughed at my reaction pushing the bowl between us, turning around to lean his elbows against the counter.
"Yeah, if there's an important class." He shrugged and I rolled my eyes.
"I just watch most of the lectures on my laptop on the uni page."
Nodding I picked up a blueberry and he opened his mouth, getting ready for my poor aim and most likely damage worthy throw.
I tossed it and he leaned to the side a little to catch it but he caught it none the less.
He winked as I got down from the bench and walked over to the other counter to get my books out.
I dumped them on the counter and walked to my room to get changed. I was getting colder now and darker earlier in the evening. On a bad day, it would be dark by about 3pm and not to mention bitterly cold.
Just as I was about to close my door, I saw Mason walk over to where my books were and pick up the poster regarding the ball.
I pushed my door closed until I could just see through the crack.
He examined the paper, his brows pulling together and biting his lips before he looked over to my seemingly closed door and folded the paper, placing it inside my textbook.
Perhaps he would be interested? I don't know. Something is gong on between us but ever since he found me at Cams we've both just acted like nothing has happened. But I know that we need to talk about it. When, however, I don't know.
Changing into a pair of track suit pants and a T-shirt I walked out of my room while pulling my socks on and stumbling all over the place.
My socks were over the top of the tracksuit but I didn't care - I was comfy.
Mason was on the couch working so I set up my working station on the counter where I opened my textbook and pulled out the poster.
Perhaps a little too obviously, I stared at it for a long time trying to give Mason the hint that I was interested in going before rummaging through my bag to find a spot for it and pulling out my pencil case.
I got to work and when the oven clock beeped that it was six o'clock, I got up and pulled out our stack of takeout menus.
I was in a cheery mood for some reason, perhaps because I'd managed to study without Mason annoying me for once, so I walked over to where he lay outstretched on the sofa and sat on his lap.
He pulled his papers away from his face to reveal his glasses and bored face before perking up when I flaunted the take away menus in his face.
"What do you feel like tonight?" I asked, as he pulled himself up on the couch a little, taking me with him.
"Pizza?" He asked, his eyebrows curved in question.
"We've had pizza for the past three days - you're going to turn into a pizza!" I exclaimed throwing the various pizza menus on the coffee table in rejection.
I fanned the rest of the menus on his stomach and closed my eyes, and jabbed my finger into one of the menus at random.
"Indian." I said, gathering them all up just to have Mason snatch them away.
"No." He said, shuffling through them.
"What? Why? Everyone loves Indian."
"I've spent log enough in the bathroom after your last cooking epiphany, I'm not doing it again." He stated before shoving the Thai menu in my face.
"Loser." I muttered, pulling out my phone to order our usual. "I'll have you know that my chickpea and lentil curry was awesome." I rolled my eyes and he let out a loud ' HA!'
"Puh-lease," he snapped his fingers in the air like a teenage girl. "If we had a cat, I wouldn't give it to the cat. If we had a bear, I wouldn't give it to the bear!"
"But we do have a bear, we have you." I said as he reached up and scratched his neck, likening him to an animal.
I made Mason get the door when the delivery guy got here as I was having a shower and taking my clothes in with me to avoid the last bathroom disaster.
When I came out he had everything set up at the couch and Fast and Furious on the TV.
Groaning and walking to the couch where Mason had already started, his eyes fixed on the TV and slumped down next to him, pulling my dinner towards me.
We ate in silence and when we'd finished, I managed to fall asleep despite the sound of screeching tires and guns.
I woke up leaning into Mason's side with his arm wrapped firmly around me.
"Sorry." I mumbled, sitting up straight.
"Should be, I no longer can feel my arm." He said, humor in his voice.
I rolled my eyes and made a move to sit up, but he stopped me.
"Hey, I was thinking... do you want to go-" he was cut off by a knock at the front door. I held up a finger to say, 'hang on' and got up to answer the door.
I heard him sigh deeply behind me and when I opened the door, I was faced with the last thing I expected to see.
Lucas was standing in the doorway, a bunch of roses by his side.
"Ashley, I'm so sorry about everything that I've done. Would you please let me make it up to you by allowing me to accompany you to the masquerade ball?"
I didn't know what to say. Mason was the first thing I thought of. Would he ask me? Probably not. Why would he? Any kind of relationship between us has been confusing and rocky. If Mason wanted to go with me to the ball he would have said so.
He told me that I shouldn't go out with Lucas, and I should probably respect that. He said that I should be with him, but I can't wait forever for him to make his move. At the moment, I had a chance to go to the ball that I'd been wanting to go to since they put up the first poster a week ago. So, I took it.
"Yes. I'd love that." I say, and he walks in and envelopes me in his arms.
In admits the erratic beating of my heart and cloudy brain, I hear Masons bedroom door shut softly behind me.