[b]“How much longer until we get there?”[/b] Jason prompted the driver. He was ignored, as he had been the entire trip. Clearly the driver had been told not to answer any of Jason’s questions, but why his parents would bother giving such instructions was beyond him. Luckily, he didn’t need a response, as the train station soon came into view. 

[b]“We’re right about here now, Master Jason. I hope you had a comfortable ride,” [/b]Jason responded to himself, deepening his voice to imitate his driver more accurately. It was a light hearted jest, but the driver still shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Jason’s lack of professional etiquette always bothered the newbies, and their discomfort was always entertaining.

The station itself was pretty close, considering the lack of air travel, but the drive was still too long for Jason. He spent the entire ride pressed up against the door, waiting to be released. Once the driver finally did open it, Jason unintentionally exploded out of the nondescript, black car, immediately falling onto the pavement from the sudden loss of support and attracting the attention of many nearby strangers. He picked up his cherry red glasses and stood upright, dusting himself off and regaining his composure. 

He ignored the stares of the passersby, whose mundane routines had been interrupted by his entrance, as he thanked his driver. [b]“Thank you so much for taking me here. It was a real pleasure. I enjoyed our conversation. It was very… Enlightening. A real bonding experience. You have to be the most intellectually stimulating driver I’ve had so far. I’ll have to tell my father to send you again, I’d love to have you as my personal driver,”[/b] His gratitude dripped with sarcasm, but neither his feelings of appreciation nor his playful gestures seemed to be well received as his driver stopped reacting to his antics. A real shame. Losing that source of fun, Jason sighed and examined his glasses for any damage. They were purely for aesthetic purposes, so he liked to maintain their condition. 

The now-incredibly-boring driver apparently didn’t want waste any time after he had finished heaving Jason’s luggage out of the trunk since he swiftly returned to his position behind the wheel and sped off without ever saying a single word. Typical. 

---

When Jason finally arrived at his dorm, he felt pretty worn out, having spent the entire day traveling, but the new environment and new scenery had distracted him wonderfully. He took his time enjoying the architecture before he finally entered the male dormitory. The building itself was impressive, but nothing completely unexpected, all things considered. It was no doubt a private school for rich kids. Plus, based on elusive location of the college, he assumed that the school grounds were expansive, another indicator of general exorbitance. The dorms could quite possibly be the most uninteresting part of the college. He had yet to find out for himself, but for now he kept his expectations moderately high. 

Of course, he was not disappointed when he made his way upstairs and entered the Onyx dorm. Plopping down on one of the sofas, he found that the ornate furniture was in pristine condition, and the living space overall was impeccable. Jason was quite used to such a lavish home environment, but he could always appreciate perfection and beauty. Exploring the space a bit, he chose one of the three doors and pushed it open. 

[b]“Three individual bedrooms,”[/b] he deduced expertly, [b]“and this one appears to be uninhabited. Excellent.”[/b] After he rolled his luggage into the room, he plopped onto the bed, examined the room further, and noticed an incredibly conspicuous white envelope on the bedside table. His curiosity piqued, he quickly tore the envelope open and read its contents. A masquerade ball. Sleep would have to be postponed for such an event, but Jason was sure it would be worth it. Without wasting another moment, he began preparing. He stripped off his jacket and shirt, and continued the process of undressing. Everything went well until he came to a sudden realization: You can’t wear glasses and a mask at the same time. 

Jason fell onto his knees; he had lost the ability to stand. Devastation! Agony! Defeat! Torture! It was horrible. He curled into a ball on the floor, half naked now, at this tragic epiphany. What was he supposed to do? What could he do? It was unfathomable to show up to a masquerade without a mask… But his glasses! They were so stylish! He rolled around on the floor, drowning in his own indecision. 

Eventually he knew he had to get up. Time was running out. With a new sense of urgency, he opened the wardrobe. His eyes were closed when he opened the door, too anxious to know the truth immediately. Was it going to be hideous? The anticipation was almost too much for him to bear. Slowly, he opened his eyes a bit. He was barely able to see through his squint, but he found his mask almost immediately. Red! Oh thank the gods and all that was divine and powerful. Red! The same cherry red of he beloved glasses. He almost cried tears of joy. His heart had been broken, but now all was right in the world. 

His sanity restored, Jason resumed his previous task. He donned his tuxedo effortlessly, having worn such formal attire on many occasions before. It fit incredibly well, and felt like a second skin. The mask too, seemed to have been molded to his face, as it rested comfortably on his features. Jason was hesitant to leave his precious glasses behind, but he had no other choice and no reason to take them with him. They’d be safer in the dorm. Not able to afford another minute contemplating this decision, Jason placed his glasses in their case, and left them on the bed. 

The walk was uneventful, as solitary activities tended to be, but his boredom would soon be over. He briefly wondered if there were females attending the ball. Surely there would be. Balls were pretty much made for ladies. Formal dresses were a big deal, and there weren’t many opportunities to wear them. But the walk over, surely it must be difficult to do in heels? And when the cool night air caressed his face, he wondered if these ladies would be suffering from hypothermia. It was a humorous picture to imagine: beautiful ladies adorned in glamorous dresses, shivering in the cold air and just generally looking uncomfortable. Oh the fun to be had at a ball! He could hardly contain his excitement as he approached the Grand Hall.