Welcome to the rewrite of Masquerade! This chapter is admittedly very short, but my goal is simply to get this project going as quickly as possible. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy and let me know how you liked it at the end! I'd love to hear feedback on my writing and any guesses for the plot ;)

-Pathless

The halls were crowded and noisy much to his disdain. Celebrating the oncoming weekend, excited chatter filled the air, as plans were exchanged and dates were made. The student body rushed to exit the stuffy school as quickly as possible, hoping to escape the responsibilities and challenges of university life. His day had finally come to an end - a feat he'd begun to think would never be accomplished. He couldn't wait to get away from all these empty-headed idiots.

Hanging his head low, and avoiding eye contact by tugging up the hood on his oversized hoodie, he navigated through the sweaty, crowded mess. His look was completed by a pair of old, baggy jeans and a loose t-shirt. On his face, a pair of unnecessarily thick glasses sat, shielding him from the scrutinizing eyes of the world. His long, raven hair was greased up in a disheveled ponytail. To say the least, Kanda hated school. He loathed the small, packed buildings, detested the idiotic professors, and above all, he despised the students. Every one of them was caught up in the "glorious" idea of college. What the fuck was the big deal? It was a superficial societal construct as far as he was concerned, just another obstacle created to further complicate his life.

He practically groaned as he heard a squeal behind him. Speaking of nuisances…the worst of all was upon him, wasn't he lucky?

"Are you sure you don't wanna come t'night? It won't be the same without you!" Just by the tone of the voice he could envision this girl: annoying. End of story. "C'mon! We all want you to come!" The brat continued and a chorus of female voices affirmed her statement. He found himself containing a scream as the subject replied. Something about this despicable teen just ticked him off like no one he'd ever known before. He bowed his head even further, grimacing as he let his perfect posture fall even further. It would just attract unwanted attention.

"Well…" The subject started, chuckling slightly. "I can't really refuse now, can I?" He finished, eliciting more excited squeals from his entourage. Popular, stupid as fuck, and annoying as hell just about summed up the notorious Allen Walker. He hadn't even known it was possible, or legal for that matter, to be so incredibly dim-witted. One would think the line would be drawn before it became hazardous to the rest of the world. Clad in a slightly unbuttoned white shirt with a loose black tie, skin tight black jeans, and white hair gelled to perfection - who the fuck did this guy think he was? Not to mention his pristine white gloves and the crimson, jagged tattoo etched across his face. Clearly he commanded a uniquely flashy presence.

Easily concluding that listening to this conversation was a waste of his time, Kanda continued hustling down the hallway and towards the door. As such, he missed the flamboyant, white-haired teen gain permission from the girls to spread the invitation. In fact, he was just a few feet from the large, double doors when the irritatingly suave voice rang out once again from behind him.

"YO! Wait up!" Cursing, he continued walking towards the light. There was no way he was the one being addressed. After all, he was pretty much invisible among the large population. He maintained a below average appearance in every aspect, from grades to looks to athleticism. Thus, when a hand grabbed his shoulder he nearly screamed out of surprise, preparing to flip this impudent person.

"Hey, what's up?" He stared incredulously down at the boy debating whether or not he should respond.

Merely grunting in response, Kanda scowled, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "May I help you with something?" He put extra effort into making his voice deeper and more husky than usual. His frown deepened when he noticed the mysterious glint in the other teen's silver eyes.

"Have any plans for the night?" Allen asked, giving a seemingly suggestive wink at the end. "I was wondering if you'd like to stop by this small party tonight. I see you alone all the time and thought it might be a fun change of pace for you."

Kanda gaped, lost for words. Was this a prank? "No."

"So you don't have plans? Perfect!" Allen replied, twisting the infuriated Kanda's words. However, before the other could get in a retort, the shorter male brushed past him to the exit, pausing briefly to whisper the other's ear and slip a piece of paper into his pocket. "I assume I'll see you there? It sure would be a shame if our professor learned of your little cheating mishap on the last calculus test…" An obnoxious laugh greeted Kanda's ear as Allen grinned widely and practically skipped out of the building, waving back to the flustered teen.

Furrowing his brows, Kanda let out a barely audible 'che,' as he assessed the lovely situation into which he'd just been flung. His grades left him zero wiggle room, and due to the competitive nature of the school, he faced potential expulsion should his grades drop much lower. Although he had not done anything of which he was accused, he knew his word was nothing against the influence of the popular Walker. And for the sake of his mission, there was no way he could allow this, no matter how tantalizing the opportunity. He bit his lip, silently cursing to himself, as he finally managed to reach the end of the wretched hallway. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he was reminded of the note he'd received just moments before. So much for being undercover, Kanda thought as he unfolded the paper and felt a tick formed on his forehead.

10pm 14 Tidewater Way

See you soon, hot stuff ;)