Masquerade parties weren't a very common thing to Dan Howell, but after a few Google searches, he figured out what he was supposed to do and what to wear.
It was a masked ball – that much was obvious, you could gather that from solely the name – so a ballroom dance in a fancy costume was all that was really needed to know.
Dan had decided that he didn't want to stand out all that much, so he opted for a black waistcoat over a white shirt. Not being one to really dance (he didn't particularly know how to ballroom dance, never mind want to), he preferred to blend into the shadows in the background instead.
He knew how to act like he could dance; he'd learned that much from February when he'd pulled Phil to his feet to waltz around to some energetic swing, but the difference was that swing didn't really have moves and Phil wouldn't judge if he got something wrong. Doing the waltz with a complete stranger was something else entirely.
What if he unintentionally ended up dancing with Erica or Summer? Erica would surely smack him upside the head if he got a step wrong and Summer would probably recognise his voice and kick him out of the house if they paired up.
Summer really didn't like Dan.
Another thing that Dan needed for the party was, of course, a mask.
He'd ventured down to Magnolia Promenade – leaving Phil alone with Dab at home (with his permission, of course) – to have a search around the shops and see if he could find anything.
To his surprise, when he arrived, he had found a fancy dress shop in Magnolia Promenade, and sure enough, that shop had had a very wide selection of masquerade masks.
He'd been debating whether to buy one for Phil in case he changed his mind and decided to come along, but he remembered how adamant his friend had been about staying at home and opted out of it.
He chose himself something that matched his aesthetic: a black, Venetian mask with the top centre being decorated with a gold fleur-de-lis shape. More gold, elaborate decorations went around the rim: swirls and all.
None of these decorations were what interested Dan, of course, but it was the fact that it was the one that least stood out from the whole, entire shelf.
Perfect for someone like himself who blurred into the background like a brown spider in a plant pot full of soil.
Which is a strange analogy, but it works to some extent.
As Dan turned to walk away, fiddling with the Venetian mask in his hands, he noticed a familiar figure browsing the shelves, not far from him.
The said figure was, in fact, his neighbour: Eliza Pancakes.
Dan supposed that it was the day of the party and she, too, was getting in her last-minute shopping and outfit-organising whilst she still had time.
Dan also supposed that it wouldn't hurt to say hello, either, so he hid the mask behind his back and approached her.
"Hey there!" He said, cheerily. He didn't mind Eliza – she was actually very nice once you got to know her.
Eliza looked a slight bit taken-aback at first when she saw who had greeted her, but then looked up to Dan and gave a smile.
"Hi!" She grinned, "Fancy running into you here!"
"Yeah, fancy," Dan sniggered, "Just looking for something to wear to the party. I'm assuming that's why you're here, too?"
"You got that right," Eliza nodded, "Have you found anything?"
"I have, indeed."
"What have you found?"
"Well, if I told you, that'd be no fun, would it?" Dan reasoned, "Isn't the joy of a masquerade not knowing who you're looking at?"
"I don't think that a mask is going to disguise you that much, but I guess you're right," Eliza laughed, "Is Phil coming, too?"
Dan shook his head and sighed, tapping his foot on the floor.
"Nah, I think he just wants to stay home to look after Dab and make sure everything's OK in the house," he said, "I don't know if something's up with him, but he just seems a bit down – or at least he did yesterday when I was talking to him."
Eliza's face fell at this last statement,
"I hope he's OK, then," she swallowed, "Hopefully he'll cheer up soon, right?"
"Right," Dan smiled, "I'm sure he will. Phil's never down for long: he's like the sun, that guy."