Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams- Chapter One

Chapter One- The Front

The Masons car crawled up the gravel driveway of Carlson Academy. The circular driveway before the front building was complete with a stone water fountain and manicured lawns. Mr. Mason slowly guided the car away from the front building and towards the car park off to the left. He cruised down two aisles of families bmw's, bentleys, rangerovers and an assortment of sportsmobiles before he found his sons motorbike and his son leaning against it. Mr. Mason parked the car and he and his wife jumped out. Nathaniel met his parents in front of the car and took his mums arm to help her cross the gravel driveway in her heels and dress. "Why is this neccisarry?" Nathaniel groaned, looking at the intimidating building they approached.

"Its a mandatory torture that is inflicted every year. Its a tradition, Nate!" Stephen Mason replied in a jubilant voice. All too jubilant for Nate who was seriously considering faking food poisoning to get out of the impending doom that is the Beginning Of The Year Mixer.

"A torture you do not suffer alone!" Andrea, his mother, chirped in. "These bloody heels will be the death of me!" After living in the USA for 21 years, she still spoke with a thick Italian accent, something Nate loved about his mum as she was every bit itallian. Her thick, dark hair cut around her face was normally flyaway and crazy. Her face was handsome and strong with a softening beauty in her dark eyes. And her smile was a wide faced, ear-to-ear celebration, the reason his dad fell in love with her. Nate smiled at his mum. Nates smile was more reserved. It was a small quirk of his rie lips that crawled slightly more up one side of his face than the other, appearing more like a smirk. He doubted he'd be smiling alot tonight. The annual Carlson Academy beggining of the year mixer was an event held every year with the purpose of torturing the students and persuading parents to empty their pocket; although it gave the faculty a chance to show off their acting skills. The mixer was held in the academies 'front building' which, ironically, looked nothing like the rest of the school. The front building was an old red brick building covered in charming ivy, with big arched windows, and smaller square ones for the second floor, It was the original school building, back when the school was founded in 1782. Nate had to admit, it had its charm, it just wasn't his style. The manicured lawns annoyed him, the little stones of the sweeping gravel drive aggravated him and the stone steps leading to the oak front door were rickety. However, just behind this building was his school, the place he loved and lived.

Nate shook hands with his headmaster, and smiled at the deputy headmistress, a stout plump old women who bore an unfortunate resemblance to Miss Trunchball. He smiled the niceties as the three Masons entered the lavish room. As they stepped over the threshold, a wall of inviting heat greeted them immediatly. The room was lit by the fire and a selection of soft hew lights. Walking into the room, they faced a magnificent double-breasted, dark wood stair case. The two sets of stairs curved towards each other and met half way up, creating a little landing before continuing to the second level of the front building. Between the bottom of the sets of stairs was a gleaming grand piano. Yes, the place was warm, luxurious and completely and utterly fake. Carlson Academy wasn't like this- elegant, old and antique-y- and everyone knew it, but it was always good fun to put on a show.

The school promised a first class education, which was delivered, however the tuition required a lot more to be reasonable. So, the school sold itself on these mixers, open days and parents weekend as a place that enforced strict rules, manners and etiqute. Truth be told, Kids told their parents they wanted to attend Carlson Accademy because they get away with more there than they would at home. For example, in the student handbook curfew for seniors is at 10:30 on school nights and 11:30 on the weekends, lights out at midnight. The reality, sophomores don't get back to their dorms until atleast midnight and tonight, there was gunna be one hell of a dorm party.