The Hopeless Romantics (one direction)

CHAPTER: 2

To begin the strenuous ritual to preparing myself for public appearances, I straightened my red hair until it was

stick-straight. So straight, carpenters could check the accuracy of their levelers by the angles of it.After applying a generous amount of mascara to my light hued eyelashes, I was more or less ready to go. All that stood between myself and midnight, was my thundering heart and the wretched closet from which I would have to select a dress. Groaning, I threw open the folding door to examine my dress rack. One red, one aqua, one violet and one black. Not much of a selection, I know, so I just grab the aqua off it's hanger. At least the bright blue excentuates my hair and eyes. I pull it over my shoulders-which are freckled too- and down to just above my knees. the silken fabric folds softly around me, with silver sequins adorning the waist and ruffles where it bells out slightly the bottom. Smoothing the front of it, I examine myself in the mirror.

I'm not usually vain, but I have to say, I look good. Right on time, too. I have no idea what this night has in store, but for the moment, it doesn't matter. I'm feeling wild. Wild being a side of me that doesn't ordinarily show, I embrace it. Silver ballet flats tie the outfit together well, and I grab my bag and rush outside to my moss green Ford Fiesta. Being on a tight schedule, I flew into the right side driver seat and drove out of the driveway and onto the open road. Since she lived only a bit away, it didn't take much time to get there. No less than a second after I arrived, Cassady was skittering down he own driveway in a black knee high dress with white heels and headband holding her golden hair back. She looked stunning. As she pulled into the passenger seat, she greeted me;

"Well aren't we just the dynamic duo?"

after exchanging wondering glances at each other, we both shouted in unison, "girl, you are looking HOT!" which sent us both into a fit of laughter. Between Cassady and I, there had always been two similarities; our brown eyes and the habit of saying the EXACT same thing at the EXACT same time. It happened way too many times to even count. "great minds think alike," she said after the chuckling somewhat subsided. "that and we're looking way too sexy to deny!" I said back, earning more laughs.

The rest of the car ride was filled with singing and talking and of course laughing. Something that there was always an abundance of when with my best friend. As we wound our way through Manchester, lights were everywhere. Woven through picket fences, hung from church spires. Tonight the city was on fire with the spirit of new years.

As we curved around the roundabout that led to the mansion, my blood was boiling in my veins. Even my arms felt like they were leaden. It was a big new years extravaganza thrown by my fathers company, not that either of my parents were around enough to accompany me to it. They probably would never even knew Cassady and I were there. It was an open party, so anyone could go, by the looks of it, half the people in london were here. Inside, there was people of all ages ranging from near sixteen to over thirty, the majority look to all be around my age- seventeen.

Many people precariously held sleek champagne glasses in their hands conversing with nearby party goers. "ooh fancy," Cassady whispered to me. She pronounced fancy like faun-cee, enunciating every syllable profoundly. I laughed to myself. She grabbed my upper arm and squeezed it,"Look, Troy's over there! I have to go!" so Troy was the certain someone Cassady was planning on kissing..I sighed, "I never would have guessed you fancied the mighty Troy, jockey and hottie," I dropped her a wink. She smiled at me as she turned to go to him. He was rather handsome with blonde hair and his icy blue eyes. Good for her, she found love. I stand on my tiptoes trying to see her and Troy conversing. She's talking to him, using hand gestures and he is smiling wildly laughing at whatever she's saying. I smile and search the room for something to do. The giant projection screen is set on exactly one minute. I walk swiftly to one of the waiters carting around champagne and delicately plucked a glass from the platter while he was going in the opposite direction. "sorry but I'm going to need this more than you," I whispered to myself.