Lacey // (The 1975 / Matty Healy fanfiction)

// C H A P T E R O N E //

The bar was already packed when the two of them arrived there. Bodies were crammed against each other whispering or laughing with the occasional odd pair that decided to dance. It smelled of smoke, alcohol and body odor, a mix that would have made you gag anywhere else but there just seemed to fit as well as the music blasting from the speakers.

"Timothy texted me that they're somewhere near the back to the left, let's go try and find them!" Ella yelled at Lacey over all the noise.

As they made their way through the place, Lacey couldn't help but notice all the different kinds of people. There were college students like them, drinking and flirting trying to get someone to go home with them for the night. You could also see older men seemingly alone, drinking away their sorrows even if they will come back to them in the morning. And finally the small little groups of people - maybe tourists, maybe locals - just having a good time without really filling some made up cliché.

"There you guys are! What took you so long?!" Their friend Timothy exclaimed when they finally arrived at their booth.

"Miss Lacey over here only decided to get ready about ten minutes before we were supposed to leave and to no one's surprise - she took longer than that." Ella shrugged as they sat down.

Oliver, one of Lacey's longtime friends, smirked at her, "Well it definitely was worth it."

"Yeah, yeah - stop bothering Lacey for god's sake Oliver." Isabella, the third and final friend in their group, rolled her eyes, "I have way better news for you two or well, maybe more for Ella considering Lacey probably won't like what I'm gonna show you guys but-", she turned her head slightly to gesture to a group of guys sitting at the booth behind them, "aren't those guys fucking heavenly?!"

Both Ella and Lacey turned their heads at the same time, looking at the three guys who sat behind them. Lacey gave them one quick look before looking back at Isabella incredulously whispering, "Are you serious?! Those guys look like freaking drug addicts."

"Ohh because drugs are so scandalous...", Isabella rolled her eyes, "you can't honestly tell me that you don't find them even the least bit attractive, I mean look at them!"

Sighing Lacey turned back around to take another look at the guys. Two of them had brown hair and beards, though one kept his hair short while the other one wore it a bit longer and messy. The other one caught her eye a bit more, though he still didn't look very attractive to her with his brownish-blonde dreadlocks and tattoos. She wouldn't lie, they were definitely interesting to look at, but did they make her want to throw off her clothes and spend the night with any one of them? Definitely not.

"I just don't get it. I mean, I guess they're interesting with their whole bad guy vibe, but do you honestly find them that attractive?!" She asked, but could soon answer her own question by looking at Ella's face. Not having said a single thing the whole time, she was staring at the blonde dreadlock guy as if her life depended on it.

"Oh!" Isabella exclaimed excitedly, "here comes the final one, my personal fave."

Lacey rolled her eyes and didn't even turn to look, expecting another bearded or tattooed guy to walk down the aisle.

"Holy fuck, so gorgeous." Isabella whispered to herself.

To their right the guys started laughing, "You do know that your whole staring attitude will probably make you seem like total creeps instead of desirable women?" Andrew smirked.

Lacey agreed, "Seriously Ella, you need to cut it out. You've been staring at this guy for about five minutes straight now, you look like a stalker."

Ella shook her head and fixed her eyes on her best friend, "I'm not even looking at that beautiful dreadlocked man anymore. The new guy is like transfixed on you. He's been staring at you since he sat down, he hasn't even touched his drink or talked to anyone yet. Do you know him?!"