Equality Rule (A.U)

Chapter 5

"Good. This place was getting boring anyway." Harry twitched the side of his lip in a smirk that he knew made every girl in a hundred meter radar almost faint.

Not Carmen though, she wasn't the type of girl to just fall for a mysterious lad with good looks and a killer smile. She saw far more than this small town's play boy, she dealt with far more than just a smirk holding a hidden intention behind it, she felt far more than just a skip of a heart beat when the hot lad gave her his full attention. She was far beyond that silly small town girl and everyone knew it, but not Harry Styles though. He saw Carmen as a challenge he wanted to win.

"It already is." Carmen gave Harry a sly smirk before turning to walk in the other direction knowing fully well she left behind a frustrated but quite intrigued man. She thought of it like a fun summer game. If her mother was forcing her to be with Harry's company, she might as well make the most of it.

In another part of the house stood a group of girls chatting about what other people chose to wear in such a high level party. They were in such shock when they saw Georgia Hilly alongside her daughter, Kate, wearing last season's dresses.

"Those kind of dresses aren't even being sold at Jodex boutique." One of the girls, Carla Deakin, rolled her eyes taking a sip of her wine.

"I bet they shop at The Curb." Another one, Katherine Jones, snorted making the group of five laugh obnoxiously at the lame joke that was just made.

Bella Styles didn't really find that joke funny one bit. She knew just like everyone else that the Hillys weren't a rich family. They were considered middle class, and if it weren't for their connection with Carmen and Liam Payne they wouldn't have even been given the honor of attending such an upper class party. But she forced a laugh along the group anyway, she didn't want to be the only one not laughing.

Young Kate Hilly being oblivious to all the jokes being made about her approached the group of girls alongside Carmen, her best friend, with a shy smile on her face.

"Oh the girl of the hour is finally here." Carla faked a wide smile to Carmen who saw right through it but she played along anyway.

"I've been all over since I got home." Carmen smiled.

"Everyone wants to know what's new in the capital no doubt." Bella snorted with a hint of jealousy that no one seemed to catch.

In a lot of people's eyes, Bella Styles was beyond beautiful. Her fair white skin made her piercing blue eyes just shine all the more, her blond hair framing her oval thin face like a piece of art. She had the whole town swooning around her, but she cared for none of that when Carmen Payne was here for she knew that her beauty, charm and elegance meant nothing compared to Carmen's fascinating capital fashion or her exciting new capital stories.

"Yeah," Carmen shrugged feeling bored with the subject already. She had to tell the same 'exciting' story to almost every single person in the party. To her, it was getting old. But god forbids she become rude to single person and not tell them the story with the same enthusiasm in her tune, her mother would never let her hear the end of it.

"Perks of being a capital girl." Kate chuckled in an attempt to fit in with the group but all she got in return was some looks from the group and a dry chuckle from Bella.

"I love your dress, Kate. Where did you get it from?" Katherine smirked to her friends referring to her earlier joke that poor Kate was unaware of when she beamed with happiness.

"Oh thank you, my mother made it for me." Kate smiled with pride in her mother's work. They may not have a lot of money but they had one thing most upper class lacked, love.

"Really? I didn't know that." Carmen was impressed with Mrs. Hilly's talent. All the girls rolled their eyes. Unlike Carmen, they don't find Kate to be a good person for being proud of her mother. They think she should be ashamed for not being able to buy their own clothes instead sawing it themselves.

"If you didn't tell us that I would've thought you bought it." Bella commented once she noticed Katherine and her little followers giving Kate a dirty look almost whipping that proud smile off her face.

"Thanks." Kate smiled shyly once again. Even though she might not show it, she always notice the looks she get when she is around Carmen's friends. She knows she is not upper class and she will never be, but she hopes of proving to them that she is a good person that she is just like them.

"Anyway, Carmen have you noticed the new help around town? Most of them aren't black no more." Carla smiled proudly. Her father always brags about Daccron being the only city applying the Equality Rule. Not even the Capital applies it yet, making Daccron a better place than the capital.

"I've noticed. What happened while I was gone?" Carmen asked intrigued with only one person on her mind. She hadn't seen any other slightly tanned lad being a help around anywhere but from what Carla just implied apparently he wasn't the only one.

"The mayor had applied the Equality Rule." Carla said proudly like she was the one who made the rule.

"What's that?" Carmen was confused. The capital wasn't familiar with that term. The rule was to be made in every city and proven to be working before being applied in the capital.

"You don't know what the Equality Rule even is?" Carla was shocked that Carmen didn't know a thing she knew, she felt for the first time that she was better than Carmen Payne. It didn't matter that the whole town knew about the Equality Rule nor did it matter that the Payne's were the first people to hire a colored person or the fact that Mr. Payne was the one to bring the Rule to Daccron in the first place. Carla still felt better than Carmen in that moment and that on its own made her feel accomplished.

"It's a rule where we allow the other people like colored to have a normal lives and not be slaves. Like they can own houses and work for us. A lot of people form all around the country came to be residence in Garfield because of this rule. Daccron is the only city to apply it, you know." Carla said smugly.

Carmen felt uncomfortable with how Carla phrased her answer. It only proved how ignorant and self-centered Carla was. And on the same time it made her think of Zayn.

He wasn't colored, not to her, yet he was working in the kitchen. Maybe he was a lower class working like any other person to provide for his family. Maybe he had it rough and working as a butler was the only job he landed.

That new set of information made her grow a whole new level of respect and admiration to the olive skin boy she saw not a few hours ago. As well as a whole new level of curiosity about his life and what brought him to the Payne's house. She was determined to finding out the next time she lay eyes on him.

***

A/N

Hey there :D

It's been a while and I do apologize but my vacation had been crazy. Been on a trip and almost got kidnapped. Had an adventure, slept on sand, was faced with wild dogs *scary ones* climbed the larges mountain in Egypt in 5 hours, saw new cities and learned new things about myself.

Anyway, hope you like this chapter. What do you think of Carmen? I think I have just about 3 more characters to introduce then I'm done and the events starts :P

Hope you are enjoying the story so far.

Comment your opinions and vote if you enjoyed the chapter. I look forward to your words xx

Till next time :*

Lots of love, marwaa x