It All Started with a Tweet [Zayn Malik]

17: The Party I Was Invited To

         And here it is....

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      Good Lord. Whoever believes that applying liquid eyeliner to one’s eyes is a simple, stress-free process is downright lying to themselves. It was my third attempt, and one side still managed to look thicker than the other. I huffed in annoyance, stamping my foot down on the tiles and letting it echo throughout the whole bathroom.

                Hit with a sudden worry that I was going to be late, I peered out of the bathroom and approached the top of the stairs, still clutching the eyeliner brush but at a safe distance. From my position I could see downstairs, granting me a clear view of the kitchen clock. I had five more minutes until I positively had to leave, no excuses.

                Stepping back into the bathroom, I stared back at my reflection quizzically. While my makeup may not have been executed flawlessly, I guess I still looked presentable. I should’ve been thankful that my appearance wasn’t bad enough to send people running in the opposite direction. Accepting that I’d have to settle for my current look, I pried myself away from the mirror and shut the bathroom lights off.           

                As if on cue, the doorbell rang to notify me of Kate and Lani’s arrival. I carefully descended the stairs, making sure I wouldn’t trip in my heels before the party had even begun. I neared the front door with eager steps, grateful that my family, who were crowded around the television, didn’t pay any attention to me.

                I pulled back the door, and much to my dismay it seemed that Lani and Kate had put a little more effort into their outfit than I had. Lani wore a silky, patterned body-con dress which complimented her shape perfectly, along with simple silver flats. Kate was dressed in merely a modest charcoal mini but sported numerous coloured bangles on her wrist and the most stunning pair of gold heels I’d ever seen. In comparison to my own outfit of a blue sundress, I looked like a peasant.

                But, there was no turning back now.

                “Hey!” someone had greeted enthusiastically before we all fell into a blur of rushed compliments and expressions of excitement. Within less than a minute I was tossing the estimated time I’d need to be picked up over my shoulder and exiting the threshold with my friends by my side.

                Since Danni’s house happened to be only a short distance away, we were able to walk to the party. As we progressed across the worn pavement our excited demeanour didn’t falter. We’d been to parties before but for whatever reason we’d been anticipating this one the most.

                “You know, Freddie’s gonna be there.” Kate unfortunately reminded us with a furrowed brow.

                “I know.” I groaned, smacking my forehead in stress “Don’t remind me.” While I complained Lani seemingly fluttered down the path, humming in her own little world.

                I couldn’t let the simple fact that Freddie would be there distract me, because someone else was going to make an appearance too; someone I’d much prefer to talk to.

                We continued our walk without any additional negative reminders, Kate and I trying to balance ourselves in our heels. Before long we were facing the house.

                Due to past judgments I’d expected a tall, expensive house with prestigious car parked in the driveway, but instead I saw a modest two story, narrow brick, identical to all the others on the typical Leeds street, with a Honda out front. Dim light sneaked through the white silled windows, and muffled bass music pierced through the brick walls. In the midnight blue with merely the stars watching over us, we shot each other looks of confirmation. Time to go in.