Supine 'til Aurora • Dan Howell

• Chapter 13 •

• The day of the party •

Groggily, I slipped out the bed in the guest room, trailing across the corridor, catching a glimpse of the crystallised sky outside, soft snowflakes glacially floating down and settling in thin blankets over the roofs of the lower apartments.

"Morning sunshine; nice face." Ashton joked as I entered the living room, messy bun atop my head, baggy shirt hanging over my hips.

"Shut up." I muttered, flopping down on the sofa. "I need to head over to Oliver's in a couple of hours to help get the party ready."

"Want me to bring your outfit over when I come?" Ashton asked.

"Please."

"Okay, just remember to lay it out on the bed otherwise I'll mess it up." He said, looking back down at his book.
"You need to arrive like 10 minutes early." I reminded him, glancing over at Alex who was asleep curled up in the armchair across the room.
"I know I will- go have a shower." He grinned at me, and then continued reading.

Groaning, I leapt up from the plush cushions and padded down the hallway, into the small bathroom.

I was really looking foward to this party.

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"Everyone needs to be on schedule at all times. I don't care if you don't want to, everyone stays on task - Eric- Eric. Stop. Those streamers go on the opposite wall, the lights go on that one because they connect from over there. No- stop- no ham. These are Vegetarian platers, William, meat are in the kitchen upstairs. Mr John , Mr. John; that is the lavatory."

I looked up from the tangled bundle of lights in my hands, watching as Oliver skirted from room to room commanding everyone is sight about everything they could possibly be doing wrong.

I chuckled at his bossy demeanor; everyone knew how he got, and secretly we all loved it.

When I entered the mansion, I was greeted by many flustered people, decorating every inch of the house.

Each year, I forgot the shear scale of the party, and each year it surprised me again how many people are actually invited to this event. It had become an anual treasure in Dee's neighbourhood, and everyone loved Oliver for it.

At present, there were over 20 caterers in the kitchen, all clanging around making their way down a massive list of foods that Oliver had given them, while he continued to run around yelling at people, leaving me with a ridiculously huge box of entwined lights, that I had been making my way slowly through for 10 minutes.

"Ava! Good to see you." Dee came up from behind me, grabbing another knot of lights and beginning to untangle them next to me.

"It's good to see you too, Dee." I smiled, finishing with my bundle of lights and moving on to the next.

"Oliver is extremely excited for the party this year, more than any other year," She chuckled, "any idea why?

I shrugged, "honestly, I have no idea. Either way, he'll make this party a good one."

"Indeed."

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At 10 to 9, I was in one of the many guest bedrooms in the house, finishing curling my hair when Oliver came in with my dress and shoes.