FALLING AROUND YOU ➵ DANIEL SEAVEY ➵ SEQUEL

20 ➵ Masked

She grabbed my hand quickly dragging me to the middle of the venue. I couldn't help, but ask.  "Are you with your sister?" I felt a bit silly for how important that question was to me, but those feelings were true. If her sister was there, I wouldn't be comfortable staying that close.

She shook her head still gripping my hand. "She had an early shoot tomorrow, so she didn't want to come."

I nodded, "Oh, okay. That sucks."

"I know!" Valerie huffed. "She's missing one of the biggest events of the decade! How could she not want to come?" I giggled at her exaggeration as we pushed past hidden faces. I could tell most of the people didn't mind us passing through, being most of them seemed to already be a bit tipsy. I looked to the floor with a chuckle. The event just started. How could you already be drunk?

"Guys, hey!" Valerie quickly shuffled with me closely following along.

I was met with a new group of strangers. One girl had short black hair that was pinned behind her ear with a black mask and a sparkly tight dress was dancing with a boy in a matching color scheme. The rest were dancing aimlessly in formal tuxes enjoying each other's company. I stared at the raven-haired girl a bit too long as her face just seemed so familiar. Valerie slowly pulled her hand away before grabbing her friends attention. As the girl turned my way, I suddenly knew.

"Christina?" I screeched.

The raven haired girl looked at me with a hint of confusion, but her passion and vigor was seen in seconds when she grabbed me for a hug. "Sienna?" she smiled pulling away for a sharp moment, "You're in Los Angeles? You didn't tell me!" she pulled me in tighter.

A soft giggle fell off my lips. "I didn't tell anyone. I'm going back to London in a few days."

"No," she advocated, "Come on. You could stay with me for an extra week, yeah? I'm staying at a close hotel hear the boys' house, and I think–"

I smiled at her incredible affability towards me. Christina always gave off a warm persona that I couldn't pinpoint why, but it was just masked in her personality at this point. "Thank you for the offer, C, but I can't," her face fell. "I have things back in London that I need to deal with."

She nodded suddenly understanding. Her asking me to stay in Los Angeles was almost the same as her being asked to leave her life in New York. We have priorities that we can't ignore. I saw the shift in her face. Her touch was now much softer and less vigorous. Behind the mask, I could tell she was thinking.

"Let's make this one hell of a night then, huh?" she tried alleviating the situation as I nodded.

For a moment, Christina and I remained aloof in the large gathering, but soon felt the weight of the growing crowd back on our shoulders. The music was riveting, being it made everyone want eager to dance. Christina grabbed my hand leading my through the chaos, trying to find our lost friends.

It wasn't until I met their eyes that I knew it was my once good friends. I told myself I wouldn't let Daniel get in the way of my friendship with the boys, but it had. They followed in Daniel's footsteps with becoming the strangers I never wanted us to be.

Although I thought there would be a sort of bad air, Corbyn was the first to smile and engulf me in an embrace. Any considerable ambivalence was purely born from my growing concerns that the boys would treat me differently, but they didn't. They all remained apathetic with me, not caring what happened between Daniel and I. That's all I needed right now.

I needed my friends.

"I've missed seeing you," Corbyn spoke in the mist of chaos. I nodded pulling him closer. Although I love all the boys, Corbyn is easily the one that I could take to when my emotions become too steep. I think that's why him and Christina work so well together. Behind their silly  personality, they both hold incredible understanding and sympathy for others.