Chapter Forty Four
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Louis POV
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"Issie? Issie can you come help me?" I yell through the house, struggling to put the tie on my suit. Issie drove all the way home from college for my dance.
She drove all the way... because she thinks my date is y/n.
Issie told me that she wanted to be home and that she couldn't miss my last school dance.
It honestly kills me inside. Because I still love y/n. And I know that my sisters do too. I haven't told Issie yet. That my date is Clara, I mean. I can't. It'll crush her.
"What's up?" She comes around the corner with her hair up in a pony, her bangs hanging on her forehead.
I sigh in frustration and throw the tie onto my bed, before sitting down beside it. I let my head fall into my hands as I run my fingers through my hair.
"I can't get my tie..." I admit shamefully. I'm sure any eighteen year old could do this themselves.
Issie grins at me and walks inside my bedroom. She almost chuckles but keeps it back.
"I uh... I don't really know how to tie a tie."
I look up at her with a defeated expression. "Really? Like not even a clue?"
I think she could see the desperation in my eyes and she let out a little sigh. "Okay fine. I'll try. But I'm still not sure. I thought you wore these with your school uniforms anyway?"
She walks over and grabs the ribbon around my neck, sliding it off.
"Yeah well my uniform has the tie attached to the shirt. Probably because of kids like me," I mumble. Issie chuckles and looks at me, but I avoid looking into her eyes. Every time she's even in the same room as me I feel sick with guilt.
Issie wraps the tie around my neck and attempts to make it work. But it doesn't. She tries again. Nope.
"How about you ask Millie? She's young but that girl can do anything she puts her mind to," Issie suggests. I shake my head.
"She's with friends."
Issie nods and continues to try. Over and over.
After a few more times she scoffs and takes it off.
"Louis why don't you just wear the black bow tie from last year? It's a clip on and it's so much easier."
I take a really deep breath. "Well Cla- y/n's dress is baby pink and she wants me to match."
Shit so that just slipped out.
Carefully I peek up at Issie, but she didn't seem to notice. A wave of relief floods me.
Issie shrugs and throws the tie around my neck yet again.
"Hm. I'll try one more time alright?"
She doesn't try just once. She tries again and again and again. Issie's never really satisfied. So I know I'll be here until she got it.
And eventually, she did. It wasn't exactly perfect, and looked a little funny, but I had to be at Clara's in ten minutes and I'm not ready at all.
I'm a nervous wreck.
"Good?" Issie asks me as she steps away. I nod and stand up.
"Yeah. Yeah it's good. Thank you Is."
She nods as I pull my tux' over my white collared shirt. But she doesn't leave. I pause and look back up at her.
"Do you need something?" I ask, trying to sound polite even though it comes out a little harsh. I'm just extremely stressed.
Issie looks down and pushes her bangs out of her face.
"Yeah uh... I think you should make things real."
I furrow my brows. "What?"
"Between you and y/n," she looks back up. My chest tightens. I can't do this right now. I can't think about it. So I don't say anything. I just drop my head.
"Look, I know you like her." Issie slowly began smiling. This is absolutely killing me. I keep my face the same as she continues.
"She's a sweet girl. And she's made you happier. Like... a lot happier. Do you remember what Clara did to you? How absolutely destroyed you were? And then one day you started to fake date y/n and she was like a medicine or something. Millie told me all about it. About you."
Thinking about y/n makes me so happy, and yet it also makes my heart feel heavy. I take a few deep breaths.
She's with Will.
"I'm not saying you have to... but I really think you should," Issie convinces one more time. She ends it off with a small grin.
"Have fun at the dance with her alright? What time do you think you'll be back at?"
I walk to my closet and grab the only pair of dress shoes I have. "Uhm... well y/n wants to go to this after-party at one of her friends house. It's like fifteen minutes from here and it's gonna be so late so is it alright if I crash at Will's after the party?"
It feels weird to replace Clara's name with y/n. And it also feels weird to say I'm gonna be going to Will's after.
Because Clara asked me if I wanted to stay at her house. And I didn't know how to say I don't want to.
"Yeah of course! I'll let mom and dad know when they get home."
I nod in response and finish putting on my shoes before standing in front of my mirror. I look like a middle schooler getting ready for their first dance.
"Aww look, the baby boy's all grown up," Issie teases with a giggle as I walk by her.
"Haha very funny Is," I sound sarcastic but can't help the little chuckle in my voice. I grab my car keys and double check I have everything.
All set.
But god am I nervous. Why am I so nervous?
"Hey Issie?" I call out one more time. She appears by the entrance in a matter of seconds.
"What's up?"
I swallow and walk over to her. I give her a tight hug because I don't know what else to do.
"I feel scared."
She hugs me back for a little and chuckles. "Louis everything's gonna be fine. Don't be worried. It's just y/n! She's the sweetest."
My heart increases at her name. Y/n.
She's the one making me so nervous. And she's not even my date.
I pull away and look into my sister's eyes. "Right. Thank you. See you later," I wave.
Issie waves back and smiles as I head out the door. This is it. Why am I making it a big deal? What's the worst that could happen right?
Everything's gonna be fine.
Y/N POV
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"Ugh Noah can you help me please!" I yell from my bathroom as I do finishing touches on my makeup. I'm a wreck. A nervous wreck. And I've been a wreck all day. Especially at school.
"Okay okay!" I hear him call out and hurry inside. I asked the boys to come over and help me get ready. Mainly because if I'm alone, I'll totally go self-destruct mode.
Noah appears behind me and I turn to face him.
"Can you get the zipper up all the way? It was hard enough to get this damn thing on and now it won't go up!"
I was basically yelling at him in stress. All of us are stressed. Gaten's looking around in his backpack to see if he remembered to bring gel, because he claims his hair will look messy without it.
Finn forgot socks and thinks his ankles look awkward and bare without them so I told him to wear the black nylons I use at funerals. But he can't find them and keeps asking me where they are in my closet.
Noah spilled a little bit of his monster energy drink on his white long sleeve collared shirt and is trying to find a way to hide it.
My dress (which I managed to fit over myself) won't zip and I accidentally smeared my mascara.
So yeah, we're kind of a mess.
"Y/n for heavens sake where are the fuckin' nylons?" I hear Finn call one more time.
"Finn I don't know okay I'll be there is a second!"
Noah finally gets my zipper up and then he books it out of the bathroom. I quickly wipe the smear away and stare at myself.
I did my hair in a half up half down with curls, and more makeup than usual, but not enough to make me look like I'm trying to hard. My dress actually covers my feet, so I'm simply wearing black flats.
Speaking of my dress, it's basically a corset because it's so tight. But it's the only one I have. A simple, emerald green dress with a silky texture. It doesn't have a low neckline, it has a straight one. The straps are thin but cross a few times in the back which I think is pretty.
Overall I wouldn't say I consider myself beautiful. I look kinda plain. But plain is comfortable. It means no one's paying attention to you. You're a space filler at the dance.
I slightly frown at myself. My flat chest, box-like figure, everything. But there's not much I can do now. The dance starts in twenty minutes.
"Ah ha! I found them!" Finn cheers from my bedroom. Snapping back into reality, I step away from the mirror and walk outside to the boys.
They all looked my way. Pausing what they were doing, to either admire or judge me. I have no clue.
But I get my answer when Gaten smiles. Followed by Noah, and then Finn.
I couldn't help but crack a little one back. "Do I look okay?"
This time, Gaten scoffs.
"Do you look okay? What kind of question is that!"
Noah agrees and chuckles a bit.
"Y/n you look hot as fuck. Louis' gonna piss himself when he sees you."
My heart sinks at his name. Louis. He's the reason for all my nerves.
He's literally making me go crazy.
"Okay yeah yeah thanks guys but no time to waste. Gaten you found the gel?" I ask, biting back a huge smile because they think I look pretty.
He nods and holds the bottle up in his hands. I nod and look to Finn. He already had the nylons on. Then I look to Noah.
"Does your tux' cover the stain?" I ask. He shakes his head and pulls it over his shoulders. The stain was still visible.
"Uh..." I walk over and try to pull the tux over the stain but nothing works. It's still there.
"Okay take it off, I think my dad has a shirt just like but it's too small for him," I instruct and quickly turn around, leaving no room for argument.
I book to to my dad's closet, and hurry back to my room with the shirt. Today he was supposed to come back. I frown a little at the thought.
When I'm back in the room, Noah and Gaten are finished getting ready. They're just chilling around and waiting for Noah, who's struggling to undo his buttons.
"Oh for heavens sake Noah," I sigh a little and toss the shirt on the bed. I hurry over to him and help him unbutton the last two.
"Okay now try this on and tell me if it fits," I say, grabbing the shirt from the bed and handing it to him. Noah nods and I hurry to my purse.
Phone, extra makeup, pads and tampons just in case, money, and a little thing of pepper spray. The essentials as a girl.
I slide the purse over my shoulder and turn back around. This time Noah was struggling to actually push the buttons through the little holes in the shirt.
I laugh a little and walk back over, swatting his hands away from them.
"Noah seriously have you never worn a button down shirt before?"
He sighs a little, "It's rare. I only wear these pieces of shit for dances, weddings and other stupid events."
I button up the last one and then give his chest a pat. "Maybe you should take on lessons."
He flips me off before sliding his blazer over is arms. And in that moment, the door bell rings.
And my heart stops. This is happening. Right now, this is happening. Will's here.
"Fuck I'm gonna pass out," I look back to all of them with worried eyes.
"No no no, take a deep breath. You've got this."
Finn steps forward and puts his hands on my shoulders. I slowly inhale, exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
I look down at myself. I have everything. Now it's just a matter of going. Leaving this room.
"I've got this," I repeat my words one last time and then go to the front of the house. I pause at the door for a moment.
Inhale. Exhale.
I open the door, to reveal Will, standing and waiting for me. He instantly looked down at my dress, at my hair, at the golden necklace I had on. And then lastly into my eyes.
"Holy shit you look gorgeous," he chuckles. I smile a bit and look down at myself. When I look back up, Will was looking behind me with furrowed brows.
"Will!" Noah smiles and hurries over, giving him a bro hug. I step aside and let my friends do their thing.
"What are they all doing here?" Will asks with a small smile. I shrug and look back at my friends.
"Making sure I don't chicken out," I shrug. Will nods and looks down.
"I'm nervous too."
Inhale. Exhale.
Will looks back up and clears his throat, holding out his arm in a joking way.
"Shall we?"
I play alone and chuckle a little.
"We shall."
I step outside and link my arm in his, the two of us walking back to his car. My friends all chant and whoop out of excitement for me.
"We'll be there soon!" Noah calls out one last time before Gaten shuts the door so Finn and him stop embarrassing me.
Thank god for Gaten, honestly.
I make it back to Will's car and he opens the door for me as I hop inside.
This is it. This is happening. Tonight it's all gonna happen. And it'll be okay.
Everything's gonna be fine.
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A/N: NEXT CHAPTER IS THE SNOWBALLLL
My class schedule came out today and I have no classes with friends so yay🥲