*13 years later*
Chaos filled the air in the room, making it hard to hear anything that anyone was saying. It was difficult to focus on anything. With people stressfully running around and shouting out directions, how could one not feel distracted?
Lily Anne Styles was one of those people. Her eyes wandered around the room in awe of everyone surrounding her. Her head moved every fifteen seconds to watch the people work around her. She was delightfully distracted by all the people in the room, people she only dreamed about working with.
It was a painfully cold February, but that didn't phase Lily for all she could think about was New York Fashion Week. After walking in small, no-name fashion shows, being the model for thousands of photoshoots, and barely making it to hundreds of model calls, Lily was finally given the opportunity to walk for Marc Jacobs in fashion week. She could have died when she got the news, and it was a good thing she was sitting in Madison Horan's apartment at the time because, as her best friend, Maddy knew exactly how to celebrate.
Lily and Madison had been friends for as long as they could remember. Madison was only a year older than Lily, but everyone would have assumed the opposite because with her flawless skin and shorter height, she looked like the younger of the two. Despite the two of them having so much in common, they each had different dreams. Maddy worked relentlessly on her singing career, with a dream of playing a sold out show in Madison Square Garden. It helped that her grandfather owned Horan Entertainment, but she didn't want to take advantage of it. Maddy was determined to rightfully earn her career, and Lily was right by her side to support her.
As for Lily, she dreamed of making it big in the fashion industry as a model. It helped that she was blessed with her father's tall stature and skinny build, in combination with the perfect mixture of her parents' good looks. There was no doubt that Lily was a beautiful young woman with connections that could take her to the top of the industry in a day, but just like her best friend, she was determined to earn her way to the top through hard work and dedication. She was never the kind of person to take the easy way out, or in this case, up. It has taken her several years, but here at nearly nineteen years of age, she's finally made it one step closer to her ultimate goal.
"One hour 'til show starts!"
Someone yelled across the room and suddenly things started to move faster. The hairstylists working on Lily began to work faster, the makeup artists created magic quicker, and models were walking around without a care in the world. Everyone in the room was excited for the show, possibly none as excited and nervous as Lily. Her hair was almost completed and all she needed was to get dressed in this beautiful black dress with lace detailing and a tulle overlay. If she had the choice, the dress would have its own spot in her giant closet tonight. The things she would do to keep that dress after the show were endless.
After chatting with some new model friends and being one of the only models to have a genuine conversation with a hairstylist, Lily got up from the chair and maneuvered her way around the room. She knew she should be getting dressed at this moment in time, but there was someone else she knew walking in the show, and she really wanted to see them before it started. With her nerves slowly building with every second that passed, she was certain her friend could calm them.
"Lily!"
A familiar male voice shouted from behind, a voice belonging to the person she was in search for: Ethan Tomlinson. He ran up to her before bringing her in his embrace and squeezing tightly. "My baby sister is walking in her first fashion week show! Oh my god, are your parents excited or what?! I remember Louis was over the moon when I told him about my first show, and well, you know, Eleanor is always excited for everything we do."
He laughs as the beautiful hazel eyes he inherited from his mother light up. Ethan was tall and lean, the perfect male body for high fashion, unlike his twin brother, Elijah, whose height was slightly below average. But it was okay for him because he didn't have an interest in modeling. Elijah aspired to be a photographer. He ran his own blog and sold many of his pictures from around the world in art galleries. He even conducted some photoshoots for his brother and Lily to add to their modeling portfolios.
"My mom was super excited for me," Lily smiled as she continued to stay in Ethan's embrace. "And my dad cried because he was so proud. But I'm really nervous. What do you usually do to calm your nerves before you go out and walk?"
"Well, I usually think about all the booze and food I'm going to consume once the show is over. That usually does the trick," he winked and gave Lily a kiss on the top of her head, careful not to mess up her hair. "You'll do great, Little Styles. You're going to kill it out there. I'll see you afterwards."
Ethan gave her one last hug before walking off to get changed. He had the ability to glide across the room as if he owned the place, which was very typical behavior of a Tomlinson. He was extremely confident in himself and his good looks, and he knew how to use it to his advantage. Ethan had a special talent of charming the pants off everyone in a room with a simple smile and a mischievous wink. He was completely opposite of Elijah, whom was a little more introverted and extremely intelligent.
Someone grabbed Lily by the arm and pulled her over toward the wardrobe area. She was rushed into changing into the dress that she fell in love with before being touched up on by makeup artists and hairstylists. The time until the show started was very short, and with the few minutes that were left, Lily couldn't help herself as she thought of all the negative possibilities. What if she tripped down the runway? What if her younger brother and sister distracted her in the crowd? What if she had a wardrobe malfunction? She would be the laughing stock of the century. All these thoughts ran through her mind as she did the best she could to push them out.
Soon enough, it was show time and Lily couldn't have been more confused with her emotions. She was a nervous wreck, but she was also far too excited. As the music blared from the speakers and models were sent out onto the runway, she did her best to pull from everyone else's energies. The models that have done this many times before were happy and excited and radiating positive energy that Lily held onto for dear life. She knew that by the time she actually got out there and did her walk, all her anxiety would blow over like it has done several times. It was just the waiting that left her apprehensive.
She stood next to the director in her black dress, playing with the tulle until she was sent out onto the runway. Immediately she pulled a straight face and walked with ease. Being surrounded by all these important people and having camera flashes nearly blind her felt exhilarating. Her heart pumped rapidly in her chest as she made her way down the catwalk. She could see her parents watching her from the front row with her two younger siblings, all with proud smiles beaming off their faces. Sitting beside her seven-year-old brother was the one person she didn't expect to see: her boyfriend.
Owen Payne studied marketing and business in a university out of state that made it difficult for him and Lily to see each other as often as they would like. With his busy school schedule and her hectic schedule of getting into every modeling gig she could, it was not easy to find a date they'd both be free. Seeing him here during fashion week, sitting front row for one of her dreams come true, blew away every concern in her mind and made her feel at home.
Lily walked the runway as if this was what she was born to do. She wished she could smile and wave to her family and Owen, but she knew she had to stay focused. Eventually the show was over and all the models made their final walk with the designer. When she finally got backstage, the biggest smile graced Lily's lips and would not come off. Everyone took pictures backstage with each other, Ethan found her for a quick picture to send to his parents, and Elijah made his way backstage to show them some of the photos he captured.
It wasn't much longer until they got dressed into their own clothes, fixed their hair and makeup to something a little more wearable, and found themselves out in the crowd in search for another familiar face. The three of them were spotted first by Lily's eleven-year-old sister, Henley Marilyn.
"Lily!" She shouted as she stood on her tiptoes. She waved her hand back and forth until she gained the attention she wanted. Her bright green eyes were identical to the ones of her father, and out of the three children she was the one that looked most like him. "You did so good! Did you hear me clapping for you?!"
"I did!" Lily smiled as she hugged her sister before she was playfully attacked by her brother, Matthew Albert. "Whoa, Matty! I saw you in the crowd."
"And I saw you walk down the thing with those shoes on!" He excitedly waved his hands all over the place, being a very gesticulative child. Matthew grabbed the sleeve of his father and pulled him over. "Dad was crying!"
"I was not," their father defensively shook his head as Matty laughed. "There was a dust particle that got caught in my eye, and it didn't help that all the flashes from the cameras were blinding me."
"Oh, Harry, you're such a liar," his wife, Summer, laughed as she gave her daughter a hug to congratulate her on her first official fashion week show. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. You looked amazing out there."
"Thanks, Mom."
Lily laughed and walked over to her father to give him a hug as well. Being the first born child, she would have thought she'd be used to her father's emotional side coming out at every one of her milestones, but it always surprised her to see her dad shed a tear. He was such a tough guy around her Uncle Xander, Uncle Niall and more often than not, her Uncle Zayn. But despite being a tough guy, Harry was a teddy bear when it came to his family. He loved his wife with every ounce of himself, and he could never get enough of being with his son and two daughters.
"Uncle Liam sends his love," Harry glanced down at his phone and read off a text message from his dear friend. "He said he would have come to the show, but his trip to London was unexpectedly extended."
"I don't understand why you call him my uncle. We're not actual family," Lily shook her head and bit down on her bottom lip.
"Yeah, Big Styles," Ethan jumped into the conversation. "And it's kind of weird because, you know, she's dating Owen."
It wasn't his daughter dating his best friend's son that made Harry upset, it was the fact that his little girl was dating in general. If he had it his way, Lily wouldn't date until she was thirty, but he didn't have control over that. It was a damn good thing that he had known Owen since the day the boy was born or else he would be watching over the two of them like a hawk. In any other situation, his daughter dating someone two years older than her would slightly scare him, especially since she was at the ripe, young age of eighteen. He was aware of how boys acted, he knew exactly how he was when he was that age, and he was aware of exactly what it was like for a teenager to finally hit that age of independence. It kind of freaked him out to know his baby girl could be out there doing exactly what he used to do. Of course Harry wasn't oblivious to his daughter having sex. He knew she had said something to Summer about that situation. He would just rather not think about it. The image in his head of his daughter at the innocent age of five was what he would like to stay forever.
Harry has had this conversation before with his best friend, Xander. The two of them could relate, both having two daughters, granted Xander's daughters weren't old enough to have boyfriends just yet. With his oldest barely turning thirteen-years-old, Xander could only wait until he had to fight off the boys. But he and Harry always got together for a beer or two, talking about their girls and how they grew up so fast. Harry had warned his friend about the rebellious teenage years that were to come with Giulia, just like they did with Lily. It was a good thing that Harry's second daughter was just about a year younger than Xander's little girl. The two of them dealing with girls going through their awkward and rebellious stage together made it feel like it would be a lot easier to handle.
Harry and Xander could laugh at how much they have grown up, though luckily for them, they didn't look a day over forty. Their past conversations about girlfriends and hook ups were now about their daughters and office troubles. Their past 'guy time' having been spent out at the bars getting drunk were soon spent at someone's apartment with their daughters running around in tutus and tiaras. There was no doubt that they had a lot of fun when they were younger, but both of them would agree they'd never change a thing.
"Speaking of the devil," Elijah nodded his head toward his childhood best friend.
Owen appeared from the crowd with his eyes set on Lily. He was built just like his father, reaching nearly six feet in height and showing off those broad shoulders of his. Owen's smile was big and bright, and just a flash of it could cure one's unhappiness. His personality was what set him apart from his best friends. He was outgoing and adventurous, and as much as Ethan tried getting him into some mischief, he remained with a good head on his shoulders. He was a very smart guy that had goals in his life that he would not do anything to jeopardize his ability to reach.
Matthew excited ran over and jumped up on Owen, climbing onto his back like he always did. One of the things Lily loved about her boyfriend was how great he was with her younger siblings. Matty loved Owen, and Owen never brushed off the boy with annoyance. He was always okay hanging out with his number one fan, watching television or playing with the latest video game, even if he had originally wanted to be with Lily alone.
With Matthew on his back, Owen walked over to Lily and brought her in for a kiss, earning an 'eww' from both of the younger Styles children.
"Where's my smooch?" Ethan joked as he turned his head, waiting for Owen to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Yours is in private. We don't need to be making everyone else jealous," Owen winked at Lily before grinning toward Ethan. The two boys, as distinctive as they were to each other, had the same sense of humor and sarcasm, making it a lot easier for the them to get along.
"So what are you guys doing tonight?" Summer asked them all, mainly directing the question toward her daughter. She knew with Owen in town, all the kids had to do something. It hasn't been often that he's home from college, and she knew just how tight the kids' friendship was. They'd never skip out on an opportunity to get together for something when they were all in town.
"Madison wants to have a party at the apartment, so I think we're going to head down that way," Elijah quietly answered. His twin brother and two best friends nodded their heads in agreement. None of them had actual plans for after the show, but if Madison was throwing a party, they all knew they had to be there.
Lily wouldn't have been able to escape the party. It was being thrown at the apartment she shared with Madison. And it wasn't as if she would want to miss it anyway. Whether she was at the party or out to dinner, she would be with Owen and that's all she cared about.
"What are you guys doing for the night?" Lily asked her parents.
Harry shoved his phone in his pocket after reading a few text messages and pulled Matthew off Owen's back. "We're going over to Zayn's for dinner with Xander & Isabella. Little Miss Henley wants to hang out with Kenzie and Giulia."
Harry's, Xander's, and Zayn's daughters were all within two years of age of each other, which made the three of them instant best friends. They loved the same things, they played the same games, they had the same interests, and they got along with each other effortlessly.
One of the things Summer loved was having kids that were great friends with her best friends' kids. It made life easier for her to go out to lunch with or hang out with her friends, knowing that their kids would get along just fine. It was something she dreamed about: her best friends' children being best friends with her children. It made a mother happy. She hoped that they would have just as much fun together as she did when she was younger.
"We should head out then," Owen spoke up as he took a hold of Lily's hand. "Mads will kill us for making her wait at the apartment."
Ethan and Elijah said their goodbyes to Lily's family, and Owen gave an extended goodbye to Matthew. Both Summer and Harry congratulated their daughter again on walking in the fashion show before they grabbed their other two children and headed out for the car.
The four friends found their way to a taxi, avoiding a few paparazzi and chatting together as if Owen hadn't been gone at school for the past two months. Their friendships were so strong, they could be separated for three years and get back together as if they were never apart. The relationship between Lily and Owen grew stronger with each moment they were away from each other, as they began to realize that absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. Neither of them were quite ready to talk about it with each other, but deep down inside they both knew that the other was who they wanted to be with for the rest of their lives.
After a quick cab ride to Lily's apartment, in which Ethan talked the driver's ear off about his vegan diet, the four friends made their way inside the building. Ethan and Elijah argued about which beers were vegan friendly, ending with Owen telling them to shut up. As they reached the apartment and opened the front door, they were met with an explosion of streamers and the sight of Madison tangled up in the mess.
"Mads, what are you doing?" Owen laughed as he walked over to help her untangle herself from the decorations.
"Payno! Shit, I didn't know you were here!" She turned her attention toward her best friend and grinned. Her blue-green eyes lit up the room, being a perfect mixture of her parents' eye colors. Her wild blonde hair was let loose as the messy curls framed her face. "Lily, I bet you were pleasantly surprised. Am I going to be sleeping with headphones in tonight?"
Madison winked as both Ethan and Elijah laughed. Lily's face turned pink as Owen shook his head and bit down on his bottom lip. They all knew what was going to happen between the two of them. It wasn't a secret. Of course Lily would tell her best friend about her love life, and Owen has obviously told the Tommo twins about his side of things. Even though it wasn't something they talked about all the time, it was something they all weren't oblivious to.
"Maddy, where's the alcohol?" Ethan asked as he opened the fridge in search for a beer.
"That's what I need your help with! Use your tall height to grab the liquor from the cabinet above the fridge," Madison ripped a few streamers off her shoulders and handed them to Owen before walking to the kitchen. She was very petite, always needing the help of her friends or a step ladder to grab items around the apartment. It was something she claimed to be cursed with, but eventually she grew to be fond of her small height. It had its benefits. In her eyes, that meant she could wear sky-high heels and not be freakishly tall. "There's some beer in the fridge, but there's a cooler over there with more beer."
Lily emerged from her room, having put all her things away and noticing Owen's belongings were sitting at the foot of her bed. He must have used his spare key to get into the apartment before making his way to the show, and somehow the thought of him doing his best to surprise her with is presence made Lily's heart beat a little faster.
Not long after the five friends got settled into the apartment did a bunch of people show up. It started off slow with one or two college friends trickling in, but soon enough, the place was filled with people that were there to celebrate Lily's achievements and drink alcohol. There was a lot of dancing to the music that was booming out of the speakers, Ethan found himself flirting with several party guests, and Madison checked on her guitar every fifteen minutes, making sure it was still in one piece. Elijah snapped multiple pictures of everyone in attendance before grabbing a beer for himself and joining the party.
Lily chatted with some of her friends as she also kept her eyes in search for Owen. The two of them, no matter what conversation they were in the midst of, would always find each other, making eye contact and smiling at the other. As much as Lily didn't mind being away from Owen as he was off at school working towards his degree, she couldn't deny how much she missed him. She wanted him to do what was best for himself and his future career; she would never stand in the way of it. But there was no hiding the fact that she enjoyed herself a little more whenever he was around. He was her safe space, her rock, her love. She felt more complete when they were together.
Watching everyone around her, Lily couldn't help but be thankful for her life. She shared an incredible apartment with her best friend, who put together a party for her having a tiny part in New York Fashion Week. Two of her other best friends supported her with everything she did and were always up for having fun around the city, and her boyfriend loved and encouraged her to follow her dreams. There was nothing else she would want because everything she believed she needed was right there in front of her, and she didn't want to change any of it.