Halloween was the one time of year that a person could pretend to be something they're not. For me, my costume resonated better with my personality than I could have ever guessed. Symbolically dark angels were the followers of lucifer, so maybe not as literal as I led on, but they rebelled against authority to become their own people. Now that was a very Cami Ryder type characteristic. When Harry first pointed out the wings, the first thing that came to mind was an angel and I was none of the sort. A dark angel however: a badass, powerful chick in all black, now that could be me.
Charli and I had spent the last hour preparing for Caleb and Harry's arrival. So far I had styled my long brown hair into loose curls, applied long false lashes and completed my dark eye makeup with thick liner coating the rims of my eye. I had just added my black halo headband when Charli came in my room.
"How do I look?"
I turned my face away from my mirror where I was about to apply my lipstick.
She gave me a 360 view of herself as she turned in a slow circle. Her hair was pin straight with pointy horns sticking out of it. She had vibrant red lips that matched the rest of her costume, along with red platforms, red stockings and you guessed it; a red pitchfork.
I tilted my head to the side, assessing the quality of her costume and preparations. Other than some ridiculous additions she added to the packaged costume she purchased, she looked perfect.
"Devilish," I said and smirked, as I turned back towards my mirror and applied my dark red lipstick.
"I know," she replied. I didn't even have to look to know she had a conceited smile on her lips. The confidence that girl had was amazing. If things with her and Caleb became serious, he would never have to worry about her being insecure about herself.
"I don't think you're wearing enough red though," I said, trying to sound serious.
As I turned back towards her, her smile fell. Internally I was laughing at how gullible she could be. The girl wasn't wearing any other color, she looked like someone threw up red all over her down to her eyeshadow.
"Really?" she asked, looking down at her outfit self consciously.
This was new...
Chari never looked self conscious. She must really like Caleb for her to be worrying so much on her appearance. She looked like she was mentally debating what else she owned that could be added to her costume.
"Yeah," I sighed dramatically, "I don't know if anyone will know what you are," I told her, trying to maintain a straight face. I held it for a couple of moments, before a chuckle released at the sight of her deflated face.
She opened her mouth wide, clearly offended once she realized I was messing with her once again. As a loud fit of laughter splurged out of my mouth, she grabbed my lipstick off of my makeup counter and spread a long streak of the dark color across my check.
"Payback is a b.itch, b.itch," Charli said with a smirk, while holding the color up in her hand.
I glanced at myself in the mirror and saw my favourite Mac lip color extending down my check. It began just under my eye and ended just before my chin.
"Whore!" I cursed loudly.
I angrily grabbed my makeup remover and cotton balls to undo her cosmetic revenge. "By the way, you look like someone spilled the tackiest shade of red paint all over you!" I yelled, as I haphazardly wiped away the remaining lipstick on my cheek.
"Ouch that one hurt," she answered sarcastically, as she watched me clean my face off from her little temper tantrum.
"No seriously, I'm sorry I messed with you but you need to tone it down a bit," I told her, as nicely as I could.
I knew she must really be starting to get attached to him, otherwise she wouldn't be trying so hard. In this case, she looked a little too overthetop. If she was acting like this now, when they're not even serious, I could only imagine how she would be if they actually made things official. Caleb seemed like a nice guy, but in all honesty, her fast attraction to him worried me a lot. Charli was not the type of girl to get attached, so her actions lately had surprised me.
"Leave your legs bare, put on black heels and change your eyeshadow, the red is a bit much," I said, looking towards her now that my face was lipstick free.
She complied, walking back in her room to make the necessary improvements. I used her absence as my chance to get dressed in my costume. I pulled out my little black dress and slipped it on over my head, careful not to ruin my hair or makeup. It was shorter than anything I usually wore and the neckline was a deep v, accentuating my cleavage. I pulled my black fishnets onto my legs and topped my outfit off with tall high heeled boots. I grabbed my leather jacket and angel wings and headed into the family room to admire myself in the full length mirror.
I looked good, really good.
Charli came into the hallway, taking my advice with legs free of those awful red stockings and different shoes. Her eye makeup was now subtle with only black liner and mascara, making her eyes pop just the same.
"Much better," I said, in approval while nodding my head.
She rolled her eyes and nudged me out of the view of the mirror to admire herself. She flattened out the skirt of her outfit and snapped her lips together.
Here was the Charli I knew and loved.
I rolled my eyes at her and pulled my arms through my leather jacket. As Charlie continued to stare at herself in the mirror I grabbed my wings off of the couch and slipped them onto my shoulders.
They were huge, the tips of them almost reached the back of my head. Maybe not the ideal costume for a crowded club, but I only considered the idea now.
A knock at the door sounded and muffled murmurs were heard from behind it. Charli turned her head over her shoulder, still standing in front of the mirror and nodded towards the door. I sighed and ambled my way towards it as my heels clacked around the hardwood.
I opened the door to see Caleb in a black and grey pinstripe suit and black fedora. Looks like he went with the mobster after all, he looks just as ridiculous as we all expected him to. I tried my best to keep a straight face as I opened the door wider for him to pass through. He gave me an approving smile as he glanced at my costume, focusing on the large wings on my shoulders as he entered the apartment. Once he stepped out of the way, Harry was visible from behind him. He was wearing an array of black including; a leather jacket, t-shirt and ripped jeans. I studied him for a moment, eyeing him up and down. I noticed his hair was pushed back by a red bandana; something I've never seen him wear before. Despite the strange apparel he was wearing, I couldn't figure out if he was in costume or in street clothes.
He seemed to notice my peculiar glance and he narrowed his eyes in amusement.
"You gonna let me in or?" he asked, sounding slightly confused.
I realized I was still blocking the door, since I moved back to my previous position once Caleb was let inside.
"Right, sorry," I said, as I made room for him join the rest of us inside.
I turned to close the door once he was inside and could already hear loud music going on in the hallway of our apartment complex. This building was close to campus, fairly affordable and pretty nice to live in, so most of the tenants were students at Chapman University.
As I faced the inside of the apartment, Harry was awaiting my attention with a small smirk.
"Nice costume," he said, glancing at me from head to toe.
Instead of focusing on my overpowering wings like Caleb did, his eyes seemed to be glued to my chest. My cheeks turned a slight shade of red to where his attention was automatically drawn. I knew I didn't look modest in any way, but the girls weren't sticking out that much.
So far, Harry had seen me more exposed than any other practical stranger. First my ass at the halloween store and now my boobs. To top it off he had taken care of me while I was piss drunk. Great, just great. What a nice impression this guy must have of me, not that I cared what he thinks- but still.
"Thanks," I mumbled. "So I see you got out of wearing a costume after all," I gestured to his outfit and his eyebrows furrowed.
"I am in costume," he said, sounding rather discouraged that I couldn't tell.
"Tell him that, " Caleb said, as he gestured to Harry's outfit "Doesn't count as a costume."
Charli and I chuckled as she and Caleb walked towards us hand in hand.
"I'm a biker or I'm suppose to be anyway," Harry said, with a frown while he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Of course you are," I said, sarcastically.
He literally threw on a bandana with his everyday clothes and called it a costume. How creative was he?
"He even rode his Harley to try to make it authentic," Caleb added, as he erupted into a loud fit of laughter while Harry only shot him a glare.
Harry on a motorcycle? Nothing surprised me more about him than that. He didn't seem like the type, especially from how he acted while working at Bandit. I had seen him in a dress shirt and slacks too many times in the short period I've known him to expect that he owned a Harley.
"Says the world's least convincing mobster," Harry remarked, which earned a giggle from me and a smirk from Charli, even though she attempted to hold it back.
Caleb looked from me to her with a sullen look on his face, feeling betrayed that we now both agreed with Harry. Harry smugly smirked, alluding to the fact that he won with the best costume insult.
"Whatever, let's get out of here. We have a club to run in case you've forgotten," Caleb said, walking past Charli and towards the door.
He genuinely seemed upset that she found Harry's joke amusing. Charli seemed to notice as well, emitting a look of worry on her face.
When we stepped outside, Harry rode alone on his bike, while I awkwardly sat in a silent car with the happy couple.
Neither of them were speaking, leaving the only sound to be Harry's bike in front of us, a small distance away.
When the crimson letters of Bandit came to view I in took a large breath of relief. I had never wanted to leave a car so much.
I hopped out quickly once Caleb parked, giving them time alone. Harry met me at the door and allowed me to bypass the line with him, by simply nodding at the bouncer.
"No drinks tonight for anyone who doesn't have a wristband, so don't even try it," he yelled, over the music that blared loudly once the steel doors of the entrance were opened.
"I think I could convince your bartender to make an exception," I tell him, as we walked further inside.
Bandit was always pretty busy, but tonight was on another level. Once Harry and I started to walk further inside, groups of people covered the whole floor. The usual red hue from the strobe lights was now emitting orange and black in typical halloween style. The screen above the dj booth had scenes from what looked like a horror film adding to the hole theme. Everyone was elaborately dressed in costume, making the whole place look pretty extraordinary. It was a scene out of Halloweentown- with a lot more drinking, kissing and dirty dancing.
"Not likely," Harry added, inching closer to my ear.
His face was illuminated by the flashing lights for a moment, reminding me of a dream I had a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but something about him was present in my dream and it was fascinating. I focused on his features assessing every part of his face, from his lips, to his eyes, nose, and jaw.
"Cami! You made it," a familiar voice yelled over the thumping of the song playing.
If I hadn't recognized Niall's voice, I would not have known who he was. His face was painted completely white with a black star covering his left eye. He had on a black wig of curly hair making him look completely unidentifiable.
"Paul Stanley, very creative Niall," I complemented.
Harry was still standing beside me while looking around in awe at his filled club. Bandit was going to make a killing tonight and he knew it. He appeared to be waiting for me to finish with Niall and didn't seem like he was about to leave, since I found someone he could pawn me off to.
"Thanks, and you're a bad angel or somethin'? You look really good!"
As I was about to thank Niall for the compliment, Harry stuck his head in for a quick word.
"I'm just gonna check with Colt at the bar. I'll be right back," he said, gently patting my shoulder.
For a moment I didn't understand why he was telling me, and then I remembered that Niall thought we were here together. I mean, technically we were. Just not in the way Harry was leading Niall to believe. I felt bad for lying to him, but it was easier than turning him down or stringing him along. It was better for all involving parties if Niall saw me here with another guy, even if he knew that Harry and I were just friends.
If that's what we were.
I nodded in understanding at Harry before he fought through the crowds of people towards the bar.
"So you and that guy?" Niall asked, sounding more curious than anything else.
I considered implying that Harry and I were seeing each other, but I knew that somehow that would come back to bite me in the ass. Not only would I somehow have to show Niall we were together but if he were to ever find out I was lying, it would surely make our friendship too awkward to fix.
"We're just friends. Charli is dating his best friend, so we came together as a favor to them," I said, lying easily.
Niall's eyes visibly brightened at my answer and his body seemed to relax.
"Charli's always roping you into this shit huh?"
"You have no idea," I replied, especially meaning it today after the lipstick on the face incident.
A hand wrapped around my waist and I turned to expect Harry keeping up with appearances, I was surprised to see a different boy who had not even bothered with a costume. Behind him were two other boys. One had dark hair and dark eyes and the other had light brown hair and bright eyes.
"If it isn't Cami, back at the place where it all began," the boy, with the rather firm grip on me said.
"I'm sorry do I know you?" I asked, narrowing my eyebrows.
I racked my brain for his face. He seemed vaguely familiar but I did not know where I had spoken to him before. His friends however looked like complete strangers.
"You were right Liam, this one's feisty," the boy with the lighter eyes yelled.
"You don't remember me babe? We spent a very fun night at this bar a couple of weeks ago," he said smugly, glancing at both of his friends with a smirk.
Niall looked uneasy, as if he knew something I didn't. He remained silent and still and just listened to the conversation.
"You're the guy who bought me tequila," I said, as a flash of that night came back to me. I was going to leave after three but he bought me a few more, actually a lot more.
"There ya go, I knew you would remember."
"I also remember you being a little grabby, kinda how you are now," I said, and tried to push his hand off of my waist but it didn't budge.
"She even plays hard to get, I like her," his other friend said.
Niall looked completely dazed, almost as if he was thinking about something else. Liam was attempting to lead me away with his grip on my hips and I continued to urge his hands off of me.
Liam's hand was removed quickly and when I looked up to the source of it, Harry was standing beside me. He led me behind him as he shielded me from Liam and his friends. Niall had disappeared, which begged the question; Why the hell didn't he do anything?
"I thought I told you last time to keep your hands off of her."
I could see his body tense in front of me, putting up his harsh and intimidating stance. I had never seen it before and especially not to this extremity. The other two boys seemed to add to Harry's unease, making me feel anxious, yet safe with him in front of me.
"I thought that only counted last time." Liam answered, while he and his friends chuckled.
"It counts all the time. I won't tell you again to get out. This time don't come back, any of you." Harry's voice turned harsh as he stood tall and didn't back down.
"What if we don't wanna leave yet?" the dark haired boy challenged, stepping closer towards Harry. He was tall but he wasn't taller than Harry and he looked rather scrawny.
"You won't wanna find out, trust me Zayn," Harry says, not letting himself be intimidated for even a second.
"Well, we're three and your one and a girl, so maybe we do," the other boy said stepping up.
"He runs the place Louis, he'll have a swarm of his security guards in a second," Liam reasons, attempting to pull Zayn and Louis back by their shoulders.
Although Liam seemed to be the alpha of the three, he also seemed to be the smartest. In no way was he scared of Harry, he just knew when he could win and when he couldn't. In Harry's club, with dozens of buff security guards, he knew this was not one of those times.
"I'm waiting," Harry said, referring to impending threat that Zayn and Louis delivered only moments ago.
"What the hell happened to you Styles? You used to be one of us," Louis said, as he shook head back and forth.
"I was never one of you lowlifes," Harry remarked, as Zayn jumped forward with a raised fist. Liam quickly held him back, keeping him maintained at a safe distance.
"Don't go rewriting history," Liam said, leaving those words as his last. He headed towards the exit as Zayn and Louis followed behind him.
Harry remained still, watching them until they were safely out of view. Once they were gone, his back visibly relaxed as he released the tension he was holding in. As he turned around to face me, a small frown was still apparent on his lips.
"What was that all about?"
Obviously Harry and those boys had some type of history and it looked like it didn't end well. From what I gathered, they use to be friends, or at the very least acquaintances, but clearly they had some sort of strong hate towards each other now.
Harry let out a sharp breath, as he appeared unsure if he wanted to disclose information about his relationship with Liam and his friends.
"It was nothing. Just stay away from them, they're bad news."
I nodded my head in understanding, now that I was able to see for myself how foul Liam really was. He definitely had the creepy-scary thing going for him.
A nudge from behind caused me to stumble forward and lose my balance thanks to my sky high heels. I braced myself for the sting I would feel when I hit the ground, but it never came. Warm arms wrapped themselves around me and kept me up and from falling over. Harry gently helped me back to my feet as his arms were still around my waist. Unlike Liam's rough hold on me a short while ago, Harry's was soft and tender. I remained in his embrace, making us stand closer than we ever had before. His face was inches from mine and the only thing I could focus on were his lips. I could feel him creeping forwards, but at this moment I couldn't bring myself to pull away. Chaotic partying and loud music enveloped us, but all I could notice was Harry and how his touch burned through my skin. He slowly inched forward even more and his emerald eyes grew dark with lust. This moment was my last chance to pull away before our lips would meet. I considered the idea for a second and decided against it. When his mouth hit mine, a wave of passion washed over me. I literally felt fireworks combusting inside of my stomach, exciting me beyond words. When his tongue collided with mine, I was brought back to earth and I realized who exactly I was making out with. I jerked my head away and separated our interlocking lips.
As my eyes opened a figure standing over Harry's shoulder caught my attention.
Niall...
Harry's eyes opened and he turned his head to see what diverted my attention.
Niall's mouth was turned down into a frown and his shoulders tensed as he walked over to us. Harry's arms were still wrapped around me, so I gently urged them off as Niall reached where we were standing.
"This part of the favor too?" He asked, gesturing between the two of us.
When I assessed his face he looked betrayed, confused, and above all, hurt.