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* long chapter.*
Sydney, Australia
The Four Seasons Hotel was brimming with guests going to and fro with smiles on their faces and cold drinks in their hands- it was summertime, after all. Hayley paced back and forth in front of two elevators looking for someone. She frowned and went back to where her parents were also waiting.
William and Charlotte Moon looked like the epitome of all rich parents figures. They were just as dressed up as their daughter was, with outfits just as expensive as Hayley's. However, William was annoyed at how his daughter was waiting for her fiance and he obviously didn't like standing there for so long.
"Okay, they'll be here any minute...Be nice, Daddy. He's everything you ever wanted for your little girl... plus millions more." She whispered and William suddenly softened up.
"Then you know I'll be nice," he smirked at the thought of money. Hayley laughed and playfully tapped her father's arm when she caught sight of Luke walking towards them. He looked completely dashing, wearing his signature black jeans and a white button-up with sleeves rolled up halfway and no jacket on, a fresh, but nice look.
"Okay, there he is..." she said and straightened her white strapless dress, it was a color that didn't suit her at all and that was the first thing Luke noticed when he approached her with his family. Silver, Calum, and Petunia following behind him.
"With the whole motley crew" Hayley muttered under her breath and tries to maintain the smile that was falling from her face.
"Hi darling" she exclaimed sweetly and kissed him which made Silver roll her eyes. "Stevie, Calum, and... Petunia." she greeted the other two people and the stared at the dog. "What in the world are you doing here?" she asked and leaned closer to Luke, "Lukey, a dog in The Four Seasons?" she muttered.
"Evie begged me to bring her," Luke explained with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders.
"And naturally you said 'yes'" Hayley fake smiled and bent down to pat the dog's head. Petunia growled and tried to bite Hayley's hand, making her jump and yelp in surprise.
"Good doggy," Calum muttered quietly to Petunia, causing Silver to snort in laughter and pat the dog's head. "So, Hayley, these are your parents?" Calum asked faking a smile.
"Yes. Mom... Dad... finally, you all meet." she said linking her arm through her fiance's "This is my fiance and the love of my life, Luke Hemmings." Hayley gushed and William politely shook the hand Luke held out for him. "And this is his adorable daughter, Stevie, who we can all thank for bringing us together this weekend... This entire get together was her idea I'll have you know..." once again she fake smiled.
"Well, how are you young lady, I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you," William said leaning closer to the girl with a wide grin.
"Oh, I bet you do." Silver said and it was her turn to fake smile.
"Hello, sweety." Charlotte greeted Silver with the fakest smile the girl had ever seen. "You can call me Auntie Lottie." Silver gave her a weird look and just raised her eyebrows at the two.
Ridiculous, she thought.
While the Hemmings clan was walking around the hotel listening to Hayley whining about the wedding, a black car pulled up in front of the Four Seasons hotel entrance. Poppy came out of the passenger seat and straightened her white blazer. After that, she opened the door of the backseat and held out her hand to help her drunk best friend.
"C'mon El, behave yourself, we're here," she said and Eleanor giggled.
"Whoops," she exclaimed and went unsteadily out of the car. Poppy watched her down a small bottle of vodka. Eleanor took the liberty of gathering the flight liquor she ordered and downing bottle after bottle during the ride to the Four Seasons. After draining the bottle she flung it behind her and luckily it was caught by Stevie, who came out of the car after her mother and clutched the empty bottle.
"That was a great flight, wasn't it? So quick." She slurred drunkenly.
"I've never seen you so... thirsty" Poppy commented, looking at the empty bottle in Stevie's hand.
"Well, it's not like I've never been thirsty before." Eleanor continued to slur as she held onto Stevie so she could walk properly.
"But that was years ago," Poppy muttered to herself. She decided to zip her mouth when the tall eleven-year-old shot her a dirty look.
"I'm in such major trouble here," Stevie muttered to herself as she trailed behind her mother and aunt, wondering what her sister's reaction would be if she met their inebriated mother.
Poppy and Stevie led Eleanor through the Lobby and deposited her at the Front Desk. While Luke, Hayley, and the whole crew were walking around the hotel listening to her babble about how she wanted her wedding to be this and how she wanted her wedding to be that. Even Luke was bored from hearing his fiancé. Silver was about to drop dead from boredom when Petunia suddenly pulled on her leash and dragged her behind her. Calum followed the two in worry as Luke hung distractedly onto every word Hayley uttered.
"I'm just saying, I know it's short notice, but if they can do it, I think it would be a brilliant room for the wedding... Not too big, not too cramped... Not that I don't like the idea of getting married at the house... I do but this could be... amazing." Hayley blabbered and stopped to face Luke and fix his collar, she smiled at him and he did too as her parents watched on.
"I've already checked us in, so why don't we go up to the rooms, freshen up, then meet for lunch?" she asked her parents sweetly, they nodded and kissed their daughter's cheek.
"Sounds good, I'm starved. Meet you back here in ten." Charlotte said.
"Sweetheart, want to check out the Honeymoon Suite while we're here? I bet it's to die for," she asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively and ran a hand down Luke's arm making him grin adorably as he wrapped an arm around her and held her close.
Meanwhile, Stevie arrived at the front desk and started talking to the receptionist about the reservation made in the name James, while Poppy tried to peel Eleanor off a luggage cart she insisted on riding on. Stevie finally got their keycards when Eleanor bit her lower lip in excitement and started ringing the little bell.
"Mum, do you think you're going to be okay?" Stevie asked, gently prying her mother's fingers from the bell.
"Oh, don't worry about me. Have we landed yet?" Eleanor slurred and Stevie laid her head on the counter as Poppy gave her a sympathetic look and dragged her friend to the elevator. Stevie followed them, praying that her mother would sober up before the big meet. Just as the elevator doors were about to slide shut, Eleanor bodily threw herself between them and stumbled out of the elevator.
"Forgot my purse," she exclaimed excitedly and made her way back to the front desk without managing to fall.
At the same time, Silver, Calum, and Petunia were trying to calm the eager dog, who sniffed Stevie's scent. Petunia barked excitedly and Stevie turned to see her dog while Poppy turned too and gasped when the Bulldog broke free of its leash and ran in order to reach Stevie.
"Petunia!" Stevie squealed in excitement, then got down and hugged her dog close to her, Poppy then laughed and kneeled down, petting the dog's head. The elevator doors closed as Eleanor made her way back and the intoxicated woman spotted Silver but Calum abruptly turned around.
"Mum!" Silver exclaimed in surprise
"Honey, you didn't have to wait for me," Eleanor told her daughter whose eyes widened at the smell of hard liquor coming from her mother's mouth.
"I could've found the room by myself. Besides I've got to make a pit stop. Vodka makes you have to go like crazy... Go on, Evie, I'll meet you upstairs " she continued and walked off. Just as Silver was about to walk away, her mum turned around and called out. "I like that jacket, by the way, were you wearing that the whole time on the plane?" Eleanor turned around and narrowly avoided being hit by a huge bouquet of flowers a delivery man was carrying.
Sapping a hand on her forehead, she turned to Calum, who was trying to hide from her old friend.
"She's so drunk. She's never had more than one glass of wine in her entire life and she chooses today to show up zonked." she cried in desperation.
Calum looked at her and let out a loud laugh. He remembered when Eleanor was drunk with them at their house back in London, more than eleven years ago. It was a big lie that she's never had more than one glass of wine, she was a wild one when she was younger, the "good girl" behind their song.
"Just do what your mum says and meet her upthstairs." he intimidated her old friend, causing the young girl to giggle while walking to an open elevator.
As te doors slid shut, Luke and Hayley arrived in front of another elevator flirting heavily with each other. The doors slid open and Hayley pushed wildly grinning Luke inside.
"Alone at last" she whispered huskily into his ear and as the doors slid shut, there stood a shocked Eleanor James staring at the necking couple with a sheepish grin on her face. Luke looked up and his jaw dropped at the sight of her. He tried to keep her in view, even leaning to the very wall of the elevator as Eleanor managed a small wave and the doors finally slid shut.
(Eleanor's outfit)
"Stevie Rae Hemmings!"
Eleanor purposefully strode to the corridos, calling out her daughter's full name. Two doors facing each other opened and the twins emerged from each of them. Silver was wearing her light blue loose button-up shirt open with a nice summer blouse that coincidentally matched with Stevie's skirt underneath and some denim shorts with black converse, with her hair nicely styled, while Stevie wore a blue and white blouse and a skirt similar to her twin's shirt, with a light blue jacket and white Adidas superstar with her curls loose down her back. (just imagine her hair is curly.)
Their mother stopped in her tracks at seeing them both and put a hand on her head.
"Please don't do this to me" she begged, shutting her eyes tightly. "I'm already seeing double."
"It's me, mum, Silver." Silver said, and Eleanor's expression softened at her daughter. She approached the girl with the black jacket and hugged her tightly.
"Silver, my love, you look beautiful. So tan and healthy...!" Eleanor complimented, cupping her daughter's cheek. Stevie joined the hug and the three embraced each other. "Oh my girls," Eleanor whispered then suddenly stood up and sternly looked at them.
"I can't believe you're together, but... how could you do this to me?" she cried.
"May I suggest we take this little pow-wow inside," Calum said, arriving behind Silver.
Eleanor stood there in shock, staring at her old friend's face. He was one of her closest friends ever, seeing him after so long made her nostalgic, it brings her to many memories she didn't even know she had.
"Calum... oh my god," Eleanor said bringing her hand to her mouth.
"You remember me?" he asked.
"What are you saying? Of course, I remember you!... I missed you so much, how are Michael and Ashton?" she said and then hugged him.
Calum smiled to himself as she backed away and he shut their room's door.
"God, I've missed her," he mumbled to himself.
"Let me put this as clear as possible. You..." She said pointing to Stevie. "I mean..." She pointed Silver this time. "One of you told me your dad knew I was arriving here today... And I'm here to tell you the man I just saw in the elevator had absolutely no idea he and I were on the same planet, let alone in the same hotel."
"You saw dad already?" Silver asked incredulously.
"Yes. And it was completely and utterly humiliating...I gotta lie down... " She said flopping down on a sofa, resting her head on a pillow. "The man went completely ashen. Like I was the bloody ghost of Christmas past." Eleanor continued with a flourish of her hand.
"Can one of you get me something cold for my head?" Silver stood up to get a wet towel for her mother.
"Don't you think I've wondered what it was going to be like to see your dad again after all these years?" The twins shared a worried look as they listened to their mother.
"Well, let me tell you, me waving like a mindless idiot while Luke Hemmings is wrapped in another woman's arms is not exactly the scenario I had in mind." Eleanor snapped and accepted the wet towel from Silver.
"Thank you," She put the towel on her forehead,
"And furthermore and much worse, is the fact that I've been lied to by my own kids and I'd like to know why."
At that moment, Poppy chose to show up in a yellow one-piece swimsuit and a bottle of sunscreen in her hand. She strutted across the room towards the door but jumped back in surprise when she heard Eleanor's voice.
"Uh, Poppy, I'm kinda dying here and you decide it's the best moment to go swim?" Eleanor sat up suddenly and her daughters giggled at her reaction.
"Ugh... I just want to relax, you'll be fine now that you have both of your kids with you. I'm on vacation" Poppy said with her head held high but stopped short when she suddenly noticed the one and only Calum Hood staring at her in awe.
"Now that's what I signed up for," she said smirking at her old crush.
"Oh... Hell-o." Calum said mostly to himself, staring at the brunette for the first time in a while.
"Cal, you remember Poppy, my best friend?" Eleanor asked.
"Of course..." he said with his eyes still on her. "I think I want to vacay too."
"So nice to see you again, Calum." Poppy finally said smiling widely at him.
"Poppy... you're so. So..-" Calum stuttered still looking at Poppy's eyes. She was really beautiful, after all. That's when Eleanor continued talking to her daughters interrupting Calum.
"Girls! back to where I was! You were going to tell me why you lied and brought me here without telling your dad!?" Eleanor cried and the reunion moment was gone as Poppy and Calum watched fearfully.
"Were they? o-kay, that's good... Well, then why don't I just slip back into my room and check out the old minibar..." Calum muttered and started backing out for the door.
"Let me help!"Poppy blurted and abruptly followed him.
"Wait!" Eleanor cried and the two groaned since they were almost out the door. "You mean, everyone knows but me?! What's going on here?" she asked them.
"Mum..." Silver began. "Daddy's getting married."
Eleanor sat down in shock, her face becoming expressionless as her heart seemed to plummet to its death in her chest. Poppy looked at her with a sad expression, she knew about this, Stevie told her when they were on the plane, she just hoped her best friend wouldn't be heartbroken... again.
"To Cruella de Ville. She's awful, Mum...We can't let him go through with it". Silver continued.
"Girls, your dad's a grown man and quite capable of deciding whom he wishes to marry," she said composing herself.
"But she's all wrong for him. And the only way he won't marry her is..." Stevie glanced at her sister. " You tell her, she knows you better." Stevie nudged Silver who rolled her eyes and sat beside Eleanor.
"Is if he sees you again." Silver finished to a still dumbstruck Eleanor with a smile.
"Wait a minute. You're trying to fix me up with your dad?" Eleanor asked her daughters who looked at each other. Poppy and Calum took this as their second chance to leave and started tiptoeing towards the door again.
"Why not? You're perfect for each other." Stevie admitted nervously and Silver nodded her head.
"A match made in heaven." Silver added.
"Hold it!" she cried once again and Poppy and Calum both turned around. "You two knew about this?" she asked them and the two tried to pull straight faces.
"No. Not exactly.
"We tried to reason with them."
"What could we do? They made us do it."
"We're the hired help."
"It was a mistake." Both jibbed at the same time.
"Okay." Eleanor held up her hand and the two stopped gibbering.
"Let me say this loud and clear. Luke Hemmings and I have nothing in common... anymore. Plus, in case you haven't noticed, he seems extremely content with his leggy, short-haired, tight-bare back fiance." she spat angrily. "I want the two of you to explain to your dad that I am here for one purpose only and that's to switch you two back. Now, let's do what we have to do and be done with it. Understood?" she finished off sternly and the others bowed their heads and nodded silently.
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A/N
Okay... sorry for the long chapter, I couldn't cut any part so that's why I had to split this into chapters, don't worry! The next chapter is already on my drafts so as soon as more people read this and the last one ill upload chapter 16.
Once again, I hope you like this, please leave some comments so we could talk, I would like to read your opinions on this.
Please vote!
Ly and stay home.
-Anna.