January 2011
Emilias POV

The room was full with familiar faces as I stood in the corner of the large kitchen with my best friend, Lily. We were both holding onto red cups, full of way too much vodka in comparison to the drop of coke that seemed to be swirling through it. The drink was almost clear, obviously intended to make the drinker intoxicared fairly quickly. I idly swirled the liquid around not really taking much sips. I wasn’t really a drinker nor one to attend parties but we had just finished our first mock exams and Lily insisted. She was outgoing, and a little bit wild where as I was quite shy; more interested in sitting at home reading a book than partying but after my friend had endlessly whined at me that we needed to go, I’d rolled my eyes at her and agreed, stating I was only going to be staying for an hour or two. This in return was met with rolling eyes from Lily, scoffing at my compromise. She knew only too well that I probably wouldn’t leave the party without her, too nervous to walk the streets alone at night, so this meant that I’d have to endure the event until way into the night. It was a good job I enjoyed being in Lily’s company!

“So, seen anyone you like?” Lily asked me.

”’No.”

I hadn’t even bothered to look. I wasn’t particularly interested in being fondled by a fully intoxicated and overly aroused teenager. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be intimate with boys, it’s just that I’d much prefer to meet them in a better suited environment; like a coffee shop or the library. Intellectual boys were intriguing to me and I figured it would be hard to find someone like that here. I definitely would not have been invited anywhere like this if I wasn’t friends with Lily anyway. It was more of an invite by association. She was very popular and not to mention uncompromisingly pretty. Long light brown hair that fell just about her hips, deep hazel eyes and a tall slender figure and at sixteen, she could have easily passed for a twenty something model. She was also very chatty and could hold up a conversation with just about anybody. I envied how outgoing she was, in comparison to my introverted personality.

“You haven’t even looked!”

“There’s not going to be anybody here that I’m going find remotely attractive, Lil.”

She rolled her eyes at my stubbornness, making me feel even more self conscious than I already did.

”You haven’t even bothered to look either!” I argued.

”You know who I’ve got my eye on!” She responded before scoping through the room for the boy she was talking about. Niall Horan. He was a year older than us and had a bit of a reputation behind him. He hung around with a few older boys who were known to the area as being quite troublesome, so you could imagine my distaste when Lily had mentioned him and how much she found him attractive. I think she enjoyed the idea of him being a bit of a bad boy, often joking it would keep her on her toes! I’d always grimace at her, insisting she could do better.

Lily had all of a sudden left my side and I watched as she walked through the open plan space towards the living area of the house. I wasn’t even sure who’s party it was but I was quickly becoming aware that I was standing alone and probably looking way too awkward. I decided to take a sip of the drink, automatically borking at the unnecessary amount of vodka.

“Hi.”

I froze a little, letting my eyes glance to my right, unsure of whether the greeting had been to me or not. The figure who’d spoke, cleared their throat and as I looked up to take them in, I froze even more.

I knew who the boy was and yet I was anxious as to why he was speaking to me.

“It’s rude to stare, you know.” His voice was low and husky and a little bit threatening. I looked away aprublty, instead finding my gaze landing at his feet. I mumbled a short apology, aware of my heartbeat rising faster and faster below my shirt.

Harry Styles. The boy that stood before me. I knew him vaguely through our mothers being close friends; often finding myself in his company at family parties or dinners, sometimes even standing in his living room but we’d never properly spoke; only ever being greeted with a nod of his head, eyebrows inverted in a deep frown as if he was concentrating on pressing matters. He was two years older than me and although I’d watched him from a distance grow up- knowing of his presence for ten or so years- I still found him very intimidating. He was one of the boys that Niall Horan hung around with. One of the boys who caused quite a lot of trouble around our small neighbourhood and someone I definitely wouldn’t find myself interacting with at parties and yet here I stood with him standing before me.

I looked up to him once more, a little taken aback at how close he was to me, our faces nearly meeting.

”Hi.” It came out as a small whisper and I wanted the ground to swallow me up there and then. I was very nervous around Harry. Aside from his intimidating demeanour, he was also very handsome. Dark brown curly hair that swept mesmerisingly across his forehead, deep green eyes that often held speckles of blue in the summer sun and big pink plump lips. He was also much taller than me, immediately aware of how his body towered mine- making me feel all the more nervous around him. I couldn’t understand why I was acting so awkward and I could feel the heat prickling on the back of my neck, wondering if he was playing joke on me.

“Let me take you out.” His sentence was more of a demand. My lips parted at his statement. I definitely hadn’t been expecting that.

“W-what?” I muttered, unsure of whether I’d heard him correctly or not.

“Give me your phone.”

His eyes were threatening as he glared at me, his nostrils flaring slightly as if he nearing anger any second. I searched for my phone, without hesitation, at angst at what he could do if I said no to his request.

His fingers fiddled with the keypad, typing out a number and pressing ring before handing my phone back to me. I watched at he pulled his own phone out of his pocket, vibrating under his touch, as he ended the call, securely obtaining my number.

I gulped.

He moved closer into me, his eyes scanning up and down my body as his hand cupped my chin. His fingers were warm, soft yet hard and I felt myself rendering into full blown weakness under the touch. My knees nearly buckling. His mouth curled into a half smile, smirking at how easy this was for him to make me feel so helpless under his full gaze.

”See you round, Mi.”

And with that he was gone. Back into the crowd and out the back door of the kitchen. What had just happened?

Notes