we met at a party

Chapter two

y/n is your name

y/b/f is your best friend (both are female) 

Your alarm clock rings far too early the next morning. You groan and drag yourself out of bed. You stuff makeup, shoes, a hairbrush, and your dress into a bag and change into a white t-shirt and some basic jeans before going to the kitchen to have breakfast. Y/b/f is putting the finishing touches on a few cakes while Tom stares tiredly down at a bowl of cereal. You pop a piece of toast in the toaster.

Y/b/f smiles up at you, "Morning!"

"How are you this awake?"

"I'm not, I'm just running on pure adrenaline."

"That's true," Tom adds.

"Unfortunately, we can't all be crazy," You say as you turn on the coffee machine. While you wait, you quickly send a text reminding Louis to get up and wonder what it will be like to go to your first real party. Sure, you'd been to a few in high school, but never with celebrities or anyone with actual importance... it was more than a little daunting. You asked Tom about it the other day, and he said you'd be fine because you already knew so many people, but you weren't sure. Regardless, you were going. You try distracting yourself by stirring your coffee and staring out the window at a bird carrying a stick back to his nest on the roof.

An hour and a half later, you are setting out plates of appetizers while y/b/f helps Tom finish stringing the lights on the top of the gazebo. She's wearing a short burgundy dress and Tom is dressed in a casual grey suit. You see Louis walking back with another box. How y/b/f managed to book a private garden with a month's notice in spring, you'll never know. But she did it. The morning sunlight filters through the trees— bright enough to see everything but still shady enough to shield everyone from the afternoon heat— and sparkles on the small pond to your left. Louis drops the box down heavily on the table and you both wince at the slight clang from inside the box.

"Oops," Louis shoots you an awkward grin that makes all the girls he meets freak out— much to your amusement.

You glance over at y/b/f who is still, thankfully, focused on decorations. "You got lucky," You say, opening the box. "Last one?"

"Yes, finally!" Louis collapses dramatically into the nearest chair, leaving you to empty the box of spoons and small plates. "I can't believe I agreed to help you with this."

You shrug, making your curly hair bounce, "It's part of my charm."

"Charm? What charm?"

You round on him, "You know what—"

"Y/n?" Y/b/f chooses that moment to call you over. You go, but not before shooting Louis with a final glare which he returns with a smug look. It quickly falls, however, when y/b/f adds, "Louis finish unpacking that box, please."

"What—"

"Ha!" You stick your tongue out at him and turn away. "What do you need?"

"Zendaya is on her way with the first group of guests, can you go meet them out front?"

You nod, "Yeah, of course. Who's coming?"

"Zendaya, a couple of actors, and some singers, I think."

"Cool."

"They'll be here in 10, I just wanted to give you notice," she leans in, "And maybe I wanted to make Louis unload that last box because he seemed to really be enjoying it."

"He really was," You giggle. Y/b/f's phone pings, she glances down and types something back. "They'll be here soon. I've just told Zendaya to text you when they're here," she says to you.

"Perfect," You go through the side gate where Louis was bringing the boxes and wait on one of the shady benches. 15 minutes later, your phone lights up and you speed walk to the front of the garden where two cars are pulling up; Zendaya, Millie Bobby Brown, and Dylan O'Brian get out of the first car; Out of the other, a guy in an elegant pink suit with long hair, another guy emerged with high cheekbones and a pointed chin, a third had dark eyes and a strong jawline but the fourth took your breath away. Which was embarrassing, honestly. You quickly stare down at your feet. You're here to help, not to stare at men, you chide yourself. Then you look back up and see he is standing right in front of you; all blue eyes and brown hair accented with blonde highlights and somehow effortlessly standing upright in an I-woke-up-like-this kind of way in a striped shirt and casual jeans staring right at you.

"Hi, I'm Niall." AND HE'S IRISH! your mind screeches at you. You quickly shush that part of your brain and try not to squeak when you say, "I'm y/n."

The other three are standing beside Niall, which wouldn't be intimidating except they're all so much taller than you and gorgeous. "I'm Harry," says the one in the pink suit. He gestures to cheekbone and says, "This is Louis, and this," he claps dark eyes on the shoulder, "Is Liam."

"Nice to meet you, uh..." suddenly, you had no clue what to say. Before you had any more time to panic and look like a complete idiot, Zendaya saved you when she came over to hug you.

"Hey, girl, how are you doing?"

"Good," You smile gratefully at her and wave your hand as a signal for everyone to follow you. Well, that was awkward, you think, maybe she didn't see. But when you see her return the look with a smirk of her own, you realize she definitely saw. Even more awkward. You quickly make a beeline for Millie who links her arm in yours.