Dire {h.s.}

18

Ava Manakova

The night is approaching and I can't stop but stare at the chaos happening below me. I stand at the railing of the black twirly balcony overlooking the foyer. People run back and forth across the floor in a hurry, scrambling with all sorts of boxes and decorations in their hands.

This morning, I woke up to a woman walking into my room. She hung up a hanger on my door, hanging off of it, a black dress that looks shorter than anything I have ever worn. I am to be dressed and ready by tonight, but considering it's still morning, I'll remain in my pajamas for now.

Speaking of clothes, after driving lessons with Harry and the conversation I had with Louis, I was escorted by security to a bedroom. In it was a closet full of new clothes, makeup filled in the personal bathroom's cabinets, hair products, female necessities, etc. I don't know where everything came from or how they knew my size in everything, but it just so happened to fit.

"What are you doing?" Niall asks, coming up to stand next to me and resting his elbows on the railing like me.

I sigh, "Just watching."

"It looks like you're plotting something." He says, raising a brow.

I chuckle, "What would I be plotting?"

He shrugs, "I don't know, something to get you out of this."

I shake my head, "I don't want to risk tonight."

He pauses.

"Ava, you risk your life by just being here." He says, before turning on his heels and leaving me at the railing. Niall is a strange one, he's kinder than the others and I don't get much time to ever talk to him. Not that I want to be friendly with my kidnappers and all, but having a conversation about normal things gives me a sense of normalcy for once within this situation.

The entire first floor of the house is lit up by chandeliers, and glows with the few candles surrounding each corner. People dressed in all sorts of rich material wander around, some in groups, some in pairs, some even on their own. All of the conversations mix in with each other, making the voices grow ten times louder. I can hear the distant sounds of glasses clinking against each other, laughter arising from a few corners, sNiall reappearing from every area. Even on the spiral staircase, a few people have taken up a few steps to have their conversations.

I, on the other hand, am panicking. Standing in front of my bed, staring at the dress I'm supposed to be wearing. I can hear everything from down stairs, and yet, it's all making me freak out. I don't want to go down there. I'm already late for the party, and I'm surprised nobody has noticed that I'm not down there. I'm so nervous, my heart is racing at a million Niall per hour and I feel like I could throw up.

A knock at my door snaps me out of it.

"Ava, get the fuck out here!" Harry yells from the other side of it. "What the fuck is taking you so long?"

Quickly, I slip into my dress and slide into the heels they've dropped off along with the dress earlier. If I'm not dressed, he'll be more pissed. I race to the door and open it, seeing Harry standing there clearly angry. But I can't help it when my eyes travel down his body to take in his new appearance. He wears black pants with a black button up that is unbuttoned down to his chest to reveal a tattoo I haven't seen before. A large moth stares back at me, almost looking like a butterfly—something I would never expect a man like himself to have inked into his skin permanently.

"What the fuck, Ava?" he says, snapping my eyes up to his own. "Are you trying to get yourself killed already?"

I shake my head, even more nervous now that I have made him mad. Making Harry angry is the scariest thing I have ever experienced.