little black dress

steal my girl

Lucy had grown up in a small town in the north of England. All she'd ever known was the sight of rolling green fields, distant traffic and the quiet dull of the summer. Everyday was the same thing. But on that fateful day, as she came home from school she had no idea that her whole world was about to change.

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Walking into the small kitchen, she set her bag down against the table. She glanced around, looking for her mother's looming figure, unsettled by the house's quiet.

"Mum? Hello? Anyone home?" she called out, as she wandered throughout her small home. It was unusual for her not to be greeted by her mother's cynical glare and shrill voice yet Mrs Carlyle was nowhere to be seen.

She'd made it to the top of the stairs before she heard the sniffles of someone crying. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on, because her mother never showed emotion aside from anger, the sounds surely couldn't be from her. But alas, as she opened the door to their makeshift office she saw something that shocked her. Standing in front of her was her mother, with a tear stained face, shaking hands with a group of young men. There were five of them, each looking like they were in their late teens. One of them glanced up at her as she entered the room, and she wondered why he seemed so familiar. There was something about his long brown hair, and charming smile that felt like a faint memory. Where had she seen this handsome man before?

Noticing her youngest daughter's arrival, Mrs Carlyle turned to face her, bearing a cunning grin she saved only for when things went her way. "Ah, Lucy you're home".

"Mum, who are these people? What did you do?"

Her mother gave her a look that seemed to say behave, we have guests. "These guests are your new owners and the reason I am finally debt free! You should be ecstatic". Upon announcing the news she stood straight, and clapped her hands in delight.

"Oh your father said I'd never do it! He said it couldn't be done and then that bastard drank himself to debt! But ha! He was wrong, Lucy. And all I had to do was sell of my pitiful child to a band".

Lucy felt sick, as she looked once more at the delusional woman standing in front of her, she realised she couldn't even recognise her. This wasn't her mother, who would make her nice meals after a fight and always give her extra chips at dinner. No, this was a woman who'd lost all sense of control and was fuelled by desperation to get rid of her money debts.

"You sold me? What the fuck Mum? I'm seventeen and your daughter, not some little toy! I can't believe you'd even consider this," she turned to head out the door and sprinted down the stairs to her favourite hiding space. Shortly afterwards she heard the sounds of footsteps following her.

"Go away! I can't believe you".

But the footsteps weren't her mother's, as she'd expected. It was the tall stranger from before. Next to him were the other four men.

"Hiya love, I'm so sorry about the mess of this all. It wasn't meant to go like this. How about we make a fresh start, and I'll explain it all to you, yeah? I'm Harry, Harry Styles."

The men crouched down beside her, and held out his hand. She took it timidly, and let him pull her up off the ground.

"I'm Lucy".

The group of men before her gave varying soft smiles. They began to give introductions and she got to learn their names.

"Top of the mornin' to ya, I'm Niall"

"Hey man, I'm Zayne"

"Hi, I'm Louis, how are you?"

When she got to the last man, he said his name and pulled a face that only Flynn Rider could muster, "'Sup, I'm Liam".

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As the limo hurried away through the crowded roads of England Lucy passed the time chatting with the men with her. Gradually, through games of 'truth or dare she got to know them quite well. There was a blissful silence surrounding them now, as they dozed off and she almost had this feeling that everything might turn out alright.

That feeling was quickly overcome with nerves as the limo pulled down a long driveway. It came to a halt outside a ginormous mansion, bigger than anything she could have imagined.

Sensing her growing nervous, Louis placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "You're alright, Luce. We'll keep you safe," the message didn't have the serious effect he'd intended but the sight of his face covered in permanent marker, courtesy to Harry's dare helped her relax.

They walked towards the front door, and rang the doorbell. They were greeted, much to Lucy's surprise, by a chimpanzee in a cheetah print butler suit. The boys, who she'd learned were in fact a boy band named One Direction, handed their bags and split up to head to their own rooms.

After being directed by the butler chimp, who's name supposedly was Dr. Dan Roberts she headed off to her own new room. It was rather spacious, with teal walls and zebra print bedding. On the foot of her bed, attached with a little note was a new outfit. It was a red flannel, with a black skater skirt and brand new checkered vans. How they knew her exact shoe and clothes size she didn't even question.

Next to it, neatly folded was a pair of galaxy print pyjama bottoms, with a picture of a cat in the front. She changed into them, and finished getting ready. Once she'd finished she turned of her light and tucked herself into bed. It was only as she drew the duvet cover up around her that she began to process the events of her day.

What the fuck had happened today?