𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑| Elle Argent, Tao Xu

19| and Bob's your uncle

Loralie had been the first to the party and likely the last to leave.

She never understood the appeal of alcohol. She truly hated it entirely, it was like fire running down your throat. But, she chose to trust the process, and then she understood it. It was like she was out of her own body, like everything was clouded. She couldn't hurt over Tao, Elle, or the situation at home. Her body physically wouldn't allow it right now, it just existed as she sat on someone's shoulder and became the life of the party.

Charlie and Nick tried to get her to slow down on numerous accounts, but Loralie paid them no mind. They knew it had to do with Tao and Elle going on their date, they just had no clue of the things he said to her right before it happened. In Loralies head, before she was multiple bottles in, she pictured Elle and Tao having the time of their life on their date and sealing the evening with a kiss. She had no clue they were just as miserable as she was, if not more. Loralie also had no clue of her friends at the party that hadn't taken their eyes off her, making sure she wasn't about to do something even stupider then she had.

Loralie laughed as she swayed to the music, holding onto whoever she had been ontop of. From this angle, she couldn't see who's shoulders she had been on. But, they'd been rather strong to keep her up for sometime now. As Elle disappear to her tent, Tao watched Loralie with teary eyes. Between how badly it went with Elle, then seeing Loralie up there with no care in the world, he knew he needed to get home after a good Charlie Spring hug.

Elle, on the other hand, didn't stop looking at Loralie when Felix pointed her out. She knew her best friend, and while she'd always loved a good party, she was entirely out of control. She watched her until she was suddenly off whoever she'd been on, making a run for it to the woods. Elle exhaled as she got out of the tent and headed over, hearing the sound of Loralie ridding the alcohol in her system. The Flowers girl didn't even question who held her hair back and rubbed her back.

"Think you better get home." Elle's voice gave it away as Loralie stayed hunched over some, feeling weak in every sense. "Let me take you."

She breathed heavy, falling back into Elle's arms some as the Argent girl kept her up right. "Can't go home. Can't do it....not with that man."

"What man?" Elle questioned her, Loralie practically sunk into her arms. "Loralie?"

She was passed out the second she was in Elle's arms. Thankfully, Harry Greene came jogging over. "She out cold, is she?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Elle tried to get him to leave, thinking this night couldn't get any worse.

"Don't be such a tosser. Let me at least help you take her to the car." while his words were half helpful, his tone had humor in it. He wanted to help, but he didn't want anyone to know he was doing it out of kindness rather than some huge joke. Elle hesitated, but she didn't have much of a choice here. Nick was ill himself and Charlie was already leading him home, and she hadn't trusted the people here to just leave Loralie in the woods while she went for help. God only knew what could have happened then.

Elle exhaled in defeat. "Okay, fine. But, stay close. To the front of the woods immediately."

He took Loralie from her arms, hoisting her up into his as they headed back. Others laughed and had to cheer Loralie on for the energy she truly put out there. Harry laughed with them, making comments the entire way about how her alcohol caught up with her or and so on. Elle called an Uber in the process of making their way, paying extra for them to get here the quickest. By the time the trio made it to the car, it was already here.

Harry leaned into the backseat to put Loralie inside, her body still limb and entirely asleep. He shut the door as him and Elle stood face to face. She didn't want to thank him for his help one bit. "Sure Loralie will appreciate that."

"The party would have been mad without her." he laughed in that obnoxious way he always did, heading back to the fire. "Who knew."

"Yeah." Elle mumbled as she got into the uber. "Who knew."

Loralie walked into the bus the next morning and was immediately welcomed with many cheers. Her eyebrows shot up as everyone applauded her, surely for the wild night she didn't even remember. Loralie gave a minor wave to the crowd of people as she headed down the isle, continuing to get praise the entire way.

"Hey, Flowers!" Harry called from the back of the bus. "Come sit with us."

Sitting between Ben Hope and Harry Greene seemed like a nightmare, even if Imogen had been here. Nick offered her a smile as she made it over, sliding into the empty spot with Charlie. Issac and James sat behind the pair and both gave her a smile. Nick reached across the isle to give her hand a small squeeze, Tao acted as he he hadn't even seen her. She stared at him a moment, hoping he'd just look her way. She looked back, Elle saw her but immediately looked away. She then realized....Tao and Elle weren't seated together either.

"Quiet!" Mr.Farouk yelled, none of them hearing Mr.Ajayi's wishes for them to quiet down. They all fell silent, staring forward.

"Thank you, Mr.Farouk." Mr.Ajayi cleared his throat as he looked at the silent students. "Uh..right. Is everyone ready to leave for Paris?"

Cheers echoed throat the bus, Loralie smiled as she wrapped her arm around Charlie and shook her happily. The pair grinned to the other as the bus took off, Loralie tried to look at Tao again but he was off in his own music world.

"How are you even alive right now?" Charlie had to laugh as he looked at Loralie.

"I have no idea. Mum put a green drink in my face this morning and told me we'd have a talk when I got home. Headache was gone, skin was clear, no more throwing up, and Bob's your uncle!" Loralie smacked her hands together as Charlie rose his eyebrows. "It's an expression. Rather strange one, but still one. Not sure why uncle plays a part into it, and even if it does why does he have to be called Bob? Why can't he be called Ferguson? Or Winston? Or Larry?"

"And Winston's your uncle." Charlie feed into her joke, glad to see a small part of her hadn't shattered. "How do you feel with-"

"Let's not talk about it." she cut him off, he realized her happiness was simply clouded by distraction and she wished to hold onto that as long as possible. "Now, before I even open Instagram, please tell me what I did last night to avoid public humiliation."

"Oh!" Nick laughed from across the isle, gaining their attention. "How much time do you have?"

Loralie threw her neck pillow at him with a shocked look, fighting a smile.

•

kylie speaks

finally, paris is here! so
exited for y'all to see it all!