As You Are // H.S

Four.

Alexis Cooper.

My best friend Sammy had told me about a party tonight, to which I gratefully accepted going too, needing a night out.

Considering it was cold, I settled for black skinny jeans which I rolled up at the ankles, a long sleeved maroon shirt, I wore my make-up light, a simple winged eye-liner, and light eye shadow. As I was coating my eyelashes with mascara when I got a message from Sammy telling me she'd be around ten minutes. She was picking me up with her boyfriend Louis. I quickly ruffled my hair out with my fingers, deciding to keep it at its naturally wavy yet bearable state.

I ran downstairs, slipping on my Doc Martens that were at the end of the staircase. Realizing my parents were arguing in the living room I made my way towards there yelling, not even bothering to be discrete, I cleared my throat and simply told them - "I'm going out, I'll be back later. Have fun with the, uh, arguing." - and then left for the front door, not even bothering to wait for there reply, they're to busy at each others throats anyway.

Just as I sat down on my front porch, Sammy and Louis were pulling over on the curb at the front of my house, I got up and made my way to the car, getting in and greeting the couple.

"So where's this party?" I asked, not even knowing who was hosting it, but it was open house so it didn't really matter. 

Louis spoke up first. "It's on the other side of town, it's that Brad guy I'm friends with, I don't think you've met him before though." I nod, vaguely remembering him. 

We make small talk, until we get to the party. Walking in, the music is already blasting, and people are already drunk, Sammy drags me to the kitchen and passes me a drink. "Here you go love, this will help you loosen up, I know how stressed you've been lately." 

"You know me too well Samantha, thank-you." I take the bottle from her hand and have a few sips.

Once grabbing my second drink, I sit on the kitchen counter and make small talk with people in my class that are stood around me, grabbing drinks of their own. 

"Alexis." I heard someone call my name, and I turned my head seeing Harry standing in the door way of the kitchen. He had a white shirt on, an unbuttoned red flannel, black skinny jeans, along with a pair of high top black converse. His curls effortlessly pushed back out of his face. He looked good.

"Harry." He smiled widely at me. I got up off of the kitchen counter and walked towards him. I returned his friendly smile. "Are you stalking me? I seem to be seeing you everywhere?" I joke.

"Well, if I must remind you, I think it was you moving into the same place as me." He retorts sarcastically.

"Touche." I shoot back with a giggle. 

"Alexis!" I hear Samantha. I turn around to see her coming towards me. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"I haven't really moved from the kitchen, Sam." She sighs and playfully rolls her eyes at me. "Whatever, who's this?" She says and gestures to Harry.

"This is my new friend, Harry. Harry, this is my best-friend Samantha." I introduce the two, and they say a quick hello, before Samantha gives me the 'we will talk about this later' look. "Anyway, I must go find Louis, have fun you two!" with that, she leaves the kitchen.

"Anyway, I'm here with my friend, Niall, except I lost him in the first five minutes, that's got to be a new record for him I'd say." Harry says. But before I can reply a blonde boy barges into the kitchen, holding a beer in his hand. 

"Harold!" He yells. 

"Well, speak of the devil. Where the hell have you been?" Harry asks. The blonde who must be Niall, leans in and whispers. "There's really hot girls here, and I've been talking to her, so don't wait around for me." Harry laughs a genuine laugh. 

"I wasn't going to anyway, Niall." He says, and pats him on the shoulder before facing me again. "Anyway, this is the infamous Niall Horan, and this right here is Alexis -"

"Cooper." I reply. 

"Ah, I see, my last name is Styles, if that's what we're doing right now." I smile, and say hello to Niall and he greets me back, before leaving the kitchen to find the girl he was talking to. 

-

The rest of the night consisted with awkward encounters with acquaintances from school, telling me they thought I looked familiar, and me constantly reminding the people in their intoxicated state that we're in the same class, or I see them in the halls of college when I'm there for my night classes. Talking to Harry, and laughing with him when he told me silly stories about some people he knew here.

We found Niall again at some point, completely wasted, making out messily with a girl in the hallway. Harry and I laughed, I was worried about the state he was in but Harry assured me that this is normal party Niall, but we decided to keep an eye out just in case. 

I was in the kitchen filling up my fifth cup whilst Harry was in the bathroom. I was pacing myself and drinking slowly, not wanting to be drunk, just relaxed. I was placing the vodka back in the fridge when someone grabbed my arm. I looked up at the guy towering over me, dirty blonde hair that was swooped over to one side of his head, he was clearly wasted, the smell of alcohol radiating off of him making that quite clear. I yanked my arm from his grip only for him to grab it again.

"You're very pretty, little lady, what's your name? I'd like to know now so I don't forget it in the morning. When I wake up next to you. Preferably naked." He said, voice deep and low. I raised my eyebrow from him and yanked my arm from him once again. 

"Even if I did tell you my name, you'd forget it anyway, seeing as you're drunk off your ass. But that doesn't matter, because your fantasy won't come true, as you'll wake up alone, preferably with a killer headache." I stated. Annoyed at this point, creepy sleaze is not an attractive trait to have. 

He pushed me into the wall, towering over me, both hands placed on the wall either side of my head. "I don't like your attitude, little lady." He spat. 

Before I could argue back the sound of someone clearing their throat was heard. "Excuse me? Nathan?" I heard Harry say, clearly knowing this ass-hat in front of me. The guy - now known as Nathan - tore his gaze from me and turned to Harry. Before he could reply, Harry continued. "I don't appreciate you trying to intimidate my friend here, so if you don't mind, please step away so I can continue having a good night with her." I smiled at Harry, thankful he turned up, he didn't have to do what he did but it was nice that he did. 

Nathan glanced between Harry and I, dropping his arms. "Whatever, she wouldn't put out anyway, so there's no use for me to be here, have fun with nothing Harry." He said, turning around and walking away. Before I could retaliate Harry stopped me. "Don't Alexis, there's no use." He said calmly. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks, you didn't have to do that." I told him honestly. He shook his head and smiled a one sided smile. "I wanted to." Harry simply said before grabbing another bottle of water. Before I could reply he started speaking again. "Hey, how about we get out of here? I want to show you something."