A Casualty

Eight: Friends

Luanna POV

I looked up as I won another round of cards and saw Danny and Zayn enter the house. He looked over at Louis and nodded before heading through the living room straight back.

Tonight started off innocently enough, Liam asked me if I wanted to hang out at Louis' party with him. I was a little surprised at Liam's invitation, because I didn't really take him for a party guy. Turns out, the party itself was more surprising.

It was a small get together with pizza and drinks while playing board games and Wii. I felt a little overdressed, but Liam didn't notice. He was wearing a dark red button up with simple jeans. He smiled at me and I frowned, looking down at my attire.

I wore a short black dress with straps that crossed on my back and a pair of green and black heels.

“I feel over dressed.” I confessed to him as he stood in the doorway. He blinked, and looked down at my outfit and smiled

“You will be fine.” he promised but Louis opened the door to his flat and he looked surprised. Niall was there, lounging on the couch with a bowl of popcorn on his belly. When he saw me, he cleared his throat, getting to his feet to pull me into a friendly hug. The other people there were wearing jeans and casual things that I could have worn too if I had known.

I felt a little out of place meeting Eleanor, a pretty girl with wavy dark hair who wore high wasted jean shorts and a sleeveless button up tucked into it. She told me she really liked my dress but her friend, a girl with short red hair that introduced herself as Gia rolled her eyes at me when she thought I wasn't looking. Other people were there too playing games on the Wii as Niall looked on bored.

“Liam didn't tell me-” I began to Louis who scoffed.

“ You look great! Here, take a drink and help us decide what game to play.”

I took the drink in hand and sipped it, uncertain if being here would be a good idea. I looked down surprised that it tasted liked ice cream.

“Jack and root beer floats,” Louis winked at me and I laughed.

“This is insane.” I took another drink and the night was off.

We played trivia games around the coffee table, sitting on the floor. Liam was my partner and we just barely lost to a girl and Niall who would spout off facts between handfulls of food. I ignored Gia making rude comments under her breath towards me and repeating what I would say with sarcasm. She looked at me with growing hostility as the night progressed. Aside from her, I was having fun with them. During our card game, Zayn texted me. Louis snatched the phone from my hand playfully and texted Zayn back, my ears burning red.

Liam scolded playfully about stealing phones while I wrestled it back from him.

The look on Zayn's face as he came into the house, made the smile leave my face and replace it with concern. Louis frowned and looked at Danny who shook his head. Louis nodded and I slid out of Louis' lap, picking up my phone from underneath the coffee table and sending Zayn a text.

-I didn't expect to see you tonight. Why so antisocial?

My heart fluttered with nervousness and I placed the phone down after sending the text, face down. I won another round and felt my phone buzz under my foot.

-I didn't expect to come tonight. Just sort of happened.

I frowned and tried to decide what to respond with.

“Hey mate,” Louis straightened as Danny came over and sat down on the couch behind him.

“I was just at Gregory's,” Danny said in a low voice and Louis scowled at him.