Irresistible

Everything has changed

2011

"Riley," I heard my mother's faint voice say. "Riley, wake up!" I pretended like I didn't hear her and continued to crawl even further under my covers, drowning out her voice. "Riley, will you wake up!" This time she was in my room and I wanted to cry out and yell at her to leave me alone.

I had just gotten back from my GCSE exam and wanted to nap because I'm pretty sure that I failed it. "I'd rather sleep, Mum." I whined. I peeked out from underneath my duvet and saw my mum shuffling around the room, tidying up the clothes that were strewn all over the room.

"You want to miss your cousin's birthday party?" she asked. "Oh, love, Eleanor will be so upset, get up!" I realized that there was no way I was going to get out of this. I had already told Eleanor I would come. She was having this big soiree with a bunch of her friends. It was supposed to be super classy and what not.

"Fine, I'll get up, but can you stop messing around with my mess?" I said, sitting up. "You'll mess everything up and I won't be able to find it later."

"You're impossible," Mum said, before hanging the last shirt in my closet and walking out. I climbed out of bed and walked to my bathroom to freshened up. I headed back to my room and looked through my closet. I had to look nice. After all, it was an Eleanor Calder luncheon. I knew that everyone was expected to dress formally, so I grabbed a simple black dress that fell to my knees. It had a fitted bodice and looked fancy enough for me. I played with my hair a bit and then put on some dark eyeliner and clear lip gloss before heading downstairs.

Mum was waiting for me and the two of us headed out. My parents were divorced, I lived with mum while dad lived in France. I went to visit him every so often. Back when they first divorced and I was about maybe, 11 or 12, I went to see him at least once a month. But nowadays, the visits have become less and less. Mostly because I've become a bum who only goes out at night to drink with her friends and sleeps through school.

When we arrived at the house, I noticed it was decorated with white flowers all around, Mum and I followed the crowd to the backyard and I looked around as masses of people mingled and sipped on their drinks.

"Where's Eleanor?" I said, aloud as my Mum lead me towards my Aunt and Uncle.

"She's right over there," my Aunt said, pointing towards a tree in the corner. I looked over and noticed her canoodling with a boy. I shrugged and walked over, interrupting their Kodak moment.

"Hey El," I said, waving as I walked closer.

"Riley!" she cried happily, letting go of her boy toy, who flashed me a friendly smile, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "So glad you made it. How was your exam?"

I rolled my eyes and made a gagging face to which El's friend laughed. "I don't know, and I really don't care," I responded. "Enough about me though. Happy Birthday!" I gave her a big hug. She giggled, hugging me back.

"Thank you so much," she said, smiling. Her brown curls brushed my face, tickling it and I scrunched up my nose.

"This is my boyfriend, Louis." I looked at Louis and smiled.

"Nice to meet you," he said. He flashed me a lovely smile and I realized that he looked a bit familiar but I wasn't sure. I think I might have seen his face around at school somewhere.

"Do you go to my school?" I asked. "You look a bit familiar."

Eleanor laughed as Louis shook his head with a smile. "I'm from Doncaster, not around here. You probably saw me on TV; I was on the X-Factor."

That's when it clicked. He was one of the acts on the show. I may have caught a few glimpses of it. The girls at my school went crazy for him and his band mates. They were called some...direction. "Right, right," I nodded my head, smirking at Eleanor. "Nice catch." She giggled.