Cold. (A Harry Styles Fanfic)

Chapter One- The Compliment

"GRACIE CATHERINE MATTHEWS WAKE THE HELL UP!"
        This was the first thing that I heard waking up this morning. I threw the covers off of me quickly and fell to the floor losing my balance. Thalia stood there laughing like crazy. I looked up at her and glared.
      "Who the hell let you in?" I groan staying on the floor because it was more comfy than standing. I looked up at my best friend with her usual pink hair. I guess she decided to wear her bat man tank top and yellow skinny jeans.
      "Your mother," She set her hands on her hips.
        "Damn that woman," I groan loudly.
        "Well thanks," She smiles sweetly. "I'm feelin' the love Grace."
        "Oh, I'll show you love," I stay on my back looking up at her with a glare.
        "Maybe some other time," She sticks out her tongue and helps me up. "More importantly, work starts soon."
        I blinked my eyes. "Wait, WHAT?" I looked over at my obviously useless alarm clock. I only had 30 minutes till work. "Cheese and crackers I have a half hour to get ready!" 
        "Cheese and crackers?" Thalia paused for a moment. "Speaking of which, I'm starving. Got any food left in the fridge?"
        "I'm surprised you're not fat yet," I grumble putting on an outfit I thankfully laid out the night before. It was a light pink and brown dress with some roses for patterns on it. I slipped on my ankel boots ready to go.
        "Eh," She smiles. "Guess I have a fast metabolism."
        "Yeah, yeah, yeah,"I hurried and straightened my hair and put on some make up while Thalia stole some chicken wings from my mini fridge and ate amusingly watching me.
        When i was all ready and took a whole grain bar instead, we hurried out of my house and into Thalia's silver convertible rushing to G.W. When we walked in I felt the familiar air that usually calmed me. I couldn't wait to get into my office and start working on some new design ideas.
        "Hey losers!" I heard a joking voice behind me and turned to see Kristan standing there smiling coming towards us. Her hair was in her usual ponytail and her comfy jeans and nice shirt she had bought yesterday.
        "Hey, what's up chica?" Thalia smiled at her and gave her a high five.
        "You'll never guess," She smiles wide and looks around. "But...Louis and his girl friend are here in LA!"
        "No freaking way...." Thalia's eyes widened.
        "Way!" She squeals. "Maybe we'll catch a glimpse of them?"
        "You guys are in over your heads." I scoff.
        Thalia poked my nose. "Do not make fun of Louis. Louis is a god."
        I laugh. "Okay, okay!"
        "What if Eleanor decides to come in and shop here!?" Kristan smiles wide her eyes clouded with the possible fantasy.
        I shake my head. "Just please...try to keep calm if they ever do. You don't want to seem unprofessional we're already the youngest here we're sorta looked down upon still..."
        Thalia turns to me dazed for a moment before shaking her head. "Huh? Oh, sorry I couldn't hear you over the sound of me fantasizing about ripping Louis's clothes off." 
        I shake my head hitting my forehead. "Cheese and crackers..."
        "Hey," Kristan frowns. "he's with Eleanor though."
        "Yeah...my imagination singles out that little detail..." Thalia sighs in disappointment.
        "You're unbelievable," I roll my eyes and start heading towards my office.
        "Girls, be on your toes!" One of the head fashion designers who helped run this place, Joshua, hurried towards us in his hot pink suit and white tie. "Louis and Eleanor are here."
        Thalia slowly turned to me. "We're in over our heads she said..."
        "You guys are unbelievable she said..." Kristan added.
        I huff. "Okay, fine, you were right."
        "Hm? Say that just a liiiittle louder," Thalia smiled evilly. 
        "Nope," 
        Joshua cuts in hurriedly. "Please, just, act professional okay?" And he hurries away.
        I gave them a sweet smile. "Hah!"
'      "Whatever, I still kinda wanna say hi though," Kristan groans in longing.
        "Well, while you do that, I'm going back to my office." I say and start heading in that direction. We had an employee side and a store side. Our offices and workshops were on this side while our finished products went in the store. As I was heading towards my office I see two figures walking in from the store side that didn't look like any of the employees around here.
        "H-Hey!" I called at the man and woman. "You can't be back here it's employees only!"
        One of the store workers came up from behind them, Perrie, and he gave me a sour look. "Gracie, darling, no need to be so cold! This is Louis Tomlinson and his girlfriend Eleanor."
        When I saw them properly I swallowed hard. "Uh, oops...I'm sorry I didn't really recognize you."
        Eleanor smiled brightly. "Oh, it's no issue. You're just doing your job."
        "Why are we back here again?" Louis asks squeezing her hand. "I'm starving and we've been shopping all day."
        She smiled sweetly at him. "Sorry hon, but I really wanted to hit this store. I heard great things about it."
        I smiled at her. "Thank you so much for taking the time to actually shop here."
        "No problem!" She looks down at a familiar dress. "Anyway, I've been meaning to look for whoever designed this beautiful dress. I saw a few things in there with the same tag reading G.M and I just have to meet who it is."
        "Why, that's our one and only Gracie Matthews right here!" Perrie smiles proudly looking at me.
        Louis's eyes widen slightly. "You made this? How old are you?"
        "Just turned seventeen." I say a blush rising to my cheeks.
        "Yep, she isn't an intern, she actually is one of our youngest designers here," Perrie puts in. I gave him a pleading look for him to stop gushing over me because I really wasn't that great.
        Out of nowhere Eleanor takes my hands in hers. "Oh, my, god you're such an inspiration! To think someone as young as yourself could design something this amazing is beyond amazing! I just wanted to take the time to personally say this is one of the cutest dresses ever!"
        My face was fully red now with the overflowing praise of someone like Eleanor. "T-Thank you very much,"
        "I saw some other designs by T.J and K.D that I liked." She says with a bigger smile. "I kinda favor you a bit more, but I really like theirs too. You guys have different styles but they all hold this captivating charm. T.J is a little more hard core but I kinda found myself liking it, and K.D was sorta all over the place it was vintage, almost hipster, but there was some really fancy things she created too."
        I smiled brightly; I was actually talking about style and fashion with Eleanor. It was making my heart swell I was so happy. "Yes, yes I know! They're my best friends Thalia Jefferson and Kristan Donners you're talking about."   
        "Really? Are they as young?" She raised her eyebrows.
        I nod. "Y-Yeah, Thalia is eighteen and Kristan is my age."
        "That's so...oh my god," Eleanor hooks arms with Louis. "Isn't that amazing, Louis?"
        He smiles at me nodding. "Yeah, I'm really glad other people's dreams out there are coming true just like mine did. Tell them they did a fantastic job; I wish we could thank them in person but I'm dying of hunger these past three hours."        
        Eleanor hit his chest playfully. "You'll survive," She turns to me again taking my hands. "It was very wonderful meeting you. I'll definitely be wearing this tomorrow and some of your designs in the near future. Keep it up!"       
        I was overwhelmed by her words. "T-Thank you so much!"
        When they left I skipped down the hall eager to tell Thalia and Kristan. But I had no idea where that recognition by Eleanor was going to take us.