Nacho Average One Direction Story

Great Gapstby, it's a Gala

Wednesday

ZAYN MALIK POV

Lizz led us around the building to a dingy looking back door. It was a bit funny because we were all in black-tie wear. Standing outside. In a zoo. In front of a door. That looked like if I touched it, I might get Malaria.

"How do you know your way around here?" Niall asked.

"I worked here one summer when I was 16. I stayed with the Ryders, Harry's family, while I was doing some training for something all summer," Lizz answered.

"Cool what were you training for?" I asked but she shushed me and knocked on the door.

"I'm sorry but nobody is allowed to enter from this door," said the smartly dressed young man who answered the door.

Lizz walked up the two steps, put a hand on his chest and leaned in to whisper something in his ear. He smiled and nodded. He held the door wide open and Lizz said thank you as we all walked through.

"What did you tell him?" Harry asked in amazement.

"A good magician never reveals her secrets."

"Kryptic," I complemented.

Lizz laughed and she and Harry led us toward a room labeled the Great Hall.

"How's the knot?" Harry asked Lizz about his bowtie.

"Tight," Lizz answered immediately. I stifled a laugh.

"Perfect," Harry said. I looked in front of me to Lizz. With her looking so beautiful and fancy, the way she moved was like in slow motion, her head held high. Her bangs floating back when she glided forward. She was mesmerizing.

We came to a halt at the entrance. "And pose," Harry instructed whilst we looked at the mass of tables. We all struck a pose. Harry held the sides of his bowtie with both his hands. Lizz put her hands on her hips and leaned forward a bit with her head tilted back, smirking, with a air of confidence. Louis crossed his arms and raised a single eyebrow. Niall and Liam stood back to back with finger guns out, looking serious. Not knowing what to do, I shoved one hand in my pocket and tilted my head back like Lizz's, with a dramatic facial expression. "And walk," Harry's words broke us out of our posing freeze-frame.

I smiled a bit because we were such a posse. Lizz led us to a back corner table that didn't have a card saying "Reserved" in cursive with a last name written under.

The 6 of us sat around the table set for 8 and waited for dinner to be served. Lizz had explained this all to us before. Dinner, schpeel, dance. Dinner, schpeel, dance. I just had to remember that order.

I looked over at Liam who was clearly nervous. Lizz noticed, too. "Yo. Act like we are supposed to be here. If something goes wrong, get me. If that goes wrong, we run. Can you run, Liam?" She addressed him.

"Yes, I can run."

"Look at me. Look at me, Li. We. Will. Be. Fine. And when you're old, you will look back on this night and smile. Don't look, but the table to our right is staring at us because we look so serious and we are all so young. Now smile and nod." Liam did. "Now laugh like I'm hilarious." He laughed and we all kind of caught on. Niall threw his head back laughing. Harry smiled, showing his dimples off. I hit Liam's arm good naturedly. Louis smiled and leaned over and fake whispered something in Lizz's ear.

Lizz smiled triumphantly. "Now, THAT is how you act like you belong."

"How are you so good at this?" Louis asked.

"Life is all about appearances, is it not?" Lizz mused.

"True."

Lizz's phone started quietly ringing and I recognized the song. It was God Blessed Texas by Little Texas. That song did not belong in this ballroom. It was on her country playlist while she was in the bathroom and Harry had informed us of the title and artist. Her ringtone was just the part where the drum beat drops really hard. It is amazing. There's are four strong drum beats, then the man singing "God blessed Texas."