The American Dream

Chapter Seven

I didn't tell Callum about what had happened, it would have just made the situation way more humiliating. Instead, I spent the evening avoiding Liam's gaze and hiding in the corner, waiting for the evening to end. They said that they would be informing us of our allocated partners around eight, and it was five minutes to.

I watched as everyone crowded around Liam, feeling slightly less embarrassed as they demonstrated how right I was. They were obsessed with him.

Behind me, a nice looking couple walked towards the door with a girl who looked about my age. Although the couple looked quite well off and classy, their daughter seemed slightly rougher, a bit scruffier and less bothered about the evening than even I was.

"Honey, you just wait here and make sure you take your partner home, okay?" She patted her daughter on the head and gave her a warm smile.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but your mother and I can’t miss this. Carolyn will have dinner prepared, make sure you get an early night" Her father picked up his coat and kissed the girl on the cheek. They left in a hurry. The girl turned around, a wicked smile on her face. She reached inside her dress, fumbled around her chest and pulled out her phone.

I watched as she scuttled towards the staircase, sitting down and quickly typing something. A minute later, her phone rang and she immediately picked up, smiling ecstatically.

"Okay...uh-huh, I'll be there in a second....My clothes?...perfect!" She flipped her phone shut and jumped up, running towards the corridor and jumping onto the balcony.

I craned my neck to see where she would go and gasped as I saw her jumping into the tree. Well at least she had an escape...

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you would come this way please..." The mayor came back up to the platform and smiled at his audience. In his hands were several golden envelopes, with our names written in neat script. "I will be calling out the names of our British guests, who will then receive an envelope with the details of their place of residents and with whom they will be staying" He looked up with a smile and picked out the first envelope. "Let us proceed..."

Moments later, everyone had been called out and handed their envelopes. I opened mine and read the information.

My bags had already been delivered to the house. Phew!

I would be staying with Erin Davies.

No picture.

How was I supposed to find her?

I watched as everyone found their partners and departed, leaving the house and saying goodbye to their friends. Callum came over to me, looking very relaxed.

"So, where you heading?"

"No idea. She hasn't come yet, so I'm stranded" I shrugged and gave him a hopeless smile. "What about you?"

"I'm staying here..." He looked around, as though seeing the place for the first time.

"Here!?" I motioned with my hands around the vast entrance and he nodded. "Wow. Have fun..."

"Why? What's wrong with the white house?"

"The white house?" I asked sarcastically.

"It may as well be" He laughed and I joined in, relaxing a little. Come on, it wasn't that bad...

I sat down on the floor and Callum looked at me questioningly. I pulled off the heels Madison had strapped to me and reached in my bag for my converses. Callum laughed as I put them on, but I didn't care...