Red Balloon [Liam Payne AU]

iv. Dark Horse

Juliette

It was almost 8:30 when my doorbell finally went off. Opening the door, I grinned at the sight of my best friend as she breezed through the door and into my small apartment.

“Hello darling, are you doing well?”

Beth had a cosmopolitan air about her. Tall with white blonde hair, Beth had an effortless chic beauty. She was basically the polar opposite of me in every possible way. The one thing that we had in common-ever- was the fact that we were freshman year roommates at NYU.

I majored in business, she in sculpture. I was an overachiever, micromanaging, perfectionist with an absolute business mind. Beth, on the other hand, was a free spirit. She was the kind of girl who wore flower crowns and sat on campus playing the guitar, listening to acoustic music in her free time while I stuck strictly to top-40 stuff.

You wouldn’t think that Beth and I would ever click, ever, in a million years, but I suppose friendships are one of the things that don’t apply to my matchmaking formula- opposites (at least when it comes to friendships) really do attract.

Beth had changed a bit since college. She was not quite the free spirit as the first day I met her, and living in New York had changed her. She was now so cosmopolitan, so glamorous, and I was a little envious in the way she managed to attract members of the opposite gender. Even if we went out to a bar for a few hours, it was odd for her to leave without the phone numbers of at least two guys. Me? I haven’t really ever had a real boyfriend, unless you count the one I had for two weeks my sophomore year of high school. For someone so sure in finding love for others, I definitely had my own difficulties.

“Hey, Juliette. Hey. Snap out of if.”

I shook my head slightly, coming out of my daydream. “What?”

Beth rolled her eyes as she lounged on my leather sofa, heels on my coffee table. “I said, do you want to go out tonight?”

I groaned inwardly, I knew what was coming next. Every time Beth convinced me to “go out”, the night consisted of us at some sweaty nightclub, with her out on the floor being ogled by dozens of guys as I sat miserably at the bar, drowning my boredom in alcohol. I’d much rather stay in and watch a film-but I knew she would never go for that.

“Juliette, I know exactly what you’re thinking, and the answer is no. I’m not staying in with you and watching some lame movie when we could be out, meeting our potential soul mates! You’re wound too tightly today Juliette, and you need to loosen up.”

I looked at her with my best imitation of sad puppy eyes. “Do I have to? I found this new indie film online about-“

“No. Absolutely not.” She cut me off with a wave of her hand. “And anyway, I know this new place that just opened up, called Dark Horse. I did a favor for one of the bouncers’ sisters once, and if I call we can totally get on the list.”

I sighed. “Do you promise that this club will be different from the last club we went to? Because I’m pretty sure that one was partly a drug joint.”

Beth laughed, as she sat up from the sofa and led me to my room. “Yes, I promise. Now can I please tell you what to wear? Because I’ve seen that red dress you have hiding in the back of your closet, and no guy will be able to take his eyes off of you when they see you.”

I rolled my eyes, “Ha, ha. Very funny. But fine, I’ll go to your silly club.”

She clapped her hands together like a little kid on Christmas morning. “Yay!”

Walking into my small bedroom (although I preferred the term cozy), I opened my closet, rifling randomly through the color-coordinated articles until I found the dress. Seeing as I never went out, it was hidden in the back of my wardrobe, and laid it on my bed. Looking at the tight red material, I suppressed a sigh. I remembered the day when Beth convinced me to buy it, telling me I “would totally get my money’s worth out of it”. Thirty dollars later and I still hadn’t worn it once. Oh well- it would make Beth happy.