Average Old Me (Tristan Evans | The Vamps Fanfic)

Chapter 20

I was led up the stairs by Tristan, our hands never detatching. Not one word was spoken as we turned left at the top of the staircase and squeezed through crowds of people. The music seemed louder up on the second floor, and my hand grew clammy at the realisation of what was happening was real.

As if he knew, Tristan turned his head briefly, to give me a smile before nodding his head in the direction we were walking in. I returned the smile, though as he turned back around it had gone. The close space made me feel enclosed and claustrophobic, and I kept looking at the floor to ignore the 'evils' girls were giving me as they turned green with envy. I was holding Tristan's hand, and being led to see the rest of the guys, and they weren't.

Another left was taken.

By the time I looked up again, the crowds that had engulfed us had lessened, and there was one singular door at the end of what felt like a very long corridor. The music wasn't quite as loud here, and so I began to talk. "Thank God that's over."

"Haha, I agree. Though once you get in here you'll probably want to return to the depths of the party anyway." We laughed as our hands let go of eachother. "You ready?"

I straightened out my dress, and tucked a stray hair behind my ear, before looking up into Tristans eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be." He leant down to kiss my cheek, and I could feel him smiling as he did so.

"Let's go."

Tristan opened the door, and what was inside me stunned me. I was expecting to see the three boys who were on a poster in my wall, who were constantly played on my iPod and who had made my life ten times better even at the worst of times. But there, sat on the end of a brown leather sofa with a red cup in her hand, was my best friend Mary.

*** 

"Hey," Brad approached me, his brown curls quiffed slightly at the front. "You must be Alice." I took my baffled eyes off of Mary to smile and nod at Brad, as if in reply. I shook his outstretched hand, surprised at the formality of it all, and watched him sit down on the sofa opposite the one Mary was on.

James was sat in the space next to Brad. "Yeah, we've heard a lot about you." Tris leaned over and hit James on the arm, squeezing himself in between Brad and James. James smiled, revealing gleaming white teeth before looking back to me and adding, "It's nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." I said, shutting the door that Tris had just left open. I looked around for a seat to sit in, and the only available one was next to Mary. 

 As I sat down, I noticed Mary's eyes avoid any contact with mine - either that, or whatever was in her cup was very interesting. I looked around the room, noting the boys start to chatter and Connor's absence, and continued taking in my newest surroundings. It was a larger room than I was expecting, and the lack of furniture highlighted the big amount of space. Only two three seater leather sofas sat opposite eachother in the center of the room, with a small glass coffee table in the middle. Chests of drawers and more tables lined the wall opposite the door Tristan and I had entered through moments before, and, similarly to the coffee table in front of me, they were littered with Nando's wrappers, ketchup sachets and empty red cups. There was a door slightly ajar at the bottom left hand of the room, and I guessed it was an en suite. 

The music was quieter here, the air less muggy and sweaty, and the atmosphere was calmer. I immediately knew I'd rather stay here for the rest of the evening than venture out there again.

My analysis of the room made me relax, and so I sat back into the leather sofa. The hum of the boys opposite me edged me to ask Mary what on earth she was doing here.

Her green eyes looked down at me, nervous, like I was mad at her. "Well, I was on my way to the toilet, when there was a huge queue to get in. I was desperate at this point, but I knew there was nothing I could do about it.

Anyway, I was stood outside for about three minutes, before I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turns out it was Brad, and I had to contain my excitement. It's a good job I didn't wee there and then actually.."

I gave her a nudge with my elbow, and we laughed into each other. "So yeah, basically, he told me that they had a toilet with no queue, and if I was that desperate to follow him. So I did, and here I am."

She took another gulp of her drink, and as she took the cup away her nervous expression had faded into a chilled smile. That's the Mary I know.

"So Brad led you here, ey?" I said suggestively, winking as I did so. We laughed again, and this time I smelt alcohol on her breath. "Mary," I began, as her laughter died down. "Is that.. alcohol?"

Once again, her eyes grew heavy with some kind of fear. "I.. I'm so-"

Before she finished, I interrupted her. "Where can I get some?" This time it was her turn to nudge me, and for the third time this evening we collapsed into each other laughing. As we were doing so, I looked up and caught Tristan's eye. He was still in mid conversation, yet our eyes were locked onto each others. A quick wink was given from him to me, and I smiled back.

The night had only just begun.