Under the stars || James McVey

chapter one

This is my first fan fiction attempt, and I just love James McVey, so here goes. Enjoy.
Lauren x

• • • • • • •

At first glance, I groaned. Why am I doing this? I took one hard look in the mirror and I was convinced; I'm never going to be able to do this.

I ran my hands down the front of my black lacy dress to straighten out the creases, and inhaled heavily. My irony pale skin clashed against the dark colour of my dress making me look like a ghost. I've never been the most tanned of people, unlike my brother, and it just made me look as if I'd never seen daylight.
I half-heartedly chuckled to myself at my poor complexion whilst I combed through my hair with my bony fingers. It's mass of thick black curls fell comfortably around face and down my front; it's length getting longer with every passing day. I couldn't be bothered to do anything with it, so I left it alone and started the hunt to find my little black flats to compliment my attire.

"Katherine, sweetie, are you nearly ready? Our guests will be arriving soon." My mother's voice echoed up the stairs and into my whale of a room. I grumbled and said something impolite under my breath after calling "Okay" back to her. Another one of my mother's plans to get me to socialise was to invite all of her friends around for a dinner party - as if that was going to help me out. It's not as if their children were much more company; between the throwing and the screaming and the crying, I'd given up trying to deal with 7 year olds. Even my mum's friend Janice's 13 year old daughter spent most of her time texting or looking at the latest trend on twitter. So much for socialising, mother!

A quiet knock came at my door a moment later. A familiar face poked his head around the doorframe with a cheeky grin plastered across it. "What'cha doing?" He says, extending the 'oo' to be dramatic. My brother, Josh, waltzes into the room in his tight black jeans and fitted v-neck t-shirt. He smiles warmly at me, showing off his dimples and the crinkles by his eyes.

"What's it look like I'm doing? Getting dressed to another of mum's stupid parties, what else?" I grumble in a huff. I was still kneeled on the floor searching for my other shoe. "You haven't seen my other black shoe by any chance, have you?" I ask as I stuff my head under the bed.

"You mean this one?" I hit my head on the bed frame as I climb out and look up at him. I roll my eyes and grumble more as I ripped the shoe out of his hand and yanked it on my left foot. "Careful there. Those feet are made for walking." I glance back up at him and watch the light flicker off his golden eyes and frown. He chucks me under the chin and glides out the door, whistling the theme tune to The Addams Family.

• • • • • • • •

I'm washing my hands in the kitchen sink when the doorbell rings. "I'll get it!" I hear Josh shout as I dry myself and the sink.
Most of the guests had already arrived and drinking from the selection of alcohol displayed in the living room pool bar. Yes, we have a pool bar. It is ridiculous!
I rolled my eyes when I heard my mum shouting something about checking on her darling daughter. She saunters into the room, a bottle of wine in her left hand and the other hand of her hip. At first glance, with her short purple dress and her fiery makeup, you wouldn't think she was a mother of two kids in their twenties, as she was stunningly beautiful. Her dark brown hair formed into big curls over her shoulders and her green eyes looked more like emeralds with her smoked out eyelids and thick eyeliner. For a woman in her early fourties, she knew how to look good.

"What are you looking at, baby?" She asks gently as she places the wine bottle on the counter and twists a lock of her hair with her index finger.

I sigh and return her smile. "You. You look great tonight mum." I say tossing her the cork screw.

"And you look absolutely mesmerising" She says with a giggle. She was already tipsy with alcohol. I shake my head in amusement and began organising the buffet food onto plates. "Listen, Katie, a old friend of mine is coming over tonight. You've never met her before, but she has a son around your age, and a daughter a few years younger"

I nod in acknowledgment, not really understanding what it had to do with me, but continued with it anyway. "How come I've never met her before? I know all of your friends"
She bit her lip anxiously and looked away, avoiding my gaze. "Mum?"

She let out an awkward laugh and quickly jumbled out "I slept with your father."

"Mum, that doesn't make any sense. What's any of this got to do with dad?" I looked at her consciously, my eyebrows furrowed together in a confused expression.

"He was her fiancé"