Picture Perfect (Harry Styles)

Chapter 12

      I weaved my way through the thick crowd of people squashed into the small apartment. Turned out Hailey's "little get-together" had turned into more of a party. The music was so loud I could hardly hear myself think and the floor was vibrating beneath my feet. I was pretty sure the police would be around any moment to tell us to turn it down. 

       Drink in hand, I started my search for Oliver. Last I'd seen him, he'd wandered off with a tall brunette. Who knew where they were now. I found my height was no advantage now, my veiw mostly blocked by tall dancing people. Mostly drunk. I could tell I'd probably not make it out of here without having a drink spilled on my head. Probably alcoholic, meaning my hair would smell like beer for at least a day after. 

      My quest was unsuccessful, so I ended up at the edge of the strobe lit room, completely alone and unable to find my way to the door. What a great get together it had been. 

"Cassidy?" I heard a deep voice say behind me. I spun around and nearly bumped into someone's chest. I looked up and saw a familiar smiling face looking down at me. 

"Chris? Oh, hey! I haven't seen you in ages." I said with slight surprise. He frowned, and pointed to his ears. 

"I can't here you, let's go somewhere else." He shouted, grabbing my wrist and pulling me through the crowd out into the building hallway. 

       The hallway was crowded with other people who'd come out to the quieter hallway, maybe to chat or make a phone call, or to just take a breather from the party. I put my back against the wall, glad for the cold plaster against my hot back. 

"Hailey mentioned you might be coming." Chris said, leaning against a portion of wall beside me. I nodded. Out of the dark, noisy house and in the better-lit hall, I could see Chris clearly. He looked no different, the same dark brown hair, though slightly longer, with the same light brown eyes and evenly tanned skin. He was more muscular now though, and taller. Why was everyone so tall? But I had to admit, he was still very good-looking. Sort of like a Hollister model. Only not quite as buff. 

"Yeah, she came to see me and Oliver yesterday. I was meant to go see my parent's today, but I cancelled." I said with a shrug. 

"Oliver's here? I better keep an eye out for him, and you shouldn't have cancelled on your family." Chris said, his tone authoritative. I shrugged again. 

"I'm going down next week for Christmas anyway, no big deal." I told him. Chris frowned, but then accepted it. 

"So how've you been?" He asked. 

"Good thanks." I replied. 

"And the photography?" He asked. I nodded. 

"It's great. I'm on an internship right now, but I'll be down with it soon." I explained. He smiled. 

"That's great. I think Hailey mentioned that you did some big shoot. One Direction was it?" Chris asked, trying to remember. 

"Yeah, that's it." I said. 

"Great first gig, don't you think?" He said. I nodded. It had been. I liked how he was asking about my photography, my stuff. Oliver rarely did, and I don't think Harry ever had, Apart maybe from when we first met and he asked if I was a "real" photographer. Rather rudely as well. 

"Yeah, it was great. I did the Jingle Bell Ball after too." I said. 

"Really? I was there too, too bad I didn't see you." He said,  hint of disappointment in his voice. 

        A dark head popped out of the door frame, fringe stuck to her head and a bright smile on her face. Hailey. 

"Chris! There you are! Come back in, you can't miss your own party!" Hailey said, grinning. She was always a bubbly person, but parties made her go overboard with he bubbly hyperness. Especially when alcohol was involved. 

"Sure, I'll be in in a sec." Chris said. She nodded and was gone in a second. Chris turned to me. "Do you want to come in with me, or you can leave? Your choice." I looked toward the stairs which led up the building to my floor. Did I want to go home yet? I looked back at Hailey's door. The party didn't look like it was going to stop soon. The music would keep me up anyway, so I might as well stay. 

"Let's go in." I said finally. Chris smiled and we went back into the party. 

      The next four hours were a bit of a blur of light, dancing and drinking. Probably not the smartest decision to drink when I had work tomorrow, but I would survive. Probably. I stayed with Chris the rest of the night, not wanting to end up lost, confused and alone. Not that he'd be much help, he had had as many if not more drinks than me. Everyone had. I may well have been the soberest person there, and I was far from sober. 

      When I decided I needed to go home, Chris insisted on walking me back. I just giggled and agreed. We managed to stumble upstairs without hurting ourselves too badly, though I did slip on a stair and smack my knee into the hard tile stairs. After getting up with a bit of help from Chris, we reached my flat and I fumbled for my keys. 

"Got them!" I giggled, trying to concentrate enough for my vision to clear so I could get the key in the lock. After a few failed attempts Chris took my key and did it for me. He pushed the door open with ease and I giggled up at him. "Thank you!" 

"No problem." Chris said, doing a bad impression of a bow. I stumbled toward the door, then tripped. Before I hit the floor, I felt strong arms catch me and pull me up. "Careful Cassidy." Chris said, sounding more sober now. I nodded and rubbed my eyes tiredly. I was tired now. All I wanted was to curl up in bed and sleep forever. I looked up into Chris' brown eyes. He was tired too. He looked it anyway.

      I'm not sure really what happened, but I was looking into his eyes, then I was kissing him. But it didn't seem right. It didn't feel right. Instead of sinking into it, like I really should have, given he was a hot guy who I kind of fancied, I felt like a horrible person. Images flashed behind my eyelids of me kissing someone else. But I wasn't sure who. I couldn't remember. I just knew I didn't want to kiss Chris. I wanted to kiss someone else. Or did I? I pushed him away, confused. 

"No." I said, trying to sound firm, but I just sounded tired and drunk. 

"What's the matter." Chris murmured. I shook my head, unsure. 

"I don't know. I don't, I'm not sure. What about him. . .?" I whispered, putting a hand to my head, as if it would stop the spinning. 

"Who?" Chris asked, confused. 

"I don't know. But I kissed him. I like him. Not you." I said, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to get a name to go with the face in my mind. Curly hair, green eyes, cheeky grin. I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyelids. What was I doing? 

"Okay Cassidy, let's get you to bed." I heard Chris say, as my feet left the ground and I felt arms picking me up. I let myself be carried into my dark flat and I felt myself being put gently onto a big, soft bed and having covers wrapped around me. I sighed blissfully, snuggling into the pillow. "Night Cassidy." 

"Night." I murmured to the distant voice. I instantly lapped into a deep sleep, the face of the curly-haired boy still lingering behind my eyelids.