Trapped in the Basement

28 - A True Friend

After a tiring and long night of awards, performances, drinks, partying and interviews, Perrie felt so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. So she stayed slumped on one of the couches. The party room was so incredibly hot and stuffy, she would probably only wake up if she went outside into the winter air.

Still, she was happy. Kind of.

Three awards in one night? It was amazing. The support from the fans was even better.

But Perrie was conflicted. She didn't know whether or not she wanted the night to end. If it ended, she could go outside and clear her head, but on the other hand, she had to go back to Lucy and Lydia. Perrie put her head in her hands, rubbing her cold fingertips into her forehead, not caring about how much of her foundation she wiped off. The pounding beat of the music slowly intensified the ringing in her ears, making her headache even worse.

Suddenly, the couch shifted on her right. Perrie looked to her right and saw Jade, holding a cocktail, slightly tipsy.

"No drinks for you tonight?" Jade asked, her voice almost inaudible over the loud music.

"I already had a few," Perrie replied. Perrie couldn't really tell anyone how terrified she was about drinking alcohol, fearing how she wouldn't be able to control her actions, her words. "What about you? I'm surprised you're not as drunk as Jesy right now," Perrie said, pointing to the girl dancing and screaming, and having the best night of her life.

"Jed's leaving again, first thing in the morning. So I guess I don't wanna be too drunk now do I?" Jade told her.

"Right, I'm sorry about that," Perrie replied. She honestly didn't know how the two of them managed when they were always so far apart—with an ocean between them.

"You seem awfully down though, what's wrong?" Jade asked, setting down her empty cocktail glass on the table.

"I'm so tired, I just wanna go home and sleep," Perrie admitted. She hoped she could sleep with Lucy and Lydia at home with her...

A loud squeal interrupted them, and Perrie and Jade turned their heads towards Jesy, Leigh-Anne, and a few other people, drunk off their asses. Jesy lay on the floor, laughing, but not moving.

Perrie immediately walked over, Jade right behind her. Perrie immediately noticed Jesy's foot twisted at an odd angle and cringed.

"What happened?" Perrie asked Harry, Jesy's date to the award show. He was sitting on the floor, not moving as Jesy clung to his legs, still laughing.

"She tripped on her heel and fell," he told her, his voice slurred. Perrie glanced again at Jesy's ankle and tried to estimate how bad the injury could be. The fact that Jesy was so drunk meant that she couldn't really feel how painful it was.

Jade went over to Jesy's feet and started undoing the straps of the high heels Jesy wore. Perrie quickly helped her take off the heavy shoes.

"Can you stand up?" Jade asked Jesy.

"She was already stumbling way before," Harry laughed. Everyone around her was drunk. Damnit.

Perrie and Jade helped Jesy off the ground, and back up onto her feet. Jesy swayed and could barely stay upright, so Perrie had to hold her, while holding Jesy's shoes too. Everyone else had already turned their minds back to partying and didn't pay attention.

Alcohol's impact.

"Okay, I'm taking her home," Perrie told him. Jade nodded and disappeared back into the crowd. Jesy had had enough for one night, and Perrie knew that the hangover she would have later would be hell.