Colourise

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Eighteen years ago

Gaia was quietly doing a summary of the human anatomy at the table when Miranda barged in her room.

'Gaia!' she exclaimed.

'What are you doing at my house?' She turned around to face her friend, and her eyes widened when she saw Miranda wearing a neon pink crop top, ripped denim shorts and high knee-length socks. 'And why are you in those?'

Miranda giggled. 'Wren's hosting a party at his house down the street. Wanna come?'

Gaia shuddered at his name. Ever since she first saw Wren Euve holding a dirty-looking toothbrush and proclaiming to the whole school how he had successfully made a sprout grow in it, she found him very strange. Even his frizzy hair and unusually wide eyes gave her the creeps.

And he would give her weird stares every time. She wondered if he did that to every girl he saw, and she wondered why he was still well-liked by most of the school cohort.

'I don't have time for parties,' she replied and went back to her Biology book.

'Wow,' Miranda whistled. 'But you never turned down a party!'

It was true. Gaia had always been a pretty wild girl, she'd sneak out to clubs even before she was eighteen, and she was a heavy drinker and enjoyed the party till there was no tomorrow.

But it had all changed when she met Louis. He was studious and a geek, and there were many incidents which he made her realise how much she was wasting her life away, and ever since then she had starting taking her life and future more seriously.

At that moment, her telephone rang. Gaia picked it up and heard Louis' voice.

'Hey babe.'

'Hey.' Her heart leaped at the sound of his voice.

'I'm going to Wren's party,' he continued, 'do you want to come?'

'Sure!' She chirped.

A couple of minutes later, she hung up and slumped her head on her chair, letting out a happy sigh.

'Unbelievable,' Miranda shook her head. 'That Louis Tayer got you crazy. Crazy in love!'

'Not as if you aren't head over heels with someone, too!' Gaia threw the nearest cushion at her friend.

'Oh, all right,' Miranda grinned and tossed the cushion on the bed. 'You better get ready. I'll see you there!'

Gaia waved back as Miranda skipped out of her room, then turned to her table. She then began to clear her books and notes aside, and after a quick shower and putting on a plain singlet and jeans, she left her house to find Louis' car already parked in front of her driveway.

Her heart fluttered. Aside from their own solo parties where they spent many nights together, his was the first time she was going to a school party with Louis, and she was nervous for some reason.

Nah, nothing bad will happen to me, she thought as she shrugged off her instincts. Surely, she won't get into trouble because Louis was there to protect her. And so she climbed onto his car and was soon enjoying the party with their friends.

There was a drinking contest as to which person could drink the most shots, and at first Gaia was hesitant to do it because she had stopped drinking for a long time.

Louis made a mistake when he encouraged her to join in.

'Go babe!' He cheered her on. 'You'll beat their heads off!'