Wanderlust

The seven of us eventually climbed into a car that was so inconspicuous that it surely wasn’t with its dark exterior and tinted windows, especially when the black vehicle veered into the curb outside a club labelled ‘Fabric’ and each of us stepped out from behind an usher.

As my pumps finally hit the concrete I was quick to reach my hand out for Will’s arm, a habit I had obtained for manoeuvring in and around crowded areas. My brother was right by my side, just as I had expected, and I smiled appreciatively at him while also raising my eyebrows suggestively regarding the immense about of media hovering at the building’s doors. Apparently London was a lot rougher of the night time.

Our group had unfortunately gained the attention of each camera and the flashes were soon to let off their relentless attack, capturing images of all the boys, as well as William and I.

After finally passing the threshold and entering the dark and overwhelmingly hot club, I tugged at the folded up sleeves of my blazer and hastily removed it. Will offered to handle the issue of storing it and soon enough a new member of our little party had replaced my brother as my companion. Harry stood with a grin, large, dimpled and, quite honestly, insanely adorable. Even in the midst of the darkened space his eyes glowed with happiness, it was so contagious I couldn’t help but brighten up at the sight of him. His arm was offered out to me as the rest of the group had already begun their entry into the main area, including William. I smiled toothlessly in return and hooked my small hand around the crook of his elbow, refusing to believe that I had subconsciously tensed my fingers around his firm upper arm.

As a pair, Harry and I had eventually managed to squeeze through the grinding and shoving taking place on the dance floor and toward the ‘VIP’ area where our friends already resided, accompanied by two girls looking cosy by Louis and Liam.
“Eleanor and Danielle.” Harry murmured into my right ear, his hot breath wisping down the back of my neck.

I promptly ignored the shiver presented upon his actions, flushing subtly in the almost pitch-black room, and reached up to peck Harry’s cheek in thanks for his assistance; not just for an excuse to inch my face closer to his...

“Hi, I’m Lucy. You must be Eleanor and Danielle, it’s great to meet you.” I pulled off my ‘meeting smile’ – as Kara had instructed me to learn – as I presented my hand to the flawlessly model-esque brunette first. She was seriously stunning, as was the girl to her left, both girls wearing dresses similar to my own but one in bright red and the other in a dark grey with a lower neckline. While in mid-sip of the bright red drink matching her outfit, the small girl appeared to choke a bit, quickly recovering as she placed her glass down on the small table separating us and reaching for my outstretched hand.

“Oh, my gosh, hello! I’m so sorry, I didn’t really believe Lou when he said he’d brought you along...”

I laughed, a tad surprised, and shook hands with the dark-skinned girl who smiled in return, reiterating her introduction by confirming that she was Danielle, Liam’s girlfriend.

I took this as a chance to indulge in a conversation with other girls, seeing as both Eleanor and Danielle seemed to be incredibly easy-going. I really appreciated genuine people at the current stage in my life, having experienced some who were less than genuine in their intentions to know me. The pair were equally as welcoming as their boyfriend’s had been earlier that day, quickly including me in the conversation at present; that being, the rumour of Louis’ insuring his bum.

“Here ya’ go!” All three of us instantly stopped discussing the bum of the very boy who had just placed down a large tray onto the table in front of us. Our eyes scanned the object, filled to its edges with small shot glasses holding a clear liquid, and soon returned to Louis with wide, almost alarmed eyes.

“Jesus, Lou!” Eleanor took it upon herself to scold her boyfriend, Danielle and I watching on with amusement. “Are you trying to get us blind? There must be fifty shots here!”
Louis furrowed his eyebrows, staring down at the small glasses, “I believe there is only forty, El.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, sending the small girl an apologetic look as I covered my mouth with my hand.

“Five for each of us! Except for Liam and his kidney, of course.” Louis explained, gesturing for us to take one just as a mop of curly hair joined his side. He didn’t even need to look my way for me to stray my eyes downward and fiddle with the gold bangle adorning my tanned wrist. I felt a nudge in my side, an elbow seemingly, and I looked to the culprit by my left side. Danielle sent me a suggestive smile and I couldn’t help but laugh and look back up, meeting Harry’s bright eyes shining down at me.

Louis was quick to pass out glasses and soon everyone had gathered around our small table, reaching over and around us for their own beverage.

“To... Australia!” Niall took it upon himself to cheer to Will and I’s home country, earning a returning cheer from the both of us and the clinking of glasses passed around the group.
I shot down the liquor and respectively coughed at the vile taste, others following my actions.
“Another!” Everyone followed Louis’ order, myself lagging a bit in hesitance.

“And again!” I huffed, imagining myself slapping the lanky boy upside his pretty-little head while the strong liquid scorched down my throat.

“One mor--!”

“Louis! We get it, all of them.”

I could have kissed Eleanor then and there, watching as she playfully scolded her partner for the second time that night while took my last two shots.



An hour or so later – honestly, who could tell? – I had ingested several more, more tasteful, drinks and was happily chatting away with Niall, both of us probably only intelligible to each other. I was admittedly having some trouble as I continuously had to translate his Irish tongue with my Australian mind while he spoke animatedly at me as we conversed about the fast-food we had each tried from the USA.

“Hands down – Best McDonald’s in te’ world.”

“What about that In-N-Out? Is that what it’s called? Or was it Wendy’s we tried?” I baffled myself and inwardly argued over the food I had tried while Niall attempted to flag down an attendant to bring us another round, coming up unsuccessful.

“Hold that thought, ‘ll get ye' another drink, yeah?”

I nodded, unfazed, and watched him walk away from our seats and toward the crowded bar, surrounded by a large crowd of ready customers. I finished off the remnants of my sweet tasting drink and was, to my surprise, greeted by Danielle and Liam, linked at the hands and smiles on their faces.

“Lucy! Liam and I have discussed it,” Danielle dropped down into Niall’s previous seat, Liam hovering beside her with an amused look on his face. It was obvious his girlfriend had gotten a little alcohol-happy.

“We suggest you move ya’ little Australian bum and flirt with Hazza over there!”

The smile fell right off my face as the words clumsily left her mouth. She definitely had had too much to drink.

I chuckled, quite awkwardly, and readjusted in my seat. “I, um, what? Flirt with him?”

I glanced over to where Danielle had sloppily waved her arm at, finding Harry perched up on a bar stool, tucked into a tall table. His white shirt appeared to have thinned, hanging off his torso helplessly and a gold chain hanging down into ‘v’ of his neckline. Christ, he’d probably heard Danielle obnoxiously shout her ‘suggestion,’ he was barely a few feet away.

I continued to watch the dimpled boy as he sat with a pint of beer in his hand, his other hand mindlessly fiddling with a drink coaster as he conversed with a bulky man across from him. His larger friend, however, soon stood from his seat across the table, shaking Harry’s hand casually and strolling away.

Danielle squealed from beside me, gaining my attention and leaving my ear ringing even against the loud music pulsing through the club. “Now’s ya’ chance! Go on, up ya’ get.”

I was literally thrust out of my seat and shoved toward the curly-haired boy, my stumbling coming into his view for he looked my way with a curious raise of his eyebrows.

Oh, my God. Danielle, I will literally kill y—

“Luce!”

Never had I ever felt my thoughts so suddenly vanish in all my life. Upon hearing Harry Styles say my name- a nickname, no less - with such happiness etched into his adorable face, every emotion concerning Danielle’s little tricks were gone. I couldn’t wipe the grin of my face to save my own life, maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was just the pure intensity of euphoria in the atmosphere, whatever it was I didn’t want it to end.

“Hey, Harry. How’s your night going?”

How I had managed to say the sentence without a stuttered or stumble was beyond me, though I wasn’t sure how well my slurring was going given my toxic intake for the night.

“S’good,” he said softly, a glaze over his eyes and a meek smile pulling at his full lips. “Great to ge’ away from everything for a nigh’, aye?”

I nodded, genuinely agreeing with his words as I slid myself into the vacant spot across from him. “Yeah, definitely. I haven’t been so carefree for a while.”

Harry nodded his head, his hair whipping a bit as he flicked it away from his light green orbs.
“What’s ya’ favourite part about England, hm?” He questioned, sipping at the pint before placing it down and crossing his arms onto the table and giving me his full attention.

I was a bit taken aback by his random question, but thought to answer nonetheless. Flirt. Danielle’s words hummed in my mind, and the look on Harry’s face told me he might not remember this in the morning.

Shit, I froze, I had never been too good at flirting. Even being so well known and, as humbly as I can put this, admired, I just couldn’t gather enough confidence to singularly infatuate another being. The alcohol in my system was only amplifying any hesitance I felt, rather than diminishing it like any person would have hoped had they been in my situation.

“Um, probably,” Don’t embarrass yourself, you just met these boys. “Meeting you guys.”
How on Earth could one person be so lame? I could literally not fathom how I managed to commit to such an idiotic response, yet I had, and the look on Harry’s face told me he hadn’t expected my answer.

“Really?” He reiterated his surprise by straightening up and raising those eyebrows of his once again. I nodded, looking down at the coaster sitting at my side of the table, mumbling something incoherent as Harry declared, “Well, tha’s rather borin’. The lads aren’t much excitin’...”

I could feel my heart falling down into the pits of my alcohol soaked stomach, dissolving in the acid along with any hope that this conversation could improve. I glanced up briefly to find Harry with a cheeky glint harbouring his face, his lips curved to the right side of his cheeks while his eyes studied mine.

“Obviously,” He spoke so slowly it near killed me, “We’ll ‘ave to change ya’ answer. We should go out in town... Tomorrow if ya’ free? Lunch, or somethin’?”

My eyebrows slowly inched further up my forehead as I took in his words, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip to refrain a large smile breaking out. The boy across from me looked more than pleased with himself, his elbows now perched up on the table as I nodded slowly. “Yeah, sure, I’d love to.”

Harry lips parted to show his white teeth as he returned a nod, picking up his glass once again and taking a large gulp. Not a second later, a beverage was placed down in front of me, yellow in colour, ice clinking at the edges of the glass.

“Ye’ drink.” Niall nodded with a chuckle and my eyes widened in realisation, a laugh emitting from my mouth as I thanked him, also apologizing for moving away from our previous spot.

“C’mon, c’mon, none of this borin’ talkin’!” A loud, high pitched voice squeaked in my ear, nearly sending me off of my high chair. Louis stood proudly as I cringed, “We’re dancin’, c’mon, follow me.”

I looked to Eleanor, who lagged behind him a bit as her boyfriend trailed away toward the dance floor with his hands swinging in the air. The brunette girl shrugged, laughing.

“It’s easier if you don’t argue.”

I laughed, nodding and following her after drinking the order Niall had served me and thanking him again, turning to Harry and ruffling his hair a bit with my new stroke of comfort. “See ya’s later.”