Status: another story that will see if it works out
'Till Kingdom Come
chapter 6.
It was nearing the end of January and winter air was at its optimal peak. The sky was especially dull that night, starless with the moon barely shining, as little snowflakes fell delicately on to the awaiting crisp earth beneath.
At 10.30 PM the streets of Holmes Chapel was practically deserted. Stores were closed with only few lights remained on in the houses lining the street and the only sound heard were those of the wind blowing the leaf-less tree branches; Holmes Chapel’s population was small and it was obvious.
Cutting the still silence of Holmes Chapel that night however, were two figures walking side by side on the dimly lit sidewalks. One was taller than the other and it appeared that they were a pair; a boy and a girl.
They were talking softly, producing small mists out of their lips. The boy was wearing a thick wool scarf around his neck but a thin layer of sweater was, oddly, the only thing that covered his upper body; he seemed to be fighting off the cold. The girl seemed much warmer and more comfortable than the boy; her coat was decidedly too big for her as it reached pass her knees and hid her hands.
A strong wind blew pass them and the boy shivered involuntarily.
“Are you sure you’re fine without your coat? It’s super freezing.”
The boy rolled his eyes.
“Well duh, it’s end of January. Which is why it’s so lost on me how you could even manage to leave your house without your coat.”
“I forgot, ok! The coat wrinkled out my costume so I didn’t wear it when I took off. I thought I put it in my bag but turns out I didn’t. Here we should share yours so you wouldn’t be so cold.”
The boy shrugged off the girl’s thoughtful gesture and said somewhat irritatingly, “you have the cold resistance of a hairless Chihuahua being put on the North Pole. You’ll freeze the second you take off that coat. We’re ten minutes away anyway, I’ll survive.”
The girl frowned upon hearing this.
“Well then, here, at least take my beanie. It’s snowing.”
The girl then stood on her tiptoes and put her wool beanie on the boy’s head before the boy could say any protesting words. The boy seemed somewhat mesmerized by their sudden proximity, all trace of annoyance that was once visible on his face was completely gone and when the girl’s hand brushed his left cheek briefly their gazes connected and the air around them was suddenly very still.
Their friends would’ve pointed out their cliché and intense staring contest (that seemed to be occurring quite a few times lately) with stupid, immature jeers like ‘oh just kiss already and get a room!’ and they would’ve looked away awkwardly but smiling silently at each other a second later nevertheless when they thought their friends were no longer looking; they shared a tight bond since they were six, that was a fact, but there was nothing more to it.
Was there?
After a few moment of uncertain silence the girl offered the boy a smile; a soft, almost gentle smile, that she rarely put on – and if one was still enough to listen they would hear the sound of thousands fluttering wings erupting from the boy’s stomach.
They boy gave a quiet cough and for a moment they were both engulfed in silence, their thoughts left unspoken.
“You were awesome by the way. Nailed that final pirouette en pointè didn’t you? All triple turns and no tripping!”
The girl gasped and beamed.
“You noticed!”
“Off course I did. It’s only the one thing you talked about for the last two weeks.”
“But then, that means you noticed that I tripped in the last two shows before! Does that mean that other people noticed it too??”
The girl suddenly looked horrified, in that way that was so familiar that the boy couldn’t help but laugh, both in affection and exasperation.
“The only reason I did was because I watch you practice every time and I’m only focused at you during the entire show. I don’t think people would notice even if you told them you tripped.”
Out of all that apparently, there was one sentence that stood out the most to the girl and she seemed to be fighting off a smile when she asked, “you’re only focused at me during the entire show?”
“Well, duh.” The boy said as he carelessly tousled up his hair. “The only reason I came to the shows at all - do take notice on the plural - is because you’re in it. I wouldn’t have bothered otherwise, as artsy and breathtaking people say swan lake ballet is, it’s just not my kind of entertainment. I mean, really, how hard it could be to leap around wearing a tutu.”
The girl, who initially looked rather flattered, had her jaw dropped in an instant.
“That’s very insulting! Especially coming from the person who tripped over his own toes!”
“I’ll have you know that I can do way better pirouettes than you.” The boy said indignantly and when the girl raised her eyebrows in challenge, he cracked his neck and stretched his arms exaggeratedly and said, “watch and observe.”
Without warning the boy leapt forward and twirled around three times in his failed – but full of confidence nevertheless – attempt to do the pirouette turns. He finished with a gallant bow and the girl gave a loud clap while laughing wholeheartedly.
“Oh brava, brava! Teach me, dear gifted one, the secret to your flawless technique!”
“I’m afraid I cannot help you my sweet sweet nectar of love, while your deep shade of blue eyes do wonders to me everlastingly, this kind of technique can only be possessed by those with pure, impeccable sense of wisdom, such as I.”
For a few seconds their laughs echoed endearingly through the corner of Holmes Chapel’s desolated street; neither of them seemed to be bothered with the cold anymore.
“No, but in all seriousness, you’re really good. I think if you want it enough you could make ballet a profession.”
Though there was a tint of shyness in her smile, the girl positively beamed.
“I’ve thought about that a few times if I’m honest. I was even thinking about applying to Julliard. I don’t think mum quite likes that though, she thinks ballet is a good activity for me to focus on and everything but she doesn’t think I should pursue it professionally.” The girl looked somewhat solemn for a moment and there was a hint of longing in her eyes before she continued.
“Still though, when I perform, like in these past few nights, even if it’s just for a small town production, I get this surge of happiness that I never really get doing anything else. I mean, just imagine how wonderful it would be if I could be one of the dancers in the New York City Ballet someday..”
The girl then gave a quiet laugh, quick to disperse such silly dream. “But that’s getting ahead of myself. I’ll be pretty happy I think if I could just continue ballet in any way possible.”
“Heey, there’s nothing wrong in getting ahead of yourself. Who knows, it might just happen.” The boy was quick to counter and on his face was a quiet determination before he added in a somewhat distant voice, “New York’s so far away though.. Don’t you think?”
“Oh, but New York’s amazing!” The girl was beaming in an instant. “I’ve only been there once with mum and dad, that one time in 3rd grade you remember? But I swear I fell in love with it the minute I got there. It’s so different from here, there’s so many things going on at once, it’s incredible! It’s definitely on the list of places we should visit after we finish school, top three.”
The boy could only offer a simple smile. “That sounds lovely.”
They were quiet again. And without their voice, with only the sound of their heavy breaths and ragged winter air, the boy’s mind seemed to be dwelling on something.
“Speaking of getting ahead of oneself,” he said, sounding more nonchalant than he actually felt. “I think I’m really gonna try to audition for X-Factor this year. I’ll be 16 soon.”
“Oh but that’s wonderful!”
The girl’s immediate and enthusiastic response seemed to warm the boy’s heart and whatever hesitation he had about the decision was slowly vanishing.
“Yeah you think so?”
“”Course I do! You’re like the best singer in Holmes Chapel! I wouldn’t be surprised if you got three yes-es, sod it, I wouldn’t be surprised if you get to the final three!”
“Woah, now that’s getting ahead of yourself.” said the boy though he chuckled wholeheartedly. “Just getting in would be more than enough for me!”
“Oh I know you will.” The girl was nothing else but determined. “I”ve always known that dimples and cheeky chat-up lines of yours will get you far in life.”
“You think I’m cheeky?” they boy’s satisfaction of himself was written all over his playful smirk that the girl scoffed almost immediately upon seeing it.
“Oh don’t be so proud of yourself. I also think you’re aggravating, dim-witted and have the most annoying knock-knock jokes in the whole world. And cheeky isn’t even a compliment!”
“Oh it is if it’s coming from you” was all the boy said, still looking smug, while wriggling his eyebrows.
The girl’s house was right upon their view before the girl could retort back her answer.
The house was more likely to be called a mansion. It was that of an antique design and it was huge. Different types of flowers that usually bloomed beautifully on the summer were hidden under the snow, lining the front garden. Its front porch lit up automatically when it sensed a moving presence.
The girl was standing with her back on her quiet mansion while the boy stood tall facing her; they were silent as neither were used to such intimate departure.
“Well, compliment or not, since I’m sure it’s gonna happen one way or another, just promise me you won’t go and forget about me when you’re all rich and famous ok?”
The snow was falling more and more vigorously by then and chunks of snow were beginning to form at the base of their feet. The boy gave a roll of his eyes as an answer, never taking the girl seriously when she said something of the sorts.
“When I’m rich and famous, I’ll take you to New York and we’ll go see the New York City Ballet together.”
His answer, however, was always more than sincere and upon hearing it the girl gave a smile that was so radiant that for a moment she looked at the boy like he was the sun; bright and blinding.
“Deal.”
The girl softly said, unable to express the awe she had for him as she took off his coat that she had been wearing and stood on her tiptoes to drape it on his shoulder.
“Goodnight Harry.”
If only the girl lingered a little longer she might just hear the loud thumping on the boy’s chest as she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
“Goodnight Lily.”
And as he answered, the boy’s expression was that of a mixture between daze and content.
-
New York Subway was always a place of comfort: Lily had formed this opinion since the very first week of her residence in the lively city.
There was always something going on – people talking, people reading, people fighting, people arguing, people thinking, people doing things that were not supposed to be done in public – there was always something to see, something to listen to, something to observe, something to remind her that there were people around her whose lives were probably as shitty as her own. That for a moment she could allow herself to be immersed in these glimpses of people’s life who she barely knew if not at all; it made her feel less alone.
Today she found herself sandwiched in between a loud, prepubescent, girl with a strong jersey accent who was harassing her phone and a tattooed, bearded guy wearing a dark sunglasses and headphones that were equally as huge as his bulging belly.
Halfway through the ride Lily learned that the jersey girl was ‘seriously pissed’ that people thought her boobs were ‘siliconed’ – she would have let everybody ‘feel them up’ to show how real they were if it weren’t such a ‘hoe-ish’ thing to do.
Lily also noticed that they tattooed guy (who looked like a cliche drug dealer that came straight from a 90’s sitcom) on her right was listening very intently to his headphones as he closed his eyes with an almost pained expression stretched on his face. The blaring tone from his headphones sounded somewhat familiar to her – it took her a moment to realised it was actually Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble.
Oh how she loved subway rides, Lily thought as she failingly tried to suppress her amused smile.
-
Aunt Gisselle was a very well-known wedding planner in New York. Lily never knew just how well-known her aunt was until she took her and her sisters in; aunt Gisselle was basically the Shakespeare of wedding planners.
Aunt Giselle had always seemed so sophisticated to Lily. She always brought her and her sisters designer dolls (yes, dolls) whenever she got to visit on Christmas and she somehow always looked like someone who lived in a modern castle; sophisticated yet always full of grace.
Lily had always been fond of her aunt for as long as she remembered and when her aunt learned just how impeccably organized Lily was she became just as fond of her.
Lily became her aunt’s personal assistant at first – dealing with minor clients when aunt Gisselle was too busy to deal with them herself – but quickly gained knowledge and experience that she trusted Lily enough to let her manage her other new dessert business – The Cupcake House.
Aunt Gisselle eventually hired a new assistant – Jeffrey – to replace Lily’s absence but on rare occasions she still asked her to deal with her clients, who were usually her top priorities but too busy to handle them her own.
Today, apparently, was one of those rare occasions and Lily found herself standing in front of the fancy building that was Four Seasons Hotel while smoothing down her messy buns and crumpled blouse before she decided to go in.
As she walked through the main lobby, into the lift and on the hallway of neatly lined extravagant rooms Lily had a surge of flashback of her childhood memories; her mum and dad used to take her and her sisters to these kind of hotels in holidays back then. She was somewhat relieved that the memories brought a sense of warmth into her chest and not the usual grief she always felt whenever she thought about the past.
Lily looked for a room with the number 21B as it was the address aunt Gisselle had written on her email. When she found it she soon discovered that it was apparently one of the hotel’s presidential suites.
Standing there in front of the door Lily smiled to herself and thought about all the things that made her happy (ballet, snow, midnight tv shows); a trick she had learned to make herself more relaxed before she had to meet with the clients.
“Hi! You must be Lily. Please come in, I’ve been expecting you.”
The door opened almost immediately after Lily knocked on it twice and there in front of her was a pretty young woman who seemed her own age. She was visibly taller than her, with a wavy brown hair that was put in a messy knot. She had a friendly heart-shaped face and though her smile was kind she seemed somewhat harried and frantic – and awfully familiar.
The inside of the room was even more luxurious than the outside, Lily thought as she made her way in to the room. From the corners of her eyes Lily saw there was a table in the middle of the room, full of paper stacks and sample brochures.
“I’ve been told this was last minute for you, thank you for taking the time. I’m really desperate for help.”
Lily took upon the young woman’s stressed demeanor and she could only offer her a genuine smile.
“It’s not a problem Ms. Calder. I’m here to help you. Just tell me what to do and I’ll get it done.”
“Oh bless you.” The young woman said as she placed one of her hand on her chest, expressing her gratitude. “You do not know how much I need to hear those words. I kept thinking that I had more time and now the wedding’s in three weeks! I’ve barely even sort out the guest list or the dessert or even the dress! The dress! And my nuisance of a fiancee sure does not make my stress level go down anytime soon.”
Lily couldn’t help but laugh at this; she always found soon-to-be-brides endearing, because for a brief period of time they became this neurotic, frantic individual to which Lily could found a mutual bond with in so many level – a very rare occasion.
“Please have a sit. I have this list of things that needed to be done, maybe you can go through it while I go make us tea real quick. Oh and please, call me Eleanor.”
With that the young woman, Eleanor, left for the kitchen leaving Lily alone in the spacious living room with a very long hand-written list to be reviewed.
Mentally cracking her neck Lily readied herself to dive straight into work; her professional mode was turned on automatically.
-
“ – all and all there are only three main things you and your fiancee need to decide on by the end of this week; the dessert, the band and the dress. I’m aware that you already have some preferences regarding the dessert and the band, so you can just email me the final decision and I will confirm them for you. As for the dress, I can easily make a fitting arrangement for you, say tomorrow afternoon? If it’s convenient for you off course, if not you can just tell me whatever time will be a good time for you and I’ll work it out.”
It was almost two hours later and Lily had changed her position from sitting formally on the sofa to sitting cross-legged on the equally as expensive rug on the floor. In front of her Eleanor sat in a similar position with papers and list of samples strewn all around her.
Lily waited for a response but as she looked up she found that Eleanor was looking at her in awe – as if she’d just been told that she was cured from cancer.
“This probably the most stress-relieving news I’ve heard all week. I reckon it deserves a toast!”
“Oh no no, that’s ok. I don’t want to be a bother – “
“Nonsense. You've been so patient with me, you deserve a little champagne.”
And that’s how Lily found herself making small talks with Eleanor Calder while drinking expensive champagne – it was probably the most social interaction Lily had in the past few weeks and she liked it more than she would have thought.
“ – I don’t know why. They all just turn from supposedly mature young men into these pack of overgrown children whenever they get together – all hell break loose. And Lou couldn’t choose one of them without the other having a tantrum. That’s why he ended up having all of them to be his groomsmen. God knows how well that’s going to turn up.”
Eleanor was chatting away about her fiancee and all of his seemingly never ending antics that frequently caused her head to hurt. Lily listened intently and provided necessary comments but she couldn’t help but feel that she was missing something big from Eleanor’s story.
“And who is ‘them’ exactly?”
“The boys. His band mates. All four of them. I try not think about it really, I tend to get migraine if I do.”
Then all of a sudden Lily’s inside churned unexpectedly as a brick of realization hit her; Band mates. Louis. Eleanor’s familiar face...
“I’m sorry, when you said that your fiancee’s name was Louis, you don’t mean the Louis Tomlinson do you? From One Direction..?”
There was a beat of silence as both young women tried to register their own realization.
“Oh dear you didn’t know!” Eleanor gave a surprised laugh, her face tinted with embarrassment. “And here I was rambling away about him, assuming you just knew. How completely presumptuous of me!”
Lily doubt that someone like Eleanor could be presumptuous even if she tried, but she couldn’t move her tongue to mention this as her mind was still frozen from the newly, uncanny, discovered, fact.
“Yes, I meant that Louis Tomlinson, from One Direction.” Eleanor added, still slightly flustered. “I really thought you knew, gosh hope I didn’t sound too snobbish – I’ve rambled quite a lot.”
“No, no please, you didn’t at all. I should’ve realised really. You do look awfully familiar.”
Band mates. One Direction.
Harry.
Off course, it all made sense now.
“I just assumed my aunt would’ve mentioned it to you beforehand.”
“Your aunt?”
This cannot be serious.
“Yes, the one who recommended you to me, your boss I presume?”
“... Gisselle Vanderporth is your aunt?”
Her past was constantly being shoved up her face in the weirdest, most sudden ways possible since yesterday; Lily couldn’t decide whether or not this was a good or a bad thing.
Don’t kid yourself, this is bad news. Lily thought to herself and she suddenly had an intense will to run off as far away as possible from there.
-
New York Subway was always a place of comfort: Lily had formed this opinion since the very first week of her residence in the lively city.
There was always something going on – people talking, people reading, people fighting, people arguing, people thinking, people doing things that were not supposed to be done in public – there was always something to see, something to listen to, something to observe, something to remind her that there were people around her whose lives were probably as shitty as her own. That for a moment she could allow herself to be immersed in these glimpses of people’s life who she barely knew if not at all; it made her feel less alone.
Lily didn’t used to always feel this alone.
In fact, having had growing up in a small village that was Holmes Chapel, it was almost impossible to feel alone because everyone knew everyone back then and there. She grew up with the same neighbors, the same classmates, the same routines, the same set of friends, the same community all throughout her life and Lily could not think of any reason now of why she had used to think of it as a bad thing.
She used to live in a very big house, with a very big backyard in which she and her sisters used to play hide and seek. She used to have a mini schnauzer called Zo whom she always put pretty ribbons on despite the fact that it was a male. She used to come home to the smell of her mum’s homemade cupcakes. She used to make pancakes on Sunday mornings with her dad before he dropped her off to her ballet lessons.
Everything seemed to be just the opposite now, to what her life once was. Nothing was ever a constant in New York; traffic, schedules, neighbors, work hours, they all seemed to change everyday.
She didn’t do ballet as much, she didn’t make pancakes anymore and the closest thing she had to a pet was the occasional roaming cockroaches in the kitchen that she often had to kill with her bare hands. She barely had time for herself as it was with school, work and taking care of Addie let alone for normal social interactions (that deemed to be healthy by both El and Liz).
All those time ago in Holmes Chapel merely felt like a long lost dream now.
She wondered what had happened.
And there, sitting on a packed subway that was well on its way to midtown, Lily chuckled dryly to herself at the stupid question.
Life happened apparently – and she really hated how full of grievance life had made her be sometimes.
At 10.30 PM the streets of Holmes Chapel was practically deserted. Stores were closed with only few lights remained on in the houses lining the street and the only sound heard were those of the wind blowing the leaf-less tree branches; Holmes Chapel’s population was small and it was obvious.
Cutting the still silence of Holmes Chapel that night however, were two figures walking side by side on the dimly lit sidewalks. One was taller than the other and it appeared that they were a pair; a boy and a girl.
They were talking softly, producing small mists out of their lips. The boy was wearing a thick wool scarf around his neck but a thin layer of sweater was, oddly, the only thing that covered his upper body; he seemed to be fighting off the cold. The girl seemed much warmer and more comfortable than the boy; her coat was decidedly too big for her as it reached pass her knees and hid her hands.
A strong wind blew pass them and the boy shivered involuntarily.
“Are you sure you’re fine without your coat? It’s super freezing.”
The boy rolled his eyes.
“Well duh, it’s end of January. Which is why it’s so lost on me how you could even manage to leave your house without your coat.”
“I forgot, ok! The coat wrinkled out my costume so I didn’t wear it when I took off. I thought I put it in my bag but turns out I didn’t. Here we should share yours so you wouldn’t be so cold.”
The boy shrugged off the girl’s thoughtful gesture and said somewhat irritatingly, “you have the cold resistance of a hairless Chihuahua being put on the North Pole. You’ll freeze the second you take off that coat. We’re ten minutes away anyway, I’ll survive.”
The girl frowned upon hearing this.
“Well then, here, at least take my beanie. It’s snowing.”
The girl then stood on her tiptoes and put her wool beanie on the boy’s head before the boy could say any protesting words. The boy seemed somewhat mesmerized by their sudden proximity, all trace of annoyance that was once visible on his face was completely gone and when the girl’s hand brushed his left cheek briefly their gazes connected and the air around them was suddenly very still.
Their friends would’ve pointed out their cliché and intense staring contest (that seemed to be occurring quite a few times lately) with stupid, immature jeers like ‘oh just kiss already and get a room!’ and they would’ve looked away awkwardly but smiling silently at each other a second later nevertheless when they thought their friends were no longer looking; they shared a tight bond since they were six, that was a fact, but there was nothing more to it.
Was there?
After a few moment of uncertain silence the girl offered the boy a smile; a soft, almost gentle smile, that she rarely put on – and if one was still enough to listen they would hear the sound of thousands fluttering wings erupting from the boy’s stomach.
They boy gave a quiet cough and for a moment they were both engulfed in silence, their thoughts left unspoken.
“You were awesome by the way. Nailed that final pirouette en pointè didn’t you? All triple turns and no tripping!”
The girl gasped and beamed.
“You noticed!”
“Off course I did. It’s only the one thing you talked about for the last two weeks.”
“But then, that means you noticed that I tripped in the last two shows before! Does that mean that other people noticed it too??”
The girl suddenly looked horrified, in that way that was so familiar that the boy couldn’t help but laugh, both in affection and exasperation.
“The only reason I did was because I watch you practice every time and I’m only focused at you during the entire show. I don’t think people would notice even if you told them you tripped.”
Out of all that apparently, there was one sentence that stood out the most to the girl and she seemed to be fighting off a smile when she asked, “you’re only focused at me during the entire show?”
“Well, duh.” The boy said as he carelessly tousled up his hair. “The only reason I came to the shows at all - do take notice on the plural - is because you’re in it. I wouldn’t have bothered otherwise, as artsy and breathtaking people say swan lake ballet is, it’s just not my kind of entertainment. I mean, really, how hard it could be to leap around wearing a tutu.”
The girl, who initially looked rather flattered, had her jaw dropped in an instant.
“That’s very insulting! Especially coming from the person who tripped over his own toes!”
“I’ll have you know that I can do way better pirouettes than you.” The boy said indignantly and when the girl raised her eyebrows in challenge, he cracked his neck and stretched his arms exaggeratedly and said, “watch and observe.”
Without warning the boy leapt forward and twirled around three times in his failed – but full of confidence nevertheless – attempt to do the pirouette turns. He finished with a gallant bow and the girl gave a loud clap while laughing wholeheartedly.
“Oh brava, brava! Teach me, dear gifted one, the secret to your flawless technique!”
“I’m afraid I cannot help you my sweet sweet nectar of love, while your deep shade of blue eyes do wonders to me everlastingly, this kind of technique can only be possessed by those with pure, impeccable sense of wisdom, such as I.”
For a few seconds their laughs echoed endearingly through the corner of Holmes Chapel’s desolated street; neither of them seemed to be bothered with the cold anymore.
“No, but in all seriousness, you’re really good. I think if you want it enough you could make ballet a profession.”
Though there was a tint of shyness in her smile, the girl positively beamed.
“I’ve thought about that a few times if I’m honest. I was even thinking about applying to Julliard. I don’t think mum quite likes that though, she thinks ballet is a good activity for me to focus on and everything but she doesn’t think I should pursue it professionally.” The girl looked somewhat solemn for a moment and there was a hint of longing in her eyes before she continued.
“Still though, when I perform, like in these past few nights, even if it’s just for a small town production, I get this surge of happiness that I never really get doing anything else. I mean, just imagine how wonderful it would be if I could be one of the dancers in the New York City Ballet someday..”
The girl then gave a quiet laugh, quick to disperse such silly dream. “But that’s getting ahead of myself. I’ll be pretty happy I think if I could just continue ballet in any way possible.”
“Heey, there’s nothing wrong in getting ahead of yourself. Who knows, it might just happen.” The boy was quick to counter and on his face was a quiet determination before he added in a somewhat distant voice, “New York’s so far away though.. Don’t you think?”
“Oh, but New York’s amazing!” The girl was beaming in an instant. “I’ve only been there once with mum and dad, that one time in 3rd grade you remember? But I swear I fell in love with it the minute I got there. It’s so different from here, there’s so many things going on at once, it’s incredible! It’s definitely on the list of places we should visit after we finish school, top three.”
The boy could only offer a simple smile. “That sounds lovely.”
They were quiet again. And without their voice, with only the sound of their heavy breaths and ragged winter air, the boy’s mind seemed to be dwelling on something.
“Speaking of getting ahead of oneself,” he said, sounding more nonchalant than he actually felt. “I think I’m really gonna try to audition for X-Factor this year. I’ll be 16 soon.”
“Oh but that’s wonderful!”
The girl’s immediate and enthusiastic response seemed to warm the boy’s heart and whatever hesitation he had about the decision was slowly vanishing.
“Yeah you think so?”
“”Course I do! You’re like the best singer in Holmes Chapel! I wouldn’t be surprised if you got three yes-es, sod it, I wouldn’t be surprised if you get to the final three!”
“Woah, now that’s getting ahead of yourself.” said the boy though he chuckled wholeheartedly. “Just getting in would be more than enough for me!”
“Oh I know you will.” The girl was nothing else but determined. “I”ve always known that dimples and cheeky chat-up lines of yours will get you far in life.”
“You think I’m cheeky?” they boy’s satisfaction of himself was written all over his playful smirk that the girl scoffed almost immediately upon seeing it.
“Oh don’t be so proud of yourself. I also think you’re aggravating, dim-witted and have the most annoying knock-knock jokes in the whole world. And cheeky isn’t even a compliment!”
“Oh it is if it’s coming from you” was all the boy said, still looking smug, while wriggling his eyebrows.
The girl’s house was right upon their view before the girl could retort back her answer.
The house was more likely to be called a mansion. It was that of an antique design and it was huge. Different types of flowers that usually bloomed beautifully on the summer were hidden under the snow, lining the front garden. Its front porch lit up automatically when it sensed a moving presence.
The girl was standing with her back on her quiet mansion while the boy stood tall facing her; they were silent as neither were used to such intimate departure.
“Well, compliment or not, since I’m sure it’s gonna happen one way or another, just promise me you won’t go and forget about me when you’re all rich and famous ok?”
The snow was falling more and more vigorously by then and chunks of snow were beginning to form at the base of their feet. The boy gave a roll of his eyes as an answer, never taking the girl seriously when she said something of the sorts.
“When I’m rich and famous, I’ll take you to New York and we’ll go see the New York City Ballet together.”
His answer, however, was always more than sincere and upon hearing it the girl gave a smile that was so radiant that for a moment she looked at the boy like he was the sun; bright and blinding.
“Deal.”
The girl softly said, unable to express the awe she had for him as she took off his coat that she had been wearing and stood on her tiptoes to drape it on his shoulder.
“Goodnight Harry.”
If only the girl lingered a little longer she might just hear the loud thumping on the boy’s chest as she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
“Goodnight Lily.”
And as he answered, the boy’s expression was that of a mixture between daze and content.
-
New York Subway was always a place of comfort: Lily had formed this opinion since the very first week of her residence in the lively city.
There was always something going on – people talking, people reading, people fighting, people arguing, people thinking, people doing things that were not supposed to be done in public – there was always something to see, something to listen to, something to observe, something to remind her that there were people around her whose lives were probably as shitty as her own. That for a moment she could allow herself to be immersed in these glimpses of people’s life who she barely knew if not at all; it made her feel less alone.
Today she found herself sandwiched in between a loud, prepubescent, girl with a strong jersey accent who was harassing her phone and a tattooed, bearded guy wearing a dark sunglasses and headphones that were equally as huge as his bulging belly.
Halfway through the ride Lily learned that the jersey girl was ‘seriously pissed’ that people thought her boobs were ‘siliconed’ – she would have let everybody ‘feel them up’ to show how real they were if it weren’t such a ‘hoe-ish’ thing to do.
Lily also noticed that they tattooed guy (who looked like a cliche drug dealer that came straight from a 90’s sitcom) on her right was listening very intently to his headphones as he closed his eyes with an almost pained expression stretched on his face. The blaring tone from his headphones sounded somewhat familiar to her – it took her a moment to realised it was actually Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble.
Oh how she loved subway rides, Lily thought as she failingly tried to suppress her amused smile.
-
Aunt Gisselle was a very well-known wedding planner in New York. Lily never knew just how well-known her aunt was until she took her and her sisters in; aunt Gisselle was basically the Shakespeare of wedding planners.
Aunt Giselle had always seemed so sophisticated to Lily. She always brought her and her sisters designer dolls (yes, dolls) whenever she got to visit on Christmas and she somehow always looked like someone who lived in a modern castle; sophisticated yet always full of grace.
Lily had always been fond of her aunt for as long as she remembered and when her aunt learned just how impeccably organized Lily was she became just as fond of her.
Lily became her aunt’s personal assistant at first – dealing with minor clients when aunt Gisselle was too busy to deal with them herself – but quickly gained knowledge and experience that she trusted Lily enough to let her manage her other new dessert business – The Cupcake House.
Aunt Gisselle eventually hired a new assistant – Jeffrey – to replace Lily’s absence but on rare occasions she still asked her to deal with her clients, who were usually her top priorities but too busy to handle them her own.
Today, apparently, was one of those rare occasions and Lily found herself standing in front of the fancy building that was Four Seasons Hotel while smoothing down her messy buns and crumpled blouse before she decided to go in.
As she walked through the main lobby, into the lift and on the hallway of neatly lined extravagant rooms Lily had a surge of flashback of her childhood memories; her mum and dad used to take her and her sisters to these kind of hotels in holidays back then. She was somewhat relieved that the memories brought a sense of warmth into her chest and not the usual grief she always felt whenever she thought about the past.
Lily looked for a room with the number 21B as it was the address aunt Gisselle had written on her email. When she found it she soon discovered that it was apparently one of the hotel’s presidential suites.
Standing there in front of the door Lily smiled to herself and thought about all the things that made her happy (ballet, snow, midnight tv shows); a trick she had learned to make herself more relaxed before she had to meet with the clients.
“Hi! You must be Lily. Please come in, I’ve been expecting you.”
The door opened almost immediately after Lily knocked on it twice and there in front of her was a pretty young woman who seemed her own age. She was visibly taller than her, with a wavy brown hair that was put in a messy knot. She had a friendly heart-shaped face and though her smile was kind she seemed somewhat harried and frantic – and awfully familiar.
The inside of the room was even more luxurious than the outside, Lily thought as she made her way in to the room. From the corners of her eyes Lily saw there was a table in the middle of the room, full of paper stacks and sample brochures.
“I’ve been told this was last minute for you, thank you for taking the time. I’m really desperate for help.”
Lily took upon the young woman’s stressed demeanor and she could only offer her a genuine smile.
“It’s not a problem Ms. Calder. I’m here to help you. Just tell me what to do and I’ll get it done.”
“Oh bless you.” The young woman said as she placed one of her hand on her chest, expressing her gratitude. “You do not know how much I need to hear those words. I kept thinking that I had more time and now the wedding’s in three weeks! I’ve barely even sort out the guest list or the dessert or even the dress! The dress! And my nuisance of a fiancee sure does not make my stress level go down anytime soon.”
Lily couldn’t help but laugh at this; she always found soon-to-be-brides endearing, because for a brief period of time they became this neurotic, frantic individual to which Lily could found a mutual bond with in so many level – a very rare occasion.
“Please have a sit. I have this list of things that needed to be done, maybe you can go through it while I go make us tea real quick. Oh and please, call me Eleanor.”
With that the young woman, Eleanor, left for the kitchen leaving Lily alone in the spacious living room with a very long hand-written list to be reviewed.
Mentally cracking her neck Lily readied herself to dive straight into work; her professional mode was turned on automatically.
-
“ – all and all there are only three main things you and your fiancee need to decide on by the end of this week; the dessert, the band and the dress. I’m aware that you already have some preferences regarding the dessert and the band, so you can just email me the final decision and I will confirm them for you. As for the dress, I can easily make a fitting arrangement for you, say tomorrow afternoon? If it’s convenient for you off course, if not you can just tell me whatever time will be a good time for you and I’ll work it out.”
It was almost two hours later and Lily had changed her position from sitting formally on the sofa to sitting cross-legged on the equally as expensive rug on the floor. In front of her Eleanor sat in a similar position with papers and list of samples strewn all around her.
Lily waited for a response but as she looked up she found that Eleanor was looking at her in awe – as if she’d just been told that she was cured from cancer.
“This probably the most stress-relieving news I’ve heard all week. I reckon it deserves a toast!”
“Oh no no, that’s ok. I don’t want to be a bother – “
“Nonsense. You've been so patient with me, you deserve a little champagne.”
And that’s how Lily found herself making small talks with Eleanor Calder while drinking expensive champagne – it was probably the most social interaction Lily had in the past few weeks and she liked it more than she would have thought.
“ – I don’t know why. They all just turn from supposedly mature young men into these pack of overgrown children whenever they get together – all hell break loose. And Lou couldn’t choose one of them without the other having a tantrum. That’s why he ended up having all of them to be his groomsmen. God knows how well that’s going to turn up.”
Eleanor was chatting away about her fiancee and all of his seemingly never ending antics that frequently caused her head to hurt. Lily listened intently and provided necessary comments but she couldn’t help but feel that she was missing something big from Eleanor’s story.
“And who is ‘them’ exactly?”
“The boys. His band mates. All four of them. I try not think about it really, I tend to get migraine if I do.”
Then all of a sudden Lily’s inside churned unexpectedly as a brick of realization hit her; Band mates. Louis. Eleanor’s familiar face...
“I’m sorry, when you said that your fiancee’s name was Louis, you don’t mean the Louis Tomlinson do you? From One Direction..?”
There was a beat of silence as both young women tried to register their own realization.
“Oh dear you didn’t know!” Eleanor gave a surprised laugh, her face tinted with embarrassment. “And here I was rambling away about him, assuming you just knew. How completely presumptuous of me!”
Lily doubt that someone like Eleanor could be presumptuous even if she tried, but she couldn’t move her tongue to mention this as her mind was still frozen from the newly, uncanny, discovered, fact.
“Yes, I meant that Louis Tomlinson, from One Direction.” Eleanor added, still slightly flustered. “I really thought you knew, gosh hope I didn’t sound too snobbish – I’ve rambled quite a lot.”
“No, no please, you didn’t at all. I should’ve realised really. You do look awfully familiar.”
Band mates. One Direction.
Harry.
Off course, it all made sense now.
“I just assumed my aunt would’ve mentioned it to you beforehand.”
“Your aunt?”
This cannot be serious.
“Yes, the one who recommended you to me, your boss I presume?”
“... Gisselle Vanderporth is your aunt?”
Her past was constantly being shoved up her face in the weirdest, most sudden ways possible since yesterday; Lily couldn’t decide whether or not this was a good or a bad thing.
Don’t kid yourself, this is bad news. Lily thought to herself and she suddenly had an intense will to run off as far away as possible from there.
-
New York Subway was always a place of comfort: Lily had formed this opinion since the very first week of her residence in the lively city.
There was always something going on – people talking, people reading, people fighting, people arguing, people thinking, people doing things that were not supposed to be done in public – there was always something to see, something to listen to, something to observe, something to remind her that there were people around her whose lives were probably as shitty as her own. That for a moment she could allow herself to be immersed in these glimpses of people’s life who she barely knew if not at all; it made her feel less alone.
Lily didn’t used to always feel this alone.
In fact, having had growing up in a small village that was Holmes Chapel, it was almost impossible to feel alone because everyone knew everyone back then and there. She grew up with the same neighbors, the same classmates, the same routines, the same set of friends, the same community all throughout her life and Lily could not think of any reason now of why she had used to think of it as a bad thing.
She used to live in a very big house, with a very big backyard in which she and her sisters used to play hide and seek. She used to have a mini schnauzer called Zo whom she always put pretty ribbons on despite the fact that it was a male. She used to come home to the smell of her mum’s homemade cupcakes. She used to make pancakes on Sunday mornings with her dad before he dropped her off to her ballet lessons.
Everything seemed to be just the opposite now, to what her life once was. Nothing was ever a constant in New York; traffic, schedules, neighbors, work hours, they all seemed to change everyday.
She didn’t do ballet as much, she didn’t make pancakes anymore and the closest thing she had to a pet was the occasional roaming cockroaches in the kitchen that she often had to kill with her bare hands. She barely had time for herself as it was with school, work and taking care of Addie let alone for normal social interactions (that deemed to be healthy by both El and Liz).
All those time ago in Holmes Chapel merely felt like a long lost dream now.
She wondered what had happened.
And there, sitting on a packed subway that was well on its way to midtown, Lily chuckled dryly to herself at the stupid question.
Life happened apparently – and she really hated how full of grievance life had made her be sometimes.
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Hi there! Thank you for reading this, hope you all don't give up on me :) I know I'm a slow update - er - I'm sorry I can't help it.. But I hope you enjoy this chapter, thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment, feedback or even criticism!
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