Status: In Time

To Caress My Day

Chapter 193: New Years Eve Party

Entering Percy Hopkin’s apartment where the New Years Party he was hosting was taking place, Twigs, Simone and the members of GRL promptly stretched their necks in search past the mob of bodies for the recognizable faces of Neon Jungle. Casting their winter coats to the guy being compensated to organize them in Percy’s bedroom, they set off together to locate the women. Along the way, Twig’s eyes were averted to the attire Simone and her band members were wearing in the dead of winter in London.

Paula was in a sequin leopard printed bodycon set with matching leopard heels. Lauren in a sequin gunmetal top etched with ‘I’m not listening’ across the front, a red leather skirt with white X stitchings on the front, and white heels. Natasha’s black mesh top revealed her cheetah printed bra underneath and was tied to reveal the flesh of her midriff, her skirt was also sequin in a light blue with bright red tribal pattern on the front complete with black stilleto ankle boots. Emmalyn wore a sunny yellow crop top with black shorts that had blue iridescent sequins on the front, and with the same yellow stiletto boots that matched her top. Twigs pondered why on earth they were adorned like they just came from California before remembering that they actually might have just arrived from California. According to Simone, everyone except Lauren had dropped everything back in the states to fly here tonight. Shrugging it off, Twig turned her attention to her to find Simone had sported the same sequin themed California girl as them. In a blue sequin crop top with the word ‘POP!’ in the front, she wore a tiny pair of light denim shorts with her timberland laced up platform boots. Twigs shook her head with disapproval at their choices of outfits, and was indebted to Percy for having some good heating in his apartment or else these women wouldn’t make it through the night before turning into a human size popsicle.

Letting the members of GRL take the lead, Simone and Twigs finally heard the familiar squeal of the members of the Neon Jungle. Navigating to the front of the group, Twigs greeted her good friends who were properly dressed for a window to break during the party. Jess donned a long sleeve white dress that reached down to her knees and some white ankle tennis shoes. Asami wore a black sports bra under a black leather jacket, loose jeans, and black Converse. Sheereen sported a black tight leather dress with black heels, and a thin belt that was decorated with gold chains. Amira chose a black and white printed high waisted short with a matching unbuttoned top over a black bralet topped and completed it with white strappy heels that wrapped up her calves to under her knee. With them were both L.J and C’Yan, Twigs band members.

“L.J! C’Yan! You guys made it!” Twigs cheered at the end of each embrace.

“I had nothing better to do for New Years.” L.J shrugged, a red cup in one hand.

“Thanks for inviting us.” C’Yan added in. “And sorry Tic couldn’t make it.”

“He’ll make it up to us.” Twigs teased before gesturing to the members of GRL who were prattling with Neon Jungle. “Did you want to meet my roommate's band members?”

“Another girl band?” C’Yan exclaimed, his eyes whizzing to the ladies. “Jeez, how many do you know?”

“Just two!” Twigs defended with a grin before ushering them closer and hollering above the deafening music. “Hey, you guys! These are my friends, L.J and C’Yan!”

Emmalyn extended her hand to L.J, her brown eyes checking him out from head to toe. “Hi, nice to meet you!”

“Likewise.” L.J nodded, taking her hand and giving it a nice cordial shake.

“I’m sorry, what was your name again?” Natasha asked C’Yan, her brows furrowed as she struggled to hear over the sound of Flo Rida spotting from the speakers.

“C’Yan!” C’Yan shouted to her, accepting her offered hand.

“Like the color!” Asami assisted him with a nod.

“Seriously? That’s an awesome name!” Natasha commended with an enchanting laugh.

“Alright, enough of all this introduction!” Amira intruded with her hands up. “I don’t know about you guys but I came here to PARTAY!”

At once, the two groups lifted their hands in acclamation, oblivious of the nearby red cups elevated in the air from strangers in salute to her statement.

“Then let’s get going!” Jess whooped back, escorting the two groups to the biggest dance area in the apartment.

“Except you two!” Simone turned to specify Paula and Twigs as they merged into the swarm of bodies gyrating to the beat of the music. “Y’all keep it real cool. We don’t need none of your competitive dancing bullshit tonight. This ain’t ‘You got Served’, understand!?”

Mutually Twigs and Paula nodded. The last time they were in a dance setting, the two had an almost dance tournament. No one was injured, it was just a bit of innocent sport. The two professional dancers had worked up a sweat in a horde of captivated strangers and before they knew it people had taken bets on them. Tonight on this small dancefloor, Twigs had no aim of challenging Paula, and was positive she wouldn’t do the same in such an incompetent space.

Turns out, she was sorely mistaken. Twigs had just caught the sly smile on Paula’s face before she began to move her body in a groove that seemed rehearsed by a professional dancer. Partygoers jaws dropped to the floor as they retreated back to form a circle around her to watch in admiration as she moved with precision to the beat. Twigs knew she told Simone she wouldn’t do it, but...she couldn't resist.

WIth a smile stretching across her red lip, Twigs slithered into the circle with the ultimate suavity and began to move her hips to the beat just as masterfully. The crowd got even louder, if that was even possible, as Paula and Twigs took the limelight.

This went on for the rest of the song and the one after before a semi-slow song came on. Giving Paula an affectionate side hug, Twigs stepped aside to find her phone. Upon finding it, she checked to see if there was a message from Seth who was all the way in California, probably swamped with work. She fleetingly frowned when she saw there were no new notifications. Setting the phone aside, she turned her eyes back to the party only to pinpoint Jess and Shereen waving her over to sing along with them in an overly sensational tone meant for fun. Grinning with excitement, she accompanied them.

Several times in the night, she deviated away to check her phone and every time she was met with the same blank screen. Deciding to knock it off from then on out, Twigs returned back to the party only to return four hours later. Not able to resist, she browsed the device only to find she had an unread message from her boyfriend and three missed calls, one from him and two from Derek. Her brown eyes ballooned. “SHIT!”

“WHAT’S WRONG!?” Shereen hollered from her left, startling Twigs. Frowning, she deciphered the alarm in her friend’s eyes and figured it had to do with something she received on her phone.

Raising her phone to Shereen’s view, Twigs divulged the late notifications for her to see. “THIS!”

“OH SHIT!” Shereen echoed, her brown eyes magnifying in size too. Frantically, she twisted around in place in search of an available private area where she could go and return the call to the two awaiting men. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find any. Percy had a manner of bolting every room in his apartment when he hosted parties solely due to one fateful occurrence where he discovered his lover cheating on him in their own bed. Since then, it was only the living room, dining area, and kitchen for the partygoers.

Asami strolled up to them with a concerning frown for her two panic-stricken friends. “HEY! WHAT’S GOING ON OVER HERE!?”

“HER MAN CALLED! SHE MISSED IT!” Shereen recapped. “WE DON’T KNOW WHERE SHE CAN GO TO CALL HIM BACK!”

Now revolving around herself to spot such a place, Asami came up with a glorious idea. Scurrying past them, she unlocked a window latch and heaved it all the way open to where a tiny caged balcony sat for outdoor plants. Percy's balcony was clustered with his exe’s long overgrown pots he kept for his mom to maintain when she came over just for her to have something to do other than nag him all day. “HERE!”

“HERE!?” Twigs repeated hesitantly, gaping at the poor decayed plants. “BUT IT’S CROWDED! I COULD STEP ON PERCY’S PLANTS AND HE MIGHT TRY AND SEEK VENGEANCE BY THROWING ME OFF THE BALCONY TO MY DEATH!”