‘Seek happy nights to happy days'

Laila’s POV

Oh, we go where nobody knows, with guns hidden under our petticoats.
No, we're never gonna quit it, no, we're never gonna quit it, no.
Yeah, we're dressed in black from head to toe, we've got guns hidden under our petticoats.
No, we're never gonna quit it, no, we're never gonna quit it, no.

We play The 1975 on the hi-fi at Georgiana's bedroom. I’m so obsessed with them, and I’m so extremely nervous.

“Don’t move, Laila, or your braided crown will be too messy,” she says with some hair pins on her mouth. She sounds so funny.

“You are such a perfectionist, Georgiana,” Bernie points out while looking into my sister’s gigantic mirror. She wears a green, gorgeous, buttoned dress that suits her heavenly. “Marianne is a bit late already, you know…” She grumbles. She’s not quite over her uneasiness about Marianne coming with us to the party.

“Not at all, Bernie–––I say. Please try not to make me feel more anxious than I already do.” Georgiana finally releases my head and I walk to the mirror to examine my hairstyle.

“You look fabulous, Laila–––Bernie says as she hugs me. Those jeans seem tailored for your figure, and that slightly sheer blouse, well, would definitely have the expected response from Harry.”

“I’m so glad you accepted my advice and chose those high heels, Laila. They work perfectly with skinny jeans…” Georgiana says as she stands behind me, grabbing me by the shoulders.

“Do you honestly think I look good?” I say, not quite sure. I look at my reflection trying to figure out if I should wear my blouse tucked into my jeans or not. As if she reads my mind I feel my sister fingers fixing the piece of clothing around my waist.

“You look stunning, darling,” she whispers to my ear, tapping on my arm as she leaves my side.

“Am I not too casual?” I ask on her direction.

“I’m sure Harry would love it,” she observes with a smile on her face. She looks radiant with her freckles and her wild hair.

“Marianne is downstairs! Are we ready?” Bernie asks with her mobile on her hand, grabbing her coat from the bed.

“As ready as we’ll ever be!–––Georgiana exclaims spraying her perfume above her head. Mummy, we’re leaving! Don’t expect us soon!”

“Do you remember what I told you, Georgiana?–––she answers from her room. I allow it only because your father is at work tonight. Please, behave as the ladies you are. Especially you, Bernie–––she insists as we stand anxiously by the door. You know I’m covering up for you in front of your parents.”

“Thank you, Emilia–––Bernie howls in an affected tone. You are the greatest!”

–.–.–

Bernie drove us to Stratford in her car. She’s the sort of woman that simply knows how to deal with potential competition, chatting about the text messages she received from Zayn during the week as she was expecting. She wanted to be sure Marianne knew he was already taken even though nothing had happened yet between them. Georgiana giggled discreetly at her and I tried to look interested on what she was saying, but my mind was elsewhere, fast forwarded in time to minutes after the moment I was actually in, the moment I’ll see Harry.

As we stood in the darkness, we were able to hear the music from the other side of the closed door. Bernie contained her breath and knocked once. A minute passed and when she was about to ring, the door opened wide. An unknown girl with blondish hair inspected us with curiosity as if she was trying to realise something.

“Are you Laila?” She spoke directly to me.

“I am, actually…–––I said. How do you know?”

“Harry says you have the most amazing black eyes,” she declared and I suddenly gasped. Bernie and Georgiana giggled looking down. “Nice to meet you, I’m Gemma, his sister––– she carried on, pulling me into a hug. Come on in, girls. Harry, Laila is here!” She exclaimed. I glanced quietly at her as she moved away from the door. I could definitely see him on her, his smile, something in her eyes and her body language.

“Hi, Laila. Nice to see you again,” Liam said surprising us from the right, where the kitchen was.

“Hello, Liam, you know Bernie already. These are my sister Georgiana and my friend Marianne,” I introduced them, hoping for Harry to show up. Liam gallantly shook their hands with that cute smirk of his in his mouth. Then I finally saw Harry rushing in from the lounge. He had his lips slightly parted and I could see his pink, wet tongue.

“Laila…” He mumbled. He looked right into my eyes and I felt my knees go weak. I could sense everyone was still moving and talking around but time seemed suspended for us two. My heart was pounding as I never felt it beat before.

“The coats, girls–––I heard. Your coat, Laila?” Zayn interrupted us.

“Oh, yes. Thank you.” I took it off and handed it to him. “How are you, Zayn?” I mumbled. It was so rude of me not to greet our host properly.

“Much better now that you all are here. Isn’t it, Harry?” He asked cheekily and Harry finally seemed to step out from his trance. He kissed me on the corner of my mouth and grabbed me by the arm.

“Come on,” he said showing those adorable dimples that forms when he smiles intensely, as he pulled me inside the flat.

It was not much of a crowded party, less than ten people beside the boys and us. Some of them were smocking hash. I could smell it in the air even though most windows were open. After a few introductions we went to the kitchen to find something to drink. Harry didn’t leave my side once and served some beer for me and Georgiana. Marianne and Liam seemed to get along well, chatting right next to us over their glasses.

When we came back from the kitchen everyone was sitting on the sofas or the concrete floor, partly covered by rugs and cushions. Niall and Zayn’s flat has considerable dimensions. I’m sure it was some sort of industrial building renovated the time of the Olympics. We were very near the Olympic Stadium after all. Bernie was sitting right next to Zayn, who was holding a guitar between his hands as well as Niall. They were playing something over the music. Liam and Marianne were sitting by their side. Someone handed a headless tambourine to Liam and he stared to play along. The girls seemed excited and couldn’t take their eyes from them. I looked for Georgiana and she was talking to some random guy and sharing a joint with him.

“Hey, Laila. How are you doing?” Louis asked with a smirk on his face, approaching Harry and I as we leant against the wall. Harry glared at him but said nothing.

“Fine, Louis. Thank you–––I said. Are you going to play?” I suddenly asked trying to fill the silence.

“Do you want for us to play?” He grimaced.

“I’d love to,” I said looking towards Harry, who was frowning his eyebrows.

“Then your desires are our commands. Are you coming, mate?” He spoke to Harry, who glared at him again. “Tom, mate, please, turn that record off–––he said to someone as they walked away to join their friends on the sofa. This party has officially become a gig.” Everyone clapped their hands and they were some whistles. Gemma came to stand right next to me.

“He can be a bit overbearing, you know–––she said referring to Louis. But he’s a great person once you get to know him properly.”

“Do you know him well?” I asked her.

“I do,” she muttered, holding tightly her glass near her cheek.

“How much?” I boldly insisted.

“Too much,” she mumbled. I glimpsed at her and she was still looking at him.

“What were you listening, girls, before you came?” Zayn asked to Bernie.

“The last song was ‘Chocolate,’ I guess…” She answered looking at me, who nodded in response.

“The 1975. Great choice, indeed–––he said grinning. Harry is a big fan of them. Aren’t you, mate?” I already knew that. And then I realised I was about to hear him sing for the first time and started to feel very nervous. What if I didn’t like his voice?

“Nonsenses, Laila–––I thought. You love his voice.”

“I am, as much as Laila,” Harry said looking on my direction and everyone did the same, but didn’t felt intimidated. The general atmosphere was very welcoming. I could see the boys getting ready and whispering at each other’s ears.

“So, here we go,” Louis ordered.

Niall and Zayn started to play what I recognised to be ‘Girls’ guitar introduction. Then Harry began Matt’s part with his eyes wide shut, soon joined by Liam. He was absolutely dashing. I felt an intense emotion as I heard him sing. Louis played the drums on a guitar case just as DJ Fontana did at the Elvis’ comeback in 1968. The cover was so good it almost seemed rehearsed. Everybody in the room danced along and clapped their hands again as they finished the song and started ‘Heart out’. Liam had the lead singing and I saw Marianne melt by his side. Harry kept looking at me over and over throughout the entire song and I was completely flustered when he did it while singing the chorus.

Finally they started singing ‘Chocolate’, Harry in the leading voice, singing by himself until the chorus came. I took the opportunity to inspect him carefully. Was his hair a bit shorter? It was still messy but Harry always looks so smart and fresh. I loved his buttoned up white shirt. And he was adorable while singing. He had his chin up and eyes closed during the higher notes, but he’s definitely a baritone; his voice is so deep and touching. If I only could kiss his voice. If I could only kiss him. I couldn’t think about anything else.

Well, I think we better go, seriously better go.
Said the feds are here, you know.
Seriously better go, well, I think we better go.
Said the feds are here, you know.
Said Rebecca better know.
Seriously better go.

As they all singed in perfect harmony the last verse of the song I shuddered. I knew they don’t sing like that in their band, but they sounded amazing and looked amazing as well, slightly shaking their heads up and down, glancing knowingly at each other and smiling constantly. They seemed to have a great time when playing together. I knew someday they are going to make it. Everyone was hypnotised by them.

“Now, one from The Direction,” some friend of the boys said when they finished to play. So that’s how they called themselves. I liked it. It was sort of mystical.

“Oh, well, maybe later–––Louis said while putting down the guitar case. Instead, I have an outstanding idea! Why don’t we spin the bottle to know each other better?”

“To know each other’s undergarment better!” Niall exclaimed.

“Come on, join me on the floor, lads–––Louis said to us. Ladies… All who want to play, please, sit on a circle on the floor,” he insisted as we approached him. “Like that… OK, fine. Don’t you want to play, Stan?” He said to his friend.

“I always end up completely nude. Don’t count me in, mate…” Stan answered.

“Do this include nudity?–––Bernie asked me discreetly. Fantastic!”

“Are you going to play, Georgiana?” I asked her, while sitting on the floor.

“Nah. I rather don’t,” she said and left my side.

“OK. Tom? Andy?–––Louis said talking to their friends. Neither do you, Emma? Do you remember last time too vividly?” He joked with her.

“I’ve seen you naked too many times, dude,” she said.

“Well, then, ladies, as you are new to this posse, I’m going to explain the rules for you. Clockwise, everyone in the circle has the change to spin the bottle. At this point we introduce our own modifications–––he explained mischievously. After the bottle stops, the one who made it spin says to the one who’s pointed by it a line or two from some lyrics of any song, in English language. Why do I make this particular recall? Because, otherwise, our polyglot friend here, Mister Styles, will strip us naked…It happened before.”

“Are you a polyglot?” I asked Harry, astonished by the revelation, from across the circle.

“He’s exaggerating as always…” Harry shrugged.

“What languages do you speak?” I said under my breath. Nobody was paying attention to us as they were listing to Louis.

“Besides English, I speak German, French, Italian, Spanish and Yiddish…” He listed.

“Fluently?” He nodded. “And how many of them do you write?”

“All of them, except Yiddish,” He answered.

“Oh,” I muttered, very intimidated. I only speak French. I turned quietly to face Louis.

“So, if the person tells correctly the next line or complete the verse, the one who had spin the bottle loses a piece of clothing. On the contrary, if he could not answer or answer it wrong, he’s the one who strips. Are we OK?” He asked.

“You are going to see some tits–––Bernie claimed. My musical knowledge is below average.” Zayn giggled at her.

“Anyone else to join us?–––Louis repeated to their friends. You can’t peep, you know.” He said. Everyone nodded quite ignoring us as they were talking to each other carelessly and smoking their small metallic pipe. “OK, then. No one is backing off?”

“I’m going to keep Georgiana company,” Niall said, getting up.

“So, here we are, starting at my left: Bernie, Gemma, Laila, Marianne, Zayn, Liam, Harry and, last but not least, myself. And I get to spin the bottle first,” he said. I glanced up to Harry, who was smirking at me.

And the night had just begun.

–.–.–

Notes

Gemma and Laila met!!! Gemma is super cute!

And what was that?!?!?!?! LEMMA?!?!?!?!

Next Chapter: The party continues!!! So much going on in that Spin the Bottle game... Don't miss it!

A massive thank you to the people who's subscribing. I love you!!! I'm enjoying this so much. Thank you for sticking around. I'd try to update soon but my proofreader is a bit of an arse. I'll tell you about him later.

I hope you enjoy the links to The 1975' songs! I massively love them. Have you listen to Matty's prank to Harry on Call or Delete? They are the cutest ever!

Check out my new Fan Fiction here:

Dreaming Of You

So thankful, everyone <3