Eva's POV



The soft background music of "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters was the only sound to be heard throughout my bedroom as I ransacked the contents of my closet in search of a duffle bag to pack my clothes in. Perrie's parents were going out of town for a few days to visit her grandmother on the countryside so she had the house all to herself and invited me over for the weekend after school. Of course, before I agreed to anything, I had to check in with my parents, and lucky for me, they said yes.

I found an empty brown bag lying around that I thought would be big enough for the next two days and tossed it onto my bed before opening my dresser to look for clothes. I picked out a few shirts, socks, and other undergarments along with a pair of denim high-waisted shorts and faded blue jeans to keep me comfortable in the hot summer weather. Once everything was folded neatly inside the carrier, I grabbed my bag of toiletries and stuffed it into the side pocket of my duffle bag before throwing the strap over my shoulder.

"Eva, I don't have all day now!" My father's raspy voice echoed off the walls as I closed the door to my room.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back to him while rushing down the stairs.

He was waiting patiently for me by the front door, car keys already in his hand. I stood on my tip toes to peck his cheek before grabbing the doorknob and twisting it open. The sunlight warmed my cheeks as I stepped outside, walking toward my father's Mini Cooper parked in front of the house. Once he unlocked the doors, I tossed my bag into the back and buckled myself in the passenger's seat.

It wasn't long before his car was backing out of its parking space and driving on the left side of the road. I would glance outside of my window every so often, intrigued by the sight of tall green trees and patches of grass. I've always had a profound love for nature and all of its beauty. Even when I was a little girl, and it would be raining outside, my parents experienced some difficulty in keeping me indoors.

"We're here," My father suddenly spoke up as he switched off the engine, interrupting my thoughts. "Come on, I'll carry your bag for you."

"Thanks dad," I said while getting out of the car.

I reached the front door before my father did so I was able to ring the doorbell. By the time he finished climbing up the porch steps, Perrie was waiting alongside me with a smile. My father set my bag down onto the cement as he tried to steady his breathing.

"Hi Mr. Jones. It's so nice to finally meet you," Perrie told him after shaking his hand.

"Likewise. It's Perrie, right?" My father asked, and she nodded her head. "Eva's mother and I are trusting you to take care of our daughter, so please, please, please don't do anything too extreme."

"Dad!" I whined, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Yes, I do. I'm leaving now, but Perrie, will you please do me a favor and make sure Eva doesn't--"

"--Bye, dad. I love you too." I interrupted him as he went back inside of his car.

Once my father finally drove away, I released a sigh of relief and glanced back at Perrie with a shy smile. She took one look at me before breaking out into a fit of giggles. I clutched my sides, laughing along with her since I knew how overprotective my father could be sometimes.

"Is your - does your father always get this way when you sleep over at a friend's house?" She attempted to ask me without laughing.

"Yeah, it's really embarrassing. I'm so sorry you had to see that," I gushed. "Anyway, where should I put this big old thing?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'll just have Zayn or Harry take it to my room."

My involuntary chest tightened, and I could feel my heartbeat accelerate at the mention of Harry's name. I was hoping that this would be an all girls and no boys kind of sleepover, but a part of me wasn't too surprised to find out they'd be here as well. After all, Zayn is her boyfriend, and Harry is her cousin. I forced a smile and dropped my bag next to the staircase.

"A-alright. Where can I find everyone else?" I asked her as I looked around the empty corridors.

"They're all in the basement playing cards. You can go join them if you like," Perrie replied, pointing to the door at the end of the hallway. "I'm gonna bring down a few snacks. I'll see you guys in minute."

I nodded my head. "Okay." I glanced at the door Perrie pointed to a few seconds ago and began walking towards it. With every step I took, my heart thumped harder and harder against my chest. Don't be so nervous. I scolded myself. I inhaled a deep breath to calm down before turning the handle and cracking the door open. I could faintly make out the sounds of two different voices, possibly three, the farther I pushed it open.

The basement was dark and smelled musty. I had to feel around the walls for guidance until I spotted a source of light coming from the very end of the room. I navigated my way around the shelves of books and boxes before stumbling upon a group of two people playing poker at the table. Harry was the first person to actually see me, but Zayn was the only one who acknowledged my presence.

"Oh, hey Eva. Take a seat so you can watch me kick Harry's arse at poker." Zayn joked which led Harry to roll his eyes. "We're going to start a new round once Perrie comes back," He informed me, gesturing to the vacant seat across from Harry.

"S-sure," I hesitantly agreed whilst sitting down. For awhile I just sat there in silence, watching the boys interact with each other until I heard another's footsteps approaching. I smiled with relief to find out it was just Perrie carrying a large bowl of chips and a bottle of what appeared to be rum.

"Now who's ready to get this party started?"

Notes

Hi lovlies! This is a short update but there will be another part to this chapter :) I thought you guys have been waiting long enough. Hopefully, you will enjoy it though. I'm so glad Tel is back! Once I update my other stories, I'll udpate this one. In the meantime check out Ink & Picture Perfect <3

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-Love
M