The Innocence Of It

Chapter eighteen

Weeks fly by and everything between me and Louis goes back to normal, well... as normal as kissing your best friend can be. It's a Friday evening, I'm sitting on my bed with a stack of books beside my bed reading Jane Eyre when Emily barges into my room making a loud thud.

"Maya guess who followed me on instagram and invited us to her party tonight!" Emily screams, announcing excitedly. She had let herself in as usual so it wasn't a surprise to see her.

"I don't know who?"

"Poppy!" she shrieks, "Can you believe it?"

No, I really cant.

Shocked, I sit up straight in my bed and put my novel down giving Emily my full attention. "Isn't it suspicious?"

Emily shrugs like it's no big deal, "It is, but lets focus on the fact that we got invited!"

I look at her not knowing how to react.

Ecstatic, Emily gives me a quick run down of what the social setting is about. "Okay so it's not really a party, it's basically a chill filled with some of Poppy's closest inner circle. Anyone in attendance is either cool, wealthy or well connected."

"Em. We are not part of her inner circle." I say firmly.

Emily waves her hand at me dismissively, "Whatever, that doesn't matter," I'm at a loss for words. Emily ignores the pained look on my face gushing about how this party will be the highlight of her year while she straightens her chic beige dress with her fingers.

Coming out of shock, I get out of my bed and try to bring Emily back to earth as she walks back and forth across my room rambling on about the party. Trying to make Emily see reason, I stop her in her tracks and put my hands on her shoulders shaking her hard to face reality. "Emily wake up!"

She giggles and I shake her again, "The last time you attended Poppy's party you spent your whole evening avoiding her. When I met Poppy, she didn't seem to like that Louis and I are best friends." I remind her, trying to pump some sense into her.

Unbothered, Emily moves my hands away from her shoulders, high on cloud nine, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "But this time it's different, we've been invited we're on the list! Maybe she's had a change of heart?" The tone in Emily's voice is airy and whimsical making me weaker than I already am.

I narrow my eyes eyes at her, giving her a you know-that's-not-true look. "I highly doubt that."

"Mayaaa." Emily whines. I take a sit at my bed, defeated watching Emily brimming with excitement, like an excited puppy.

"Em we're not her friends, I don't think she likes us." I point out.

"So?"

She can't be serious. I raise my eyebrows at her quizzically. "So? There's obviously an ulterior motive for her inviting us, plus, I don't want to go to her shallow party and I don't think my mom will let me leave the house tonight."

A devious smile quickly plasters on Emily's glossed lips, her winged eyes shining with mischief. "I already asked your mum for permission before I entered your room and she agreed. She said as long as you don't drink any alcohol you can go, which is fine because you you don't drink. I'll drink for the both of us." she says cheerily.

Irritated, I glare at her. Of course she thought this through, she knew I'd use my mom as an excuse.

"Maya we're young, it's a saturday, live a little," Emily says in a sing- song voice while happily dancing and prancing around my room. "We're not going there to make friends, it's just for vibes. I want to dress pretty, eat free food and get wasted." Emily then stops to admire her reflection in front of my full length mirror. Sitting wearily on my bed, I begin to assess her outfit.

Emily is stunning and her dress is amazing, she looks like she should be on the cover of a fashion magazine, her make up is flawless and her black hair parted in the middle is long and straight. She's sure to turn dozens of heads in her short beige off shoulder dress which hugs her curves perfectly.

Blissfully in a world of her own, Emily happily takes a few mirror pictures of herself doing cute poses and when she's done, she sits next to me on the bed, "Maya even if Poppy doesn't like us, aren't you bored or at least curious to know why she invited us?

"I'm bored," I admit sheepishly, "But not curious enough to go."

Emily looks at me pleadingly, clasping her hands together begging me. "Mayamiko please do this for me, I really want to do something fun which doesn't require my own money."

I narrow my eyes at her, "I'm aware."

Emily uses every opportunity she can not to spend money, so this 'party' is the perfect opportunity for her to post something clout worthy on instagram without having to dip into any of her funds. I really don't want to go to Poppy's party but Emily's all dressed up and I don't want to disappoint her.

Sighing, I look up at my ceiling filled with dread, mentally preparing myself to go, "Is Louis going?"

Emily's eyes light up with excitement, "Yes I told him to pick us up so he'll be here around eight. Are you coming with us?"

"Yes..." I cave in.

Emily quickly pounces on me, hugging me tightly making us fall back on my bed, "Yes! I knew you wouldn't let me down! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I owe you!"

Emily jumps off my bed striding to my closet, carefully rifling through the hangers looking for an outfit I can wear. She grabs a maroon crop top from the rack and squints her eyes, trying to visualize the perfect outfit. From the look on her face I can tell she is unsatisfied and continues to rake through my clothes until she settles on a short mint green dress I haven't worn in a while.

Ready to get this over with, I force myself to get up from my bed and head to the bathroom and take a hot shower. Clean and refreshed, I wear the dress Emily picked out for me and start searching through my shoe rack. My eyes immediately land on a pair of strappy silver heels that go perfectly with my dress and I put them on. For my finishing touches, I straighten my hair, put on some nude eyeshadow, false eyelashes, maroon lipstick and I'm good to go.

By nine p.m Louis is parked outside my gate leaning against his car, his tempting blue eyes entirely on mine. As Emily and I walk to meet him Louis scans every inch of me in my mint green dress, his gaze roams slowly, starting from my face moving all the way down to my silver painted glittery toes.

"Louis quit checking out Maya we're already late!"

Louis quickly breaks out of his gaze, glaring at Emily, to which she returns a sly I caught you smile. "I wasn't checking her out." he defends guiltily.

Emily winks at him, "Sure you weren't." she answers  sarcastically.

"Can we please get going." I cut in, trying to get them to drop the subject as I get in the car. Louis and Emily follow my lead and pretty soon we're heading to the party.