Forever | h.s.

Chapter 37

~Annabel's POV~

Everyone greeted Calum warmly, and I had my eyes locked intently on him, as he walked over to my best friend.

"You look beautiful," I heard him whisper as the adults conversed amongst each other.

"Let's go over there," I gestured torwards Lilly and Calum, and Mark followed.

"Oh! Um, Calum, this is my best friend, Annabel." She smiled, as I approached.

"Hi," We both said, shaking each other's hands.

"And this is her date, Mark." They did the same, and Lilly went on introducing Cameron and Josh as well. We got to know each other a little while longer, until my mother interrupted the small group of teenagers.

"Alright, everyone ready to go?"

She clapped her hands together. We nodded, and the adults stepped into one limousine, and the teenagers, in another. The interior was beautiful, and decorated. There was also a section full of champagne, and wine. I watched as Calum passed out a glass of champagne to everyone.

"To... making this night unforgettable." Mark held his glass out. "Cheers." He flashed a perfect smile.

"Cheers!" Everyone chorused along, clinking the tips of their glasses. There was a moment of silence as everyone sipped the bubbling champagne. It was a sweeter champagne, with only the slightest bit of bitterness lingering on my taste buds. I actually quite enjoyed it. We all made small talk on the way to the country club. At one point during the ride, Josh locked eyes with me, and had a concerning look on his face. Being siblings, I knew what this was about. I nodded slightly, and mouthed the words, 'I'll tell you later.'

Once we arrived at the club, the women exited the limo first, then the men. Right away I saw limousines lined up along the curb, all leading to the entrance of the country club. There were older women and men, and teenagers around our age, all walking up to the double doors. Mark walked up next to me, and held his arm out.

"Ready for this?" He asked, smiling with an eyebrow raised.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I nervously laughed, as I put a hand around his arm. We both walked towards the doors, with a ton of people in front, behind, and beside us. Tonight was going to be packed with people, but none of them would be Harry.

I shook my head to clear it of the thought of my boyfriend not being with me on an extremely special night. We walked through the doors, and immediately, the sight of people was all I saw. Women and men of different ages were dressed in elegant gowns, and classic suits. The "line" was crowded, as people tried fitting through the second set of double doors, to the main dining area. The whole place was transformed. There was now a stage, and a whole area was open, for dancing. There were long rectangular tables; one for small foods, like mini macaroni cups, finger sandwiches, and more. Another for snacks, like chips, pretzels, bowls of different drinks, and fruits and veggies, and another for all kinds of desserts.

The place was already beginning to become packed, and there was no sign of Harry. It was already 6:15.

"Annabel!" Lilly called me over, with a wave of her hand.

"Mark, I-" I started to speak.

"It's okay, go. I'll meet you backstage." He chuckled.

"Okay," I smiled. "See you soon." I wiggled my fingers, and walked towards Lilly.

"We've gotta get touched up, then we're gonna get ready to walk down the stage!" Lilly explained, as we walked to the dressing rooms. There were other girls in the room, frantically rushing to touch up last minute make-up, and hair. "And I have a surprise for you!" Lilly smiled brightly.