Earlier that day

Bella's pov

"Can I know why are we here so damn early !!" Susan huffed.
" 'Cause...."
I started examining the dresses in front of me.
"We have college to attend " I completed.
"Can't you shop in the evening today ?"
She whines.
"You know I can't. You have a party to attend" I stated calmly.

"But why is it that your mom doesn't allow you to go alone anywhere? You're nineteen for God sake!"
"How is this one?" I asked avoiding her previous question.

"Mi !! You should stand up for yourself."
She started ignoring all my please to stop.

"They are my parents Susan they know what's better for me and what's not. Being nineteen doesn't mean you get to make all decisions for yourself. I still depend upon them for my living. They are the ones working hard to pay all my college fees so that I could study carefree."
I said calmly.
"And I know sometimes mother becomes a little overprotective of me but that's..."
"Okay"
I finished with a smile.

Susan gave a heavy sigh.

"You know very well it's not about being 'a little overprotective' "
She mumbled.

"Anyways. Hurry up then" she said.

"Hmm. Here how is this one ?" I asked

"Umm. The colour is too dull."

"Okay.." I picked a wine colour knee-length dress.
"What about this ?" I asked.

"Now that's my thing," she said

"Okay then go try it on."

"Okay. I also got these. Let me try all of them."

"I think the changing rooms are towards the right," I said examining the black midi in my hand.

When she left I looked for a few more middies rejecting most of them.
When my eyes caught a pretty white coloured midi. I quickly took it and marched towards the changing rooms.
_________________________________________

Current Time

Bella's pov

"Exactly my choice." He said with a smile and left.

I stood there awestruck, kinda confused too.
Recalling what just happened.

I just smiled remembering our strange exchange and the way he stormed out.

Then turned around and looked in the mirror with the dress over me.
Then a voice startled me.
"Where Were You !"
It was Susan.

"Where were you !?" I snapped back.

"In the changing room. Duh," she said

"Oh, is that? But you weren't here." I replied sarcastically

"I was on the second floor." She shrugged.

"How would I know that? I thought you were in one of these." I said gesturing to the changing rooms.

"Oh! but I thought I was a female and was not supposed to go to 'male changing rooms. But thank you for telling me I could. Its a news to me "
She said with sarcasm overflowing.

I stood frozen. I had nothing to say.
To say I was embarrassed would be an understatement. I was drowning in embarrassment.
Not because I came out as stupid in front of Susan no definitely not.
Now I understood why Harold was in there and how I made a fool of myself asking if Susan was in there, in a male changing room.

He would probably be laughing hysterically recalling my stupidity by now.

I slapped my head and looked down shaking my head disappointed at how I made a fool of myself in front of 'almost a stranger'.
I started giggling. Laughing at my stupid self.

"Now what are you laughing at ?"
She asked irritated at me for zoning out.

"At myself " I stated.

"O well. Now, what did you do to make a fool out of yourself except the fact that you were searching for me in male changing rooms ?"

I laughed again at my stupidity.
Ceasing my laughter I continued
"You remember that "Harry guy," I told you about ."

"Hmm the boy you met on Monday while I was waiting for Harry Styles but he never came."
Her voice descending when she spoke the latter part.

"Yeah. His name is Harold" I said

"Oh! Is it."

"Hmm?"

"You know Harry's full name is Harold Edward Styles. Right?"
She asked.

"Okay. Now I know."
She shook her head when I said that.

"Okay leave it now tell me more." She said.

So I told her everything about how I not knowingly knocked on the changing room he was in. How I recognized him. What did we talk about and how he almost ran out of the shop.
Everything.
You can't blame me she was my best friend after all and I can't keep things from her even if I want to.

She stood still her eyes were wide open, she was evidently surprised.

"Wow...I need to digest it," she said after a long pause.
"You carried on a full-length conversation with a male species! That to who was neither related to you nor was in need of your generosity!!"

"Should I be offended by this?" I asked while folding my hands.

"And so you know it wasn't the first time I talked to him!" I stated.

"I know that. But am I not even allowed to be surprised keeping in mind your almost non-existing interaction with boys !?"
She was indeed not expecting this from me.

"Okay is that all you gotta say? If yes then let's head out I've already chosen what I want to buy."
I said.

"What !? You chose the midi for you ?" She asked with disappointment.

O Yes, I haven't told her that he helped me choose.
Maybe I forget to mention that.

"But you are always so confused to choose dresses for yourself. You always ask me to choose for you !" She whines.

"Not correct. I just ask for your opinion and I am the one who chooses for myself." I stated.

"Whatever. You ask for my help and that is it! You ditched me today."
She complains like a baby.

"Sorry Susan, Harold helped me today."
I said.
Getting slightly irritated by this childish argument.

"You ditched me for him!"
I began to giggle at this statement.

Shaking my head in slight disbelief I dragged her towards the billing counter.
_________________________________________

College was as usual not boring not interesting.
Currently, I am in my car with my driver going to Susan's place for a night stay.
Its 8:00 pm in the night it was absolutely not easy to convince mother to go to Susan's.
But I somehow succeeded in it.
Although it required a lot of pleading, promising and a bit of emotional blackmailing too.
Nevertheless, I got what I wanted.
Also not to forget the not so sweet 'indirect warning' I got clearly stating that if I did not attend college tomorrow
I will surely not be allowed to do this "night stay" thing again.

I know the main question right now is why so many rules? Believe me when I say that I am yet to figure it out.
_________________________________________

"Tell me what urgency it was for which you were not able to wait till tomorrow even? Not to forget about the sudden request for this unexpected night stay ."
I started as soon as I entered her room.

"Uhh.."
She was out of words right now.
Well, it was not easy to expect for the fact that she was practically rambling while on phone.

I waited impatiently tapping my right leg.

"I uh I wanted your help to choose a dress for my date today."

"Date!?" My jaw dropped on the floor listening to her.

"Yes," she said shyly.

Oh my God!!
"You but you were going to the party right?" I asked

I was not very sure what I feel about this. I mean I remember she had a crush on this Drake guy of our college and also that they had met a few times outside college but when did they come so far to date?

" Well I was going "
She said and emphasized more on was.
"Oh! So plan changed?" I asked.
"Not exactly." She said

I was confused and suspicious of her intentions.
_________________________________________

Right now we both were standing in front of a mansion-like house of Stacy Demeto, our college mate and also my friend.
We even hang out sometimes although not as often as Susan and I . Nevertheless she is a good sort of girl. She doesn't have even a pinch of arrogance. That was not very normal as she had everything that a girl could wish for. Good looks, perfect figure, popularity in college, rich parents, boys hovering over her almost all the time. Owing to these things it wouldn't have surprised me if she had got ego two times her height. But she wasn't like that she was the fun-loving, carefree kind type of girl. That's also the reason she frequently throws parties.
Nevertheless, she was fun to be with not like other college girls who are all about makeup and boy stuff.

This is my friend's party but that doesn't change the fact that I don't want to be here.
And not to forget if anyhow my parents came to know that their daughter lied to them and attended a late-night college party they'll............
God knows what they'll do!

"Susan I'm gonna murder you for literally dragging me here !" I said through my teeth.

"You know I need your help. I need you to be present here with me."

" You know if anyhow mother came to know about this. I'm dead. So I should kill you too." I stated

Luckily Susan's mother was not home so she could not tell my mother I could not even imagine what would have happened if she was there.

She gave me a humourless chuckle in response.
I glared at her.

She then gestured me to come inside with her. That I did having no other option.

We entered the 'mansion-like house' and were welcomed by numerous drunk and wasted boys and girls roaming here and there and doing God knows some weird stuff.

One could not ignore the loud blaring sound of the loudspeaker no matter how hard they try to.
I could see sweaty bodies of hormonal teens and young adults dancing on the stage towards the far end of this massive hall.

I literally HATE college parties !!
Hate is a strong word I don't hate many things but this.
The sweaty bodies roaming here and there dancing weirdly.
Crazy college students with their hormones on the peak getting wasted and all over each other.
Are a few of the many things I hate about these parties.

I don't understand why people and especially girls do so much makeup and dress up specifically to attend these parties when they have to get their mascara and lipstick smudged and hair like a beehive!

Anyways this was my first time attending such a huge college party and I couldn't hate it more.

I was so engrossed in disgracing the party that I did not realize when Susan went.

Where is she? Why did she go without me?

I was now standing alone at this party!