THE engagement party took place in the Everglot family's manor in Surrey. Contradictory to the house's antiquated exterior, the guests were all dressed in formal wear coinciding with the modern day's trends. Servants roamed around the place carrying trays of drinks and pastries as guests chattered amongst their relatives, peers, or acquaintances.

"...and the next thing I knew, I was in the largest Tiffany & Co. store in New York." Lizzie Everglot was telling her friends, "Johnny made me choose one from thousands of choices! It was splendid, really, but I had a difficult time deciding on the right pick."

"Charlie Grey had done the same thing with his wife," said one of Lizzie's friends. "just because he couldn't decide on a right pick either."

"Same case with my brother," remarked Natalya. "He's an indecisive person— but he didn't hesitate about proposing to you. He's eager to get married."

"That's what I wonder about," Emily Hughes then questioned, "Why is that so? He's only twenty-one, and Lizzie's twenty. Isn't it a bit too early for anyone in the 21st century?"

Natalya shrugged. "It's probably just because he likes big events. Or maybe he just wants to have children of his own like Alek does, but he wants to follow the Christian rule of losing his virginity after marriage."

Silently, she snorted. As if.

Natalya discomforted herself with each lie or excuse she told her friends, but it was all for the sake of her dear brother, and to defend him in any way.

Irrelevant to this matter, she exerted herself into avoiding eye contact with a certain young man who wouldn't stop glancing at her every once in a minute since the beginning of the celebration; finding herself meeting his gaze again, Natalya muttered words of frustration and excused herself from the others before storming out the front doors.

No one else was outside apart from Jim Buchanan who was standing by the trees and seemed to be in a phone conversation with someone.

Natalya settled herself down on a bench by the lake, illuminated by the lamps. Feeling no need to grab her phone from her clutch, she took in the relaxing atmosphere as she watched the ducks move about the surface of the lake. The chilly night breeze brushed against her exposed skin, but it didn't bother her. Living in the cold climate for most of her life, she was used to it. Even learned to love it.

Someone joined her on the bench. Without even turning her head to look, she already knew who it was.

"We have been looking at each other for hours," he said to her. "Might as well speak to each other in order to... make things less awkward."

"Speaking to each other only makes things more awkward," replied Natalya. "What's your deal, anyway?"

"I know you are aware I've fancied you for two years."

"I am aware. But I don't care."

"That rhymed."

"So what are you trying to imply, Everglot?" she questioned the Brit. "That now I've broken up with Sebastian, I should date you?"

"No. I'm quite definite that you won't even bother to go out with me. I just wanted to check on you."

"And why is that?"

"Bloody damn, you ask too many questions. Now I'm starting to regret coming here and ever having fancied you."

"Fine then," Natalya snapped back, "don't answer if you don't want to. It's that simple."

Tom scoffed stubbornly. "Fine."

She expected him to rise to his feet and return to the party, but he remained where he was, as though he had no intention of leaving her. She felt... oddly relieved.

As an intention to ignore his presence, Natalya took her phone from her Chanel clutch and busied herself by replying to her friends' text messages.

Tom then broke the momentary silence, "Buchanan is a mystery, don't you agree?"

"He just doesn't like to talk much, that's all."

"Has he been like that since he was younger?"

"Now you're the one asking questions," Natalya sneered. "To answer you, Jim has always been an introvert, but since his mother passed away, he became more isolated. His only friends seemed to be Abby, Alek, and me - and then Johnny came along, and developed some sort of special bond with him. I've honestly never seen Jim be so intimate with anyone, not even with Abby or Alek."

"Well, he's pretty much intimate with the rest of us in the Riot Club when he's bloody drunk." said Tom with a snort. "Even made out with Sinclair."

"I know, I've seen him drunk. It's amusing."

"But forget about Buchanan. I have to say, I'm quite amazed at how you Russians seem to be immune to the cold."

"What do you expect from those who live near the arctic? The weather here in England is not much compared to the cold air in Russia."

"I suppose you've got a point."

The two spent most of the evening in conversation with one another, never failing to run out of topics. One maid had approached to offer scones, which they turned down with the decision that they were full.

As they talked, Tom led his female companion into the hedge maze in the backyard of the manor, pointing out the different types of flowers growing from the hedges.

"Do you have a secret ambition to become a botanist?" Natalya asked jestingly.

"What? No. I just happen to know about flowers because my mum's obsessed with them. When my siblings and I were children, she would tell us everything she knew about those things. At first I thought the familiarity on flowers was useless, but apparently they guide your way through the maze. For example; roses are near the entrances or exits, the hydrangeas leading east, and the French lilacs are in the mostly found in the heart of the maze."

"That's cool. Ever gotten lost?"

"A few times when I was little. The first time I got lost was when we were playing Hide and Seek; I lost because I panicked and screamed for help."

Natalya sniggered upon visualizing the described recollection. "Adorable."

"Oh, shut it."

When they returned to the manor, there were less people than Tom and Natalya remembered. Apparently, many of the guests had left, and the ones who remained were mostly the drunken boys of the Riot Club and Lizzie's closest female friends.

"They seem like a really happy couple," remarked Tom, watching Lizzie and Jonathan dance drunkenly to Rainbow Connections by Kermit the Frog.

As if they truly love each other, right? Natalya wanted to say.

"Yeah," she smiled a little, seeing the laughter and expressions of joy on the faces of her brother and Tom's sister. "They really do seem like it."

—-

i cant think of a good title for this okay

pt 2 cumming up

— admin audrey