Life

A/N: Please read only the one who have NO CHAPTER on the title. DON'T read the Chapter 8, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 and Chapter 9. Thank you so much! Enjoy reading :)

"Cheers!"

I lifted the small wide glass filled with a dark alcohol and together with my friends, we bump our glasses together. It made a loud bang and some of the alcohol from the glass drips down staining the white knitted table cloth. We all laugh at that.

We are all here at a birthday party of one of our schoolmate. Even though we haven't talked to her or even be with her in a same room. But she still invited me and my friends to her party.

"Thank you so much for attending my party, Sharika. I thought you will not make it," she giggle in modest style.

I heard some of my friends whisper saying 'eww' on her gestures. I even saw Anika frown and roll her eyes. I just laugh secretly at their reactions.

I really don't know and understand what came to her mind to invite me and my friends. My circle is known for being a gate-crasher but with a class. We didn't choose a local or lowly party. We always get into the party where spotlights are everywhere. Where a famous photographer are hired to get photos. A party where it will be featured on magazines. A party where I can proudly say that I attended that glamorous party.

"She is the daughter of the owner of Calathea Palace! I'm sure the place will be full of paparazzi!"

Ashley, one of my friends, exclaimed when I said no to the invitation the day that the celebrant went to me and asked me to attend.

I smiled when I remember that day. They give me reasons just to accept the invitations or else I'll regret saying no to the celebrant. Who will not regret saying no? The owner of the Calathea Palace, a five star hotel with two restaurants who holds 3 Michelin stars is the father of the celebrant. He was one of the richest man alive in the whole Asia. And the reason why I didn't know his daughter was a mystery on me. That kind of person should be on top and beside me.

"Oh my, you don't need to thank me.. uhm.." I glances around the table to asked for help as I forgot the name of the girl infront of us.

Good thing, my friends aren't dumb, they get what I mean. Mary mouthed me a word. At first I almost frown my face when I didn't get what she was mouthed but then she mouthed again and my brain just remembered reading the beautiful classic invitation the celebrant gave us.

".. Lou," I said her name with hesitation, "I will definitely attend. This party was one of the talk of town. Besides, some acquaintance of mine from magazines are present here, and you know me, where the spotlights are, Sharika is there."

I smirk at her before drinking at the left dark liquid on my glass until only the diamond like ice are left on my glass. I looked around the reception place.

The place was filled with noise. Not because of the loud musics but because of voices of the attendees. They sound like a bees who keep buzzing around. Probably because most of them are here to get a partnership with some companies.

I see lots of oldies and unattractive people. Most of them brought their daughter and son and make them tour around the tables to introduce them. The rest of the population of the attendees are mostly bachelors, classmates, and schoolmates which is only one-third of the population here. If the celebrant is not in my generation, I will think that this party is for business purposes.

Everyone wears an extravagant gowns and tuxedos. Gifts were all big and expensive comes from different shapes and gift wraps. It was lined up in a long table just beside the stage. It was really eye-catching because there's a lot of gifts. My friends and I just bought a necklace or bracelet or watch at mall. Gladly, we didn't put our name on it because seriously, our gift will just looked like a trash.

As the party goes on, our table got bored. Tbis party was too formal and boring. There's a music but it's an orchestra and in low volume. How would we enjoy the music if it didn't reach my ears? This kind of party is what I really hate the most. Boring and dull.

I should invite my friends to go to a club or bar later. We need to unwind because this kind of party is very suffocating. I really thought that the party will be lively or fun because a very rich and influential person is the host. Turns out they are just a boring family.

If this event will not be covered in a famous international magazine, I surely wouldn't have accepted the invitation even if she's a daughter of a rich man. But since my mind was blinded by the image of myself in a international magazine, I accepted the invite and ta-da, here I am, very bored.

"I know that, Sharika. I invited you and your friends because your group looks fun to be with," she smiled sweetly at us before bowing her head a bit, "I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the night," she then turned her back gracefully and walked to the next table.

My perfected curved eyebrows raised up at her modest gestures. From her smile to her voice down to her walk and posture. It's like she was trained to be a princess by some royal professor in England. She's a definition of a sweet angel. Definitely not my type of person.

"The hell? Haha, she's just like an old princess! What's with her,'I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the night', " Anika mimic Lou's last sentence in a very funny way. We all laugh at her remarks.

All in all, we're 8 in this round table. Four girls and four boys. Ashley, Mary and Anika were my girl friends. The boys are Lonie, Yamada, Marwin, and Jonard. Lonie is Anika's long time boyfriend and the boys were his friends since junior high. And now that we're in Senior High, we're all in one class, reason why we're always together. And also we're all into the same lifestyle so its not that hard to find birds with the same feather.

Our table was full of different types of glassesfor different types of alcohol. We asked the waiter to bring us some bottles of different alcohol earlier, and he asked the father of Lou first before bringing us five bottles of expensive brands of alcohol. We only ate dinner a bit when the ceremony was on going and now that we've eaten, only alcohol bottles and glasses filled our circular table.

Girls on our table was wearing different types of tube dress. We don't have time to prepare diligently since we got invited a week before the party itself. So we have no choice but to buy a ready to wear dress in a dress shop of a designer I know. Gladly, he has a dozens of tube dress.

The dress I chose was just a simple one. Its a white tube dress with a big butterfly design on the stomach part. There's a black cape that reached the back of my knees attached on the back of the dress. As I walk, the cape flutters at my small movements. Plus, it's convenient because I can take the cape off when I got tired of it.

While boys are wearing black tuxedoes that isn't unbuttoned showing us their white long sleeves polo and bow. The difference from their attire is the color of their loafers and bows.

When we got tired of drinking, we took our phones out and take selfies and groupies. After a couple of minutes and dozens of pictures, we send it to our group chat so we can also choose some shots to upload on our social media. I choose three groupies to be upload with a caption of #CalatheaPalaceParty. I also tagged my friends on it and after a minute, I choose three solo pictures to upload with a caption of #RushClothing and tagged my designer.

Just five minutes later, my phone cannot stopped beeping and vibrating as lots of messages and comments and hearts on my post notifications came. I smirked and read them without replying to anyone.

Getting tired of my phone, I yawned. Anika yawned too until all of us yawned. We laugh at that and decided to go to a club after an hour.

If I just don't see any familiar faces from my family's business, I will definitely go wild here. I don't want to get shocked tomorrow morning that my ATM card is no available useful. I should at least behave and just get out of here to make a mess. I would rather leave early from this boring party than to suffer a week or so without my spending money.

After eating a piece of grape, I excused myself to go to powder room. The reception area was in their garden. It looks very beautiful with white roses planted and some lights on the bushes. It was a very big garden and I don't want to take a risk of getting lost with my heels and a bit blurry vision. When I saw a person standing alone, I went to him and pat his back to get his attention.

"Excuse me, do you happen to know where is the way to the powder room?"

My teeth automatically bit my lower lip when he turned around to see me. I am little bit tipsy but I can clearly see his handsome face. I guess that's the power of my eyes. I can definitely notice a hot man even in dark.

He stares at me. The phone that he was holding at his hand fell to the ground. I giggle at that as he picked it up with a shy smile on his face.

"Ah.. what's wrong with my hand? Haha," he scratches the back of his hand and offer a hand to shake with mine, "I'm Luke of Miguel Corporation."

I raises my eyebrows secretly as I smile at him and accepted his hand. His hand was soft, warm and abit bigger than mine. He has also a whiter skin than mine. Maybe he was from other country? Well, his pointed nose, bulk body that is obvious at his coat, and a handsome face, I bet he has some foreign blood on his veins.

I was just asking for a way, and I got introduced to a foreign handsome man? Wow, I can't believe the power of my beautiful face. Shall I play with him for a bit? Hmm..