"Sooooo." I said as we made our way back downstairs. "Who are these friends we are meeting?"
"Just some people I'm friendly with at my new school?" Mary answered with a casual shrug, while she fiddle with her new necklace. She'd had me help her put it on while she had exchanged her old earrings for her brand spanking new ones.
"New school?"
"Well, yeah. Couldn't exactly remain at my old school while living with my Aunt here in London." She told me.
"Ah, so you haven't known these guys too long." I guessed.
"No, but they are nice enough, even if half of them are probably brownnosers looking for a leg up." She told me with a smirk.
I chuckled as I realized what she was hinting at. "And you're abusing that for all its worth."
"Dad always said that if a rich jerk is trying to get in good with you to take him to the cleaners." She shared with me and I heard our escort choke back a laugh.
"I think I would have liked your dad." I decided.
"Yeah, he was great." Mary sighed fondly, and a bit sadly. I reached over and gave her back a light pat.
"They are still here, watching over you," I told her with a conspiratorial wink. "Most of the time anyway, they probably don't follow you into the toilet or anything."
"Oh, EW!" She gaged in protest and gave me a hard push that had me rocking back on my heels a bit. "Why would you say that!?"
I just snickered as she glared at me. I noticed that we weren't being led down towards the entrance but instead, we turned on the second floor and began moving towards the back of the house again. The reason as to way quickly became apparent as our guide assured us into a small alcove just beside a grand staircase that swung down into the large clear room below. From the alcove, we had a mostly unobstructed view of the room but the height and the design of the place blocked anyone from seeing us without first moving up the staircase. It was a nice design.
I gave my host a questioning glance, she just shrugged and smiled. "I'm supposed to make a grand entrance."
"Ah!" I said knowingly. "Drama."
"Style." Mary corrected lightly.
"Theater."
"True," Mary admitted with a smile and a shrug. "It is expected."
I huffed a laugh as I turned my attention below where people had slowly started to trickle into the room. The large space had been cleared of all furnishing besides several large tables along the walls that were filled to excess with what I would call finger foods, drinks, and pastries. Small round tables, with four comfortable-looking chairs apiece, were also placed along the walls for people to sit at. On the far side of the room was a small raised area that looked provisionary, likely constructed just for this occasion, and would likely be removed after. There was a wide selection of instruments on it which were being handled by a small group of people that I assumed was the band.
I noticed that they also had a gift table, which was the first port of call for all the new arrivals before they either moved towards the refreshment table or move towards one of the small groups of people that were slowly forming around the room. It was a very colorful crowd too, with most of the girls being dressed in garishly colorful clothes that were so bright it almost hurt to look at some of them. Turquoise was not a color anyone should be wearing. The guys were more understated in comparison with some even having traditional suits on.
The Bell Bottom Pants crowd was out in full force amongst both the guys and the girls with was a funny look, particularly the ones that had combined it with more traditional suits. And then a saw a real grand example of the times step into the room and almost pose for a moment so that the crowd could see and appreciate him. He was dressed almost like John Travolta just fresh off the set of Saturday Night Fever, only not only was his pats flared but so were the arms of his suit. I choked back a laugh as he watched him strut across the floor towards the gift table and placed his garishly wrapped gift on the table with flair. Mary noticed and giggled quietly.
"That's Erik. He's a bit... eccentric. Nice enough but never ask him for fashion tips, he has no taste... or restraint."
"I kinda figured out that myself." I squeaked out.
Mary smiled at me and then proceeded to give me the dish on the people in the room, which were nice, which were consummate asskissers only here to make connections, and who were obscenely rich as opposed to merely rich and finally which ones had famous parents. I recognized none of those but apparently, there were the kids of some famous British actors mingling down below.
"This is a new and strange side of you," I commented humorously.
"It pays to keep informed." She told me airily causing me to chuckled again.
We ended up standing around chatting amicably for another fifteen minutes while the room below slowly filled up and the band got their shit together and started playing a soft melody that I didn't recognize but quickly termed elevator music much to Mary's amusement. I noticed the aunt appear and start to move through the room, speaking briefly to people in the crowd before moving on. And then it was finally time for Mary to do her grand entrance with her aunt announcing.
Mary visibly steeled herself before straightening her back and then stepped confidently into view, paused for a moment to let the gathered crowd get a good look before slowly descending the stairs to the applauds and cheers of her guests. I shook my head ruefully at the pageantry before making my way down when I saw that the other guests were distracted by the girl of the hour. I ghosted around on the outskirts of the crowd as it slowly moved towards the gift table.
What followed was a lot of excited squealing on Marys's part as she quickly when through the small mountain of gifts that had piled up. Mary graciously thanked each person for their gifts as she went through them. I didn't pay much attention to what she got, but all of it was expensive. She even got an all-expense-paid trip to someplace I'd never heard of but sounded tropical.
Once that part of the event concluded people started to split back up into small groups that either stood around chatting or claimed one of the small tables along the walls. Some even took the chance to dance. I trailed after Mary as she moved through the various groups, getting introduced to several people that I promptly forgot about once we moved on. As I gladhanded, I felt an old mask I'd not had cause to use for several years smoothly slide into place. I smiled, I laughed, and didn't pay any attention to the urge to make a sarcastic comment when one of the guests said something stupid.
I got the impression that Mary only knew most of these people superficially which made sense since she can't have known them for too long since her transfer to her new school. it wasn't until a bit later that she led me to a group that she was more friendly with.
"Hey guys!"
Mary waved excitedly as she led me to a group of three that was standing chatting by one of the refreshment tables. It was two guys and a girl and were one of the ones that were dressed a bit more conservatively than the rest of the crowd. The first guy was almost as tall as me, with short dark curly hair that was a bit longer at the front. He was olive-skinned with brown eyes and a wide white smile. I suspected that he might have some continental blood somewhere in there. He was dressed in a powder blue three-piece suit, though he'd discarded his jacket which lay crumpled on a nearby chair, leaving him in a blue vest and a white shirt.
The girl was short with straight blond hair that almost reached her ass. It was tied up in a ponytail. She had on a short white dress with a high neck with luridly pink flowers on it that made me wonder if she was colorblind. She waved back excitedly as we approached.
Guy number three had long wavy brown hair that reached his shoulders and was slightly overweight. He had a pair of rose-tinted gold-rimmed glasses resting on his nose that his hid eyes. He had a poofy green shirt on with accompanying greed pants and a comically white leather belt that clashed horribly with the rest of his clothes.
"Well, if it isn't the girl of the hour!" Curly exclaimed with a wide smile. "Finally got around to us?"
"Simon!" Flowers protested and tried to elbow the now named Simon, but the tall boy appeared to have expected it and nimbly sidestepped it.
Glasses chuckled at their antics and took the opportunity to reach out and ruffle the girl's hair which caused her to shriek indignantly and slap at him while trying to protect her hair, which just got Glasses laughing.
"Mike! Not the hair you ass!" She complained. "Why do you always go for my hair!?"
The now named Mike just laughed irreverently and made a half-hearted grab for Flowers's hair. "Because it's funny Linn, and it's not like its hurts none. You have enough hairspray on its like armor."
Linn fumed and tried to kick him but like Simon, he seemed to be expecting it and simply took a step back. Mary smiled at them fondly before clearing her throat.
"Guys, I'd like to introduce you to someone." She announced and pushed me in front of her. "This is Drew, a good friend from before I came to live here. Drew, these three lunatics are Simon, Linn, and Mike."
"How do you do?" I responded with a little wave.
"The man, the myth! Mary won't stop talking about you!" Simon announced while sliding up to me.
"I mentioned him once!" Mary retorted quickly, her face heating up again.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Linn said, moving around Simon to offer me her hand which I took and gave a light squeeze. "Don't mind these two, they think they are charming."
"I'm way charming!" Mike said with a smile and gave me a wink over his glasses.
"Then why do you strike out with the birds so much?" A new voice interrupted. I saw the lot of them except Mary roll their eyes even as I turned and saw Eric, the guy from before, strut up to us with a confident smirk on his face.
"Hello, Erik. How are you?" Mary said lightly with a small amused smile.
"Smashing!" He announced as he pranced up and kissed Mary on the cheek before giving the rest of us an insincere smile. "Fabulous party, Mary. Love to be here! The food's amazing and the company is mostly fine."
"Fuck you too man," Mike muttered.
Mary seemed intent on ignoring the comment and merely smiled at the flamboyant kid. "I'm glad you could come."
"Always!" He said warmly before turning his attention to me. "And who might this be?"
"This is Drew, he's in town visiting," Mary said and I put on a smile and stepped forward and offered my hand. Erik gave me a critical look before he took my hand gave it a quick pump and let go.
"Pleasure. You don't go to our school. I'd have noticed." he commented.
"He goes to a private school in Scotland, very exclusive," Mary interjected before I could get a word in.
"Oh hoh. I haven't heard of any exclusive schools up there. Hmm, Scotland you say? I hear they like to wrestle hogs up there." Eric commented airily.
"Eh, I wouldn't know, I don't get out in the countryside too much," I answered.
Erik gave me a vague smile that gave me an odd feeling. "Pity."
We talked some more after that before Erik sauntered off to talk to some other people. We mingled some more. Linn ooed and aaed over Mary's new jewelry, and asked me if I wanted to dance. I wasn't too enthused but didn't want to be rude so we took a spin on the floor, which of course meant I had to do the same with the birthday girl as well. And so the evening went. Me and Mary spent most of the time with the trio, Erik would stop on by now and again to talk to Mary before moving off again.
All in all, I had a pleasant evening.
Once things wound down and people started to excuse themselves, including the trio we adjourned back to her room to finish our earlier chat before I had to take my leave. I didn't get away before Mary got a promise out of me to pop in some time in the future. At this point, I liked her well enough that I didn't think that would be a chore so I gave my word and we made some vague plans about meeting up around the new year if I had the time.
Instead of leaving as I arrived I decided to give Mary a little show and apparated away instead. I wish I could have seen her face, but you can't have everything.