Chapter 1

"If you really haven't been watching the news - I should be the one telling you. One - there's a serial killer on the loose." Elizabeth distractedly held her fingers up to count, "two - partying has never and will never be something I cave into."

There was a dead, bored look in Holly's eyes as she gave a reply. "Firstly, I know there's a serial killer on the loose and secondly, come on Liz...! It wouldn't kill you to just come out and have fun for at least this one night. I have telling you about this party over two months now."

"Hmmm," Elizabeth hummed unenthusiastically. "And I've been telling you over those two long months I'm not going to that party. I'm trying to do something right now... and you're dead-ass distracting me."

"A serial killer can't even be interested in you," Holly declared, with a sneer crawling up her face as she spoke on. "You're too boring."

"And that's extremely great news for me."

Elizabeth perked up and leaned into the table she was rough sketching. A new design she had pictured in her head for weeks now but hadn't been able to draw down just right. It had just been coming out all wrong, and she wasn't satisfied with every piece of drawing. Therefore, around her, on her small dining table, crumbled papers littered everywhere around her. Squeezed into balls and tossed around without a care. 

Her surrounding was a mess, and maybe it was because her best friend Holly, was constantly distracting her, but it had seemed even harder to draw anything reasonable in the blank paper before her. Even she herself was a mess at that moment. A falling to pieces Miami dolphins sweatshirt with mustard stain at the front was what she had on. Her hair was tousled, in a rough bun, like a nest over her head. And the old jean she had on was one of the many she got handed down from her grandfather.

Her pencil twirled in her hand, between her index and middle finger and yet she couldn't bring herself to let the sharp pointy lead scribble upon the blank white A4 paper. So she chewed on the end of the pencil, starting to get frustrated, and almost at the point of a break down. 

"I can see it," she mumbled beneath her breath. "I just can't seem to perfectly have it written. I have a block right now."

"Come on. Come on. Put that thing away for a minute, will you?"

An unladylike guttural groan of dissatisfaction escaped from her best friend. Elizabeth raised her wandering blue eyes to look at her. Holly DeAngelo wasn't the kind of person to take no for an answer. She was persistent, wild, and had unchangeable lousy character which really was a huge blend with the color and style of her hair. 

Her Farraha Fawcett hairstyle was full and wild over her head. She had swirls of vermilion-red hair and they plummeted over her shoulders. Long layered hair flipped and feathered back off the face with a bang that feathered and rolled off her face as well. It was a unique hairstyle. Because she liked unique. Being special. Different. It was made popular by the TV star of the same name; late 70's and early 80's and wasn't as common has it was anymore. Her hair had always made her stand out in a crowd, drawing attention to her like a magnet would metal.

She was beautiful. In a plus size kind of way. Her bossom was full. Her hips very wide, her cheeks chubby, her height average. Standing at 5'6, though kind of short, she still had an essence of confidence to herself. And she always stood tall, knew how to draw people's attention to herself and maintain that attention with her loud, cheerful character. Which was the reason why she always had people loving and adoring her. She was outspoken, unlike Elizabeth, which was a literal contrast. Shy, introverted, always wanting to be indoor alone, shut out from the rest of the world. 

Elizabeth Taylor and Holly Emory had known each other all their lives, ever since kindergarten, and the few fun experiences Elizabeth had was because Holly was always trying to pull her out of the shell she had around herself to block out the world.

Standing akimbo and tapping her left foot, clad in black Mary Jane pumps, on the wooden floor of Elizabeth's small - very compact kitchen, Holly watched her friend with squinted eyes. Her cupid's bow lips were pressed together in determination. They were plummy, soft and suede soft. She had just recently got back from work, and hadn't even gone home to change. She was still donning the wine thighs hugging pencil skirt and light pink shirt she had worn to the hotel in the morning.

"I have had this party organized and planned out with hard work and sleepless night-"

"No, I don't think you had sleepless night," Elizabeth interrupted Holly, tutting and shaking her head side to side with a mocking smirk pushing up the tip of her lips. "You don't joke with your sleep. When you don't get enough of it, you have the temper of an elderly complaining lady. And you're unpleasant."

Holly rolled her eyes and stubbornly continued. "I have been planning this party for eight good weeks because I want my boss' younger brother to have the most perfect eighteenth years old birthday, and you still insist on not coming? Come on, now!"

Elizabeth was determined. "No."

"Liz, come on now."

"I said no."

"Come on now."

"No. Holly, for fuck's sake!" Elizabeth dropped the pencil in her hand against the table aggressively. Her temper quick running out with the persistence of her best friend. 

She squeezed her eyes and cupped her temples with her moist palms. Behind her close lids, she pictured this clothe in her head once again. She could imagine the silk and material she would use. The way she was desperate to piece the fabrics together and sew it into the most perfect dress. One for the decade. Her boss, Ross was on her neck, already demanding to see her latest design and at that moment, not only was she desperate but also running out of her patience and getting really mad at herself.

Perhaps she was just too stressed, her hand itched to draw something, but her clouded head and unstable, wavering concerntration wasn't helping at all. 

"Please Liz..." she heard Holly whisper, and speak on, but still didn't open her eyes. 

Infact she zoned out her friend's voice and rather listened to the sound of the tap leaking drip drop into the bathtub in her bathroom and the washing machine humming as it spinned around the dirty clothes she had put in barely thirty minutes before Holly's arrival. Her throat felt dry and her head was starting to thumb softly at the temples, throbbing with slight pain. If anything, she needed sleep not attending some billionaires party.

She massaged her head with one hand while the other ran - tried to run - through her tangled mess of dry, untidy hair. Breathe Elizabeth, she commanded herself, taking in slow deep breathes and exhaling loudly. 

Finally, she peeled her eyes open and listened to Holly speaking on. Her friend was standing opposite her on the table now, her chubby hands pressed into the wood of the table top. 

"If you don't go to this party I won't ever bring you left over lobsters and bottles of wine from the hotel anymore." Holly threatened. Her languorous eyelashes of feather black batted in confidence over her eyes at the look of disbelief that struck her friend's face.

"You wouldn't dare," Elisabeth whispered, matching Holly's hard gaze. "You know I look forward to those delicious lobsters and free wine every friday."

"Oh, I know that," Holly merely mentioned.

She averted her eyes to her acrylic nails nonchalantly and brought them close to her eyes for closer inspection. It was a black rose crackle shimmer. Featuring a beautiful red and black crackle, illuminated by two black matte rose nails that each had a gemstone in the center. The finishing touch was a beautiful black glitter nail.

"Holly," Elizabeth groaned. Bangs obscured her eyes like a sheepdog as she continued to look at her friend. She finally caved in, after realizing the chubby girl was never going to give up. "But just this one party. After this, no more party for the year."

Holly squealed, giggling giddily as she walked around the table briskly to wrap her big arms around her friend's neck in a tight bone-crushing hug.

"And maybe, finally, you can meet a wealthy prince charming that'll fall in love with you before the clock strikes 12 in the midnight," Holly added in a small voice, her shoulders were already quaking with deep rumbles of laughter before Elizabeth could even respond. "Before

you say anything, remember my boss is hot? You might stand a chance!"