Champagne Problems by Taylor Swoft

Because I dropped your hand while dancing, left you out there standing crestfallen on the landing with champagne problems.

It's the evening of the ball. I realise now that to get my dress on it takes four stylists, two water breaks and a lot of sucking in. When I get it on though It isn't too bad. 

The dress is a pale pink colour with a corset top and a princess cut skirt with lots of layers. The stylist is sweating by the time she has fully tightened the corset. Avery and I kept making eye contact trying not to laugh whilst she was doing it because she kept huffing and sighing. 

When my dress is on, another stylist begins attacking my face with makeup. Another works on my hair whilst the one who put my dress on starts decorating me with rings and bracelets, I tell her that I'm wearing my chain no matter what.

"It doesn't exactly fit the theme." She sighs. "I've never taken it off, and I'm not starting now." I reply. 

My Mother gave me that chain for my sixteenth birthday, she got Avery this pretty necklace for her sixteenth which cost her a whole month worth of cash. For my birthday she was starting to get sicker and couldn't work as often so she just gave me her old one that she wore all the time, she never told me where she got it but I've wore it close to my chest ever since then. When I was fake dating Grayson I was told to give him it to wear but I refused. I've never let anyone wear it. It's just a plain silver chain with nothing too special about it but its the sentiment that makes it important to me.

My hair is placed into a half up half down braid crown that looks elegant but is still practical. "And we're sure this outfit has not previously been worn by Emily Laughlin?" I ask Alisa as my final touches of makeup are put on.  

She smiles gracefully, "This dress is custom made. I've personally taken the time to look through her best looks and none compare to this." She replies.

The ball is being thrown in the ballroom of the house. Thousands of guests have been flooding in all evening, the ball officially begins at 7:30pm. I'm looking in the mirror now at 8pm. Avery has already gone down to greet guests but I'm waiting until things die down a little. Or until Jameson finally shows up. 

"You look great." Alisa smiles, leaving the room empty except from me. I sigh with a smile. I wish Mom was here.

I hear a soft knock on the door. "It's open." I call out. The door knob twists, Jameson stands by the door.

He's wearing a well ironed suit with polished shoes and finely combed hair. It's strange seeing him so done up, he doesn't usually dress in suits but when he does it is a blessing to the world. 

His eyes trail me for a moment, he steps inside and closes the door. "You're- You-" He stutters, looking more flustered as time moves on. "You're beautiful Paris." He smiles, his cheeks glowing slightly. 

I bite my cheek, the makeup on my face hiding how much I'm blushing. 

"You can't say anything when you look like that." I smile as I gesture to him. "Are you- You ready?" He asks, still hesitant with every sentence. 

"Yeah, I guess." I nod. "What's wrong?" He asks, sensing somethings wrong. "Well the last time I got all dressed up for one of these ball things I got shot." I laugh a little. 

He steps towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, placing his chin down on my shoulder. 

"But this time things are different. This time I'm your date. And if anything happens I'll be able to protect you. I'd take a million bullets to protect you Eiffel Tower." He smirks, kissing the point my neck meets my shoulders. 

"Now let's go. I can't wait to show you off." He jokes. I turn my upper body around and kiss him gently, careful not to mark him with lipstick.

He takes my hand in his and leads me down the staircase. Cameras turn around and flash photos of us. I feel uncomfortable being watched by almost every person in the room but Jameson squeezes my hand sensing how I feel. 

Once the photographers have calmed down we sit down at our table in the ballroom. We've all basically been shoved at the kids table. Jameson, Grayson, Xander, Max, Avery, Thea, Rebecca and I all sit together as dinner is served. We all eat, trying to keep the conversation light and professional, knowing tables close enough can definitely hear us.

Later in the night Xander and I wander up the staircase in the ballroom and just watch all the rich people dancing in their huge dresses. We lean on our wrists on the cold stone railing. 

"This feels so surreal." I sigh, almost laughing. "Really? Why?" Xander asks. "Are you insane? Thousands of people wearing dresses that are worth more than me? It's so.. extra." I laugh. 

"I guess.. I never really thought about it much. I grew up with all of this so I guess it's always seemed normal." He says. We don't need to be looking at each other to notice how easy it is to talk with each other. 

"I think we grew up in very different ways." I laugh, people watching over an old couple slow dancing in the middle of the dance floor even when nobody else is joining them. 

"What was your childhood like? You don't talk about it a lot." He inquires. 

"Well we grew up without like any money at all so nothing like yours. In fact, this dress probably cost as much as my Mom made in her whole life. There were a lot of times when we wouldn't have enough money to pay the electricity bills and sometimes even water bills. So we would just wrap up in blankets in the dark. Mom came up with loads of games though so that we were distracted from it all, to be honest I never really noticed how bad it was until I was like 13." I reminisce.

"But after she died things got pretty ruff. We had to move in with Libby and her asshole boyfriend who hit her, and sometimes us. But at least we had a roof over our heads and food on the table. I worked 2 jobs to try and pay my share of the bills. And then we got the call and had to come here. Well now you've heard the entire story of my life, when the movie comes out I'll make sure someone hot plays you." 

"Things would've been so different if Avery never inherited the money." Xander says quietly. 

"Who knows if she never showed up what could've been." I say knowingly. 

Xander takes a minute to realise what I said. "Did you just quote Taylor Swift to me?" He raises a brow. 

"Never be so kind you forget to be clever, never be so clever you forget to be kind." I quote randomly. "Okay we get it you're just as much of a nerd as me." He laughs.

"Green was the colour of the grass." I continue quoting. "You're just quoting random lyrics now." He laughs. And this time instead of quoting I fully burst into song, him joining me.

I hate that stupid old pickup truck you never let me drive. We sing, laughing as a couple passing adults stare obnoxiously at us.

You're a redneck heartbreak who's really bad at lying. We continue until I see Libby standing behind Xander. "You singing about Nash?" She smirks jokingly. My jaw drops in mock shock. "Oh no.. I'll pay you all my money for you to not tell him about our secret song about him." I gasp.

"Nice try. My silence can't be bought Pear." She tuts dramatically. 

"Well I think you're Boyfriend and Girlfriend are looking for their dance partners, rumour is a slow song will be playing next." Libby hints to Xander and I, we look down towards our partners who are both initiating in an uncomfortable conversation. 

"Oh no." Xander grimaces. "It's too late. They've got to the small talk stage." I join him in horror. 

Jameson and Max both awkwardly fake a laugh, "Oh god. We need to run. They've started fake laughing." Xander says before we both start running down the stairs in fits of laughter, me struggling to lift my dress and run all at once. 

When we get to the table where they both sit alone, Xander bows down and dramatically gives Max his hand. She takes it and they walk to the dance floor as the previous song comes to an end.

"May I have this dance?" I place a hand out. "You can have every dance my dear." He replies, taking my hand and leading me to the dance floor. 

The song begins playing, its slow and romantic. One of my hands on his shoulders, his on my waist, both of our free hands interlocked. We just look into each others eyes. Until my eyes can't help but drift behind him. 

Grayson's and Avery slow dance, her head on his shoulders, his on her waist. I shouldn't be jealous. I chose Jameson. I've always chosen Jameson over Grayson. I can't be feeling this way.

Jameson notices and subtly does a small spin that makes us swap positions so he can see what I was looking at.

When he notices Grayson he drops my hand while dancing. His hand removes contact from my waist. "Jamie-" I try. "Do you even want to be here with me?" He asks sounding a lot sadder than he'd let anyone see. 

"What? Of course I do." I reply, trying to place a hand on his cheek, he steps back a little. 

My dress suddenly feels very tight, or maybe my chest feels bigger. "You're looking at him." He tightens his jaw. "I was just a little surprised they were together." I explain. Surprised or jealous?

"Really? Cause it looks to me like you saw him and started wishing you were her.. or i was him." He looks to the ground, trying not to look me in the eyes. 

"There is nobody else I would rather dance with. You are my favourite dance partner." I smile, placing a hand on his cheek except this time he allows it. 

"Sorry." He apologises, clearly feeling stupid. "Don't be." I pull him back in and dance, this time nuzzling my head into his neck.

We dance around for the rest of the song, neither of us wanting to pull apart even when the next song plays. 

A person with a camera comes right towards us and starts snapping close ups of us dancing together. I jump back a little when I notice the bright flashes. 

"It's okay." He nurtures for only me to hear. I squirm uncomfortably as they continue taking photos. "Can we just go outside for a minute." I beg him. "There's even more out there, we're better off in here." Jameson tells me. 

A couple more paparazzi come over and snap some more of us dancing. I don't want to stop dancing with him because I shouldn't have to. I feel like I'm suffocating, like this dress is eating me alive. 

I can feel my breaths getting heavier and my heart racing faster. One camera man gets seriously close and that's the point I just break away from him. 

"Sorry could you go photograph someone else please?" I ask politely. A younger photographer walks over, he looks mid twenties. "Is there a problem?" He asks.

Then I feel his hand, caressing my hip and sliding down, I jump towards Jameson when I feel his hand reach my ass. 

Jameson steps in front of me. "If you so much as touch her I'll snap your neck." He hisses. Getting ready to step forward and start a fight but I place a hand over his chest, "Just leave it." I mumble. 

He listens to me and steps back, placing his arm around my shoulder. "I'll get security to escort him out." Jameson tells me.

I don't reply, just walking away from the scenario. "Where are you going?" Jameson asks. It seems this incident has caused a commotion. 

"I just need air." I spin my head to him for a moment.

The second I turn my head around and keep walking out I regret it. A waitress holding a large tray of champagne glasses stands right in front of me. I crash into her tray and every single glass smashes and pours down me. 

I bite back a whimper as a couple minuscule glass shards pinch my skin a little. 

"You okay?" Jameson jogs towards me. We're now directly in the centre of the dance floor and everyone is watching. 

"Yeah." I lie, trying to stay calm. "Just really need some air." My voice breaks as I try to hold back tears teasing my eyes.

"Paris.." Jameson looks right into my eyes. "Are you okay?" He asks seriously. I bite down on my cheek, hard, until I can taste blood, trying desperately to not cry.

"Mhm." I nod, tears slipping down my cheeks at the movement. 

"Just talk to me, Paris. Please." He begs me. 

"I'm just not the kind of girl who lives in a mansion and dates a guy like you. I'm not the kind of girl who goes to balls and wears dresses. I'm not good enough for you and I think you know that. I don't deserve any of this and I definitely don't deserve you." I sob, trying to wipe my tears so I don't add to all the commotion already. 

If videos of this get out -which they will- it'll just be another thing for people to hate me for. 

"Stop telling yourself you don't deserve things. You deserve the world my Eiffel Tower" I see his eyes, lined with tears too now.

I turn around to walk away again, but I trip over my stupid dress and land on my knees. 

When I'm on the ground I realise I can't get up. I mean not physically. I could get up. But I can't, it feels like my heart is weighing me down and I can't bring myself to stand. 

Jameson drops to his knees in front of me. When I see his face I completely break down. He cries now too, pulling me into his arms and holding me as I sob.

My eyes may be blurred with tears but I can still see what happens. I watch as Grayson and Xander step in front of us both, creating a barricade in front of us from the paparazzi. Avery and Max join them, then Libby, Nash, Thea and Rebecca. Until a circle is formed around us, giving us a private space free from cameras or an audience. 

He places kisses on my forehead, his arms around my chest as I cry.

At first it felt like this was a panic attack but this is no such thing. This feels like every single thing that has weighed me down ever is catching up with me. 

My Mother is dead.

My Father hates me. 

I was shot by my ex boyfriend. 

I was in a gang. 

I got a personal video of me leaked. 

I got a tattoo and a piercing. 

I have a stalker. 

And as if my life isn't fucking hard enough, I have boy problems.

I've been convincing myself for two weeks that everything is fine, nothing happened. I've felt like we finally got out of the woods. But I can't anymore. It's all catching up with me. 

My heart feels like it's going to explode, or just shatter in half.

I feel my body be pulled to its feet, I feel myself walking out with Jameson holding my hand and leading me away. I feel us walking up the staircase, cameras trying to follow us but being stopped by Oren. 

It feels like I'm out of my own body, I'm aware of everything going on but I don't feel like I'm controlling it.

Jameson opens his bedroom door. We walk inside. He quickly pulls his jacket and tie off. 

I sit down on his bed, he slips my shoes off and helps me up again. He turns me around so he's facing my back. He starts undoing the tight ties of my dress. He takes about ten minutes to fully untie it all, struggling quite a lot. But when the dress drops down to my feet and I can finally breathe it is worth it. By this point I finally feel like I'm me again. I'm no longer on autopilot.

I shiver when I realise I am nude apart from my underwear. His window is open and there is a breeze. I hold myself as I feel the cold breeze freezing me alive.

He gets me a shirt of his that is too big for me like most of his clothes but it does the job. He leads me to his bathroom and uses a wet towel to wipe off most of my makeup.

Then he takes my hair out for me and helps me into bed. He kicks his shoes off and gets next to me. 

I pull the covers over my body and wriggle closer to him. He pulls me in and snakes his arms around my hips. I bury my face in his chest. "I'm sorry." I whisper.

"Shh.. It's okay baby." He strokes my hips up and down gently. "Just a long night. It happens." He soothes. 

"I love you." I mutter, feeling myself drifting to sleep already. "I love you too." He mumbles.

(a/n. I know I'm putting Paris through a lot right now but it's just until the end of this third of the book, Part 3 Paris will get to be happy I swear. Only four more chapters after this!! I'm so excited for Part 3, I have so many plans. Also in the next part you should know that Paris sort of just sweeps this whole thing under the rug as if nothing happened at all, and not like her bottling it up again, more like now she's let it all out and she feels there is a weight off her shoulder and she's finally free from it all. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, let me know what you thought.)