Five.

Later that afternoon, I rush around the apartment to get ready for guests, lighting candles and making sure what's in the oven doesn't burn. After I'm sure the place is okay, I wiggle into a gold dress and sit on the bathroom counter, pulling my hair back away from my face, and smudging on black eyeliner and deep red lipstick. I step back and look at my reflection, a girl ive never seen before staring back at me. When I smile, she comes to life, looking more like a stripbunny than the girl id intended.
I don't admit that I didn't dress up like this for myself.
There is a buzz and I let in Charlotte from downstairs. When she makes it to the door there is a man with her, in a dark suit and a superman teeshirt underneath, typical of the dumb ones she likes.
"Syria! Oh sweetie I haven't seen you in ages. What do you think of my hair? Do you like it? Being a blonde is so much fun, although not naturally of course, you know that."
She spins around, brushing her hands through her perfectly curled hair. This is a Charlotte that i've never seen before. I pull at my dress, thinking about what Adam would think of her. He probably would have liked the old Charlotte better.
"Its....different. I'm not used to seeing Blonde Charlotte."
She pouts, puffing her cheeks up. "You don't like it. I should've known you wouldn't. Well, whatever, Herold likes it, don't you sweetie?"
The man in the suit puts an arm around her, and she leans upwards to kiss a clean-shaven cheek. Charlotte turns back towards me.
"Is Rebecca here already? She left a bit earlier than I did, I think to pick up booze, or something. Oh, I forget. Is she here?"
As I shake my head, a tall brown haired girl appears in the stairway.
"Rebecca!" Charlotte squeals, as if they didn't live together. Rebecca squeals back and hugs Char and I.
"Thank god you're here. Come on, lets go sit inside. These heels are killing me..."
Both girls teetered inside, chattering about the designer brand, Herold trailing behind them. I close the door slowly, wondering where Adam is.
"So, I have news! Herold and I have decided to move in together!" Char says excitedly. Herold nods and Rebecca claps, leaving me to smile half heartedly. My eyes move back in the direction of the door.
"Syria? Are you alright? You look bored." Rebecca frowns.
"No, I'm sorry, of course im not bored. Im glad you two are moving in. That must be romantic!" I say, smiling fully this time. Char looks at me.
"Syria! How could you! You invited a man and didn't tell me. Oh I feel so stupid, putting all the attention on me. Is he the one?"
I laugh at Char's drama. "Of course he isn't. And its not what you think, I mean I did invite him, but its not like that. We're just friends."
"That's what they always say. Anyway, its time you had a man in your life. You are always taking care of everyone but yourself."
Smiling, I look at Rebecca. "Oh and SHE doesn't need a man?"
"Hey, I have a perfectly long line of men waiting for me at this moment. Char's right, its you who need's a plaything!" Rebecca winks.
I smile and glance at the door. "It's okay, anyway, he probably forgot. Let's go ahead and eat, before the food gets cold."

Late into dinner, when the girls are all drunk, there someone knocks on the door. I blush and get up suddenly, almost tipping over my chair.
"I'll go and get it, you keep chatting okay?"
Char ignores me, draping herself over Harold. I walk through the hallway and open the door. Outside, Adam is leaned up against the opposite wall.
"Hey." He says, raggedy in the way I like.
I smile at him. "Hey. Where's your costume?"
He looks at me, confused, then looks at my dress. "Oh! Cleopatra, my queen. You didn't tell me this was a costume dinner!"
I blush again, partly at my mistake and partly at the way he looked at me.
"Hold on, I'll be right back." I rush to my room and back, bringing a black mask. I reach forward to hand it to him, then change my mind, and carefully tie the mask around his face. He raises his eyebrows, giving me one of his famous cheshire grins.
"How do I look?"
"You look.."
"Syriaaaa! Come back, and bring your friend!" Charlotte calls in a drunken, girlish voice from the next room.
Adam stands up and follows me inside and to the dining room, where Charlotte sits by herself. I see Rebecca's silhouette as she stands on the small deck, smoking.
"Who is this beautiful thing, and why is she sitting by herself?" Adam's question is directed at me, but he stares at Char and the cleavage showing on the top of her lime green sundress.  Charlotte giggles.
"This is Adam."
"Oh I had a boyfriend named Adam, he was a dreadful mistake. My name is Charlotte but you can call me sexy." She laughs.
"Char?" Adam squints at her. "What the fuck!"
Charlotte stands up, knocking over her chair. "No. Not you."
"What the fuck happened to you. You just left, left me with a goddamn LETTER and now you're some dumb blonde?! Who are you?"
"You are the one that fucked things up. It's not my fault you always fuck things up. And its none of your business who I am anymore! I didn't want to be some sick goth girl who dates broke assholes like you. So what?"
"FUCK YOU, CHAR."

Charlotte runs into the next room, leaving me and him standing alone. Adam glances at me angrily and goes after her. There is a flush in the next room and Herold comes out. He looks around at the chair on the floor, then at me, my eyes wide.
"Don't TOUCH me!" There is the sound of glass shattering from the next room. Harold and I run in, where Char screams that Adam attacked her. Adam sees Herold.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
Herold looks at Adam, his hands up, backing away from Charlotte, and punches him. Adam lands hard on his back, and Char runs out the apartment. Everything is fuzzy, and I hear Rebecca desperately calling for Charlotte outside. Harold looks at Adam, blood running from his nose, and leaves me to him. I'm not sure what happened. I try to pull Adam up onto the couch, but he is too heavy for me, so i grab a pillow and push it under his head. I sit down on the floor beside him, broken glass littered around us, and I want to disappear.