Hana Lane
As she followed the girls into the limo, Hana continued to switch between enjoying and even embracing her day with the girls, to hating herself for liking it. Annelise had been kind enough to welcome her into her home, which was nice in itself, but considering that her clique was so exclusive, it made the gesture that much more appreciable, and probably peculiar. She allowed her to wear a dress that she, herself, had designed, assisted her with her makeup and had some of the top stylists work on her appearance. Even if all of the day's events weren't so much sincere as they were out of courtesy, Hana still had to appreciate it. Annelise could have just as easily pulled a Katherine and told her to get lost. She didn't, and had even been gracious when Katherine seemed to insist that she be nasty. It was nice considering the circumstances, and even if Hana knew that she had never fit in with this crowd before, she decided to enjoy it for the night.
She was glad that Lexi had taken a seat next to her, since like Annelise, she too had been kind to Hana throughout the day. After spending a few hours with the girl, she wasn't as intimidated with the possibility of being excluded from their small talk in the limo. Just to be safe, though, she rested her phone on her lap, ready to pick it up and pretend to text someone if she was suddenly denied inclusion in the conversations. It didn't really happen, though and the ride went by surprisingly quickly.
Hana had never been to Elmo, but it was clear that they had arrived when the car stopped in front of a crowd. There were people outside who almost instantly swarmed the group when it was determined that it was Annelise's crew. Hana knew that none of the attention was meant for her, though, and instead of being the awkward one jumping into pictures she wasn't wanted in, she smiled and made her way into the building without waiting for the others. Another line of photographers outlined the red carpet inside, and Hana followed the same protocol, before waiting at the end of the line of cameramen. She didn't want to cling to the girls, but she was also unsure if she knew anyone who was here yet, and didn't want to be alone either.
The four appeared sooner than later, and looked a lot less fazed than Hana probably did. They were apparently used to the attention more than she was. Not just that, but she figured that big parties like this were also the norm for them, whereas a big night out for her would be a house party in someone's two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. The atmosphere only increased as the group made their way downstairs. The music got louder, the flashing lights brighter, and the crowd of party guests bigger. While the group gravitated towards the bar, Hana lagged back for a moment. She wasn't planning on drinking and didn't want them to think she was. Once the drinks had been made, she took a step closer. Lexi had pulled Kat off to the dance floor and Annelise addressed her, asking if she had ever been to a party line this before. For a quick second, she considered lying to seem cooler, but she was sure that Katherine had spoken poorly of her enough to ruin any chance she had of seeming cool. "Definitely not," she said with a laugh. "None of my friends would have connections to get us into a place like this," she admitted. Needless to say, none of them would be able to rent out a place like this either.
Hana doubted that Annelise wanted to stand and talk with her while she had tons of other people who socialize with. Again, she didn't want to impose, but she hadn't spotted anyone familiar in the crowd yet. As Annelise turned her attention back to the bartender to get her drink, Hana pulled out her phone and quickly sent a text to Maria and Lex. She had seen Lex earlier that day at school, but didn't have a chance to approach him. She wasn't really aware of his ties with Annelise, so she only hoped that he would be here tonight too.
To: Maria Montgomery
Are you guys at the party yet? I'm by the bar.
To: Lex Manning
Hey :)! Are you coming to Annelise's party tonight?
Are you guys at the party yet? I'm by the bar.
To: Lex Manning
Hey :)! Are you coming to Annelise's party tonight?