Parading through a museum might be an ideal situation but not when your guard is up. I could barely move my legs from apprehension. From the stupid comment Alpheus had in the airport I'm just about ready to bolt out of here. I don't need this in my life right now. 

"Zeph." A feminine voice echoed through the hall. Thank goodness, I rejoiced in my head. I wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans and try to recover the moisture in my mouth. The thing that is worrying me the most is that he knows my name. How could be have known that? 

I smiled to hide my worry and encounter with Felix and meet up with her. "Where were you? We were looking all over," she said, returning the phone to me with an apologetic expression.

"I got lost in the Renaissance and the Baroque era's," I replied, trying my best to cloak what I experienced. "And then I couldn't find you, so I just continued on my own."

Her brow peaked, high and mighty. She knows me, maybe even more than I know myself and I can tell that she knows things are not alright. When it comes to reading emotions, Stacy is an expert. We always joke that she should be a psychiatrist. 

"Are you alright, you're a little shaky?" She asks. 

I looked her right in the eyes. She was practically the same height as me. "I'm fine," I shrugged. "Just tired."

Knowing her, she would badger me all night and day until she gets more than one sentence from me. I will tell her one of these days but now is not the time. She eyed me inquisitively but was interrupted by our professor giving one last lecture before we headed back to the hotel. My mind was fuzzy, still unable to grasp what had happened this day. What other surprises does this city have to offer me? I got ready for bed with the need of serious rehabilitation. Stacy kept her normal stance about my emotions. 

I'm jet-lagged, shocked and nervous. I need to sleep. Last time I tried to pull an all-nighter after a flight I ended up fainting and slept for two days. I cannot have that happen, especially during this trip.

Relieved, I fall on my bed with a soft thud as Stacy walks off with a hidden agenda. I stare at the ceiling praying that everything will be well the following day. No more encounters. My heart and mind can only take so much. I ignored a text from my mother, which was actually a day old, I didn't know what to say to her. Although I never checked in, I always let her know I was fine through social media. Every day, I'd post.

My eyes fell slowly but to my disappointment, my blissful sleep was interrupted by a heavy body landing on me, causing me to heave.

"Ah," I screamed. "Stacy get off! I need to sleep. I'm heavily jet-lagged."

She rapidly shook her head back and forth. "No can do, sista, you're coming with us," she said as a large hand curled around my ankle. Instinctively, I grabbed a hold of the headboard to prevent them from kidnapping me. My grip around the wooden board started to slip and I yelped as I come flying forward.

I didn't need to look to see who was helping her pull me off of the bed. "Parker, let go," I said through my teeth. "I am not going with either of you!"

Thrashing from under them, I begged them to stop tugging on my limbs, but they replied stubbornly and started tickling my side. "Guys, no!"

They abruptly stopped and stared at me. I gave a sigh of relief and glared at them both. I propped myself up on my elbows to get a better look at them. They each gave me bored look that was bordering on placidity. I know that look because I've seen it multiple times. It's one of their multiple ways to try and get me to go out. 

"What are you guys up to anyway?"

She plopped beside me. "We were just going out to dinner and thought you'd want to join us," she said in her bubbly voice. Her blonde hair cascaded perfectly down her face in multiple layers, thin liner expertly drawn on her lids paired with nude lips.

I raised a suspicious eyebrow at her. "That's what all the fuss is about? Come on you can do better than that," I coaxed, looking at Parker, who appeared as his usual self. Gelled brown hair and brown eyes to complement his features and a fresh outfit. I tell him all the time, that he's my crush. If only he was at least bi-sexual then I'd have no problems about being boyfriendless - if that's even a word.

Parker spoke up this time, "We just wanted an innocent night out, what's the harm in that?"

I grabbed a pillow and tried to muffle my dramatic complaints. "What do you say, toots?"

This was going to be a disaster. We all knew they are going to get drunk and I would have to be the one to drag them out of trouble. If I say no, they'd go anyway and I would have to worry, again. Only God knows how many times I've saved them from terrible one-night-stands, bar fights, and cops.

"Fine," I gave in with reluctance. "But we are not going to do anything crazy or even close. Capiche?"

They both give me identical looks of excitement. "Wooh, thanks, babe! You're the best!"

Oh, straight up. When I'm done, they better give me the 'Bestest Friend Ever' award. 

I got up and started to pull appropriate clothing from my luggage bag and I painted my face with minimal makeup. My reflection in the mirror was not the same. My grey eyes glimmered with thoughts of the world crashing on my shoulders. Wishing that my makeup and clothes would hide my emotions, we walked quietly down the hall and into the nightlife.

"Ooh, la la," Stacey purred as a group of guys passed us on the street. I grimaced as they turned their heads to check us out with their hungry eyes. Why do I have a boy-crazy best friend, you ask? Honest answer, I have no idea.

A low grumble left my lips and Stacy jerked her head towards me. "Hey, miss grumpy gills," she said, impersonating Dori from Finding Nemo. "Loosen up, the night is beautiful!"

Lights, camera, action. I gave her a huge smile and thew my head back in a laugh. "You know what? I am going to enjoy this night. I am going to have fun," I say jubilantly. I lifted my head from sulking and see the delicious scenes Paris had to offer.

They both joined me with hoots and hollers and giggled at the jokes I made about Stacey and her affinity for 'hot' strangers.

The Eiffel tower stood with elegance on the horizon as if it was dancing for the world to see. Lights were strewn around windows and doors of shops and restaurants giving it a romantic feel. Various sounds and fragrances hung in the air as we walked. The sound of our feet hitting the pavement calmed me as I watched beautiful couples stroll and hold hands.

"So, where to?" I asked, trying to keep my head above the water.

They both scanned the buildings and before I could blink Parker's hand shot out. "There," he said, pointing to an area with groups of people outside and a heavily built bouncer.

I raised an eyebrow at him. We met Parker on campus a couple of years ago. He was the drool-worthy, good-looking bachelor I once had my eyes on. It turned out he was completely gay and we became good friends. If you could, I would count him as a boyfriend. Everyone should have a friend like Parker, sweet and kind.

"A club?" I interjected as I glanced at the outrageously dressed women and neon signs. "No," I shook my head. "We are not going."

"Come on, it will be fun," he grinned and poked me on my side. "You don't even have to drink or dance. Blah, blah, blah."

I groaned. "Whatever happened to our 'innocent night?' Not tonight, please?

He stared at me for a long second. "Alright, we can go somewhere else."

Thank goodness! That's one less threat gone. Clubs were perfect places people get victimized both by prowling men and women trying to get a date for the night.

"Where's Stacy?" Parker searched the crowd and our surroundings trying to scour the are for our happy-go-lucky best friend. I should have known.

A very intruding feeling reverberated through my entire body and my eyes frantically raked the area. "Dammit," I cursed. "Where are you, Stacy?"

I jogged towards the club, its insanely loud bass rumbled through the walls and doors. "Stacy?" Everyone that could hear landed their scrutinizing eyes on me. I turned my head back and forth trying to look for her. If I keep this up, I'm going to get whiplash.

Just when I was about to give up, I saw a blonde blur whizzing past the bodies and entering the dark, pounding club. Parker sensed my distress and neared me.

My eyes widened and a film of sweat coated my forehead and neck. "Please don't make me do this," I said just before I followed her in with Parker in tow.

Only once had I voluntarily entered a club and that was when I was naive and influenced by a very persuasive friend. I didn't find it fun at all, nothing about it was the least bit attractive. In a wave, the experience comes back as the bass reverberates aggressively against my lungs. We squeezed through bodies and apologetically slipped through couples.

"I'll go this way, you can check the bar," Parker says beside me.

"Okay, let's meet by the doors in ten," I agree.

Where are you, Stacy? The air was getting thinner and thinner by the second. The music was loud against my ears and my voice. It was dark, crowded and sweaty. I quickly wanted out.

I made my way to the bar, which had more space to move and breathe. There wasn't one person who was not drinking. Well, except for me of course. I looked around the large room and caught a very engaged Stacy on the dance floor. I walked over to her and tugged on her arm. "Stacy, what were you thinking?"

She stopped and gave me a mischievous smile. "Hey, it worked! You're here!"

I gritted my teeth to show her my frustration. "What do you mean?"

She walked over to the bar and I followed her, leaving the man she was just dancing with. "We needed to get you in here somehow."

My mouth fell open at her words and I hit her upside the head and she cringes. "Jerk!"

Stacy ordered two shots and handed me one. I eyed it carefully and vow to not be tempted. "No," I refuse only to have her wave it around my face.

This was when I wished Europe's legal drinking age was just a tad bit higher, then I wouldn't have to worry. It isn't a pleasant memory, my first in a club. It was a little less than a year ago, I got drunk and I almost lost something very precious to me. I told myself never to voluntarily enter one again.

"You're already here." She shrugs and hands me the strong liquor. "We're not leaving anytime soon."

In one gulp, she swallows the vodka and puts her hands on my shoulder. 

"I can't believe you two." I narrowed my eyes at her, hoping she would at least hear me out. "I did not come to Paris to get drunk." 

She squeezed my shoulders and says, "Have fun, and enjoy yourself."

I grab her arm to stop her. "Just don't do anything stupid," I warn her. 

She smiles. "Don't worry about me, Zeph. I'll be fine."

"Just be careful," I mumble in the noise.

She gives me a tight hug before jumping back into the thumping crowd.

Slumping my shoulders, I set the glass down on the bar and traced the rim with my finger. This is going to be one long night, I said to myself before swallowing the shot. I wince as it burned my throat in a very unpleasant way. I was not a fan of alcohol or anything close to it. In fact, I'm not a fan of many worldly things. 

My gaze followed my friend's moves and when I would lose sight, my face would twist into an unattractive frown. Parker was nowhere to be found and Stace was somewhere on the dance floor, most likely surrounded by men much older than she is. 

I contemplated if I should pluck up the courage and confidence to enjoy the night. I didn't get far in my thoughts before I was interrupted in the most cliche way possible. 

"Now, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" Someone asks beside me. His voice was deep and masculine, one that wouldn't be a shame to record and play on repeat.

*****

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