Thanks again to my friend, Will Cloud, for making the cover photo.

Christi is loosely based on my best friend who knew I was a writer and direly wanted to be a character in one of my stories :)

"Do you think he was flirting, or was it just me?" Christi asked Ariadne as they walked down the hall of her school together.

"He flirts with everyone," Ariadne answered. "Believe me, you're no different."

Christi and Ariadne lived in an apartment together, having met and been best friends since they were roommates their freshman year of college. Now both of them were studying abroad in France for graduate school. Ariadne was studying architecture, while Christi was a nursing student. They went to separate schools, so occasionally, they would meet up for lunch, much like they had just finished doing.

"Ariadne!" someone called.

The two girls looked over to find one of Ariadne's professors motioning her over while a much younger man stood next to him.

"I have to go," Ariadne said to Christi. "I'll see you back at the apartment tonight."

"Alright." Christi discreetly pointed to the younger man. "He's cute!"

Ariadne rolled her eyes while Christi laughed and headed out to go back to her next couple of nursing classes.

When she finished classes for the day, she went back to the apartment and took out a few of her textbooks. After doing some of her homework for a couple hours, her brain was swimming from the endless terminology and diagrams, so she prepared to go for a run. She dressed in some running shorts with a t-shirt and tied her hair up into a messy bun.

Christi loved to run more than anything. She felt like all her problems went away while she was running, and she had the best place in the world to run around in. Paris was gorgeous and full of amazing scenery that she got to see almost every day when she ran past it. Most of the time, she brought her I-Pod with her to run to, but every now and again, she would run to the music of nature and the good old Paris everyday life.

When the sky began to get darker, she headed back for the apartment. Ariadne was sitting at the table eating some leftovers from the night before. She looked kind of upset and was stabbing her food with a viciousness that Christi had never seen from her before.

"Hey, Ari!" Christi said. "So what did that professor want? Did it have something to do with the cute guy?"

"I'm not really supposed to say anything," Ariadne responded without looking at her. "But it doesn't matter because I'm not doing what he needed."

"What are you talking about? Was it an internship, a work placement, what?"

"I told you, it doesn't matter. I'm not doing it."

"Whatever it was couldn't have been that bad."

"You have no idea."

"No, I don't. So why don't you tell me?"

"I can't."

Ariadne suddenly got up and left and went to her room for the rest of the night, leaving Christi standing in the dining room extremely confused. She'd never seen Ariadne act like that before. What had happened that was making her behave so weird?

The next morning, Ariadne ate breakfast in silence before heading off to her classes. Christi didn't know what had happened the day before, but whatever it was was really affecting her.

She went to her own room and dressed in her usual jeans, casual shirt, and a pair of black Converse. Then she brushed out her straight black hair that reached to the middle of her back. After putting on a little mascara, she grabbed her books and headed off to classes, hoping that Ariadne was in a better mood when she got back.

She wasn't.

When Christi came back from her daily run, Ariadne was eating and doing some homework on the dining room table. She didn't look as angry, but she didn't look happy either. She had barely eaten anything as her fork just moved around the food on her plate, and she looked like she was staring right through her textbook.

"Ari, what's up?" Christi asked, concerned for her friend.

"Nothing," Ariadne replied.

"Are you sure? You look kind of upset."

"I'm fine, okay? Just…drop it."

Ariadne once again retreated to her room for some silence. Christi looked after her sadly. She had no idea what had happened the day before, but obviously it had really messed with her emotions.

Things stayed that way for the next couple of days. Ariadne hardly ever spoke to her anymore and constantly locked herself in her room doing who-knows-what. Christi really missed her best friend. Finally, she decided to do something about it.

Early in the morning before either girl had left for classes, Christi sat across from Ariadne while she ate her breakfast.

"Okay, Ari, I don't know what's been going on with you, but whatever it is needs to stop."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ever since you met that cute guy at your school, you've been acting like the end of the world is coming. Now I don't know everything because you won't tell me, but something happened to you that day. And even though you said you didn't want to do whatever it was he wanted, I think you secretly do. Otherwise you wouldn't be acting like this."

"You don't understand what they wanted."

"Maybe not, but what I do understand is that it's really affected you. Go back to that guy and do whatever it is he wanted. I have a feeling it would really improve your mood."

Ariadne stared into space for a little bit, thinking about what Christi was saying. "You really think I should go back?"

"Not just should. I think you want to. So do it."

Ariadne smiled and stood up. "You're right. I'll go see him again today."

Christi smiled back and went to go get dressed.

"Hey, Christi?" Ariadne called as she prepared to walk out the door. Christi turned back to her. "Thanks."

When Christi returned from her run, Ariadne looked a lot happier than she had for the past few days.

"I take it everything went well?" Christi asked with a smile on her face.

Ariadne smiled back. "You were right. I kind of have a better idea of what I'm supposed to be doing now, and it may not be as bad as I initially thought."

"I told you. Christi once again saves the day."

"Don't push it."

Christi smiled broadly. "So, what exactly is it they want you to do?"

"Sorry. Still sworn to silence, especially now that I'm actually doing the job."

Christi groaned playfully. "After all the help I did and everything."

The two girls laughed and went to their rooms to do homework.

For the next few days, Ariadne spent a lot of time in the apartment drawing and sketching and even creating little models of what looked like floor plans. That only made Christi more curious about this what this mysterious job could possibly be.

From what Christi saw, Ariadne hardly ever slept. She wasn't sure how that could possibly be healthy, but it must've been a result of whatever she was doing with her time as of late.

Things went this way for approximately two weeks if not a little longer. Every time Christi asked what she was up to, all she got was the same answer: sworn to secrecy.

Despite the fact that Ariadne was in a much better mood than before, she was now too busy to spend time with Christi. She really missed the girl she called her best friend. They hardly ever talked anymore because she was always working at or for the mystery job. She missed studying with her and going out to eat occasionally and their movie marathons and all their late night talks. But she knew she couldn't complain because she was the one who had told her to go back in the first place.