The sun was shining and hitting the water flowing through the canals of Venice in such a way that it created tiny diamonds on the surface. I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw this, wondering how, by some weird fate, Collin and I had ended up in one of the most romantic cities in the world together. Neither of us swayed that way; Collin and I both had laid more girls than even the late Hugh Hefner had it seemed. Not that that was any evidence, but really, who could hold a relationship and a gay one at that when at any minute you could see a random girl and suddenly want to be with them. That was why Collin and I stuck to one night stands; easy to get in and easy to get out.

There were rare occasions of course, both of us had had them. Sometimes hearts got too close and things just happened. They always ended badly, naturally, since every couple that wasn't fully compatible fell apart.

Shit Paul, you sure you ain't gay? I asked myself and let out another laugh. From beside me, Collin turned his head to me, the rest of his body staying perfectly relaxed against the railing.

"You're laughing a lot over there. Seeing things again Paul?"

"Shut up Collin before I throw your ass into the water."

He scowled at me and almost seemed to be daring me to do so. I, however, turned away and stomped down my anger. Attacking Collin in the middle of the street wouldn't do me any good whatsoever. In fact, it would only get me in trouble with Jake and everyone else in the vicinity. Besides, phasing while we were in enemy territory was idiotic.
Collin seemed to realize that there was no point in jeering me about petty things for he quieted, glancing the other way and bringing the wrapped bottle to his lips.

"Don't know why you drink that shit, Collin. It's damn near impossible to get a good buzz going on, let alone get blasted. Besides, that only makes you-"

"Oh shut it, Paul. Your not my mother."

I started to say something more, but at that moment an argument broke out. Standing at my full height and jumping onto the railing, I saw a small girl facing off with a man nearly ten times her height. Her back was turned to me, but I could tell by her figure that she was older than her height would have given away.

"Gimme that apple kid. You didn't bother paying!" The man shouted, making a grab at her. The girl merely danced to the right and raised the apple in question to her lips.

"This apple sir?" She asked playfully, taking a bite and then spitting it at him. "I do believe that you are mistaken."

The moment I heard her voice, chills ran down my spine. It was so divinely beautiful that I nearly found myself begging for her to speak more. That was the furthest thing from the girls mind though, she quickly dove into the crowd, making her way toward Collin and I. With barely a second to think, the both of us shimmied to the side, making way for the girl that leaped easily into the canal.

In those seconds that she was suspended in midair though, she met my eyes. Before I even processed what was going on, my entire universe shifted. Instead of my thoughts and actions being revolved around me, they were all about her. I wanted to touch her face; to hear her voice.

Most of all, I wanted her and needed her to stay.

Without another thought, I followed her into the canal, swimming after her. She was, admittedly, a lot faster than I was and a bit of a better swimmer, but the power behind my strokes was enough to keep pace with her.

After about five minutes of pursuit, the girl cut to the side and clambered onto the ledge. Struggling with adjusting my angle, I followed her path, falling behind as I did. By the time I made it onto the street, she was fifteen feet ahead of me and turning down another alley.

When I reached her turning point, I found that it was a dead end, but oddly enough there was no girl in sight. Slowing my pace, I looked around the alley, searching for a hiding place or hidden door. There was nothing, of course, so I leaned against a wall, blinking in confusion.

As I sat there, something hard collided with my head. Turning, I found a green apple with a large bite taken out of it laying on the ground. The moment my hand wrapped around it, I heard a tittering laugh and just barely saw a shadow bolt to the left. By the time I got my head up, the girl was long gone.

All at once, my world seemed to crash down as if someone threw a rock into a mirror. My imprint had ran away from me, leaving me with nothing but the clothes on my back. Suddenly my life didn't seem all that great.

After ten minutes of thinking like that, I began to make my way back to the hotel. The trip back itself was unpleasant, lost imprint or no. My jeans were rubbing against my upper leg, bringing forward pain in many unmentionable places. I also had to deal with the hateful looks of the local civilians, all of them thinking I was some sort of rabble-rouser or something. I merely looked at them with a blank stare, my heavy heart to weary to muster up any anger. I couldn't shake the depression at the thought of losing my imprint like that. Along with that, I knew the odds of me finding her again in this maze of a city (Or any city at all for that matter) was nearly impossible, so I didn't even bother hoping.

Collin was already back at the hotel, busily talking into the phone in the bathroom. I ignored him and quietly crept to my bed, the one closest to the window, and gazed outside.

"It was really weird, Jake. I've never seen Paul act like that. It was something else completely took over. Oddly enough it was after this really weird girl ran past her. I think he might have imprinted her."

I could hear the laughter on the other line and nearly slammed my fist through the wall. Of course no one would believe that I, Paul the Womanizer, had imprinted. It was one of those few things that we could believe in; that I would never imprint or be loved.

"I know... it's unlikely... yeah probably just being ridiculous. Thanks anyways. As for the girl… just keep an eye on her Jake. What she says might or might not be the truth and while I'd love to rip her head off for being associated with someone like that, we can't know for sure. Besides, the mind reader has his trust in her, so the rest of the family probably does too."

I heard the phone click and listened to Collin's approaching footsteps. I didn't make any move to hide myself; I couldn't care less about Collin knowing that I had heard. If anything, it might have made him regret talking about me like that, but I doubted it. He most likely rub it in my face.

Collin did neither though. He looked at me and then walked to his bed, sprawling out across it. Part of me begged to go over and wrestle him to the ground, demanding that he apologized, but my dominant self didn't even see the point in that.

I must have sat there for hours, because before I knew what had happened, it was pitch black out and Collin was snoring. Outside it was still, the night laying a blanket on everything in sight. It definitely gave the city that aura of mystery and magic that everyone spoke of. Even a part of me was wondering if that special merry-go-round that could alter ages or whatever really existed here.

Not that I needed it or anything, but seeing something like that would still be cool.

With that I let out a sigh and laid down, my head nestling into the pillows. After a few minutes, my dreams invaded my mind, painting a picture of a tiny blond girl and a merry-go-round.

AN: Sorry if the beginning of the chapter offends. It's not my intention to do so, I was mainly writing from the way Paul (or Collin) would see it.