"What about this one?" Jasmine said, holding up a blue top.
"It's ok, I guess", Emma answered. Jas rolled her eyes.
"It's okay? Come on, Emma, help me out. There's got to be something in here that looks good."
"They all look good on you, Jas, there just not my style", Emma said. They were packing to go to Paris and since Emma didn't own any "night-out clothes", Jas had offered some of hers.
"Then what's your style? Oversized hockey-shirts? I don't understand why you keep that thing, you don't even play hockey."
"It reminds me of someone", Emma said slowly. "The blue one will be fine, Jas, thanks."
"Are you sure? I've got a red, glittery thing somewhere in…"
"The blue one is great!" Emma interrupted. "It's really growing on me." Jas laughed.
"Fine. You get the blue one. Are you all packed and ready?" she asked.
"Yes", Emma said, "I'm good to go."
"Alright, then." Jas stood. "Paris, here we come!"
(*)
The airport was crowded and Emma instinctively grabbed Jas's hand.
"Don't get lost on me", she called out over the noise. Jas squeezed her hand back.
"Don't let go", she said. Jas had never even been in an airport before, she had never left England. Her eyes were wide as she looked around, and Emma had to smile.
"Come on", she said. "You can look all you want once we're past security."
Jas really did have a thing for shopping, Emma thought, as they were making their way through the duty-free shopping area. They had to stop at every window they passed.
"Look, they have purses!"
"Yeah, and they're too expensive, even here. Let's go find our gate, Jas, it's about to open."
"Okay", Jas agreed reluctantly. "Hey, I made a list of things we have to do once we get to Paris."
"Yeah?"
"Well, obviously we have to see all those famous monuments and that stuff and take loads of pictures to show everyone and fill our facebook pages with", she laughed, "but I also want to go see this band I've been listening to."
"Here we go", Emma said with a crooked smile.
"Don't start, Emma, these guys are really good! They're on Spotify and I've been listening to them for a while now. They're from New York and are playing going on tour to Paris! It's destiny!"
"Jas, don't we need tickets for that kind of thing?"
"We would, yeah, but they are doing some smaller concerts in some bars. It's super-secret and only a few people know."
"Then how do you know?"
"I'm an excellent stalker", Jas proudly announced. "No, but seriously, it's not even a concert they're just playing. It's not like they're huge or anything, so getting a concert ticket probably wouldn't be that hard, I just figured you wouldn't want to go to that."
"You were right."
"But we're going to the bar", Jas said. "I have to see them."
"Okay, fine. We'll go to the bar."
"Oh, and Jas?"
"Yup."
"They are like, really, really hot!"
(*)
"Are you ready yet?"
"Almost", Jas replied. They were in their hotel room, getting ready to go see Jas's beloved band. Emma was sitting on one of the beds, wearing the blue top she had gotten from Jas. She looked good in it, but she didn't feel very comfortable. As she stared at the wall in front of her she drifted off into her own thoughts.
She wondered what her life would have been like if she had never had to leave Detroit. The whole idea with the trip to Paris was to get away from her dad and aunt. They had never let her out of their sight before. She missed Evelyn, and she didn't even know why. They hadn't seen each other in years, and the Mercer's had probably already forgotten about the little stray they let into their lives so many years ago. Now she was eighteen, and was finally breaking free, the problem was just that she had nowhere to go. When she was little she used to dream about leaving for Detroit as soon as she was old enough, but now she was afraid. What was she going to say? Why would they want her there?
"Check me out!" Jas called out and appeared in the doorway. "What do you think? Hot enough to pick up one of the Spares?" Emma laughed.
"Definitely. But I'm not letting any of those guys get their hands on you. How do you know they're not psychos, the whole bunch of them."
"Because they're hot, and play good music. They're from New York!"
"Didn't you ever see Jennifer's body? I'm not going back to England with you as some possessed demon, Jas", Emma laughed.
"Would you rather have me dead then? You know she only turned evil because she lied about being a virgin."
"Her friend lied. And let her go off with those guys. I will beat you down if I have to."
"You're a real friend", Jas said seriously. "And I would do the same for you."
"Thank you. I guess we're ready to leave then."
"Aren't you wearing your hockey shirt over that?" Jas asked innocently.
"Shut up, Jas," Emma warned her, "Don't think I don't know that you brought a teddy bear with you."
(*)
"Jack, man, wake up." Somebody slapped Jack hard on his arm and he opened his eyes.
"The fuck you want, Kyle?" he said groggily. Somebody next to him moaned and he turned his head to the girl who lay passed out next to him. He had brought back with him last night "What time is it, man?"
"Three thirty. We gotta get down for that gig in a few hours. Time to wake up and say goodbye to your friend." Jack sat up and looked around the room. It was a mess, it really was. Five guys sharing a hotel room and getting drunk every night. Jack tried to wake up by shaking his head, and instantly a wave of nausea hit him.
"Damn", he muttered and let out a shaky breath. He stretched out his right arm behind him and grabbed the girl's thigh. She had a nice dragon tattoo on it.
"Hey, wake up", he said to her and shook her gently. "Time to go." The girl sat up and started saying something, but Jack just waved his hand in front of her to make her go quiet.
"I don't speak French, remember? You gotta go, I'm sorry." The girl smiled a little at him, she remembered, and proceeded to get dressed.
"Have a nice life," Kyle said as she left the room. "Okay, let's wake the others."
"Not until I've had my shower", Jack said. "I don't wanna have to fight them for it."
"Alright, Daddy Longleg, just hurry up."