Baby, This is Paradise

•1•

Claire's POV

BANG BANG BANG

I heard the booming sound on my door.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG-

"ALRIGHT, ALEX. CHILL FOR A SEC, WOULD YOU?"

I rolled out of bed wearing only my sweatshirt and panties, stumbled to the door, and peered through the peephole.
There, dressed in a skimpy black dress, was my best friend Alex.

Alex and I had been best friends since kindergarten. She had always been a wild one, and she was crazy outgoing, charming, funny, gorgeous, and incredibly sweet...

"CLAIRE! Get your ass out here. We're going to be late!" yelled Alex.

Well... Sometimes.

I quickly opened my apartment door.

"Shut up, idiot! You'll wake the whole complex!" I whisper-yelled.

Alex giggled. "Sorry! I'm just- Claire! Why aren't you ready??"

"Shit!" I yelled.

"Shhhh!" said Alex, clapping her hand over my mouth and shoving me inside.

"What am I gonna do?" I was already yelling again. "We're already late! I have so much to do-" I mumbled to myself as I threw off my sweatshirt and ran into the bathroom.

Alex caught me by the elbow, laughing.

"Chill," she said, "we'll just skip today."

Um, no. Not an option. My parents would strangle me. I'd always been expected to be sort of perfect, being the daughter of Bob Becker. My dad owned a music producing company- Fearless Records, I think- and my parents were extremely rich.

I was always expected to be very intelligent, polite, charming... perfect, really. I worked my way into medical school, and was still studying at the age of 25. (I know, that's a lot of college.) Luckily, Alex found a job near UC School of Medicine, so I always had her. But skipping class... That was a little out of my comfort zone. I graduated with valedictorian from my high school and since then, I'd never missed a class.

"Nuh uh. Noo way." I threw my  hair up in a bun, pulled on a UC tee, leggings, and my nikes.

Alex stepped in front of the door, laughing.

"You take yourself way too seriously. Besides, I'm not letting you leave until you agree to do something fun with me."

"Anything, Al! Please, just let me get to class." I was becoming more and more flustered.

Alex looked impressed. "You, me. Tonight. 7:00, there's a concert we're going to."

"Fine, whatever. Great. Now move!"

Wait, wasn't Alex obsessed with that emo band, what was it...? Cut the veil...? Pierce the curtain...??
I pushed past her and realized what I had agreed to halfway down the hall. But when I turned to bargain myself out of this agreement, Alex was gone.