Stardust Romantics

Secrets Of The Stars

With the greatest challenges of the trip, behind us our now bonded group was ready, to let out some steam. A loud party was long overdue!

The girls had formed a glamour squad, making all the possible efforts to look their best with, limited resources. The guys were in charge of drinks and snacks.

"Hey, Clara! What is your drink of choice? I am conducting a list for the guys before they go to the liquor store!"

Christina , the self-proclaimed party diva of our group awaited my answer with a notepad and pen in hand. She'd taken it upon herself to give me a "sexy makeover", earlier that evening.

"Can I, leave that choice up to you ?"

"Say no more! Tequila with grape juice cocktail it is! We have to inject some fire in your bloodstream girl! You know, get the goddess within you, shine through !"

I genuinely felt like her dress-up Barbie doll.

"I am not sure I have one, I prefer being invisible."

"None of that, now! We are getting you out of your shell and into the light!" She didn't budge.

"What if I like being in my invisibility shell?" I protested, with zero success.

"In that case, good thing we are here, and in Strasbourg, you, my darling are finally stealing the spotlight!"

                                                                                   * * *

Within the hour, our room was unrecognizable, and the party was at its peak. An Adam Sandler comedy played in the background, naturally - In French. Empty pizza boxes and alcohol bottles were scattered all around the floor, Christina was dancing topless, leaning, or much rather, barely hanging from the window pavement, and William was left the only sober among us.

"Is she hanging in there?" He nodded in Christina's direction.

"I am watching over her, and being her safety net" I beamed, comforting him for some reason. His hands locked around my waist, pulling me in. Was I imagining things, or was the cocktail, finally getting to my head?

"Will, chill! I am perfectly fine! Fantastic actually!"

"Which means, I am excellent company!" His face beamed.

"You two are looking, rather cozy!" Alexander raised a glass our way.

All I managed, under the overload of emotions, boiling inside me was a nod.

"Forget us! What are we going to do, with the Dirty Dancing strip scene reenactment?"

"Didn't headmaster Mathews, say we should text in case of an emergency?"

"Is that before, or after one falls out the window?"

The corner of my eye captured the sight of a shooting star. For reasons beyond me, I made a wish, for our paths with William, to keep crossing wherever life takes us in the future. An unspoken promise, between me and the constellations above.

                                                                             * * *

I didn't recall falling asleep, at all. The heavy metal alarm at 6 AM, managed to wipe away all memory of sleep, in a split second. The collective squeak in the shared girls' bedroom, caused a complete frenzy in record time. I wondered if the racket we are causing, managed to wake up, the entire guest list of the hotel. So much, for being an undetectable, well-behaved, high school debate team...

"You and William, seemed unusually close and comfortable, in each other's arms last night! Good for you girl, you know how to get it on, after all!"

Oh, there it was. The mandatory, gossip snarky comment. Christina and Alexander, gave me each, a congratulating wink.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" I attempted a pretend offensiveness in my voice.

"You guys, do look good together you know."

"We are just teamed up in this debate! That is all there is, to it!" I defended myself and my personal space.

"Your characters, complement each other if you ask me..." Alexander holds up a finger as if he is testing the air. "Oh, yes! I can feel the fairy tale match being born here!"

"No, no!" Christina pitched in."She is right, they are a team, Alex!"

For a second I thought, she was stepping up for me. This naive misconception was short-lived. "If, cupid did aim for them, end they end up a team in romance ...Well, it doesn't get better than this!"

Apparently, they were playing matchmakers. I, suddenly, felt excluded from the conversation.. Regardless of the fact, it was frankly centered around my so-called potential romance. I tiptoed away, and to the wardrobe, to pick an outfit, suitable for our sightseeing, during the day and possible, shifts in the weather thought the day. Turquoise T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, along with a hooded jacket, I hid in my backpack as I headed to the lobby. The last thing on that list was my mini digital camera, which perfectly fit in my hidden pocket.

At the main entrance, also used as an exit, I spotted a  maid trying to balance empty bottles and carton pizza boxes, on her way out.

"I  am  guessing, she   is  returning  from  your after-party  ?"  Headmaster Mathews remarked, inquisitively.

"We, shall not confirm not deny !" uttered Christina and Alexander in one voice. I personally was willing to bet my life, that these two had a bright future in politics, but as with I whispered to the stars, only time had the power to tell.

Headmaster Mathews did not look the least bothered.

"We are off to sightseeing then! Stick together as much as possible!"In the complete contradiction to the advice, we were all scattered in various directions, making the best of the last remaining hours of this escape from reality.