Watching

PART I

She believed in angels. Why? Because of a little chubby boy who wandered into and out of her life in a flash.

A few days ago, she ran aimlessly for what seemed like hours in search of her parents. A flying mess of hair, crinkled eyebrows, and stress, she raced around the hotel in frustration, searching on her tiptoes with her neck outstretched every few seconds. She needed her parents to sign a stupid form this girl gave her in order for her to join this club of high schoolers to hang out. For a second, she felt desperate doing all this for some dumb kiddy club. Then she remembered that it was the closest thing she had to freedom and adulthood.

It sucked being too barely too young to drink, but too old to just be an uncaring child. She was excited by the drinking, the dancing, and partying around her. She knew all the songs and she was not new to the drinking. She had a yearning to just be in college, partying like the others. The club of high schoolers was the closest thing. They had dancing, other kids around her age, and a way too hilarious and seductive girl leader who was in her twenties.

Plus, there were some cute guys.

She rolled her eyes. Honestly, what was she expecting? Some romance over the course of four days with some other random kids in a hotel? She laughed at herself, ignoring the little pang of truth telling her that yes, that's exactly what she hoped for. That was exactly what everyone in the club hoped for. They all wanted to have some encounter with love or to meet some hot chick, but they all pretended to deny it.

Back in reality, she was panting, waiting for the elevator. Some other little kid, somewhere around the age ten and twelve, waited nearby. He was chubby and short, dressed in fluffy pajama pants and sandals. It was the cutest, funniest thing she had seen. The two of them paced around, eyes wandering awkwardly around, toes tapping, waiting. She wondered if he was looking for his parents too. Maybe he was looking for one his little friends. Finally, the ding of the elevator brought them back to life. He stepped in and she followed suit. He pressed his floor level, and waited expectantly for her to speak.

"Honestly, I have NO idea where I going. Just go up to wherever you're going," she said with an exhausted laugh.

He shrugs and laughs in return, but deep in thought.

She continued," I have to sign this form, but I have NO idea where they are! I checked everywhere; the hotel rooms, restaurants, everything."

He nodded, and stayed silent for a moment. Then. with a look on his face, he spoke, " Actually, I think I may know where they are."

She knew exactly where he probably thought they were. In the London Lounge, where a show was performing as they spoke. It was the attraction all other people on this tour were supposed to go to tonight. She had already checked there, however. In fact, it was the first place she checked. Her mother told her that she would be there along with the rest of their family. Whatever. It was not like she had anything better to do anyways. Doubtfully, she nods and follows him as they reach the floor.

As they step out, she wonders where he might take her. Maybe it was not the London Lounge. She was not expecting much.

As they weave through the tight crowds, he says," I know where they are because..."

She was not focusing on what he said. Partially because it was really loud and crowded. Also because she found herself right at the entrance of the London Lounge. She grinned at her accurate prediction. She did not bother telling him that she had already been here. After all, this random kid in pajama pants bothered to lead her all the way here and push through all the people just for her.

She continued nonchalantly making small talk with him, searching these sea of faces for something familiar. She thought she glimpsed something familiar. That's when she stopped dead in her tracks.

Familiar? That was her mother's face. Standing right there in front of her with her blue cardigan. That was the figure that cost her a million running steps, distressed hair flips, and endless amounts of disappointed sighs. That was also the figure happened to be moving away.

"MOM! MOOOOMMM! DON'T MOVE!" she shrieks as she chases after her, waving her form around like some sort of flag.

Midway, she realizes that she left the boy in the pajamas and sandals there. She runs back, and thanks him like crazy. "Oh my god, thank you! Thank you so much! I had no idea, I didn't expect, just woah! Thank you! What'a your name?"

He says,"asdfgghjklw"

Of course, she just had to miss that. It just had to be loud just at that moment.

"So, uh," she awkwardly says," thank you again!"

She races back to her mother, and from the corner of her eye sees him watching as he slowly walks away, grinning widely like a little idiot.

She mentally punches herself for not picking up his name. Maybe it was on purpose that she was not allowed to know the name of her guardian angel.

***

She was not sure if she believed in love. She knew it was all a lie, but at the same time she had a little spark o hope. A spark she claimed to have died so long ago, beaten down by life and experience, but somehow, somewhere in there, a minuscule, flickering flame still held on.

She also was not sure what the hell she was doing here. The other teens were alright. She seemed to be part of the popular group, although she did not exactly like it. They were a little bit on the dim witted side. There was this one cute guy in that group, though. He seemed to be more into the other "hot" girls, though. The girls who were flexible dancers and dressed like little Ke$ha's. Ugh.

Unlike a dream, the group was, very real and, of course, very, very awkward. They all claimed that they did not want to dance an have the dance party. Of course, they all secretly did, but just to conform with the others, they pretended they did not.

So after they played "Just Dance," the hot leader/counselor girl made them dance. "GET IN TWO LINES!" She shouted with her Ukrainian accent.

"NOW! You do not want to mess with Ukraine, I'm telling you." she said darkly into the speakers.

After they reluctantly form into two lines, she said," Okay. Do you all know how to wobble? Say yes!"

"Nope." The answer rang from different places across the room.

"Well I'm going to teach you. You have to know this. This is like, our dance, okay? You just have to know it."

She hit the play button. "Wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble!"

With the lights off, they all started copying her. After a few repetitions, this supposedly inappropriate dance just seemed fun, especially with the guys doing it. It was like doing the Macarena.

Afterwards, they actually danced the Macarena, along with the cha-cha slide and Cupid shuffle. It was surprisingly enjoyable.

Time flew by. Soon, the club closed. They all went up to get ice cream at the fancy buffet upstairs. She felt powerful walking with this group, this clan. It was like being with a pack of wolves. She was never part of one of those cliques at school, or at least not for a long time.

They talked into the midnight. Past midnight. They let go things about them openly. It was not like they would see each other again. Maybe it was because time flew faster here. Everything was in fast forward. They only had a few days to make miracles happen. To make sparks fly. So they chatted, into the mysterious midnight as the sky sparkled above them, fading into nothingness.

**

Thanks for reading, as always.

Ciao!

<3

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*